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Larenz Tate

Larenz Tate

Actor, also producer · Born September 8, 1975 (51) · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Screen Actors Guild Award winner · 1 other major award body

Larenz Tate (born September 8, 1975) is an American film and television actor. Tate was born on the west side of Chicago, Illinois. He is the youngest of three siblings whose family moved to California when he was nine years old. Convinced by their parents to enter a drama program at the Inner City Cultural Center, the trio did not take the lessons seriously until classmate Malcolm-Jamal Warner's ascent to fame after being cast on the sitcom The Cosby Show. Subsequently realizing that they could parlay their efforts into a tangible form of success, the siblings began to receive small roles and in 1985, Tate made his small-screen debut in an episode of The New Twilight Zone series. Following appearances in such television series as 21 Jump Street and The Wonder Years, Tate was cast in the television movie The Women of Brewster Place before receiving the recurring role of Steve Urkel's nemesis, Willie Fuffner, in the family comedy series Family Matters (1989). He was also a cast member on the CBS series The Royal Family, starring Redd Foxx and Della Reese, which ended prematurely when Redd Foxx suddenly died. In the video game 187 Ride or Die, Tate voices the main character, Buck. Following numerous small-screen roles, offers began pouring in for Tate, and in late 1992, collaborative filmmaking siblings Albert and Allen Hughes approached him to star in their debut feature Menace II Society. A jarring vision of inner-city desperation and decay, the film found Tate channeling his substantial energy into creating "O-Dog", a trigger-happy teenager. Following up with the little-seen but often-praised television series South Central, Tate would later appear in the family comedy-drama The Inkwell (1994) before re-teaming with the Hughes brothers for Dead Presidents (1995) and taking on the role of a love-stricken young poet in the romantic drama Love Jones (1997). Larenz Tate also played the role of Kenny in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the episode "That's no Lady That's my Cousin". There followed roles in The Postman (as the automotively monikered Ford Lincoln Mercury), the Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998, with Tate as Lymon), and 2000's Love Come Down. Though a big theatrical release had eluded Tate for the first few years of the millennial turnover, Tate would soon turn up opposite Laurence Fishburne in the high-octane but critically derided Biker Boyz (2003), A Man Apart (2003), Crash (2004), as music legend Quincy Jones in Ray (2004), and Waist Deep (2006). Larenz was also featured in R&B singer Ashanti's 2003 released music video Rain on Me, where he played the jealous, abusive spouse of Ashanti. The video touched on the subject of domestic abuse. He can be seen in the latest season of FX Network's Rescue Me. Tate is married to Tomasina 'Geneva' Parrott. They have two sons together named Myles and Zander.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 8, 1975 (51)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 47 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 26% in 30 days

What are Larenz Tate's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
30%
Self
27%
Morality
12%
Survival
10%
Power
9%
Ideas
6%
Society
6%
Family bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 16 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 5 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

15 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 7 of 15 analyzed roles.

Hero
7 of 15
Ally
4 of 15
Shadow
2 of 15
Trickster
1 of 15
Mentor
1 of 15
Show the 15 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
12
Melancholic
8
Warm
4
Hopeful
4
Joyful
3
Other
18

How their films linger

Hopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous3
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Larenz Tate's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 26 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Larenz Tate's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

47 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Michael(2026)

    as Berry Gordy

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Jennifer Hudson Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Business Ethics(2019)

    Producer · as Zachery Cranston

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Power Book II: Ghost(2020)

    Show 22 episodes · as Councilman Tate

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Back to the Goode Life(2019)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Girls Trip(2017)

    as Julian Stevens

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Deuces(2016)

    as Deuces

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Beta Test(2016)

    Producer · as Max

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Game of Silence(2016)

    Show 10 episodes · as Shawn Polk

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Unity(2015)

    as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • White Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Terrance

  • Rush(2014)

    Show 10 episodes · as Dr. Alex Burke

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Gun Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Bird Stevens

  • Power(2014)

    Show 35 episodes · as Rashad Tate

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • The Mindy Project(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Tracy

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • House of Lies(2012)

    Show 10 episodes · as Malcolm Kaan

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Justified(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Clinton Moss

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Gangsta Vision: Making ‘Menace 2 Society’ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Waist Deep(2006)

    as Lucky

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Love Monkey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 3 episodes · as Shooter Cooper

  • The Hot Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director · Writer

  • Crash(2004)

    as Peter

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Ray(2004)

    as Quincy Jones

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Rescue Me(2004)

    Show 41 episodes · as Bart 'Black Shawn' Johnston · as Bart Johnston

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • A Man Apart(2003)

    as Demetrius Hicks

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Biker Boyz(2003)

    as Wood

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Love Come Down(2000)

    Producer · as Neville Carter

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Why Do Fools Fall in Love(1998)

    as Frankie Lymon

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Postman(1997)

    as Ford

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Love Jones(1997)

    as Darius Lovehall

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Dead Presidents(1995)

    as Anthony Curtis

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Inkwell(1994)

    as Drew Tate

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • South Central (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 10 episodes · as Andre Mosely

  • Menace II Society(1993)

    as Kevin 'O-Dog'

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Royal Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 15 episodes · as Curtis Royal

  • Seeds of Tragedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Cornelius

  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Kenny

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • New Attitude (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 4 episodes · as Chilly D

  • Family Matters(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · as Willie Fuffner

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

  • The Women of Brewster Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Sammy

  • The Women of Brewster Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · as Sammy

  • The Wonder Years(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Basketball Team Captain

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • 21 Jump Street(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Young Adam Fuller

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Matlock(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Street Kid #3

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • The Twilight Zone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as (segment "Night of the Meek")

  • Hunter(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Sporty's Nephew

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Don't Ever Wonder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer · Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 46 titles, 45 of them dated from 1984 to 2026; peak year 1996.

Biggest box office

Michael (2026)

$1B worldwide

Highest rated

Menace II Society (1993)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Michael (2026)

Film career

MilestoneBreakoutAward winNomination
19842026

Peak 1996 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 10 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting45 of 46: 43 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thDirecting1 of 46: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 46: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing2 of 46: 0 only producing, 2 with another role

46 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1980s8 · acting1990s11 · acting2000s10 · 9 acting · 1 crew2010s12 · 12 acting · 1 crew2020s4 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 29% of 14 roles
9303

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

a Screen Actors Guild Award and 1 other major award from 3 major nominations, 2005–2006.

WinNomination
  1. 2006
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Acting Ensemble
  2. 2005
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Larenz Tate's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 60th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 16 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Reach · how many have seen their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 16

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 33 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · producer

Back to the Goode Life (2019)

91st percentile spread · 37% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Ray (2004)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Larenz Tate's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles35–96 · median 77 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles24–63 · median 49 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles48–97 · median 87 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles35–88 · median 71 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles23–90 · median 66 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Larenz Tate work with?

People who share at least 2 of Larenz Tate's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Larron Tate shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles