Lance Gross

He gave up a promising career in track and field to pursue a far more uncertain future in show business, but it seems that Lance Gross rolled the dice and won when he decided to pursue acting over athletics. Modeling launched his career, but following a few bit parts and appearances in videos, his big break came when he landed a recurring role on the Tyler Perry series "House of Payne" (Syndication, TBS, 2006-2012). His television work led to a part in Perry's "Meet the Browns" (2008) and subsequent film roles including "Our Family Wedding" (2010), "The Last Fall" (2012) and "Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor" (2013), as well as multiple NAACP Image Awards.