Malcolm Goodwin was born in Brooklyn, New York. Malcolm studied at Julia Richman Talent Unlimited Program in New York City, later training at SUNY Purchase College Acting Conservatory, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts and Film. In 2011 he appeared in the music video for the song "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO, and has had many roles in films and TV shows such as American Gangster (2007), Detroit 1-8-7 (2010), Leatherheads (2008), The Longshots (2008), and Crazy on the Outside (2010). In 2015 Malcolm secured the role of Det. Clive Babineaux on iZombie (2015).