Nate Parker was born on November 18, 1979, in Norfolk, Virginia. His mother, Carolyn, was 17 years old at the time of his birth and was not married to his biological father. She later married another man, from whom Nate took his last name, Parker. He has four younger sisters. According to DNA analysis, his ancestry traces back to Cameroon. During his middle school years, Carolyn married Walter Whitefield, and the family moved to Maine. Despite living apart, Parker maintained a close relationship with his biological father. After his father's death, he moved to Virginia Beach to live with his maternal uncle, Jay Combs, a wrestler. When his great-grandmother became ill, his mother returned to Virginia, and Nate moved back with her.
Parker began wrestling while attending Princess Anne High School. He later transferred to Churchland High School, where he placed third in a state-level wrestling championship. To support his wrestling ambitions, his mother relocated again so that he could attend Great Bridge High School, known for its strong wrestling program. During the 1997–1998 academic year, Parker was a member of the prestigious Great Bridge wrestling team.
He earned a wrestling scholarship to Pennsylvania State University and later transferred to the University of Oklahoma. There, he placed fifth in the 2002 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Wrestling Championships. In 2003, he graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in computer programming.
While attending a modeling convention in Dallas with a friend, Parker caught the attention of talent manager Jon Simmons. At the time, Parker was working as a computer programmer. After a brief audition, Simmons encouraged him to move to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Shortly after relocating, Parker landed his first television commercial and began building his acting career.
In 2006, he played the lead in a hip-hop adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet." His breakout role came in 2007 when he portrayed Henry Lowe in “The Great Debaters,” directed by Denzel Washington. To prepare for the role, Parker wrote a comprehensive 100-page biography of the real-life Henry Lowe. He subsequently appeared in films such as “The Secret Life of Bees” and “Beyond the Lights.” He received a nomination for Best Actor at the Black Reel Awards for his performance in these projects.
| Birth Date: | 18 Nov, 1979 |
| Age: | 40 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Norfolk |
| Education: | University of Oklahoma Pennsylvania State University |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | American actor, director, producer, writer and musical performer |
| Twitter Id: | NateParker |
| Net Worth 2021: | 3 million |
