Dulé Hill

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In 1999, Hill was cast on The West Wing as Charlie Young, the personal aide to President Josiah Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen. During the sixth season of the series, Charlie became a Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff. Hill starred as Charlie for six seasons before he chose to leave the show at the beginning of the seventh season (September 2005) to star in the pilot for the new television show Psych for the USA Network, which premiered July 7, 2006. However, when the announcement was made that The West Wing would be ending in May 2006, Hill returned for the show's last episodes. His performance earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

In Their Own Story

Hill was born in Orange, New Jersey, to Jamaican parents and was raised in Sayreville, New Jersey. He studied ballet at a young age, and appeared in the musical The Tap Dance Kid as Savion Glover's understudy on Broadway, a part he subsequently played on the show's national tour. Hill graduated from Sayreville War Memorial High School in 1993, and studied business finance at Seton Hall University and acting at William Esper Studio. While at Seton Hall, he accepted a role on Jim Henson's CityKids. In 1985, 10-year-old Hill performed a tap dance number on the MDA telethon. When the music could not be found for his routine, telethon host Jerry Lewis helped by having the orchestra play another song while Hill performed. He got his SAG card aged 13 playing the small role of "basketball boy" on the PBS children's series Ghostwriter. His first film role was in Sugar Hill in 1993 during his senior year of high school. While in college at Seton Hall, he was cast in a starring role in Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk on Broadway.

Reader's Guide

Hill married actress Nicole Lyn in 2004. They had no children. Hill and Lyn separated on July 21, 2012 and filed for legal separation in November 2012 citing irreconcilable differences. On April 14, 2017, Hill became engaged to girlfriend and Ballers co-star Jazmyn Simon. He and Simon married in April 2018. In 2019, Hill and his wife announced the birth of their son. Hill also appeared on Broadway in Stick Fly from December 2011 to February 2012 and After Midnight in November 2013. As a voice actor, Hill was part of the cast of the 2021 animated feature Night of the Animated Dead. In the 2024 PBS documentary series, The Express Way with Dulé Hill, Hill narrates and participates in exploring art and diverse cultures.

Did You Know?

• Hill received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Charlie Young on The West Wing.
• At age 10, Hill performed a tap dance number on the MDA telethon; when the music couldn't be found, host Jerry Lewis had the orchestra play another song while Hill performed.
• Hill got his SAG card at age 13 playing the small role of 'basketball boy' on the PBS children's series Ghostwriter.
• Hill studied business finance at Seton Hall University and acting at William Esper Studio.
• Hill married Ballers co-star Jazmyn Simon in April 2018; they announced the birth of their son in 2019.