Gary Dourdan – Bio, Daughter, Wife, Net Worth, Is He Dead or Alive?

Quick Facts

Gary Dourdan is the green-eyed mixed-race actor with a wide range of ancestral heritage including; African-American, Franco-Haitian (Haiti), Jewish, Irish, Native American, and Scottish ancestry. He is popularly known as one of the most good looking men to be cast in the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Though his role as Warren Brown on the CSI Flick happens to be his most career-defining role, it was his portrayal of Shazza Zulu in the predominantly black cast television series, A Different World that created a platform for him to shine and showcase his potentials as an actor. Read on for more facts about him.

Gary Dourdan – Bio

Gary Dourdan(whose birth name is Gary Robert Durdin) was born to parents Sandy Dourdin and Robert Durdin, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 11th of December 1966. His mum Sandy was a fashion designer and a teacher while his father Robert was an agent for jazz musicians and an entrepreneur as well.  His parents had five children of which he is the fourth. However, this number was reduced to just four after his elder brother, Darryl, died in Haiti while on a quest to discover more about his family’s lineage. He died from a fall off a balcony and he was just 21 years old when the unfortunate incident occurred.

After Gary and his family moved to Willingboro, New Jersey, he began to gain much interest in; martial arts, music, and acting. However, his foray into the world of entertainment began after he moved to New York City. It was there he came in contact with a good number of really talented artists residing in Manhattan.

Career

While in New York, Gary Dourdan began acting in theatre and playing in several bands. He then got the chance to move a step further towards his acting dreams as he was cast in music videos such as 1993 Again, where he played the role of ’s love interest. His next gig was in the music video of Eric B. & Rakim, Move The Crowd where he made just a cameo appearance. Luckily for Gary, his acting career received a major boost in 1966 after he was cast by Debbie Allen as the character Shazza Zulu on the television series, A Different World.

It was later reported that Gary Dourdan got the role after the show’s management came across a video of him in a play by an avant-garde. The same year, he saw himself in an episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman: “Never On Sunday.” On the show, he portrayed the character Ziggy, Maron Sunday’s assistant. In 1997, Dourdan starred in the movie Alien: Resurrection playing the character of Christie. He then appeared in two movies (Playing God andThursday) as well as in the television series titled, Swift Justice. Gary later became a recurring cast actor on the Showtime produced series, Soul Food.

His most successful role was witnessed in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The television series which started on the 6th of October 2000 saw him execute his role as Warrick Brown with so much class and finesse.

Net Worth

Ever since Gary Dourdan burst into the entertainment scene, he has shown signs of determination to leave his mark in an industry already laden with an incredible amount of stars who are extremely talented.

Unfortunately, his journey hasn’t been so smooth in its entirety especially with the $1.7 million dollar debt that he was tied to. This led to a myriad of legal battles which in turn drained his finances even further and caused him to file for bankruptcy in the year 2012.

Notwithstanding, considering his earnings as a cast on the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Gary has managed to stay above water with a net worth of $500,000.

Personal Life – Wife, Daughter

Gary Dourdan has been in a  marital relationship once which he had with former supermodel Roshumba Williams beginning in 1992. The pair who appeared to be so much in love couldn’t keep the fire burning for long as they both went their separate ways just two years after their marriage.

In 1995, he began dating Cynthia Hadden but never married her. During their dating period, Dourdan and Cynthia welcomed a son who they named Lyric but they broke up soon after he was born.

He then met Jennifer Sutton who he also had a child with. This time it was a daughter who was named Nyla Dourdan. Their relationship ended in the year 2000 but he has been in a string of other relationship that never led to the altar.

However, Gary Dourdan was recently spotted with a new lady who looked much younger than he is. Though the name of the lady nor the full details of the relationship is yet to be revealed by Gary, we will keep readers abreast with such information as soon as it is made available.

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Other Facts About Gary Dourdan

1. Gary Dourdan was said to be one of the finest actors to have appeared on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation series. Sadly, his usage of hard drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy has left him somewhat a shadow of his former vibrant self. More so, due to his substance usage, he has had a few run-ins with the law to the point that he was arrested for drug possession in 2008.

2. In 2011, he was accused of breaking his girlfriend’s(Nicole Cannizzaro) nose during a violent altercation between them. To that effect, he was also arrested for the possession of ecstasy and cocaine in conjunction with the battery. Though Dourdan was charged with felony and battery, the charges were eventually dropped after he accepted to do 20 hours of Narcotics Anonymous. Gary filed for bankruptcy the following year.

3. Gary Dourdan has been trying to stay out of trouble. However, his career seems to have taken a back seat as he hasn’t been seen in many acting jobs in recent times.

Is He Dead or Alive?

Gary Dourdan just like many other celebrities has been a victim of a death hoax but thankfully, he is still alive and well. However, Dourdan who was once named one of the most attractive actors on CSI has been inactive in the movie industry in recent years. It remains uncertain what Dourdan has been up to lately, but given that he hasn’t had any recent run-ins with the law, it is safe to assume he is doing quite well for himself and living a good life.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.