Russell Hornsby was an actor best known for his lead roles in the popular television shows "Lincoln Heights" (ABC Family 2007-09) and "Grimm" (NBC 2011-17). Hornsby was born in Oakland, California. The 6'1" actor played football in high school, but a turn as the Scarecrow in a school performance of "The Wiz" hooked him on theater. He continued to perform in high school theater, and he studied performance at Boston University, later refining his technique at Oxford University's British Academy of Dramatic Arts. After graduating from Oxford, he moved to New York City. There, he performed in off-Broadway productions, earning such coveted roles as Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Paul in "Six Degrees of Separation." Moving to Los Angeles, he landed a small role in "Meet The Parents" (2001), the Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller-starring hit comedy. He took on a few small roles in popular TV series like "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC 2005) and "Law & Order" (NBC 1990-2010) before he starred in one of his best-known roles as police officer Eddie Sutton, who relocates his family to the rough titular neighborhood of "Lincoln Heights." After the show was cancelled in 2009, he played another law enforcer: the wry Detective Hank Griffin on the supernatural drama "Grimm."