Rockmond Dunbar

Biography

Rockmond Dunbar (born January 11, 1973, in Berkeley, California, United States) is an American actor and producer known for his work in television dramas and feature films. He is best recognised for portraying Kenny Chadway in the Showtime drama series Soul Food, Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin in the Fox crime drama Prison Break, and FBI Agent Dennis Abbott in The Mentalist. He has also gained recognition for his performances in Earth 2, Sons of Anarchy, Terriers, and 9-1-1.

Dunbar developed an interest in acting while studying at school and college. He attended Morehouse College, the College of Santa Fe, and the University of New Mexico before moving to Hollywood to pursue a professional acting career. He made his early screen appearances during the 1990s, beginning with the film Misery Loves Company (1993). In 1994, he gained television exposure through his recurring role as Baines in the science-fiction series Earth 2, produced by Steven Spielberg.

His career progressed with appearances in television programmes such as The Wayans Bros., The Good News, Two Guys and a Girl, The Practice, The Pretender, Felicity, and Pacific Blue. He also appeared in the independent film Punks (2000), alongside Vanessa Williams and Loretta Devine. His performance in the film earned him the Black Reel Award for Best Independent Actor in 2002.

One of the major breakthroughs in his career came in 2000 when he was cast as Kenny Chadway in Soul Food: The Series. Based on the 1997 film of the same name, the Showtime drama followed the lives and relationships of an African-American family. Dunbar portrayed Kenny throughout the series' five-season run from 2000 to 2004, appearing in 74 episodes. The role brought him widespread recognition and established him as a familiar television actor.

In 2005, Dunbar joined the cast of the Fox television series Prison Break, playing Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin, a prisoner who becomes involved in Michael Scofield's escape plans. His performance made the character an important part of the series. He reprised the role in the 2017 revival of Prison Break. During this period, he also appeared in films such as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Dirty Laundry (2006), All About You (2001), and Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys (2008).

Dunbar continued expanding his television career with roles in Heartland (2007), The Game, and Terriers (2010), in which he portrayed detective Mark Gustafson. In 2011, he joined the cast of the FX crime drama Sons of Anarchy as Sheriff Eli Roosevelt, appearing in the series for two seasons. He subsequently appeared in The Mentalist as FBI Agent Dennis Abbott, becoming part of the show's later seasons.

His other television credits include The Path, The Defenders, Grey's Anatomy, CSI: Miami, Private Practice, Scorpion, and 9-1-1. In 9-1-1, he portrayed Michael Grant, a central character during the show's early seasons. His film appearances include Alien Raiders (2008), Pastor Brown (2009), Jada (2008), City of Lies (2018), and Straw (2025).

Apart from acting, Dunbar has explored writing, directing, and producing. His work behind the camera includes projects such as Raising Izzie (2012), for which he received award recognition as a director. He has also received nominations for several awards, including the NAACP Image Awards and Black Reel Awards.