Carl Lumbly was born August 14, 1952 in Minnesota. The son of Jamaican immigrants, his father was a wide and avid reader, which inspired Lumbly’s early passion for literature. He graduated with an English degree from Macalester College and became a writer with the Associated Press in Minneapolis, while taking on freelance assignments for various periodical and magazines. While doing a piece on Dudley Riggs’ Brave New Workshop Comedy Theatre, Lumbly attended a public audition and after three weeks, became part of the cast and stayed on for two years where he did improvisational comedy with a touch of political satire. Lumbly then moved to San Francisco where he saw an ad for two black actors to be cast in South African political plays. He auditioned and met a still unknown Danny Glover, who was the other actor already chosen for one of the roles. Lumbly has since become a stage veteran and has also appeared in movies like Escape from Alcatraz, Everybody's All American, Men of Honor and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. He is also the voice of J’onn the Martian Manhunter on Cartoon Network’s animated series, Justice League.
Marcus Dixon, played by Carl Lumbly on Alias, was Sydney Bristow’s trusted partner at SD-6. A seasoned agent, he was instrumental in bringing it down along with its leader, Arvin Sloane, who Dixon holds responsible for the death of his wife, Diane. In a strange coincidence, Dixon accidentally shot Sloane’s wife, Emily during an agency operation.
(Photo courtesy of ABC)