In 2016, Dorsey began starring as Hollingsworth "Hollywood" Desonier in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series Queen Sugar.

Dorsey played small parts in a number of films early in his career, including Juwanna Mann, Starsky & Hutch, and The Blind Side.

He had recurring roles in the Showtime drama Ray Donovan as Cookie Brown, the Fox comedy-drama Rake, and the HBO comedy Eastbound & Down.

[3][4] In 2014, Dorsey played Civil Rights Movement activist James Orange in the historical drama film Selma directed by Ava DuVernay.

[5] In 2016, DuVernay cast Dorsey in her drama series Queen Sugar for Oprah Winfrey Network.