Daniel Sunjata

Daniel Sunjata is best known for his portrayal of firefighter “Franco Rivera” in the critically-acclaimed FX series Rescue Me opposite Denis Leary for seven seasons. Currently, Daniel stars as the lead in the hit USA drama Graceland with Aaron Tveit. Sunjata plays ‘Agent Paul Briggs’, an FBI veteran in charge of a brave yet hard headed rookie. Graceland revolves around a group of law-enforcement agents from the DEA, FBI and U.S. Customs who live together in an undercover beach house in Southern California. In 2006, Sunjata portrayed fashion designer “James Holt,” in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel, The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep & Anne Hathaway and in the romantic comedy
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past alongside Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey.

Sunjata’s additional film credits include Bad Company, which starred Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock, the 2004 Woody Allen film Melinda Melinda opposite Will Ferrell and Noel, starring Penelope Cruz and Susan Sarandon. Sunjata garnered rave reviews for his portrayals of “Langston Hughes” in the 2004 Rodney Evans film Brother to Brother as well as legendary baseball player “Reggie Jackson” in the ESPN TV series, The Bronx is Burning. Sunjata’s other television credits include notable appearances on Love Monkey, Law &Order, Law & Order: SVU, Sex and the City, Showtime’s film The Feast of All Saints and starring role alongside Andie MacDowell in At Risk and The Front – two movies adapted from the novels of America's #1 best-selling crime-writer Patricia Cornwell.
Sunjata’s repertoire is not only limited to film and television though. He was nominated for a Tony award for his role as Darren Lemming in Take Me Out, the 2003 Tony Award winning play by Richard Greenberg. He has also appeared in Henry VIII at the New York Shakespeare Festival, Twelfth Night at the Guthrie Theater and Cyrano de Bergerac opposite Kevin Klein at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

Born in Evanston, IL, Sunjata was raised in Chicago and graduated from Mount Carmel High School. He did his undergraduate studies at Florida A&M University and the University of Southwestern Louisiana, and received his Masters degree in Fine Arts from New York University.

Sunjata has also starred opposite Katherine Heigl in Lionsgate’s One For The Money and in the independent drama Gone opposite Amanda Seyfriend. Sunjata can be seen most recently in the massive blockbuster hit The Dark Knight Rises opposite Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway, and as the USA Network drama “Graceland” as the starring role of senior FBI agent Paul Briggs. You can also see him in the TV series “Smash” and alongside Amy Adams in the upcoming movie “Lullaby”.

Sunjata currently resides in Los Angeles.