ER and 8 Mile actor Mekhi Phifer has filed for bankruptcy, owing the tax man $1.2million and $4,500 in back child support, according to TMZ.com, who indicate his monthly expenditure exceeds his income by some 50 per cent. Phifer, 39, has a child each from a marriage and a subsequent relationship and married his current wife, Reshelet Barnes, in March last year.
His movie career began when he won the role of drug dealer Strike Dunham in Spike Lee’s 1995 film, Clockers. In 2001, he reprised Billy-Dee Williams’ 1971 portrayal of Chicago Bears running-back, Gale Sayers in Brian’s Song, a moving true story about Sayers’ team-mate, Brian Piccolo, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer after turning pro. A year later, Phifer played Future, Eminem’s character Jimmy’s best friend in 8 Mile.
Phifer most recently appeared in “Divergent” (2014) alongside Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Miles Teller among others. He has talked about public’s warm response to the movie, noting that the crew had done a good job. “[Author] Veronica Roth did such a wonderful job putting these books together, and the adaptations that they did for the screenplay are just wonderful,” he said, adding: “I’ve been going on a multi-city tour for this film, and so many people are saying that they like it even more than the books.”
