Biography
William Jackson Harper is an American actor and playwright. Born William Fitzgerald Harper on 8 February 1980 in Dallas, Texas, he grew up in Garland and graduated from the College of Santa Fe in 2003. He began his career in theatre and chose his professional name when registering with Actors' Equity.
Harper is best known for portraying Chidi Anagonye in the NBC series The Good Place (2016–2020), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. His film roles include Everett in Paterson (2016), Josh in Midsommar (2019), James Ross in Dark Waters (2019) and Quaz in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). He has also appeared in The Electric Company (2009–2011) and written plays including Travisville (2018).
Harper made his Broadway debut in All the Way (2014) and received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in the 2024 revival of Uncle Vanya.
