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Carlton Wilborn

Carlton Wilborn

Actor · Born May 29, 1964 (62) · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Carlton Wilborn is a Globally Respected and Award-Winning Director, Producer, Actor and Life Coach with over 40 years of entertainment experience. Wilborn began his professional career as a principal dancer with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He's performed live with Michael Jackson, done music videos with Janet Jackson, and toured the world with Madonna, for The Blond Ambition tour; documented in the feature film Truth or Dare, and again for The Girlie Show tour. His thespian credits include The Mentalist (GLADD Media Award Nominee), The Boarder (Best Actor Award from NYLA International Film Festival), the acclaimed gospel stage play Tell Hell I Ain't comin', Blade to the Heat - New York Shakespeare Festival, Like Jazz - Mark Taper Forum and Kiss Me Kate - The Pasadena Playhouse, Bosch, NCIS, Lincoln Heights, Bunheads, NYPD Blue, the Practice, CSI: Miami, L.A. Firefighters, the HBO movie Made Men, Oprah Winfrey Presents: Tuesdays with Morrie, and the feature film Beautiful Boy, with Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet. Carlton is a also a key subject in the compelling and inspiring documentary Strike a Pose. Most recently Carlton was an international juror and the designated U.S.A spokesperson for Finland's 2021 UMK/Eurovision song competition. He most recently worked as a scientist, with the controversial music artist Kid Cudi for Amazon's Prime Day Show special. Mr. Wilborn was honored by Rahm Emanuel - Mayor of Chicago, with the proclamation "February 5, 2017 to be CARLTON WILBORN DAY IN CHICAGO in recognition of his extraordinary life & enduring efforts to impact culture, inform community and inspire change."

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
May 29, 1964 (62)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
17 on Motif · 32 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 65 days to Oct 28Down 44% in 30 days

What are Carlton Wilborn's films like?

Across their 6 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
46%
Survival
29%
Morality
13%
Bonds
6%
Society
5%
Identity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 2 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4

Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 0 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 2 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 4

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 3

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

A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

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

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 4 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
3
Joyful
2
Absurd
2
Thrilling
2
Melancholic
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Feel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous1

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 Carlton Wilborn's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 17 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Carlton Wilborn's titles on Motif; 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

32 credits, 17 with a Motif page; 6 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Disciple (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2021)

    Actor

  • Beautiful Boy(2018)

    as Vince

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Bosch(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Larry Williams

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Troubled Child(2012)

    as Zeb Williams

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • An American Carol(2008)

    as Parent

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Mentalist(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Glennda

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Viva Laughlin (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Lincoln Heights(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Hoax(2006)

    as Bahamas Desk Clerk

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Ten Commandments: The Musical (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2006)

    as Ensemble

  • Guess Who(2005)

    as Dancer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • True Vinyl (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2004)

    as Travis Smith

  • NCIS(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Charles Garrett

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • CSI: Miami(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Brian Davidson

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • MacArthur Park (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2001)

    as St. Louis

  • The Huntress (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Tuesdays with Morrie (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    as Eddie

  • Guinevere(1999)

    as Jay

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Made Men(1999)

    as Felix

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Becker (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Ellison

  • V.I.P. (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Wilgan

  • The Practice(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Lewis Nyler

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Fire Co. 132 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 13 episodes · as Firefighter Ray Grimes

  • Deadly Web (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1996)

    as Sullivan

  • Dead Presidents(1995)

    as Spyder

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Chicago Hope (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Jerry Lawrence

  • Grief (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)

    as Jeremy

  • Demolition Man(1993)

    as Wasteland Scrap

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Madonna: The Immaculate Collection (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    as Voguer (segment "Vogue")

  • Dance (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    as Nicholas

  • Without You I'm Nothing(1990)

    as Ballet Dancer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • L.A. Law(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Oz Wilson

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 80th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 32 titles from 1986 to 2021; peak year 2018.

Biggest box office

Without You I'm Nothing (1990)

$1.2M worldwide

Highest rated

Madonna: Blond Ambition World Tour Live (1990)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Troubled Child (2012)

Film career

19862021

Peak 2018 · steadily prominent in film for years. 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.

  • 1990Screen debut· Madonna: The Immaculate Collection
  • 2018Career best· Beautiful Boy

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting32 of 32: 32 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score67th

By decade

1980s1 · acting1990s15 · acting2000s12 · acting2010s3 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 18th · top billed in 0% of 6 roles

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 Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Carlton Wilborn's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 55th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

An American Carol (2008)

96th percentile spread · 52% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Beautiful Boy (2018)

Midcredits 95th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 61/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 68, detractors 29. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif 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.

Who does Carlton Wilborn work with?

People who share at least 2 of Carlton Wilborn's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Madonna shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors