Karim Dulé Hill (; born May 3, 1975) Dule Hill [biography], Performing ARts Databases, Library of Congress. is an American actor. He is known for his roles as personal presidential aide and Deputy Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff Charlie Young on the NBC drama television series The West Wing, for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and pharmaceutical salesman–private detective Burton "Gus" Guster on the USA Network television comedy-drama Psych. He also had minor roles in the movies Holes, The Guardian, and She's All That and a recurring role on Ballers. He joined the cast of Suits for the last 2 seasons, and played patriarch Bill Williams in the 2021 remake of The Wonder Years. Hill also serves as a member of the SAG-AFTRA Board of Directors.
Early life and education Hill was born in Orange, New Jersey, to Jamaican parents and was raised in Sayreville, New Jersey. He studied ballet at a young age, and appeared in the musical The Tap Dance Kid as Savion Glover's understudy on Broadway, a part he subsequently played on the show's national tour. Hill graduated from Sayreville War Memorial High School in 1993,Granieri, Laurie. "Sayreville native Dule Hill gears up for show's new season" , Home News Tribune, August 7, 2009. Accessed February 15, 2011. "The biggest challenge for me is not making Gus too nerdy or too cool. Because Gus is a nerd, says Hill, 34, who grew up in Sayreville and is a 1993 graduate of Sayreville War Memorial High School." and studied business finance at Seton Hall University and acting at William Esper Studio. While at Seton Hall, he accepted a role on Jim Henson's CityKids.
Career
In 1985, 10-year-old Hill performed a tap dance number on the MDA telethon. When the music could not be found for his routine, telethon host Jerry Lewis helped by having the orchestra play another song while Hill performed. He got his SAG card aged 13 playing the small role of "basketball boy" on the PBS children's series Ghostwriter. His first film role was in Sugar Hill in 1993 during his senior year of high school. While in college at Seton Hall, he was cast in a starring role in Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk on Broadway.
In 1999, Hill was cast on The West Wing as Charlie Young, the personal aide to President Josiah Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen. During the sixth season of the series, Charlie became a Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff. Hill starred as Charlie for six seasons before he chose to leave the show at the beginning of the seventh season (September 2005) to star in the pilot for the new television show Psych for the USA Network, which premiered July 7, 2006. However, when the announcement was made that The West Wing would be ending in May 2006, Hill returned for the show's last episodes.
Hill also had roles in the 1999 film She's All That starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Rachael Leigh Cook, both of whom he later reunited with on Psych. He was in the series 10.5 as a Los Angeles doctor named Owen, in the Disney movie Holes (2003) as Sam the Onion Man (the movie itself was referenced in the Psych episode "65 Million Years Off"), and in the 2006 movie The Guardian (this was referenced in the Psych episode "You Can’t Handle this Episode"). He also joined the cast of Suits for Season 8 and 9 (this was referenced in the movie Psych 3: This Is Gus).
Hill also appeared on Broadway in Stick Fly from December 2011 to February 2012 and After Midnight in November 2013.
As a voice actor, Hill was part of the cast of the 2021 animated feature Night of the Animated Dead.
In the 2024 PBS documentary series, The Express Way with Dulé Hill, Hill narrates and participates in exploring art and diverse cultures.
Personal life Hill married actress Nicole Lyn in 2004. They had no children. Hill and Lyn separated on July 21, 2012 and filed for legal separation in November 2012 citing irreconcilable differences.
On April 14, 2017, Hill became engaged to girlfriend and Ballers co-star Jazmyn Simon. He and Simon married in April 2018. In 2019, Hill and his wife announced the birth of their son.
Filmography
Film Year Title RoleNotes 1988 Good Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood Robert E. Lee 1994 Sugar Hill Young Romello 1999 She's All That Preston 2000 Men of Honor Red Tail 2003 Holes Sam 2004 Sexual Life Jerry 2005 Edmond Sharper The Numbers Brady Short 2006 The Guardian Ken Weatherly 2007 Whisper Detective Miles 2008 Remarkable Power Reggie 2012 Gayby Adam Nostalgia Gabe Robinson Jr. Short Gator Farm Jay Short 2013 Miss Dial Popcorn Caller 2015 Gravy Delroy 2016 Sleight Angelo 2021 Locked Down David Night of the Animated Dead Ben (voice) Hypnotic Detective Wade Rollins
Television Year Title RoleNotes 1986 The Dick Cavett Show Himself with Hinton Battle and Harold Nicholas promoting The Tap Dance Kid 1992 Ghostwriter Basketball Boy Episode: "To Catch a Creep: Part 1" 1993 CityKids John Main cast American Playhouse Episode: "Hallelujah" 1994 New York Undercover Georgie Episode: "CAT" 1995 All My Children Simon Episode: "6 July 1995" New York News Raymond Gates Episode: "New York News" 1997 The Ditchdigger's Daughters Young Donald TV movie Color of Justice Kameel TV movie Cosby Marcus Episode: "Shall We Dance?" 1998 Smart Guy Calvin Tierney Episode: "Gotta Dance" 1999 The Jamie Foxx Show Featured Dancer Episode: "Taps for Royal" Love Songs Leroy TV movie Chicken Soup for the Soul Episode: "Mother's Day" 1999–2006 The West Wing Charlie Young Main cast 2004 10.5 Dr. Owen Hunter Miniseries 2006–14 Psych Burton "Gus" Guster Main cast 2015–17 Ballers Larry Siefert Recurring cast (seasons 1–3) 2017 Seven Bucks Digital Studios Larry Siefert Episode: "Get Pumped Up for 'Ballers' Season 3 with the Rock" Doubt Albert Cobb Main cast Psych: The Movie Burton "Gus" Guster TV movie 2017–19 Suits Alex Williams Recurring cast (s. 7), main cast (s. 8–9)2019Styling HollywoodHimselfEpisode: "Taraji & Yara & Zazie, Oh My!" 2019–21 Muppet Babies Mr. Manny (voice) 5 episodes 2020 Psych 2: Lassie Come Home Burton "Gus" Guster TV movie Black Monday Marcus Duane Wainwright III Recurring cast (season 2) 2021 Psych 3: This Is Gus Burton "Gus" Guster TV movie 2021–23 The Wonder Years Bill Williams Main cast 2022 This Is Us Kenny Brooks Episode: "The Train" 2024 The Express Way with Dulé Hill Himself Miniseries 2025 Good American Family Brandon Drysdale Recurring role
Theatre Year Title Role Other Notes1983 The Tap Dance Kid understudy Broadway1984 The Tap Dance Kid Willie Broadway National Tour1987 The Little Rascals Stymie Goodspeed Opera House1989 Shenandoah Gabriel Paper Mill Playhouse1989 Black and Blue replacement understudy Broadway1995 Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk The Kid The Public Theater1996 Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk The Kid Broadway2007 Dutchman Clay Cherry Lane Theatre2011 Stick Fly Spoon (Kent) LeVay 2013 After Midnight The Host2017 Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole Nat "King" Cole People's Light and Theatre Company2019 Geffen Playhouse 2025 New York Theatre Workshop
Awards and nominations Year Association Category Work Result 2001 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series The West Wing Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series 2002 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series Emmy Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series 2003 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series 2004 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series 2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special 10.5 2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series The West Wing 2008 Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Psych 2009 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series 2026Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Lead Performance in a MusicalLights Out: Nat “King” ColeLucille Lortel AwardOutstanding Lead Performer in a Musical
References
External links
Dule Hill: The Enduring Rage of Dutchman Influence of Gregory Hines (NY Daily News) Dulé Hill on Instagram