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| Mike Colter as Marvel’s Luke Cage |
Learn
all about the newest Black superhero to join the Marvel Universe. While
it’s been rumored for a while that Mike Colter would play Luke Cage,
Marvel finally confirmed it. Colter isn’t an actor that draws a lot of
attention, but everything he does makes an impact.
Luke Cage will guest star in Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones
starring Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones. It’s about a woman who has “a
tragic ending to her short-lived super hero stint” and is “rebuilding
her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases
involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City.”
“During the course of an investigation in New York City, private
investigator Jessica Jones encounters the enigmatic Luke Cage – a man
whose past has secrets that will dramatically alter Jessica in ways she
could never have imagined.” Marvel‘s
official statement quotes Executive Producer/Showrunner Melissa
Rosenberg who says, “Mike embodies the strength, edge and depth of Luke
Cage. We’re excited to have him bring this iconic Marvel character to
life.”
“Fans have longed to see Luke Cage and in Mike we’ve found the perfect
actor,” said Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer/Marvel’s Head of Television.
“Viewers will get to meet Luke Cage in ‘Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones,’
and experience why he is such an important super hero in the Marvel
mythos.” He’ll guest star in a number of episodes before getting his
own Netflix series
Luke Cage is also known as “Power Man” and has superhuman strength and bullet-proof skin. Here are some things
you probably didn’t know about Mike Colter.
1. Colter Grew Up in a Small Town
Mike Colter was born August 26, 1976, and raised in a small town in South Carolina. St. Matthews is a town in Calhoun County South Carolina, United States.
It’s less than 2 square miles and had a population of less than 2,000
in 2010. He was voted “most ambitious” by his senior class at Calhoun
County High School and definitely overcame his small town roots.
2. He’s Sexy But Doesn’t Know It
His role as the powerful drug lord Lemond Bishop on The Good Wife got a lot of attention for his acting and his sex appeal. He appreciates it but finds it baffling. Colter told New York Post,
“We’ve never played that up but I appreciate that people find him
attractive and sexy. Maybe women like a sense of mystery in their men,
a little bit of danger.” He added, “Women do odd things. I mean… look
at Marilyn Manson: He had flocks of women. Did that make any sense? No.
It’s insane.”
3. Facial Hair is Important to Him
Colter is well-known for his bald head and goatee, which is also a signature look of Luke Cage. He explained his facial hair to Huffington Post saying, “I think I decided it was a
good look after graduate school. I always shave it myself and trim my
own beard. I change the look depending on the role. For Million Dollar
Baby, I had no facial hair. For Men in Black 3, I had no facial hair
but did wear a wig….In life, though it gives me something to groom
since I am bald headed.” For Men in Black 3, he wore a wig that cost $6,000.
4. He’s a Classically Trained Thespian
He
went to Benedict College in Columbia before
transferring to the University of South Carolina, where he earned a
bachelor’s degree in theater. Colter then earned a Masters of Fine Arts
degree from Rutgers University before studying at the Mason Gross
School of the Arts. While he’s played many roles he always looks for
intelligent characters. “I like for my characters to have a certain
amount of intelligence.” Colter told Heed Magazine,
“A natural ability to think, be a leader, and pulls their own weight. A
smart character. He can have any financial background. He can have any
upbringing. The only thing that I like to require of my characters is
mental acuity.
5. Can Bulk Up But Doesn’t Want to Be Typecast
One of his best-known roles is as heavy weight contender “Big Willie” Little in Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby.
He said, “I remember going to some auditions – I am a 6’3″, African
American, baldheaded guy, I mean automatically if I am a certain size
people are going to look at me a certain way. I understood that there
are a lot of people who can do this kind of thing. So my little
interpretation of this that if I really try to navigate my career in a
different, perhaps I can find unique success. I knew that was an issue,
so I decided to stay away from the weight room. I like to work out but
I knew that if I look 225 lbs., well you know visually it would put me
in a certain category. I couldn’t see myself doing those kinds of
roles.” After he did Million Dollar Baby he
worked hard to avoid getting typecast. His agent got offers for him to
play athletic roles but he turned them down saying, “I didn’t want to
do anything that was like that again. I just wanted to make that was
who I was going to be defined as.”
6. His Brother is a Secret Service Agent
His brother, Eddie L. Colter Jr., is a secret service agent
and helped him learn how to keep secrets. Considering how tight-lipped
Marvel is about their movies and shows this should come in handy.
Colter also did a training video for the White House.
7. Colter Has a Tattoo But Wouldn’t Get Another One
Mike Colter has one tattoo on his arm.” I got it on a whim when I was 18 in Coco Beach, FL.” Colter told Heed,
“I was a bit intoxicated, but not extremely so I was aware. I never got
another because as I got older I realized it wasn’t for me. I’m glad I
stopped there but I do like them.”
What do you think
of Mike Colter’s casting as Luke Cage?
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<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="33826 ">4 Comments
Sounds like Mike Colter has made a smart move, all he has to do now is grab peoples hearts and minds.
I hadn't really heard of him until now.
It's a very smart move Spacerguy and the time is right.
He's flown under a lot of radars Pat. His Wikipedia page is barely a few paragraphs.