Denny Love Explained

Denny Love
Birth Name:Denzel Irby
Birth Date:30 December 1992
Birth Place:Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Education:DePaul University
Occupation:Actor

Denzel Irby (born December 30, 1992),[1] [2] known professionally as Denny Love, is an American actor. His biggest roles were Barry on Empire and Chip "the Colonel" Martin in the miniseries Looking for Alaska. He also had minor roles on Chicago P.D. and Lucifer,[3] [4] and appeared in the 2020 film Unpregnant.[5]

Early life and education

Love is from Madison, Wisconsin. He was raised by his grandmother, and belonged to the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County.[6] He attended Madison West High School, then studied theater at DePaul University, graduating in 2015.[7]

Career

Empire

Love appeared in three episodes of Empire as Barry.[8] [9]

Looking for Alaska

Though Love was unfamiliar with John Green's work he read the novel Looking for Alaska in preparation, and for his audition he recited a monologue from the book.[10] He received a phone call of congratulations from him upon getting the role.

Love appeared in all eight episodes of Looking for Alaska as Chip "the Colonel" Martin, a Black scholarship student at the fictional Culver Creek Academy. In the novel, the Colonel's race is not specified but is assumed to be white.[11] [12] [13] Nasim Mansuri, writing for Hypable, says, "In no part of the novel does it say that the Colonel is Black, and being Black doesn’t particularly change his character… but [...] his race brings a lot more meaning to every interaction. It also makes the Colonel’s rage a lot more understandable, even if his actions aren’t always justified.

Filmography

Film

!Year!Title!Role!Notes
2019Slasher PartyDre
2020UnpregnantJarrod
TBADyadJake

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015Chicago P.D.MarcusEpisode: "Get Back to Even"
2016–2017EmpireBarry3 episodes
2018The NeighborhoodYoung ManEpisode: "Welcome to the Housewarming"
2019LuciferCaleb MayfieldEpisode: "Super Bad Boyfriend"
2019L.A.'s FinestDakari AdamsEpisode: "Dangerous Minds"
2019Looking for AlaskaChip 'The Colonel' Martin8 episodes
2021KenanJordanEpisode: "Christmas Show"
2024Mayor of KingstownKevin Jackson6 Episodes

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chappell. Robert. Madison South Sider Lands Role in Major Hulu Series. 2021-11-29. Madison365. en-US.
  2. Web site: 2020-09-11. Who Is the Actor Behind Jarrod in 'Unpregnant'? Meet 27-Year-Old Denny Love. 2021-11-30. Distractify. en-US.
  3. Web site: Who Plays The Colonel On 'Looking For Alaska'? Denny Love Manifested The Role. 2021-11-29. Bustle. en.
  4. Web site: Flappers Comedy Club and Restaurant :: Burbank :: Claremont :: Comedy Workshops. 2021-11-30. flapperscomedy.com.
  5. Web site: Unpregnant Is a Spirited Comedy About a Woman's Right to Choose. 2021-11-30. Time. en.
  6. Web site: Chappell. Robert. "He's a star": Madison West Grad Heads to Hollywood. 2021-11-29. Madison365. en-US.
  7. Web site: DePaul’s Theatre School presents Awards for Excellence in the Arts. 2021-11-30. wdat.is.depaul.edu.
  8. Web site: Of Course Cookie Shouldn't Have Accepted Angelo's Proposal On Empire. 2021-11-29. www.yahoo.com. en-US.
  9. Web site: 2016-10-13. Who Plays Barry On Empire? Denzel Love. 2021-11-30. Empire BBK. en-US.
  10. Web site: 2019-10-22. A Conversation With Looking For Alaska Breakout Denny Love. 2021-11-29. Den of Geek. en-US.
  11. Web site: 2019-10-24. Looking for Alaska episode 2: The Colonel makes this adaptation great. 2021-11-29. Hypable. en-US.
  12. Web site: Sepinwall. Alan. 2019-10-09. 'Looking for Alaska' Review: High-School Melodrama Done Right. 2021-11-29. Rolling Stone. en-US.
  13. Web site: How Hulu's Looking for Alaska Updates the Book for 2019. 2021-11-29. Time. en.