LaMonica Garrett

Sturdy character actor LaMonica Garrett lent physicality and presence to guest roles on television and in features like "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (2012) before gaining wider exposure with regular roles on two prominent series, "Designated Survivor" (ABC, 2016- ) and "The Last Ship" (TNT, 2014- ).

Born in San Francisco, California, Garrett played football in high school and later at Central State University in Ohio, which led to tryouts for the National Football League but no contract with any team. He relocated to Los Angeles, where he worked for Federal Express and played a curious combination of football and basketball called SlamBall, which proved more popular overseas than in the United States.

After six years with the game, he devoted his energies to acting, and found semi-regular work on television, playing men of authority and action on series like "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 2002-2012) and in features like "Transformers: Dark of the Moon." Garrett soon worked his way up to recurring roles on "Political Animals" (USA Network, 2012) and "Sons of Anarchy" (FX, 2008-2014), which cast him as the thoughtful Deputy Sheriff Cane.

In 2015, Garrett displayed a talent for comedy as a fast-talking con man on "The Hotwives of Las Vegas" (Hulu, 2015), and continued to mine a humorous vein on "Mr. Robinson" (NBC, 2015- ) and the Mark Wahlberg-Will Ferrell comedy "Daddy's Home" (2015). The following year proved to be Garrett's breakout period when he scored a recurring role on TNT's action-science fiction series "The Last Ship," and a series regular turn as a Secret Service Agent protecting newly minted president Kiefer Sutherland on "Designated Survivor."

He also earned a rare starring role in the short film "The Duke" (2016) as a former professional football player contending with the physical and mental fallout from numerous head injuries incurred as part of the game.