Dule Hill: from The West Wing to Psyche to dancing

The humility is genuine when Dule Hill speaks about his successful acting career.

Born to Jamaican parents in New Jersey 31 years ago, Hill insists it's nothing short of a divine higher power that has guided his 20-year career as an entertainer and helped him avoid the pitfalls of many young actors.

"I have to give thanks to God for giving me the blessings and the opportunities," he says from the Los Angeles home he shares with his wife, actress Nicole Lyn. "I was just blessed with the opportunity to do things."

Among those "things" was being cast in the play Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk while he was in college. "Savion Glover called me and I went, and the next thing I knew I was a part of the show," says Hill.

Another one of those "things" was landing a role on the hit TV series The West Wing, "I was just an actor looking for work," he says. "At the beginning, I was only guaranteed four episodes. It wasn't until my third episode that they decided to take the option and make me a regular, But when I saw the pilot for West Wing, I said, 'This is what I'm talking about!' I knew I wanted to do it."

Hill's acting ability has carried him from an intense drama like The West Wing to a lighthearted role in the popular cable comedy Psyche. The series is going into its second season, and Hill also has a few film projects slated to come out within the next year.

Looking back, Hill started as a tap dancer who looked to icons Harold Nicholas and Gregory Hines for inspiration. Now he hopes to combine acting with his passion for dancing. "But it would have to be really good strong role," he says. "I would love to do something where the story could survive without the dance. That would be my dream role. I've always felt that if you have a story like that, you could pull the dance out of the story and you're not waiting for the next dance routine. That would be top-notch for me."

COPYRIGHT 2007 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning