Corey Reynolds

Corey Reynolds currently can be seen playing Sgt. David Gabriel on TNT’s “The Closer,” the highest-rated show on cable television for five consecutive years. His performance on the show has garnered him an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2009, five Screen Actors Guild Award nominations (with the rest of the cast) for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble and an NAMIC Vision Award nomination for Best Actor.

Prior to “The Closer,” Reynolds made his Broadway debut playing Seaweed in the Tony Award-winning musical “Hairspray,” a performance that garnered him a 2003 Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, a Drama Desk nomination and an Outer Circle Critics Award nomination.

His other theater credits include “Smokey Joe’s Café,” “Saturday Night Fever,” “Parade” and “Avenue X.” Steven Spielberg, after seeing Reynolds’s star-making turn in “Hairspray,” personally provided the actor with his feature-film debut, “The Terminal.”

Reynolds was born and raised in Richmond, Va., beginning his professional career at age 16 performing around his hometown. 

ROBIN BRONK: If you had five minutes in the Oval Office with President Obama, what would you discuss with him? What issue would you like him to know about?

COREY REYNOLDS: I would impress upon him the importance of a sense of justice and fairness within our nation. People feel like politicians speak solely for their largest donors, and care very little about the voting constituencies that actually elect them to office. That’s gotta change, and that’s the “change” we voted for.

RB: If you could give President Obama one piece of advice, what would that be?

CR: STAND. YOUR. GROUND.

RB: If you could ask President Obama one question, what would that be?

CR: Why is Gitmo still open? You said you would close it, but you haven’t. Why?

RB: What book would you offer to lend President Obama? Why?

CR: “The Book of Mormon: The Musical.” I hear it’s a great show, and I’m sure he and the first lady could use a night out.

RB: If you were going to send the president to one place in the United States for one day, where would that be? Why?

CR: I would send him to the worst public schools and medical facilities in our nation. Then ask how a nation so wealthy can pay so little attention to education and healthcare, two basic fundamental needs of any society. We should have national healthcare and free college for all who choose it. It works in other countries, not perfectly, but effectively. We should be leading the world in ways to make those systems work better, not simply demonizing the system for not being flawless. 

RB: Would you ever consider a political career?

CR: Yes.