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David Strathairn

Actor

David Strathairn

Born January 26, 1949 in San Francisco, California, USA117 films

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).

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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).

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L.A. Confidential posterFirst watchL.A. Confidential19977.8as Pierce PatchettThree detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
The Bourne Ultimatum poster7.4The Bourne Ultimatum2007Darkest Hour poster7.4Darkest Hour2017Zootopia 2 poster7.7Zootopia 22025Fracture poster7.3Fracture2007Godzilla: King of the Monsters poster6.7Godzilla: King of the Monsters2019Godzilla poster6.4Godzilla2014Where the Crawdads Sing poster7.5Where the Crawdads Sing2022Nomadland poster7.2Nomadland2021

Filmography

117 films as actor
  1. TBAThe Bard
  2. 2026BabiesMichael
  3. 2026By Any MeansSpecial Agent Roy K. Moore
  4. 2026O HorizonWarren
  5. 2026StagesPorter Gates
  6. 2025Zootopia 2Milton Lynxley (voice)
  7. 2025A Little PrayerBill
  8. 2025The Luckiest Man in AmericaBill
  9. 2023Remember ThisJan Karski
  10. 2022Where the Crawdads SingTom Milton
  11. 2021Nightmare AlleyPete
  12. 2021NomadlandDave
  13. 2020The Oedipus ProjectMessenger 1
  14. 2020Walkaway JoeJoe Haley
  15. 2019The Devil Has a NameFred Stern
  16. 2019Godzilla: King of the MonstersAdmiral William Stenz
  17. 2019Fast ColorEllis
  18. 2018My Dinner with HervéMarty Rothstein
  19. 2018UFOFranklin Ahls
  20. 2018An Interview with GodGod
  21. 2017Darkest HourPresident Roosevelt (voice)
  22. 2017November CriminalsTheo
  23. 2016American PastoralNathan Zuckerman
  24. 2016He Does Not Want PeaceRichard Englebright
  25. 2015Z: The Beginning of EverythingJudge Anthony Sayre
  26. 2015Louder Than BombsRichard Weissman
  27. 2015The DebtNathan
  28. 2015The Second Best Exotic Marigold HotelTy Burley
  29. 2014GodzillaAdmiral William Stenz
  30. 2014No God, No MasterWilliam Flynn
  31. 2012LincolnWilliam Seward
  32. 2012Hemingway & GellhornJohn Dos Passos
  33. 2012The Bourne LegacyNoah Vosen
  34. 2012MaladiesDelmar
  35. 2010The WhistleblowerPeter Ward
  36. 2010The TempestKing Alonso
  37. 2010HowlRalph McIntosh
  38. 2010Temple GrandinProfessor Carlock
  39. 2010MatadorsRoman Lodari
  40. 2009Cold SoulsDr. Flintstein
  41. 2009The UninvitedSteven
  42. 2008The Spiderwick ChroniclesArthur Spiderwick
  43. 2007My Blueberry NightsArnie
  44. 2007Matters of Life and DeathMr. Jennings
  45. 2007The Bourne UltimatumNoah Vosen
  46. 2007Racing DaylightHenry / Harry
  47. 2007Steel ToesDanny Dunkelman
  48. 2007FractureJoe Lobruto
  49. 2006We Are MarshallPresident Dedmon
  50. 2006The Sensation of SightFinn
  51. 2006Heavens FallJudge James Horton
  52. 2006The ShovelPaul Mullin
  53. 2006The Notorious Bettie PageEstes Kefauver
  54. 2005Good Night, and Good Luck.Edward R. Murrow
  55. 2005Missing in AmericaHenry R. Hocknell Jr.
  56. 2004TwistedDr. Melvin Frank
  57. 2004ParadiseReverend Bobby Paradise
  58. 2003Blue CarAuster
  59. 2002Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen StoryJack Hoschouer
  60. 2002Lathe of HeavenMannie
  61. 2002SpeakeasyBruce Hickman
  62. 2001Relative EvilDr. Charlie
  63. 2001The VictimMark Zingerline
  64. 2000A Good BabyTruman Lester
  65. 2000The Miracle WorkerCaptain Keller
  66. 2000Harrison's FlowersHarrison Lloyd
  67. 2000Freedom SongPeter Crowley
  68. 1999A Map of the WorldHoward Goodwin
  69. 1999LimboJoe Gastineau
  70. 1999A Midsummer Night's DreamTheseus
  71. 1999The GiraffeCharles Kaminski
  72. 1998Bad MannersWes Westlund
  73. 1998Simon BirchReverend Russell
  74. 1998With Friends Like TheseArmand Minetti
  75. 1998Evidence of BloodJackson Kinley
  76. 1998The ClimbEarl Himes
  77. 1997L.A. ConfidentialPierce Patchett
  78. 1997Song of HiawathaMarcel
  79. 1997In the GloamingMartin
  80. 1996Mother NightBernard B. O'Hare
  81. 1996Beyond the CallRussel Gates
  82. 1995Home for the HolidaysRussell Terziak
  83. 1995Dolores ClaiborneJoe St. George
  84. 1995Losing IsaiahCharles Lewin
  85. 1994The River WildTom Hartman
  86. 1994April OneJohn McCowan
  87. 1993A Dangerous WomanGetso
  88. 1993The FirmRay McDeere
  89. 1993Lost in YonkersJohnny
  90. 1993The American ClockYoung Arthur Huntington
  91. 1992Passion FishRennie
  92. 1992SneakersWhistler
  93. 1992Bob RobertsMack Laflin
  94. 1992A League of Their OwnIra Lowenstein
  95. 1992Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get EvenKeith
  96. 1992O Pioneers!Carl Linstrum
  97. 1991City of HopeAsteroid
  98. 1991Without Warning: The James Brady StoryDr. Arthur Kobrine
  99. 1990JudgmentFather Frank Aubert
  100. 1990Memphis BelleCraig Harriman
  101. 1990Heat WaveBill Thomas
  102. 1989The FeudThe Stranger
  103. 1989Day OneJ. Robert Oppenheimer
  104. 1988Eight Men OutEddie Cicotte
  105. 1988Call MeSam
  106. 1988Stars & BarsCharlie
  107. 1988Dominick and EugeneMartin Chernak
  108. 1987MatewanPolice Chief Sid Hatfield
  109. 1987Broken VowsStuart Chase
  110. 1986At Close RangeTony Pine
  111. 1985When Nature CallsWeejun
  112. 1984The Brother from Another PlanetMan In Black
  113. 1984IcemanDr. Singe
  114. 1983SilkwoodWesley
  115. 1983LovesickMarvin Zuckerman
  116. 1983Enormous Changes at the Last MinuteJerry
  117. 1980Return of the Secaucus SevenRon