Michael Potts

Michael Potts (born September 21, 1962) is an American actor. He has appeared on stage, on television and in motion pictures.

Potts grew up in South Carolina, and got his start participating in church and local plays. His inspiration to attend the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University came from watching a clip of the 1985 production of August Wilson's play Fences, starring James Earl Jones and Courtney B. Vance. Vance attended the Drama School at Yale.

Potts is perhaps best known for playing the roles of Brother Mouzone in The Wire, Mafala Hatimbi in the musical The Book of Mormon, and Slow Drag in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. He also played Detective Gilbough in the first season of True Detective.

Potts appeared in the 2022 Broadway revival of The Piano Lesson, in a performance which The Hollywood Reporter called one of the highlights of the production.