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David Strathairn

David Strathairn

Department: Acting

Biography

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

The Miracle Worker

The Miracle Worker

2000

The Feud

The Feud

1989

L.A. Confidential

L.A. Confidential

1997

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

1999

City of Hope

City of Hope

1991

Sneakers

Sneakers

1992

Good Night, and Good Luck.

Good Night, and Good Luck.

2005

Mother Night

Mother Night

1996

Bob Roberts

Bob Roberts

1992

The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum

2007

My Blueberry Nights

My Blueberry Nights

2007

We Are Marshall

We Are Marshall

2006

Cold Souls

Cold Souls

2009

Fracture

Fracture

2007

Matewan

Matewan

1987

Dolores Claiborne

Dolores Claiborne

1995

Iceman

Iceman

1984

The Spiderwick Chronicles

The Spiderwick Chronicles

2008

Steel Toes

Steel Toes

2007

Harrison's Flowers

Harrison's Flowers

2000

The River Wild

The River Wild

1994

Home for the Holidays

Home for the Holidays

1995

The Brother from Another Planet

The Brother from Another Planet

1984

Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin

2010

Silkwood

Silkwood

1983

Eight Men Out

Eight Men Out

1988

Twisted

Twisted

2004

Heavens Fall

Heavens Fall

2006

Losing Isaiah

Losing Isaiah

1995

At Close Range

At Close Range

1986

Missing in America

Missing in America

2005

Passion Fish

Passion Fish

1992

The Uninvited

The Uninvited

2009

Call Me

Call Me

1988

The Firm

The Firm

1993

Limbo

Limbo

1999

The Notorious Bettie Page

The Notorious Bettie Page

2006

Lathe of Heaven

Lathe of Heaven

2002

The Sensation of Sight

The Sensation of Sight

2006

The Tempest

The Tempest

2010

Day One

Day One

1989

In the Gloaming

In the Gloaming

1997

Howl

Howl

2010

The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court

2007

The Bourne Legacy

The Bourne Legacy

2012

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

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

1992

Blue Car

Blue Car

2003

The Whistleblower

The Whistleblower

2010

The Giraffe

The Giraffe

1998

Lovesick

Lovesick

1983

Racing Daylight

Racing Daylight

2007

Los Angeles Plays Itself

Los Angeles Plays Itself

2004

Lincoln

Lincoln

2012

Matadors

Matadors

2010

A Map of the World

A Map of the World

1999

The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer

The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer

2008

Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story

Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story

2002

O Pioneers!

O Pioneers!

1992

Relative Evil

Relative Evil

2001

Speakeasy

Speakeasy

2002

Love, Marilyn

Love, Marilyn

2013

A Dangerous Woman

A Dangerous Woman

1993

Godzilla

Godzilla

2014

Hemingway & Gellhorn

Hemingway & Gellhorn

2012

A Good Baby

A Good Baby

2000

The Climb

The Climb

1998

Area 51 Declassified

Area 51 Declassified

2010

Maladies

Maladies

2012

Beyond the Call

Beyond the Call

1996

Song of Hiawatha

Song of Hiawatha

1997

Enormous Changes at the Last Minute

Enormous Changes at the Last Minute

1983

No God, No Master

No God, No Master

2014

The American Clock

The American Clock

1993

Inside Area 51's Secrets

Inside Area 51's Secrets

2010

Memphis Belle

Memphis Belle

1990

The Victim

The Victim

2001

Broken Vows

Broken Vows

1987

The Shovel

The Shovel

2006

Evidence of Blood

Evidence of Blood

1998

Remember This

Remember This

2023

Louder Than Bombs

Louder Than Bombs

2015

Lost in Yonkers

Lost in Yonkers

1993

The Debt

The Debt

2015

Without Warning: The James Brady Story

Without Warning: The James Brady Story

1991

Stars & Bars

Stars & Bars

1988

A Little Prayer

A Little Prayer

2025

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

2015

Trumbo

Trumbo

2007

The Making of ‘Sneakers’

The Making of ‘Sneakers’

2003

The Human Behavior Experiments

The Human Behavior Experiments

2006

Bad Manners

Bad Manners

1998

Freedom Song

Freedom Song

2000

Willa Cather: The Road Is All

Willa Cather: The Road Is All

2005

O Horizon

O Horizon

2025

Judgment

Judgment

1990

Heat Wave

Heat Wave

1990

The Luckiest Man in America

The Luckiest Man in America

2025

The People Speak

The People Speak

2009

When Nature Calls

When Nature Calls

1985

American Pastoral

American Pastoral

2016

April One

April One

1994

Return of the Secaucus Seven

Return of the Secaucus Seven

1980

November Criminals

November Criminals

2017

UFO

UFO

2018

With Friends Like These

With Friends Like These

1998

Fast Color

Fast Color

2019

Simon Birch

Simon Birch

1998

Darkest Hour

Darkest Hour

2017

The Devil Has a Name

The Devil Has a Name

2019

An Interview with God

An Interview with God

2018

Walkaway Joe

Walkaway Joe

2020

My Dinner with Hervé

My Dinner with Hervé

2018

Matters of Life and Death

Matters of Life and Death

2007

Nomadland

Nomadland

2021

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

2019

The Gettysburg Address

The Gettysburg Address

2025

Paradise

Paradise

2004

Them That Work

Them That Work

2019

Nightmare Alley

Nightmare Alley

2021

The Oedipus Project

The Oedipus Project

2020

A League of Their Own

A League of Their Own

1992

Dominick and Eugene

Dominick and Eugene

1988

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

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

2008

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

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

2008

Where the Crawdads Sing

Where the Crawdads Sing

2022

Lincoln@Gettysburg

Lincoln@Gettysburg

2013

He Does Not Want Peace

He Does Not Want Peace

2016

By Any Means

By Any Means

The Bard

The Bard

Zootopia 2

Zootopia 2

2025

This Ordinary Thing

This Ordinary Thing

2025

Babies

Babies

Stages

Stages

2026

The Sopranos

The Sopranos

1999

Spenser: For Hire

Spenser: For Hire

1985

Monk

Monk

2002

Miami Vice

Miami Vice

1984

The Equalizer

The Equalizer

1985

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame

1951

Wiseguy

Wiseguy

1987

McMafia

McMafia

2018

The Oscars

The Oscars

1953

The Emmy Awards

The Emmy Awards

1949

Alphas

Alphas

2011

Z: The Beginning of Everything

Z: The Beginning of Everything

2015

The Blacklist

The Blacklist

2013

The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd

The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd

1987

House

House

2004

The Expanse

The Expanse

2015

Interrogation

Interrogation

2020

The Expanse

The Expanse

2015

A Man on the Inside

A Man on the Inside

2024

Billions

Billions

2016