Sean Patrick Thomas

Biography:

Sean Patrick Thomas is an American actor best known for his roles as Derek Reynolds in Save the Last Dance (2001) and as Jimmy James in the Barbershop film series (Barbershop 2002, Barbershop 2: Back in Business 2004, and Barbershop: The Next Cut 2016). He is also recognized for his television role as Detective Temple Page in The District and as Professor Macalester in Vixen (2015–2016).

Born in Washington, D.C., Thomas is the son of emigrants from Guyana. He was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, by Cheryl, a financial analyst for DuPont, and Carlton Thomas, an engineer who also worked for DuPont. He has two younger siblings. Thomas graduated from Brandywine High School in Delaware and attended the University of Virginia, initially planning to study law. However, after auditioning successfully for a role in A Raisin in the Sun, he shifted his focus to acting and enrolled in the Graduate Acting Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 1995.

Thomas began his acting career in the mid-1990s with minor roles in films such as Conspiracy Theory (1997), Can’t Hardly Wait (1998), and Cruel Intentions (1999). His breakthrough came with his leading role in Save the Last Dance, which became a major hit among teen audiences. He later appeared in supporting roles in Barbershop and Halloween: Resurrection (both 2002). Thomas also starred in the television series The District from 2000 to 2004.

He had recurring roles as Alan Townsend in Reaper and Karl Dupree in Lie to Me. In 2009, Thomas played the title role in Othello for the Theatre for a New Audience in New York, which later moved to Seattle. In 2012, he appeared alongside Ioan Gruffudd and Sarah Michelle Gellar in Ringer. He was briefly cast as Cyborg in Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, but was later replaced by Shemar Moore due to availability issues.

Thomas portrayed Dr. Michael Cayle in the horror film Deep in the Darkness (2014), and in 2023, he appeared as the former superhero Polarity in the The Boys spinoff Gen V. In 2024, he is set to play Professor Chadwick in a TV adaptation of Cruel Intentions.

Thomas married actress Aonika Laurent in New Orleans on April 22, 2006, after their wedding was postponed due to Hurricane Katrina. The couple, who met at a party thrown by Barbershop director Tim Story, have two children together.