
Reginald Eurias Cathey (August 18, 1958 – February 9, 2018) was an American character actor. He was best known for his roles as Norman Wilson in The Wire, Martin Querns in Oz, the game show announcer in Square One Television, Dr. Franklin Storm in the 2015 reboot of Fantastic Four, and Freddy Hayes in House of Cards, the last earning him three consecutive Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, including a win in 2015. Description above from the Wikipedia article Reg E. Cathey, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- August 18, 1958
- February 9, 2018 (aged 59)
- Huntsville, Alabama, USA
- Actor
- 62 on MovieCove · 77 credits in all
What are Reg E. Cathey's films like?
Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 1 · Earnest 15
A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 2 · Dark 8
A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 5
A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 6 · Intense 7
Steady 6 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 3
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 2
Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 2
A split, not a type: Casual 8 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 3
A split, not a type: Easy watch 9 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 5
Resolved 11 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2
Roles they play
Usually the Mentor: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.
- Shapeshifteras Barry K. Word in Lights Out (2011)
- Mentoras Supervisor Jones in Two Men in Town (2014)
- Mentoras Dr. Franklin Storm in Fantastic Four (2015)
- Shadowas The Bishop in Nasty Baby (2015)
- Threshold guardianas Chief Giles in Outcast (2016)
- Mentoras Pope Dixon in Flock of Four (2017)
Moods and endings
- Happy4
- Bittersweet11
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous3
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Reg E. Cathey's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 49 of their 62 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).
- Meerkat Manor (2005) · actor · free
- Third Watch (1999) · actor · free
- St. Vincent (2014) · actor · free
- The Mask (1994) · actor · free
- Arbitrage (2012) · actor · free
- Hands of Stone (2016) · actor · free
- Everyday People (2004) · actor · free
- Napoleon (1995) · actor · free
- Funny Farm (1988) · actor · free
- Tank Girl (1995) · actor · free
- Tyrel (2018) · actor · free
- Une aventure New-Yorkaise (2009) · actor · free
- +4 more
- The Wire (2002) · actor
- Banshee (2013) · actor
- Oz (1997) · actor
- And the Band Played On (1993) · actor
- Born on the Fourth of July (1989) · actor
- ER (1994) · actor
- Boycott (2001) · actor
- Everyday People (2004) · actor
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017) · actor
- Arli$$ (1996) · actor
- Tyson (1995) · actor
- Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) · actor · free
- The Machinist (2004) · actor · free
- St. Vincent (2014) · actor · free
- Clear and Present Danger (1994) · actor · free
- Arbitrage (2012) · actor · free
- Hands of Stone (2016) · actor · free
- Pootie Tang (2001) · actor · free
- Tank Girl (1995) · actor · free
- Alex of Venice (2014) · actor · free
- Head of State (2003) · actor · free
- Lionsgate+, show their 4 titles on Lionsgate+
- Howdy, show their 3 titles on Howdy
- Cinemax, show their title on Cinemax
- Cohen Media Channel, show their title on Cohen Media Channel
- Magnolia Selects, show their title on Magnolia Selects
- Monsters and Nightmares, show their title on Monsters and Nightmares
- MovieSphere+, show their title on MovieSphere+
- Sony Pictures Core, show their title on Sony Pictures Core
- ViX, show their title on ViX
- Wonder Project, show their title on Wonder Project
Subscription and free streaming for Reg E. Cathey's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
77 credits, 62 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Tyrel(2018)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
Flock of Four(2017)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows
Luke Cage(2016)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows
Hands of Stone(2016)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Outcast(2016)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows
Horace and Pete (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

Nasty Baby(2015)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Fantastic Four(2015)
Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
Alex of Venice(2014)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
St. Vincent(2014)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Two Men in Town(2014)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
House of Cards(2013)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Banshee(2013)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Elementary(2012)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows
Arbitrage(2012)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Grimm(2011)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows
Person of Interest(2011)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
My Last Day Without You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

Lights Out(2011)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
Earth: Making of a Planet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Egypt's Lost Rival (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

The Good Wife(2009)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Aftermath: Population Zero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

20 Years After (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

30 Rock(2006)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
Meerkat Manor(2005)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
Genghis Khan - Rider of the Apocalypse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

The Machinist(2004)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
The Cookout(2004)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all filmsMen Without Jobs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

Everyday People(2004)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
S.W.A.T.(2003)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
A Good Night to Die(2003)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Head of State(2003)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
The Wire(2002)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows
Pootie Tang(2001)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Boycott(2001)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
American Psycho(2000)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Homicide: The Movie(2000)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Third Watch(1999)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Ill Gotten Gains(1997)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
Oz(1997)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Arli$$(1996)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows
Seven(1995)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Napoleon(1995)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Tyson(1995)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Tank Girl(1995)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
ER(1994)
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows
Airheads(1994)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Clear and Present Danger(1994)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The Mask(1994)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Clean Slate(1994)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
And the Band Played On(1993)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
Fool's Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

Roc(1991)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all shows
What About Bob?(1991)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all filmsEyes of a Witness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

Law & Order(1990)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows
Quick Change(1990)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Loose Cannons(1990)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Penn & Teller Get Killed(1989)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Me and Him(1988)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Crossing Delancey(1988)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Funny Farm(1988)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Astonished (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

Leg Work (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
Square One Television (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Career shape
Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 76 titles from 1982 to 2018; peak year 1994.
Film career
Peak 1994 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Top draw in 1 MovieCove title. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1988Screen debut· Funny Farm
- 1995Career best· Se7en
- 2008First top-billed film· Aftermath: Population Zero
- 2013Primetime Emmy win· House of Cards
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.
Awards
a Primetime Emmy from 3 major nominations, 2014–2016.
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do Reg E. Cathey's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 39; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 42nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up31
- 50th to 74th12
- 25th to 49th13
- Below 25th6
Shape of the crowd
24 of their 62 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved18
- Universally Panned2
- Divisive1
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser24
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed13
Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Reg E. Cathey's work okay for kids?
Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Reg E. Cathey work with?
People who share at least 2 of Reg E. Cathey's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sebastián Silva shares the most, 2.
Directors
- Sebastián SilvaShared titles: Tyrel (2018), Nasty Baby (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Sebastián Silva

- Clark JohnsonShared titles: S.W.A.T. (2003), Boycott (2001)See all 2 shared titles with Clark Johnson

Actors
- Lawrence Gilliard Jr.Shared titles: The Wire Odyssey (2007), The Machinist (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Lawrence Gilliard Jr.

Editors
- Sofía SubercaseauxShared titles: Tyrel (2018), Nasty Baby (2015)See all 2 shared titles with Sofía Subercaseaux

Producers
- Caldecot ChubbShared titles: Everyday People (2004), Pootie Tang (2001)See all 2 shared titles with Caldecot Chubb

- Sean DanielShared titles: Everyday People (2004), Pootie Tang (2001)See all 2 shared titles with Sean Daniel

Mixed roles
- Nelson GeorgeShared titles: The Wire Odyssey (2007), Everyday People (2004)See all 2 shared titles with Nelson George

