Acting

In 2004, Ellis moved to Los Angeles to focus on his acting career.^[10] He launched his career as a professional actor in 2005, when he appeared briefly in single episodes of the television series Invasion and Related. In 2011–2012, he made appearances on the series Grey's Anatomy, NCIS and How I Met Your Mother.^[11][12]

His first major acting role was in 2013, starring in BET's series The Game.^[10] In August 2015, it was announced that Ellis has joined the cast of HBO's comedy series Insecure, which premiered in October 2016.^[13] He plays the role of Lawrence Walker, who has a long-term relationship with main character Issa Dee played by Issa Rae.^[10] For his work on the show, Ellis received the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series award at the 49th NAACP Image Awards.^[14]

He starred as Reuben "Payback" Fitch in Top Gun: Maverick.^[3]

The Untold Story: Policing

In 2020, Ellis started hosting The Untold Story: Policing, a four-part podcast series co-produced by Campaign Zero^[15] and Lemonada Media. Through interviews with academics, data scientists, and community organizers, the podcast demystifies police union contracts and investigates how they contribute to violent police misconduct across the United States. Ellis serves as the series’ host, as well as an executive producer alongside DeRay Mckesson, Stephanie Wittels Wachs, and Jessica Cordova Kramer.^[16]

Film

Television

Producer