My Take
Chi McBride is one of those actors who makes every project better just by showing up, and I mean that as the highest compliment. The guy has this natural, heavyweight presence — that deep voice, that no-nonsense authority — that makes him completely believable whether he's playing a school principal on Boston Public, a pawn shop owner on Hawaii Five-0, or holding his own alongside Will Smith in I, Robot. Born on the South Side of Chicago and built like he came straight out of central casting for "man you do not want to disappoint," Chi somehow also delivers warmth and dry humor in equal measure. He never quite got the A-list spotlight he deserved, but anyone who's actually watched his work knows he's been quietly excellent for decades. A true character actor in the best sense of the term.
Overview
Kenneth "Chi" McBride ( SHY; born September 23, 1961) is an American actor. He has appeared in films, where he is known primarily as a character actor, and in television, where he has had numerous starring roles. In film, he has played prominent roles including The Frighteners (1996), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), The Terminal (2004), I, Robot (2004), Waiting... (2005), Let's Go to Prison (2006), and Draft Day (2014).
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Chi McBride
- Name (Japanese)
- シャイ・マクブライド
- Reading
- しゃい・まくぶらいど
- Born
- September 23, 1961 (age 64)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Ox
- Origin
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- television actor / film actor / actor / voice actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.