Clark Johnson Clark Johnson , ( born September 1954 ) sometimes credited as `` Clark 'Slappy ' Jackson `` and `` J. Clark Johnson , `` is an American actor and director who has worked in both television and film . Johnson was born in September 1954 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , and spent much of his life in Canada , including studying at Concordia University in Montreal , Quebec . He began doing feature film work in 1981 , landing roles in the movies Killing 'em Softly , Wild Thing , Adventures in Babysitting , and Nowhere to Hide . He also acted in a number of television shows early in his career . In 1993 , Johnson became part of the original cast of the television series Homicide : Life on the Street playing Detective Meldrick Lewis for all seven seasons and the reunion movie , as well as directing several episodes . Though the ensemble nature of the show meant that Johnson always filled an important role in the series , he became an even larger presence after his character was paired with a new partner , Mike Kellerman ( played by Reed Diamond ) , and the two detectives became the central figures in a plot line surrounding a Baltimore drug lord whose financial resources and front as a devoted community servant made it nearly impossible for the police department to bring him up on charges . Aside from Homicide , Johnson 's directing credits include the 2006 major cinema release The Sentinel , Drop Squad ( 1994 ) , S.W.A.T. ( 2003 ) , and episodes of The Shield and The Wire as well as the HBO original production Boycott ( 2001 ) , a project which he helmed and in which he also acted . He also directed the 2005 mini-series Sleeper Cell . Johnson is the brother of jazz singer Molly Johnson and actress and singer Taborah Johnson . External link Clark Johnson at the Internet Movie Database Categories : 1954 births | Living people | African-American film directors | American film directors | Black Canadians | Canadian actors | Homicide : Life on the Street cast | People from Philadelphia | English-language film directors | The Shield actors In other languages : Français 0424800 Clark Johnson 