Bashir Salahuddin

Bashir Salahuddin is an actor, director, writer, and producer whose career spans television, film, and comedy. He attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School before enrolling at Harvard University as a pre-medical student, graduating after participating in theater productions, including those with Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Initially considering a medical career, Salahuddin shifted toward comedy and writing after meeting collaborator Diallo Riddle at Harvard, leading to early work in sketch comedy and television. Salahuddin and Riddle began making their own web videos, which caught the attention of David Alan Grier, who hired them as a writing team on his show "Chocolate News." Jimmy Fallon then asked them to join the writing staff of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," prompting a move to New York City.

At "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," Salahuddin and Riddle created segments such as "Slow Jam the News with Barack Obama" and "The History of Hip-Hop with Justin Timberlake," and received an Emmy nomination for writing for a variety series. Early in his acting career, Salahuddin appeared on television comedies including "The Drew Carey Show," "Oliver Beene," and "Miss Match." He later took on more dramatic roles in series such as "Grey's Anatomy," "Bones," and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." This range, from comedy writing to dramatic performance, established Salahuddin as a versatile figure in the entertainment industry.

Salahuddin and Riddle co-created two series that premiered within the same week: HBO Max's "South Side" and AMC/IFC's Emmy Award-winning "Sherman's Showcase." "South Side" follows a rent-to-own business on the south side of Chicago and was filmed on location in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. "Sherman's Showcase" is a parody and homage to shows like "Soul Train," "American Bandstand," and "The Midnight Special," featuring guest stars such as John Legend, Questlove, Quincy Jones, Tiffany Haddish, and Natasha Bedingfield. Salahuddin won the NAACP Image Award for Best Director in a Comedy for "South Side" and was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for "Sherman's Showcase."

In film, Salahuddin has appeared as Detective Summerville in Paul Feig's black comedy "A Simple Favor," supporting leads Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively. He played Bernie Hondo Coleman in "Top Gun: Maverick," directed by Joseph Kosinski, and took on a leading role in "The 24th," a film about the all-Black Twenty-Fourth United States Infantry Regiment and the Houston Riot of 1917, co-written and directed by Kevin Willmott. Additional credits include roles in "Miller's Girl," "Back in Action," and "Another Simple Favor."

Salahuddin and Riddle founded J30 Studios, which develops television projects in comedy, drama, animation, and limited series. Through his work in culturally resonant television, film, and production, Bashir Salahuddin maintains a dynamic presence in the entertainment industry.