🌱 Then: A Brooklyn Kid With a Notebook
Omar Hashim Epps was born on July 20, 1973, in Brooklyn, New York. 🎂
Raised by his mother, Bonnie Maria Epps, an elementary school principal, he moved through Bedford-Stuyvesant, East New York, and East Flatbush as a kid.
By age ten, he was already writing poetry, songs, and short stories. The arts weren’t just a hobby — they were his escape plan.
He trained at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, and even performed with a rap group called Wolfpack alongside his cousin.
Hollywood came calling early. At 18, Epps landed his breakout role as Q in Juice (1992), holding his own opposite Tupac Shakur.
He followed it with a run of ’90s favorites: The Program (1993), Higher Learning (1995), and Scream 2 (1997).
Then came the one-two punch of The Wood (1999) and Love & Basketball (2000) — the latter making him Quincy McCall, a romantic lead for a generation. 🏀
🎬 Middle: From the Big Screen to TV Royalty
Epps crossed over to television with ER, playing Dr. Dennis Gant — and he never really left the small screen’s biggest stages.
In 2004, he joined House as Dr. Eric Foreman, staying for all eight seasons through 2012. The role made him a household face.
His work on the show earned him multiple NAACP Image Awards — honors shared over the years by fellow television greats like Viola Davis.
After House, he kept headlining: the ABC drama Resurrection, USA’s Shooter as Isaac Johnson, and Starz’s Power Book III: Raising Kanan as Detective Malcolm Howard.
On film, he starred in Lee Daniels’ supernatural horror The Deliverance, released on Netflix in August 2024.
Off screen, Epps became an author. His memoir From Fatherless to Fatherhood arrived in 2018, followed by the YA Afrofuturist novel Nubia: The Awakening (2022) — co-written with Clarence A. Haynes — and its sequel Nubia: The Reckoning (2023). 📚
He married singer Keisha Spivey of the R&B group Total in 2005. They share two children, K’mari Mae and Amir, and Epps has a daughter, Aiyanna, from a previous relationship.
✨ Now: A Leading Man Again in 2026
Epps opened 2026 with a big-screen lead. Moses the Black, released in theaters on January 30, 2026, casts him as Malik, a Chicago gang leader on a path to reckoning.
The crime drama — inspired by the fourth-century saint of the same name — co-stars Wiz Khalifa, Quavo, and Chukwudi Iwuji, with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson producing.
Epps also served as an executive producer on the film through his company, BrooklynWorks Films. 🎬
On television, he joined Dan Fogelman’s Hulu NFL drama The Land in late 2025, reuniting with the This Is Us creator after his season 4 guest turn.
He plays a former NFL player turned offensive coordinator, opposite Christopher Meloni, William H. Macy, and Mandy Moore.
The series’ official trailer arrived in October 2026, with the show slated to debut February 15, 2027 on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally. 🏈
At 53, Epps is working at a pace that would tire actors half his age — proof that the kid from Brooklyn with a notebook never really put the pen down.
❓ Omar Epps FAQ
How old is Omar Epps?
Born July 20, 1973, Omar Epps is 53 years old as of October 2026.
What is Omar Epps doing now?
He starred in the 2026 film Moses the Black (released January 30, 2026) and joined Hulu’s NFL drama The Land, debuting February 15, 2027.
Was Omar Epps on House?
Yes — he played Dr. Eric Foreman for all eight seasons (2004–2012), earning multiple NAACP Image Awards.
Is Omar Epps married?
He has been married to singer Keisha Spivey of the R&B group Total since 2005. They have two children together, and he has a daughter from a previous relationship.
Did Omar Epps write a book?
Yes — his memoir From Fatherless to Fatherhood (2018), plus the YA novels Nubia: The Awakening (2022) and Nubia: The Reckoning (2023).
What was Omar Epps’ first big movie?
Juice (1992), where he played Q opposite Tupac Shakur at just 18.
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