'Queen Sugar' actor Omar J. Dorsey to deliver spring commencement address

Acclaimed actor Omar J. Dorsey will deliver the spring commencement address at Southern University Baton Rouge on Friday, May 10. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in the Felton G. Clark Activity Center. More than 440 graduates will receive bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees. A number of graduates will also receive their respective commissions to the U.S. Armed Forces.

Dorsey, a classically trained actor, currently stars as Hollywood Desonier in Oprah Winfrey Network’s “Queen Sugar,” a dramatic television series created, directed and executive produced by Ava DuVernay alongside Winfrey. The series is based on the novel by Natalie Baszile. Dorsey won a Best Supporting Actor award at the 2018 Black Reel awards for his portrayal.

On stage, Dorsey recently wrapped the west coast version of “Barbecue,” a play from Helen Hayes Award-winner Robert O’Hara and Tony-nominated director Colman Domingo. The play was called “an American classic” by the New Yorker and the ensemble garnered the “Best Cast” award at the NAACP Theatre Awards in 2018.

In film, Dorsey has had roles in the Academy Award-nominated films “Selma,” “Django Unchained,” and “The Blind Side.” On television, he has had roles on the critically acclaimed shows, “Ray Donovan” (Showtime) and “Eastbound and Down” (HBO).

On May 31, Dorsey will be seen on the Netflix limited series, “When They See Us,” directed by Ava DuVernay. The series examines the young men and their families at the center of the Central Park Five trial. This fall, Dorsey will grace the silver screen opposite Cynthia Erivo and Janelle Monae in the Universal Pictures biopic, “Harriet,” which examines the life of Harriet Tubman. It is directed by veteran filmmaker Kasi Lemmons.

An Atlanta native, Dorsey is a graduate of the Georgia State University theatre program.