McKinley Belcher III is an American actor and writer, known for his breakout role as Detective Michael Ledroit in Netflix's Eric, for which he was nominated for a 2025 BAFTA TV Award in Supporting Actor. He also starred in the Netflix limited series Zero Day opposite Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons, as Samuel Diggs in the PBS television series Mercy Street, Anthony Carter in the Fox genre drama The Passage, and as Agent Trevor Evans in Netflix crime thriller Ozark.
Early life and education McKinley Belcher was born in Atlanta, Georgia at Grady Memorial Hospital, the first son of McKinley Belcher Jr. and Pamela McGhee Belcher.
The family later moved to Powder Springs, where he attended elementary and middle school. Belcher graduated from Campbell High School in Smyrna, Georgia, in 2002, where he was in the International Baccalaureate program and ran track and cross country.
He went to Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, and graduated in 2006 with a B.A. in Communication Studies and Political Science. At Belmont he competed on the Speech and Debate Team, winning awards as a debater and individual speaker. He subsequently went to USC School of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, where he won the Ava Greenwald Memorial Award and graduated in 2010 with an MFA in Acting.
Career Theatre Belcher appeared Off-Broadway in Romeo and Juliet at Classic Stage Company in 2013. In 2016 he won a Drama Desk Award for his performance as amateur boxer Fish in the ensemble of Marco Ramirez's The Royale at Lincoln Center, directed by Rachel Chavkin. He also appeared as Sam in Darko Tresnjak's 2015 world premiere production of Rear Window at Hartford Stage, alongside Kevin Bacon.
Belcher played the dual roles of Teddy and Nicholas in the world premiere of Ken Urban's A Guide for the Homesick at the Huntington Theatre Company in 2017, winning both an Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actor and an IRNE Award for Best Actor. In 2019 Belcher played Rashad in MCC's off-Broadway production of The Light, for which he was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play.
In 2020, Belcher made his Broadway debut as Private Louis Henson (a role originated by Samuel L. Jackson off-Broadway) in the Broadway premiere of A Soldier's Play at the Roundabout Theatre Company. He made history as Happy Loman in the 2022-2023 Broadway production of Death of a Salesman, featuring the first African-American Loman family on Broadway alongside Wendell Pierce, Sharon D. Clarke, Khris Davis and André De Shields.
Film and television Belcher made his film debut in John Sayles' 2013 independent film Go for Sisters, playing Lisa Gay Hamilton's son Rodney.
In 2015 he appeared in David Simon's HBO mini-series Show Me a Hero as LaTanya Richardson Jackson's son Dwayne Meeks, directed by Paul Haggis. Belcher had his first experience as a series regular as Samuel Diggs in two seasons of PBS's Ridley Scott-produced Civil War drama Mercy Street. His character, Samuel, is a free man who works as a laborer, but harbors secret knowledge and ability in medicine.
In 2018 he was cast as Anthony Carter in Fox's drama The Passage, based on Justin Cronin's novel by the same name.
Belcher worked with David Simon again, in HBO's 2022 limited series We Own This City, playing real-life BPD veteran and Gun Trace Task Force officer Momodu Gondo. In 2022, Belcher also joined the cast of Netflix's live-action adaptation of the Japanese manga One Piece as Arlong.
In 2024 he played a leading role as police officer Michael Ledroit in the Netflix drama miniseries Eric.
Personal life Belcher married artist Blake Fox on January 17, 2023, in Hoboken, NJ in a wedding that was officiated by Belcher's Death of a Salesman co-star André De Shields.
Filmography
Film YearTitleRole Notes 2013 Go for Sisters Rodney2018 Mapplethorpe Milton Moore Trial By Fire Ponchai2019 The Art of Racing in the Rain Mark Finn Marriage Story Lighting Designer 2022 Eraser: Reborn Paul Whitlock
Television YearTitleRole Notes 2010 Law & Order: Los Angeles Timmy Lutz Episode: "Hondo Field" 2011 Rizzoli & Isles Pvt. Lawrence Episode: "We Don't Need Another Hero" 2012 Louie Gravedigger #1 Episode: "Barney/Never" 2014 Elementary Reeling Detective Episode: "Enough Nemesis to Go Around" 2014–2017 Power Marcus 4 episodes2015 Madam Secretary Officer Wilson Episode: "Chains of Command" Chicago PD Aubrey Carrington Episode: "What Do You Do" Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Bryce Episode: "Kimmy Goes Outside!" Show Me a Hero Dwayne Meeks 5 episodes 2016–2017 Mercy Street Samuel Diggs 12 episodes 2017–2022 Ozark Agent Trevor Evans 16 episodes 2019 The Passage Anthony Carter 10 episodes 2020 The Good Lord Bird Broadnax 6 episodes 2021 FBI Ben Harris Episode: "Clean Slate" 2022 We Own This City Det Momodu "G Money" Gondo 6 episodes 2023 One Piece Arlong 4 episodes 2024 Eric Michael Ledroit Miniseries 2025 Zero Day Carl Otieno Limited Series
Theater YearTitleRoleCategoryTheatreRef.2019-2020A Soldier's PlayPrivate Louis HensonBroadwayRoundabout Theatre Company2022-2023Death of a SalesmanHappy LomanBroadwayHudson Theatre
Awards and nominations YearAwardsCategoryNominated workResultRef.2016Drama Desk AwardSpecial Award for Outstanding EnsembleThe Royale2019Outer Critics Circle AwardsOutstanding Actor in a PlayThe Light2021Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SerieOzark2025Royal Television Society AwardsSupporting ActorEric BAFTA Television Awards
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