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David Strathairn

David Strathairn most recently won the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival and earned nominations from the Academy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA and Independent Spirit Awards for his compelling portrait of legendary CBS news broadcaster Edward R. Murrow in George Clooney's 2005 Oscar-nominated drama Good Night, and Good Luck.

His 2005 Independent Spirit nomination was the fourth in a stellar career that dates back to his 1980 motion picture debut in John Sayles' first film, The Return of the Secaucus Seven. Strathairn subsequently collaborated with Sayles on seven titles, winning the IFP honor for his supporting performance in City of Hope, while collecting two additional nominations for Passion Fish and Limbo.

His early screen efforts included supporting roles in Mike Nichols' Silkwood, Fred Schepsi's Iceman, James Foley's At Close Range and Robert M. Young's Dominick and Eugene, as well as Sayles' acclaimed dramas Matewan and Eight Men Out, and his 1984 satire, The Brother from Another Planet.

Turning the decade, Strathairn continued a busy screen career with co-starring roles in several critically acclaimed films, including Tim Robbins' directorial debut, Bob Roberts; Penny Marshall's A League of Their Own; Losing Isaiah; Sydney Pollack's The Firm; Sneakers; Taylor Hackford's adaptation of the Stephen King novel Dolores Claiborne; and Jodie Foster's Home for the Holidays; as well as two projects with Curtis Hansen: The River Wild and the Oscar-winning L.A. Confidential, in which Strathairn shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination with the all-star ensemble cast. His additional movie credits include Memphis Belle, A Map of the World, Simon Birch, Lost in Yonkers, Missing in America, Michael Hoffman's adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Phil Kaufman's Twisted and The Notorious Bettie Page.

He has also maintained a high profile in the theatrical world, with roles at such venues as the Manhattan Theatre Club, the New York Shakespeare Festival, SoHo Rep, the Hartford Stage Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre and Seattle Repertory. He will next be seen in Gregory Hoblit's thriller Fracture.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2007.
Read earlier biographies on this page.

David Strathairn Facts

Birth NameDavid Russell Strathairn
OccupationActor
BirthdayJanuary 26, 1949 (75)
SignAquarius
BirthplaceSan Francisco, California, USA
Height6' 1" (1m85)  How tall is David Strathairn compared to you?
Awards2010 Emmy Awards: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie (for Temple Grandin)

Selected Filmography

Good Night, And Good Luck (2005) user recommendation as Edward R. Murrow
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)
Simon Birch (1998)
Home for the Holidays (1995)
The Firm (1993)
A League of Their Own (1992)
Sneakers (1992)
Eight Men Out (1988)
Matewan (1987)
At Close Range (1986)
Silkwood (1983)
More ...