# Ernest Harden Jr.
**Ernest Harden Jr.** (born 1952, Detroit, Michigan) is an American actor and producer whose screen career runs from the mid-1970s to the present. After nearly five decades of supporting film roles and single-episode television guest appearances, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2026 for playing Louie Cloverfield on the [HBO Max](https://www.edgepedia.org/hbo-max) medical drama *The Pitt*.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ernest-harden-jr) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952, Detroit, Michigan, USA[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/) |
| Emmy Award | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, 78th Emmy Awards (2026), as Louie Cloverfield in *The Pitt*, episode "7:00 A.M."[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ernest-harden-jr) |
| Signature role | Louie Cloverfield on *The Pitt*, 11 episodes across seasons 1 and 2 (2025–2026)[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40977/ernest-harden-jr) |
| Screen debut | An adolescent in *Three Days of the Condor* (1975)[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-452868/filmographie/) |
| Early recurring role | Marcus Henderson in seven episodes of *The Jeffersons* (1978–1979)[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40977/ernest-harden-jr) |
| Education | Graduated from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/) |
| Spouse | Cristina Maxwell Harden, married November 8, 2002[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/) |
## Early life and career beginnings
Harden was born in Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from [Michigan State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/michigan-state-university) in East Lansing.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/) A Detroit City Council record notes that after graduation he moved to New York to start his acting career.[5](https://pub-detroitmi.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=231186)
His first screen credit came in 1975, as an adolescent in the thriller *Three Days of the Condor*.[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-452868/filmographie/) Television work followed quickly: he appeared in *The Jeffersons* in 1977 as Jason King, then returned as Marcus Henderson, a recurring role across seven episodes from 1978 to 1979, and guest-starred on *Good Times* in 1978.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40977/ernest-harden-jr) In 1980 he played B.T. Williamson in the television movie *White Mama*, opposite [Bette Davis](https://www.edgepedia.org/bette-davis).[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ernest-harden-jr)
## Film and television career
**Character actor.** Through the 1980s and 1990s Harden built a career of supporting film parts and guest spots, often for one or two episodes per series.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/news/) His film credits include Hines in the horror film *The Final Terror* (1983), George in *White Men Can't Jump* (1992), Richland in *Animal Factory* (2000), a Billings assistant in *Transporter 2* (2005), Uncle Junior in *The Hit* (2007), and James Crawford in [Clint Eastwood](https://www.edgepedia.org/clint-eastwood)'s *[J. Edgar](https://www.edgepedia.org/j-edgar)* (2011).[4](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-452868/filmographie/) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ernest-harden-jr) On television he guest-starred on *Hill Street Blues*, *V*, *ER*, *The Steve Harvey Show*, *The Bernie Mac Show*, *The Parkers*, *Rizzoli & Isles*, *Animal Practice*, and *I Am the Night*, among others.[8](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ernest-harden-jr/credits/3030495632/) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40977/ernest-harden-jr)
**Later work.** In 2021 he played Vernon in *Velvet Jesus*, and in 2023 he appeared as Eric Johnson in *Bonded* and as Coach Will Robinson in *Sweetwater*, the film about the 1950 Indiana Clippers basketball team.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ernest-harden-jr) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/) He also worked as a producer, serving as associate producer on the series *All That She Knew* (2025).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/)
## The Pitt and the Emmy
In 2025 Harden joined *The Pitt*, an HBO Max drama produced by John Wells Productions, R. Scott Gemmill Productions, and Warner Bros. Television, playing Louie Cloverfield, a frequent-flyer patient.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ernest-harden-jr) • [3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40977/ernest-harden-jr) He appeared in four episodes of the first season and returned as a guest star for the second season in 2026, for a total of 11 episodes.[3](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40977/ernest-harden-jr)
At the 78th [Emmy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/emmy-awards) in 2026 he won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the episode "7:00 A.M.", his first Emmy nomination and win.[1](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ernest-harden-jr) Trade coverage described the win as the recognition of a journeyman character actor, and Harden dedicated the award to Bette Davis, his co-star in *White Mama*, 46 years after that television movie premiered.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/news/) *The Pitt* itself led the 2026 Emmy nominations with 25, and won Outstanding Drama Series.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/news/)
## Personal life
Harden has been married to Cristina Maxwell Harden since November 8, 2002, and has a daughter, Meryl Harden. His father was Ernest Harden Sr. His nickname is Smiley.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/)
## References
1. [Ernest Harden, Jr. – Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ernest-harden-jr)
2. [Ernest Harden Jr. – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/)
3. [Ernest Harden Jr. – TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/40977/ernest-harden-jr)
4. [Ernest Harden Jr. : Filmographie – AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-452868/filmographie/)
5. [Detroit City Council meeting document](https://pub-detroitmi.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=231186)
6. [Ernest Harden Jr. – Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ernest-harden-jr)
7. [Ernest Harden Jr. – News, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0362085/news/)
8. [Ernest Harden Jr. List of Movies and TV Shows – TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ernest-harden-jr/credits/3030495632/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames H to Ha*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license