Born and raised in Washington, D.C. to Afro-Cuban immigrants, Laz Alonso earned a marketing BBA from Howard University before a stint as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, later shifting to entertainment where he first hosted A.M. @BET and NYLA and appeared in music videos for Toni Braxton and Aaliyah. He built a film résumé with supporting turns in titles such as Jarhead, This Christmas, Mira…
