American actor Erik LaRay Harvey rose to fame as the character Dunn Purnsley on the Emmy-winning HBO drama series Boardwalk Empire (2011-2013), where he played a Baltimore-based criminal, and as Willis “Diamondback” Stryker in the Netflix series Luke Cage (2013).
He also starred in many movies, including Twister (1996), Rounders (1998), and The Caveman’s Valentine (2001). While he studied acting at the esteemed New York University Tisch School of the Arts, he developed a passion for acting after seeing a stage production of The Wiz, a musical based on L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).
Off-screen, Harvey maintains a low profile in his personal life, which gives rise to questions about his romantic relationships. Here’s what we know about them:
Early Life And Background Of Erik LaRay Harvey
Erik LaRay Harvey was born in the United States in 1972, and he is currently 52 years old. There are conflicting reports about his birthplace; Wikipedia stated that the actor was born in Bainbridge, Georgia, while others claimed he was born in Washington, D.C., where he lived until the age of 10.
It is unknown whether he is an only child or has siblings.
According to articlebio.com, he then traveled with his family to several African nations, including Togo, Senegal, Kenya, and Tanzania, for the remainder of his adolescence until the age of 18.
Harvey returned to the United States and enrolled immediately at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts, joining a long list of notable alumni that includes Whoopi Goldberg, Lady Gaga, Mahershala Ali, Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Wright, and Anna Hathaway.
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He Always Wanted To Be A Dentist, But everything Changed When He Saw The Wiz
Harvey’s childhood ambition was to become a dentist, but he changed his mind after seeing a theatrical production of The Wiz, a musical based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, as mentioned.
This desire drove him to perfect his skills at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and a few years after graduating, he made his feature film debut as Erik in Jan de Bont’s 1996 film Twister.
He next played Roy in Rounders (1998) and Young Rom in The Caveman’s Valentine (2001). His other film credits include:
- K-PAX as security guard (2001)
- Proud as Kevin/James Graham (2004)
- The Charnel House as Devin Pyles (2016)
- Proud Mary as Reggie (2018)
- The United States vs. Billie Holiday as Monroe (2021)
Harvey has been a familiar face on TV since 1994, in addition to his work in movies. He made his TV debut in Law & Order in 1994 and has since appeared in numerous other TV shows, including NYPD Blue (1997, 2003), Now and Again (1999), Queens Supreme (2003), Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit (2003, 2013, 2022), Clubhouse (2004), and Brotherhood (2006).
Although he had multiple roles, his presence on television was not felt until he portrayed Dunn Purnsley on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire from 2011 to 2013.
Originally intended to appear in just one episode during the second season of the show, his flawless portrayal of the character (Dunn Pursley) won over the producers, and he went on to appear in 15 episodes.
Harvey also won the hearts of the show’s fans. He said:
I think the fans like the fact that he’s so forthright, so daring, fearless… I’ve gotten a lot of positive responses from the fans [about] those aspects. I think they like that
Erik has had a few prominent roles in TV, with his second-biggest role being Willis “Diamondback” Stryker in the 2013 Netflix series Luke Cage. He played this role in 7 episodes and received a SAG Award nomination for his performance.
Currently, as of 2019, Erik is playing Del Chance in The Godfather of Harlem.
His Love Life Is Under Wraps
The Boardwalk Empire actor is a very private person. He doesn’t share his personal life with the public, and he has no social media presence.
As a result, there is no information available regarding his current marital status. Moreover, he has not been linked to any romantic relationships, either past or present, yet this does not imply that he has never been in one.
At the moment, several reports are claiming that Harvey is single, but none of them have been confirmed. Despite this, Harvey appears to be more focused on his career, which he has been pursuing for over two decades.
