Lamman Rucker

Lamman Rucker was born on October 6, 1971 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is an actor that is known for his roles in soap operas and Tyler Perry films. He is currently starring in a show called Greenleaf that airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Background

Lamman was born to his parents, Malaya and Eric Rucker. He spent his childhood in Washington, D.C. His younger brother died in 1982 when he was only 11 years old. It was a very tragic event for a young boy to handle.

Rucker became interested in acting at an early age. He was given his very first acting role as the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King when he was in the 4th grade. The aspiring actor attended drama club in 7th grade. He went on to attend high school at the Duke Ellington School of Arts in Washington, D.C.

For college, Rucker attended Carnegie-Mellon University before moving on to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has an undergraduate degree in Information Technology and Business and a graduate degree in Education and Curriculum Development.

Acting Career

Lamman Rucker’s first appearance on the TV screen was in 1998. He played the role of an American soul singer, James Lee "Jimmy" Ruffin in a four-hour television miniseries The Temptations which was broadcast in two-hour chunks on NBC.

In 2002, he was offered the regular occurring role of T. Marshall Travers in an American television soap opera called As the World Turns that aired on CBS. On the show, Rucker starred as a hotshot attorney who was blackmailed into getting someone off from murder charges. His character was shot by his own client, faced rape charges, and was written off the show when he fell to his death. Rucker remembered his role very fondly on As the World Turns when he spoke with Soap Opera Digest, “Man, my days in Oakdale were a whirlwind. I’ll never forget that my first couple of days were intense courtroom scenes with virtually the entire cast in the scene and I had to be on point! Marshall was a confident man and a great lawyer, so I had to be sharp. There were a couple days or so I literally had 15 pages each day full of fireworks with Tamara Tunie [ex-Jessica] and Colleen Zenk [ex-Barbara]. Those two women set the standard for me on that show. To have what initially was just a three- month gig turn into a three-year deal was monumental! I owe a lot to everybody in the ATWT family and pipeline. My time there was a game-changer for me. T. Marshall Travers will always have a special place in my heart and remain one of my favorite characters to portray of all time. I miss those folks, but I see so many of them working on other things now. That always makes me smile. I’m always rooting for them.”

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Another significant role of his was on ABC’s soap opera All My Children in 2005 where he played the role of Garret Williams. That same year, Lamman acted in 8 episodes of an American sitcom called Half & Half that aired on UPN from September 23, 2002 to May 15, 2006.

Lamman Rucker was well-known for his regular starring role in 140 episodes of Meet the Browns from 2009 to 2011. It was an American sitcom created and produced by playwright, director, and producer Tyler Perry. Rucker played the role of Will who is Brown's nephew. He played the role of a doctor who loves his uncle so much that he provides free medical services to the retirement-home residents. Lamman’s character Will and his wife Sasha became adoptive parents to Brianna and Joaquin Ortiz. For that role Lamman Rucker was nominated for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

In 2007, Lamman Rucker played Sheriff Troy in the movie Why Did I Get Married. He also played the same role in the sequel Why Did I Get Married Too in 2010. The Why Did I Get Married film series was written, produced, directed, and starred Tyler Perry.

Working With Oprah

Since 2016, Lamman Rucker has been starring in the Oprah Network TV show Greenleaf as Jacob Greenleaf. He described to Soap Opera Digest how it feels to be working on a show with the famous Oprah Winfrey as his fellow co star and executive producer, “She is so down-to-earth that we have to remember, ‘Oh, yeah. That’s Oprah!’ She’s equally as gracious as someone who shares experiences with you as she is as a superior. What’s so graceful about her is that no matter what, she’s just Oprah. She’s the same generous, gracious, respectful person who is just super-smooth to get along with. She’s a great listener. She has a lot to share. She’s always encouraging and supportive. She’s a talented woman, so it’s really cool to see her step down from the executive level to become the artist and actress that she is. No matter what she does, she’s an exceptional person — and that’s not kissing up to my boss. It’s nice to actually say these things and mean it.”

Rucker is very proud of his role on the show and talked to Soap Opera Digest about how the character evolved during the premier season, “We’ve got Jacob fighting to turn a corner. Last season, this character was raw, really in a state of defiance. Even though he’s a grown man, he was acting like a rebellious teenager. His version of running away from home was running into bed with another woman. He was sticking his middle finger up to his parents and the church, and as the prince of the palace, he could do whatever he wanted. But when his father fired him, it now presents Jacob with an opportunity to prove himself. He’s conflicted and confused and still a little lost, but he’s doing the best he can to keep it all together without it all falling apart.”

Things can only get better for Rucker as he has Oprah on his side.

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