He worked as a model in the 80s and 90s in New York City for the Boss Models agency. Before his introduction into the world of fame, Dourdan worked as an attendant for celebrity events and used the job to gain connections in the entertainment industry.

He started to act on stage in the Tristate area. He started taking the craft seriously and knew that he needed to cut his teeth on stage before he could become a real actor. He wanted to get all his nervous ticks out on stage before transitioning to the screen. He wanted feedback from his directors and teachers so that he could improve. There were no directors or producers knocking on his door even though he was a very handsome model. He realized that he couldn’t just get by on his looks and really needed to develop his acting ability.

His acting talent was discovered by Debbie Allen, who was an actress, singer and dancer. In 1987, she cast him as Shazza Zulu in A Different World. In 1993, Dourdan played pop star Janet Jackson’s love interest in the music video for her hit song Again. In 2006, Dourdan starred in a failed television series called Keys.

In 2008, his contract with CBS for the TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was not renewed. In the final episode of the eighth season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the role of his character ended when his death occurred during the finale. His character died in the arms of his colleague Grissom.

Dourdan has appeared in various movies like King of the World as Malcolm X and he played a small role as in the 2007 movie Perfect Stranger. He also played the role of Chef McKenna in the 2011 movie Jumping the Broom. He has also played roles in Weekend at Bernie’s 2, Being Mary Jane and Black August. In a show called Mistress, he played the rule of an ex-police officer.

He also did voice over work when he voiced a character named Crispus Allen in the three films of the Batman: Gotham Knight.

Legal Problems

He was arrested on April 29, 2008 in Palm Springs for carrying various drugs. He was granted a lesser sentence by the court on May 28th of the same year. In 2011, Dourdan crashed his car and was arrested a second time for possession of Oxycontin. Later in 2011, he was charged with felony battery for the alleged abuse to Nicole Cannizzaro, his girlfriend at the time.

In November 2012, he declared himself bankrupt. He had earned around 14,800 dollars a month but only had a disposable income of 320 dollars a month.

Personal Life

He was married to Roshumba Williams, who was an American model from 1992 to 1994. The marriage only lasted a short two years before they got divorced. He has two beautiful children. Nyla is his daughter with girlfriend Jennifer Sutton and Lyric is his son with ex-wife Cynthia Hadden.