Biography

Jernard Burks (born December 31, 1969) is an American actor who graduated from Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas, where he was also inducted into the Jerry Jones Athletic Hall of Fame. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City under Broadway director Gene Frankel. He has been active since 1994 and is also a theater actor and playwright, having collaborated with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson on Seven Guitars and written his own play King of the Blues (2013). His notable film credits include Léon: The Professional (1994, with Jean Reno and Gary Oldman), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995, with Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle), Snake Eyes (1998, with Nicolas Cage and John Travolta), Random Hearts (1999, with Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas), Four Brothers (2005, dir. John Singleton, with Mark Wahlberg), The Hangover (2009, with Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis), Street Kings (2008, with Keanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker), and Dolemite Is My Name (2019, with Eddie Murphy).