Actor Gary Dourdan has been making women swoon for over 30 years. The tall, caramel-complexion handsome man strolled onto the small screen and into our hearts as the love interest of Freddie on “A Different World.” Since then, we’ve seen him in a number of movies like Alien: Resurrection, Soul Food the TV series, and his recurring role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Dourdan has been in and out of the spotlight, which has led many to hear and spread rumors–a lot of them being untrue.
Rumors of His Mugshot (Not True)
While the 57-year-old actor has had some run-ins with drug possession, it’s not as bad as people have made it out to be. There has been a rumor of Dourdan not doing well. People even thought they had pictures to prove it. A picture was circulating around the web that looked like a before and after picture of Dourdan–with the “after” picture looking like a very bad mugshot. However, while the man pictured on the left-hand side of the above-displayed image is indeed actor Gary Dourdan, the man on the right is not.
This “before and after” image has been circulating since at least 2007, when a man bearing a striking resemblance to Dourdan was arrested in Louisiana. When celebrity gossip site TMZ published Demitris Hirsch’s mugshot alongside a picture of Gary Dourdan, they clearly stated that the man on the right was not Dourdan. Subsequent repostings of the image, however, mistakenly identified the picture on the right as an “after” photograph of Dourdan.
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Other sources have claimed that Hirsch, who was arrested on charges of aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon, is Dourdan’s brother. This claim is also false: Hirsch is not related to the CSI actor.
Rumors of His Death (Not True)
Another rumor was about Dourdan’s death–yes death.
News of actor Gary Dourdan’s death spread quickly earlier this year causing concern among fans across the world. However, the December 2020 report confirmed as a complete hoax and just the latest in a string of fake celebrity death reports. But of course, the actor is alive and well.
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“At about 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday (December 09, 2020), our beloved actor Gary Dourdan passed away. Gary Dourdan was born on December 11, 1966 in Philadelphia. He will be missed but not forgotten. Please show your sympathy and condolences by commenting on and liking this page.”
Hundreds of fans immediately started writing their messages of condolence on the Facebook page, expressing their sadness that the talented 54-year-old actor was dead. And as usual, Twittersphere was frenzied over the death hoax.
Whereas some trusting fans believed the post, others were immediately skeptical of the report, perhaps learning their lesson from the huge amount of fake death reports emerging about celebrities over recent months. Some pointed out that the news had not been carried on any major American network, indicating that it was a fake report.
Rumors of His Love Life (Somewhat True)
While Gary’s love life and much of the rest of his private life has frequently been in the media, there is one thing that we don’t know as much about: his relationship with his two kids. Nyla and Lyric seem to be the real loves of his life and the three do appear to be pretty close. Gary and Nyla often post pictures of the three of them on Instagram, clearly stating that they are a “crew” and are extremely grateful to have each other.
How Gary Grew Up Made Him the Man He Is Today
When Gary was born in 1966 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he arrived into a creative family. His mother, Sandy, was a teacher and fashion designer. His father, Robert, was an entrepreneur and worked as an agent for jazz musicians.
In Gary’s youth, the family moved to Willingboro, a suburb in New Jersey. It was during this period, the young man developed his passion for acting – and martial arts.
“I’d take the bus to Chinatown, take martial arts lessons, then go to the Chinese movie theater to watch kung fu films. I’d go buy martial arts equipment after I saw Bruce Lee, and I’d act like I was him,” Gary told Philly Mag in 2007.
After leaving New Jersey, Gary moved to New York City to work as a doorman at a rehearsal studio. He became acquainted with some of the most famous artists in New York.
“I was living in the studio’s basement. There were people rehearsing music videos and films, and there were rats – rats the size of Chihuahuas,” Gary once said, talking to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In the 1980s, Gary, who played piano, guitar, and saxophone, began to land roles in off-Broadway plays. He had to work hard – but his great passion and determination would take him far.
Many doors opened when he got to know the actress and producer Debbie Allen. She cast him as Shazza Zulu on the popular sitcom A Different World. But it all started before that with a cameo in a music video.
How His Career Took Off
Gary, who played in local bands in New York City in the ’90s, was also suddenly invited to act in one of Janet Jackson’s music videos. The tenth and youngest child of the Jackson family was the highest-paid artist in the industry at the time.
Gary acted as her love interest in the music video for the song “Again” – a song that became huge at the time. It topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in late 1993 and was a commercial success.
Wherever Dourdan’s path of life takes him, we wish him love, light and nothing but the best.
