Sean Patrick Thomas

Sean Patrick Thomas is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Derek Reynolds in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance and as Jimmy James in Barbershop (2002), Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004), and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016), as well as his television role as Detective Temple Page in The District and as Professor Macalester in Vixen (2015–2016). Early life Thomas was born in Washington, D.C., the son of emigrants from Guyana. He was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, the son of Cheryl, a financial analyst for DuPont, and Carlton Thomas, an engineer who also worked for DuPont. Thomas, who has two younger siblings, graduated from Brandywine High School in Delaware and attended the University of Virginia. He originally intended to study law, but upon successfully auditioning for a role in the play A Raisin in the Sun, Thomas changed directions and decided to attend New York University's prestigious Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 1995. Career Thomas began appearing in screen roles in the mid-1990s, and had minor roles in several films, including Conspiracy Theory (1997), Can't Hardly Wait (1998), and Cruel Intentions (1999). His first leading role was in the teen romance Save the Last Dance, in which he starred opposite Julia Stiles. The film opened in January 2001 and became successful among teen audiences, grossing over $90 million domestically. Subsequently, Thomas appeared in supporting roles in the films Barbershop and Halloween: Resurrection, both of which were released in 2002. Thomas was a cast member on The District, a television crime drama that aired on CBS from 2000 to 2004.