 One of seven children, he was inspired by his mother, Mother Joan Walker of California Southwest Jurisdiction, a high-school dropout who worked as a maid before returning to school at night to get her diploma and a nursing license, which led to a career in the medical profession.His acting career includes starring roles in the Academy Award-nominated film, "A Soldier's Story", and in "Women of Brewster Place", "The Atlanta Child Murders", "Simple Justice", "Sins", "Lock Up", and "In the Belly of the Beast", and the award-winning Lifetime series "Any Day Now".He guest starred in the 6th-season episode "Home Court Advantage" of "Sister, Sister" in 1998.