William Jackson Harper, known primarily forhis role as Chidi Anagonyein the television series,The Good Place, is an American actor born in Dallas, Texas in 1980. He is one of a select group of actors who has experience on the stage, television, and the big screen. Before beginning his acting career, he attended the Santa Fe University for Art and Design where he graduated in 2003.
Harper is quickly becoming more well known in the film world, and has made appearances in some of the most recent contemporary films such asWe Broke UpandMidsommar(opposite Florence Pughin the latter). Up next, the actors has a few movies in the works, includinga mystery roleinAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While details of his role are scant,Screen Rantpredicts Mr. Fantastic, Goliath, and Doctor Doom, among others, as potential characters Harper could be playing. Until then, here, we have ranked William Jackson Harper’s best movies and TV shows.
5We Broke Up (2021)
Directed by Jeff Rosenberg,We Broke Upis a story about a recently separated couple, who chooses to pretend that they’re still together for the sake of their family. Lori and Doug’s ten-year relationship is brought to an abrupt close when Lori (Aya Cash) rejects a surprise marriage proposal from Doug (Harper). Not wanting to disrupt the atmosphere of Lori’s younger sister’s wedding, the two decide to behave as though they are still a couple for the duration of the wedding festivities. What transpires is a mix of comedy, drama, heartbreak, and a lot of soul-searching.
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4Midsommar (2019)
Midsommar, released in 2019, was the highly anticipated second film from writer anddirector Ari Aster. Fans of Aster’s first film,Hereditary, had high expectations for this horror/thriller starring Harper, Florence Pugh, Vilhelm Blomgren, Will Poulter, and Jack Reynor. Josh (Harper) and his group of friends are invited by Pelle (Blomgren) to attend a midsummer festival in Pelle’s hometown in Sweden. Slowly, the group begins to realize something strange is happening with the residents in Pelle’s village, and that some of their rituals and customs are extremely questionable at best. While trying to remain respectful of the community’s culture, the group tries to figure out exactly what’s going on in the village and what exactly the midsummer festivities are leading up to.
3The Resort (2022)
A Peacock Original,The Resortpremiered on June 18, 2025, and stars Harper and Cristin Milioti as a couple celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary at a luxury resort. Hoping to relax and recuperate from their everyday lives, Noah (Harper) and Emma (Milioti) find themselves doing just the opposite when they uncover evidence linked to a mysterious disappearance that occurred at the resort 15 years before they arrived. The first season of the series has a total of eight episodes, and it’s unclear whether it will have a second season.
Related:The Resort Review: A Supposedly Fun Vacation They’ll Never Do Again
Harper stars in this miniseries from Amazon Studios.The Underground Railroadbrings history to life by examining the historical path to freedom through the telling of a fictional account. The series is an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead, and follows the lives of enslaved people in 1800s America. Whitehead also helped bring his novel to the screen by serving as both writer and executive producer for the series.
1The Good Place (2016-2020)
Harper is undoubtedly most well known for portraying Chidi Anagonye in the television series,The Good Place. This comedy series, also staring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, follows the “afterlives” of those fortunate enough to find themselves in The Good Place. With the help of her presumed soulmate Chidi, Eleanor Shellstrop (Bell) tries to find out why she mistakenly ended up in The Good Place and, more importantly, how she can ensure she stays.
