Deric Augustine

Intro

Deric Augustine is an actor and writer from New Orleans whose television roles include Miles Penn in The Rookie and Muhammad Ali in Godfather of Harlem. His career moves between contemporary ensemble drama and the portrayal of an internationally recognizable historical figure. He has also written the young adult fantasy novel Nawlins, drawing on the culture of his hometown. These different kinds of storytelling share an interest in character, but they ask for different kinds of preparation: an invented police officer, a famous boxer and a novel's protagonist each present a separate creative task.

Career snapshot

Augustine studied at the University of New Orleans, where he combined business studies with theatre classes. The university's 2021 profile records a marketing degree awarded in 2012 and describes his interest in acting from his teenage years. He credited theatre study with strengthening his confidence and his business education with helping him navigate the entertainment industry. His later training included the Negro Ensemble Company and William Esper Studio in New York. This combination of classroom work and performance practice forms a practical background to the screen credits that followed.

The entry point

Playing Muhammad Ali in Godfather of Harlem required more than reproducing a boxer's movements. In his university interview, Augustine described taking boxing lessons and studying recordings of Ali's voice and public appearances. He paid attention to mannerisms, confidence and speech as well as physical technique. The second-season episodes he discussed followed the period around Cassius Clay's victory over Sonny Liston and his adoption of the name Muhammad Ali. The performance is part of a dramatized series led by Forest Whitaker, so it should be watched as a portrayal rather than substituted for historical documentation.

Screen identity and style

The Rookie gave Augustine a different long-form television role as Miles Penn. Introduced among the LAPD newcomers, Miles brought previous experience from Texas into the Los Angeles setting. Augustine discussed that adjustment in an interview about the seventh season. ABC's eighth-season biography records his promotion to series regular. A useful way to follow the character is to watch how an experienced newcomer negotiates an unfamiliar workplace: knowledge from a previous job does not automatically settle relationships or expectations in a new one. That tension gives the role an ongoing place within the ensemble.

Collaborations and patterns

His other credited television characters include Rockwell in Cloak & Dagger, Clay Taylor in All American, Lester Davis in Swagger, Milton in Shameless and Ray Murphy in Criminal Minds. These credits place him in superhero fiction, sports-centered stories and crime drama, rather than a single narrow genre. They also provide alternatives for viewers who first encountered him as Miles or Ali. The names matter because the productions have large casts and overlapping themes; following a specific character is a clearer route through the filmography than treating every appearance as another version of his best-known role.

Era reflection

Nawlins extends Augustine's storytelling into fiction for young readers. In a 2026 IngramSpark interview, he explained that a college writing assignment and a visit to the African American Museum in Treme helped inspire the book. Its teenage heroine discovers inherited magical abilities, and its New Orleans setting draws on local culture and landmarks. Augustine described bringing an actor's attention to motivation, dialogue and behavior into his writing. The book is therefore a separate creative work with a personal geographical connection, rather than a fictionalized account of his television characters.

Legacy and rediscovery

The photographs in this gallery span a 2017 portrait and a 2026 San Diego Comic-Con panel appearance. They show Augustine himself, not Ali or Miles Penn, and offer two distinct records of his public career. For a viewing introduction, pairing Godfather of Harlem with The Rookie highlights the difference between interpreting an existing public figure and developing a recurring fictional character. His novel adds another perspective on that process, allowing readers to encounter a world he has created rather than a role within another writer's television series.

Selected screen roles

• The Rookie: Miles Penn — Seasons 7–8
• Godfather of Harlem: Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali — Television series
• All American: Clay Taylor — Television series
• Cloak & Dagger: Rockwell — Television series
• Swagger: Lester Davis — Television series

A career in pictures

A 2017 portrait and a separate 2026 convention photograph document Deric Augustine at different points in his career.

Portrait of Deric Augustine (2017)

Deric Augustine

Portrait dated April 23, 2017; credited to Commons contributor Daa2069.

At San Diego Comic-Con (2026)

Deric Augustine on a panel

Photographed by Kevin Paul on July 25, 2026; a public appearance, not a scene from The Rookie.

Rewatch notes

• Augustine grew up in New Orleans.
• He studied recordings and trained in boxing for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali.
• His young adult fantasy novel is titled Nawlins.