If you’ve ever watched a movie and felt like a character was burning a hole through the screen without even saying a word, you were probably watching Delroy Lindo. The man is a force of nature. Honestly, it’s a bit of a crime that we don’t talk about him with the same "mountains of the industry" reverence we give to Denzel or De Niro.
He’s got this presence. It’s heavy, it’s grounded, and it’s occasionally terrifying. But then he’ll turn around and show you a vulnerability that’s almost hard to look at. From his early days with Spike Lee to his recent, massive "rennaisance" in the mid-2020s, the list of delroy lindo movies and tv shows is basically a masterclass in how to stay relevant for forty years without ever selling your soul to a boring franchise role.
Actually, he almost did a "boring franchise role"—or at least a big one. He was supposed to be in the MCU's Blade. But in early 2025, Lindo finally confirmed he walked away because the production "went off the rails." Classic Delroy. He’d rather do something real than something messy just for a paycheck.
The Spike Lee Era: West Indian Archie and Beyond
Most people first really saw Lindo in the 90s. If you haven’t seen Malcolm X (1992), go watch it tonight. He plays West Indian Archie. He’s a numbers runner, a gangster, and eventually, a broken old man. The way he transitions from a peacocking street king to a shaking, paranoid shell is one of the best arcs in cinema. Period.
But it wasn't just a one-off. Spike Lee clearly knew what he had.
He put Lindo in Crooklyn (1994) as Woody Carmichael, a struggling jazz musician and father. It’s a totally different vibe. He’s warm, he’s frustrated, he’s human. Then came Clockers (1995). If you want to see Lindo at his most menacing, Rodney Little is the guy. He’s the local drug lord who mentors young kids while simultaneously destroying their lives. He eats a chicken wing in that movie in a way that feels like a threat.
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That Mid-Career "Hey, It’s That Guy!" Phase
In the late 90s and early 2000s, Lindo was everywhere. You probably remember him as the detective chasing Nic Cage in Gone in 60 Seconds or the stern father in Romeo Must Die.
One of his most underrated turns? The Cider House Rules (1999). He plays Arthur Rose, a migrant worker with a dark, complicated secret. It’s a tough watch. He manages to make a character who does something reprehensible feel tragically, painfully human. He got a Screen Actors Guild nomination for that one, but honestly, he should have been at the Oscars.
He also voiced Beta in Pixar’s Up. Yeah, the Doberman with the high-pitched broken collar. That’s him. Talk about range.
The Recent Renaissance: Da 5 Bloods and Sinners
If the 90s made him a star, the 2020s turned him into a legend.
In 2020, he reunited with Spike Lee for Da 5 Bloods. He played Paul, a Trump-supporting Vietnam vet with massive PTSD. It is, without hyperbole, one of the greatest acting performances of the 21st century. The monologue where he talks directly into the camera while wandering through the jungle? Chills. Every single time.
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The fact that he didn't get an Oscar nomination for that is still a huge point of contention among film nerds. People were mad.
Why Sinners (2025) Changed Everything
Fast forward to late 2025. Lindo stars in Ryan Coogler’s supernatural thriller Sinners as Delta Slim. The movie was a massive hit, and Lindo finally got his flowers. In January 2026, he won the AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Supporting Actor. He’s also currently the frontrunner for several other major awards this season.
Critics are calling his performance "quietly revelatory." He plays this elder statesman figure in a town plagued by... well, let’s not spoil the Coogler twists. But he brings a moral weight to the horror that most actors just can't touch.
Delroy Lindo on the Small Screen
You can't talk about delroy lindo movies and tv shows without mentioning his TV run. For a few years, he was the best part of The Good Fight. He played Adrian Boseman, a high-powered lawyer who had to navigate the absolute insanity of the Trump-era legal system. He brought a dignity to that show that it honestly needed to stay grounded.
Then there’s Unprisoned on Hulu. If you haven't seen it, he plays a father who gets out of prison after decades and tries to reconnect with his daughter (Kerry Washington). It’s funny, but it’s mostly just really sweet and honest about how hard it is to start over when you're older.
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What’s Next for Delroy Lindo in 2026 and 2027?
He isn't slowing down. At 73, the guy is arguably busier than he was in his thirties.
- Directorial Debut: He’s currently working on a personal project set in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. It’s a story about "intergenerational reconciliation" with a bit of magical realism mixed in.
- Memoir: He’s writing a book slated for 2027 about his mother’s experience as part of the Windrush generation.
- Godzilla x Kong: Supernova: He’s been cast in the next MonsterVerse movie. It’ll be interesting to see him navigate a world of CGI kaiju, but if anyone can make a giant lizard feel like a serious dramatic foil, it’s him.
How to Watch the Best of Delroy Lindo
If you want to get into his work, don't just go for the blockbusters. Start with the "Spike Lee Trilogy" (Malcolm X, Crooklyn, Clockers) to see his foundational work. Then, jump straight to Da 5 Bloods on Netflix. It’s a heavy lift, but it’s essential viewing.
For something lighter, check out Get Shorty. He plays a mobster who wants to be a movie producer, and his comedic timing is surprisingly sharp.
The big takeaway from looking at the career of Delroy Lindo is that he never takes the easy way out. He doesn't do "lazy." Whether he's playing a villain, a father, or a soldier, there is always a layer of "lived-in" truth that makes his characters feel like people you’ve actually met.
Next Steps for the Delroy Fan:
- Watch Sinners: If it’s still in theaters or just hitting streaming, see it for his performance alone.
- Track the 2026 Awards: Keep an eye on the Oscars. If there is any justice, Lindo will finally be on that stage for his work as Delta Slim.
- Revisit The Good Fight: If you missed it on Paramount+, his three-season run is a masterclass in ensemble acting.
Lindo is a reminder that excellence doesn't always need a loud PR machine. Sometimes, you just have to be the best person in the room for forty years until everyone else finally notices.