McBride's first success in show business came with the hit song "Basically, He's the Champ" as part of the group KSL, which parodied the marriage of boxer
Mike Tyson and actress
Robin Givens. Based on the song's success, McBride was signed by Esquire Records, and he joined the rhythm and blues band Covert. Convinced he should try his hand in front of the camera, McBride moved to Los Angeles and, billed as "Chi", landed guest spots on Fox's
In Living Color and NBC's
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, as well as a featured role in the television film
Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation. In 1998, he was a co-star of
Mercury Rising, alongside
Bruce Willis. He was later given the role of Principal Steven Harper on the series
Boston Public. Much of McBride's work sees him playing right-hand man to the hero, as in the films
Mercury Rising and
The Terminal. He is also notable for television roles on
The John Larroquette Show,
House,
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer,
Killer Instinct, and
Pushing Daisies. McBride's other film credits include
Cradle 2 the Grave,
The Distinguished Gentleman,
Gone in 60 Seconds,
The Frighteners,
Narc, ''
Disney's The Kid,
I, Robot, Roll Bounce, Annapolis, Hoodlum, Undercover Brother, Let's Go to Prison,
and The Brothers Solomon. McBride portrayed eight different characters in the play Nagataki Sake'', directed by
Robert Downey, Sr. Starting in 2013, he starred on
Hawaii Five-0 as Captain Lou Grover. He previously worked with co-star
Scott Caan in
Gone in 60 Seconds. In May 2021, Chi McBride has signed with Verve. On May 14, 2021,
CBS announced that McBride would star along with
Pete Holmes and
Katie Lowes in a sitcom based around the life of laid-off auto worker-turned-professional bowler
Tom Smallwood. McBride plays Archie, a bowling alley owner who serves as friend and mentor to the main character played by Holmes. The multi-camera series debuted on March 31, 2022. ==Filmography==