Boris Kodjoe
Boris Kodjoe grew up in Germany with his parents Ursula Kodjoe, a psychologist from Germany, and Eric Kodjoe, a physician from Ghana, West Africa. He excelled in sports and became one of the best Tennis players in Germany and one of the top juniors in the world. In 1994 Boris accepted a Tennis scholarship to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. After earning his marketing degree from VCU, he was signed by the Ford Modeling Agency in New York and became one of the most recognizable faces amongst male Supermodels. Hollywood took notice and soon Boris was featured in the Spike Lee produced feature film ‘Love and Basketball’ as well as the hit TV series ‘Soul Food’, a show that introduced him to co-star and future wife, Nicole Ari Parker, and for which he won three NAACP Award nominations. The series ran for 5 seasons and is to this day the most successful African-American TV drama in history, winning threeconsecutive NAACP awards. After starring in FOX Searchlight’s feature ‘Brown Sugar’ alongside Taye Diggs and Queen Latifah and producing and starring in the Paramount/UPN sit-com "Second Time Around", Boris was named one of People Magazine’s ’50 most beautiful people in the world’. Then came such films as Sony Screen Gem’s ‘The Gospel’, Tyler Perry’s ‘Madea’s Family Reunion’, and ‘All About Us’ In April of 2008, he made his Broadway debut as ‘Brick’ in the Tennessee Williams Classic ‘Cat on a hot tin roof’. He starred alongside the legendary James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad, as well as award winning actors Anika Noni Rose and Giancarlo Esposito. Later that fall, Boris starred opposite Bruce Willis in the Disney blockbuster ‘Surrogates’. In September of 2010 Sony Screen Gems’ ‘Resident Evil: Afterlife’ starring Boris and Milla Jovovic earned the top spot at the box office two weeks in a row and grossed over $300 million worldwide. Following Resident Evil: Afterlife, Boris starred in JJ Abrams’ one hour spy drama series ‘Undercovers’ on NBC. This fall he can be seen in Lionsgate’s ‘Nurse’ and the newest installment of the Resident Evil franchise: ‘Resident Evil: Retribution’. In 2010, Boris and his brother Patrick launched WorldofAlfa.com, a clothing company offering the luxury of high quality custom-made shirts and suits at affordable prices to every man and woman in America. The unique concept redefines traditional distribution channels and has been a favoriteamongst celebrities such as Charles Barkley. In 2008 The Kodjoes established the Sophie’s Voice Foundation (www.SophiesVoiceFoundation.com) in honor of their daughter Sophie who was diagnosed with Spina Bifida at birth. SVF helps families affected by the birth defect and educates all women of childbearing age about the importance of folic acid in protecting their unborn children from this 70% preventable birth defect. SVF, in partnership with Emory University, and the Rollins School of Public Health, just announced the establishment of the Center of Spina Bifida research and prevention in Atlanta, GA. SVF’s goal is to eradicate all preventable Spina Bifida worldwide within ten years.
