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David Strathairn

David Strathairn

Acting

Born: January 26, 1949San Francisco, California, USA

David Russell Strathairn (born January 26, 1949) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of journalist Edward R. Murrow in the feature film Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. He also starred in L.A. Confidential (1997), Godzilla (2014), and the Bourne franchise (2007–2012). Strathairn appeared in supporting roles in many notable films such as A League of Their Own (1992), Sneakers (1992), The Firm (1993), The River Wild (1995), Lincoln (2012), Nomadland (2020), and Nightmare Alley (2021). He is a frequent collaborator with director John Sayles, who is a fellow graduate of Williams College. On television, Strathairn is known for his recurring roles in The Sopranos (2004), Alphas (2011–2012), The Blacklist (2015–2016), Billions (2017–2019), and The Expanse (2018–2019). He received a Primetime Emmy Award win and a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance in the HBO television film Temple Grandin (2010).

Known For
Filmography
Stages

Stages

Porter Gates

2026
This Ordinary Thing

This Ordinary Thing

Self (voice)

2025
Zootopia 2

Zootopia 2

Milton Lynxley (voice)

2025
The Gettysburg Address

The Gettysburg Address

Ralph Waldo Emerson (voice)

2025
A Little Prayer

A Little Prayer

Bill

2025
The Luckiest Man in America

The Luckiest Man in America

Bill

2025
O Horizon

O Horizon

Warren

2025
Remember This

Remember This

Jan Karski

2023
Where the Crawdads Sing

Where the Crawdads Sing

Tom Milton

2022
Nightmare Alley

Nightmare Alley

Pete

2021
Nomadland

Nomadland

Dave

2021
The Oedipus Project

The Oedipus Project

Messenger 1

2020
Walkaway Joe

Walkaway Joe

Joe Haley

2020
Them That Work

Them That Work

Self

2019
The Devil Has a Name

The Devil Has a Name

Fred Stern

2019
Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Admiral William Stenz

2019
Fast Color

Fast Color

Ellis

2019
My Dinner with Hervé

My Dinner with Hervé

Marty Rothstein

2018
UFO

UFO

Franklin Ahls

2018
An Interview with God

An Interview with God

God

2018
Darkest Hour

Darkest Hour

President Roosevelt (voice)

2017
November Criminals

November Criminals

Theo

2017
American Pastoral

American Pastoral

Nathan Zuckerman

2016
He Does Not Want Peace

He Does Not Want Peace

Richard Englebright

2016
Louder Than Bombs

Louder Than Bombs

Richard Weissman

2015
The Debt

The Debt

Nathan

2015
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Ty Burley

2015
Godzilla

Godzilla

Admiral William Stenz

2014
No God, No Master

No God, No Master

William Flynn

2014
Lincoln@Gettysburg

Lincoln@Gettysburg

Self - Narrator (voice)

2013
Love, Marilyn

Love, Marilyn

Self

2013
Lincoln

Lincoln

William Seward

2012
Hemingway & Gellhorn

Hemingway & Gellhorn

John Dos Passos

2012
The Bourne Legacy

The Bourne Legacy

Noah Vosen

2012
Maladies

Maladies

Delmar

2012
The Whistleblower

The Whistleblower

Peter Ward

2010
The Tempest

The Tempest

King Alonso

2010
Howl

Howl

Ralph McIntosh

2010

Inside Area 51's Secrets

Narrator

2010
Area 51 Declassified

Area 51 Declassified

Himself - Narrator

2010
Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin

Professor Carlock

2010

Matadors

Roman Lodari

2010
The People Speak

The People Speak

Self

2009
Cold Souls

Cold Souls

Dr. Flintstein

2009
The Uninvited

The Uninvited

Steven

2009

Sunlight and Shadow: The Visual Style of 'L.A. Confidential'

Self

2008
Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential'

Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential'

Self

2008
The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer

The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer

J. Robert Oppenheimer

2008
The Spiderwick Chronicles

The Spiderwick Chronicles

Arthur Spiderwick

2008
My Blueberry Nights

My Blueberry Nights

Arnie

2007
Trumbo

Trumbo

Self

2007
Matters of Life and Death

Matters of Life and Death

Mr. Jennings

2007
The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum

Noah Vosen

2007
Racing Daylight

Racing Daylight

Henry / Harry

2007
Steel Toes

Steel Toes

Danny Dunkelman

2007
Fracture

Fracture

Joe Lobruto

2007
The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court

Narrator

2007
We Are Marshall

We Are Marshall

President Dedmon

2006
The Sensation of Sight

The Sensation of Sight

Finn

2006
Heavens Fall

Heavens Fall

Judge James Horton

2006
The Human Behavior Experiments

The Human Behavior Experiments

Narrator

2006

The Shovel

Paul Mullin

2006
The Notorious Bettie Page

The Notorious Bettie Page

Estes Kefauver

2006
Good Night, and Good Luck.

Good Night, and Good Luck.

Edward R. Murrow

2005

Willa Cather: The Road Is All

Narrator

2005
Missing in America

Missing in America

Henry R. Hocknell Jr.

2005
Los Angeles Plays Itself

Los Angeles Plays Itself

Pierce Patchett in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)

2004
Twisted

Twisted

Dr. Melvin Frank

2004
Paradise

Paradise

Reverend Bobby Paradise

2004
The Making of ‘Sneakers’

The Making of ‘Sneakers’

Self

2003
Blue Car

Blue Car

Auster

2003
Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story

Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story

Jack Hoschouer

2002
Lathe of Heaven

Lathe of Heaven

Mannie

2002
Speakeasy

Speakeasy

Bruce Hickman

2002
Relative Evil

Relative Evil

Dr. Charlie

2001
The Victim

The Victim

Mark Zingerline

2001
A Good Baby

A Good Baby

Truman Lester

2000
The Miracle Worker

The Miracle Worker

Captain Keller

2000
Harrison's Flowers

Harrison's Flowers

Harrison Lloyd

2000
Freedom Song

Freedom Song

Peter Crowley

2000
A Map of the World

A Map of the World

Howard Goodwin

1999
Limbo

Limbo

Joe Gastineau

1999
A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Theseus

1999
Bad Manners

Bad Manners

Wes Westlund

1998
The Giraffe

The Giraffe

Charles Kaminski

1998
Simon Birch

Simon Birch

Rev. Russell

1998
With Friends Like These

With Friends Like These

Armand Minetti

1998
Evidence of Blood

Evidence of Blood

Jackson Kinley

1998
The Climb

The Climb

Earl Himes

1998
L.A. Confidential

L.A. Confidential

Pierce Patchett

1997
Song of Hiawatha

Song of Hiawatha

Marcel

1997
In the Gloaming

In the Gloaming

Martin

1997
Mother Night

Mother Night

Bernard B. O'Hare

1996
Beyond the Call

Beyond the Call

Russel Gates

1996
Home for the Holidays

Home for the Holidays

Russell Terziak

1995
Dolores Claiborne

Dolores Claiborne

Joe St. George

1995
Losing Isaiah

Losing Isaiah

Charles Lewin

1995
The River Wild

The River Wild

Tom Hartman

1994
April One

April One

John McCowan

1994
A Dangerous Woman

A Dangerous Woman

Getso

1993
The Firm

The Firm

Ray McDeere

1993
Lost in Yonkers

Lost in Yonkers

Johnny

1993
The American Clock

The American Clock

Young Arthur Huntington

1993
Passion Fish

Passion Fish

Rennie

1992
Sneakers

Sneakers

Whistler

1992
Bob Roberts

Bob Roberts

Mack Laflin

1992
A League of Their Own

A League of Their Own

Ira Lowenstein

1992
Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even

Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even

Keith

1992
O Pioneers!

O Pioneers!

Carl Linstrum

1992
City of Hope

City of Hope

Asteroid

1991
Without Warning: The James Brady Story

Without Warning: The James Brady Story

Dr. Arthur Kobrine

1991
Judgment

Judgment

Father Frank Aubert

1990
Memphis Belle

Memphis Belle

Craig Harriman

1990
Heat Wave

Heat Wave

Bill Thomas

1990
The Feud

The Feud

The Stranger

1989
Day One

Day One

J. Robert Oppenheimer

1989
Eight Men Out

Eight Men Out

Eddie Cicotte

1988
Call Me

Call Me

Sam

1988
Dominick and Eugene

Dominick and Eugene

Martin Chernak

1988
Stars & Bars

Stars & Bars

Charlie

1988
Matewan

Matewan

Police Chief Sid Hatfield

1987
Broken Vows

Broken Vows

Stuart Chase

1987
At Close Range

At Close Range

Tony Pine

1986
When Nature Calls

When Nature Calls

Weejun

1985
The Brother from Another Planet

The Brother from Another Planet

Man In Black

1984
Iceman

Iceman

Dr. Singe

1984
Silkwood

Silkwood

Wesley

1983
Lovesick

Lovesick

Marvin Zuckerman

1983
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute

Enormous Changes at the Last Minute

Jerry

1983
Return of the Secaucus Seven

Return of the Secaucus Seven

Ron

1980