David Strathairn
Known for: Acting
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).
Filmography
Series
House
Nash
2004
Series
The Blacklist
Peter Kotsiopulos
2013
Series
The Sopranos
Robert Wegler
1999
Film
Zootopia 2
Milton Lynxley (voice)
2025
Series
Monk
Patrick Kloster
2002
Series
Billions
Black Jack Foley
2016
Series
The Expanse
Commander Klaes Ashford
2015
Series
The Expanse
Klaes Ashford
2015
Series
Miami Vice
Marty Lang
1984
Series
A Man on the Inside
Dr. Benjamin Cole
2024
Series
American Playhouse
Carl Linstrum
1982
Series
American Playhouse
The Stranger
1982
Series
The Equalizer
Phillip Borchek
1985
Series
CIA
Sanford 'Sandy' Harrison
2026
Film
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Admiral William Stenz
2019
Series
The Oscars
Self
1953
Series
Wiseguy
1987
Film
Where the Crawdads Sing
Tom Milton
2022
Film
Godzilla
Admiral William Stenz
2014
Film
Darkest Hour
President Roosevelt (voice)
2017
Series
Alphas
Lee Rosen
2011
Film
L.A. Confidential
Pierce Patchett
1997
Film
The Bourne Ultimatum
Noah Vosen
2007
Series
Spenser: For Hire
1985
Film
Nightmare Alley
Pete
2021
Film
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Arthur Spiderwick
2008
Film
The Firm
Ray McDeere
1993
Film
The Bourne Legacy
Noah Vosen
2012
Film
Sneakers
Whistler
1992
Series
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
Moss Goodman
1987
Film
Lincoln
William Seward
2012
Film
Fracture
Joe Lobruto
2007
Film
The Uninvited
Steven
2009
Film
Nomadland
Dave
2021
Film
A League of Their Own
Ira Lowenstein
1992
Series
McMafia
Semiyon Kleiman
2018
Series
Interrogation
Henry Fisher
2020
Film
The River Wild
Tom Hartman
1994
Film
We Are Marshall
President Dedmon
2006
Film
Dolores Claiborne
Joe St. George
1995
Series
Z: The Beginning of Everything
Anthony Sayre
2015
Film
Temple Grandin
Professor Carlock
2010
Film
Memphis Belle
Craig Harriman
1990
Film
American Pastoral
Nathan Zuckerman
2016
Film
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Theseus
1999
Film
Silkwood
Wesley
1983
Film
November Criminals
Theo
2017
Film
Twisted
Dr. Melvin Frank
2004
Film
Iceman
Dr. Singe
1984
Film
Eight Men Out
Eddie Cicotte
1988
Film
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Edward R. Murrow
2005
Film
Hemingway & Gellhorn
John Dos Passos
2012
Series
The Emmy Awards
Self
1949
Film
The Whistleblower
Peter Ward
2010
Film
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Ty Burley
2015
Film
Matewan
Police Chief Sid Hatfield
1987
Film
Louder Than Bombs
Richard Weissman
2015
Film
My Blueberry Nights
Arnie
2007
Film
At Close Range
Tony Pine
1986
Film
Simon Birch
Reverend Russell
1998
Film
UFO
Franklin Ahls
2018
Film
Losing Isaiah
Charles Lewin
1995
Film
The Tempest
King Alonso
2010
Film
Fast Color
Ellis
2019
Film
By Any Means
2026
Film
The Notorious Bettie Page
Estes Kefauver
2006
Film
Passion Fish
Rennie
1992
Film
An Interview with God
God
2018
Film
The Gettysburg Address
Ralph Waldo Emerson (voice)
2025
Film
Stages
Porter Gates
2026
Film
Home for the Holidays
Russell Terziak
1995
Film
The Luckiest Man in America
Bill
2025
Film
Call Me
Sam
1988
Film
My Dinner with Hervé
Marty Rothstein
2018
Series
Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story
Jack Hoschouer
2002
Film
Cold Souls
Dr. Flintstein
2009
Film
Limbo
Joe Gastineau
1999
Series
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Carl Linstrum
1951
Film
Harrison's Flowers
Harrison Lloyd
2000
Film
Howl
Ralph McIntosh
2010
Film
Mother Night
Bernard B. O'Hare
1996
Film
Bob Roberts
Mack Laflin
1992
Film
The Miracle Worker
Captain Keller
2000
Film
Stars & Bars
Charlie
1988
Film
The People Speak
Self
2009
Film
A Dangerous Woman
Getso
1993
Film
Love, Marilyn
Self
2013
Series
Big Apple
Will Preecher
2001
Film
The Devil Has a Name
Fred Stern
2019
Film
In the Gloaming
Martin
1997
Film
Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even
Keith
1992
Film
The Brother from Another Planet
Man In Black
1984
Film
Walkaway Joe
Joe Haley
2020
Film
The Victim
Mark Zingerline
2001
Film
This Ordinary Thing
Self (voice)
2025
Film
The Giraffe
Charles Kaminski
1999
Film
Lincoln@Gettysburg
Self - Narrator (voice)
2013
Film
A Little Prayer
Bill
2025
Film
Bad Manners
Wes Westlund
1998
Film
A Map of the World
Howard Goodwin
1999
Film
Day One
J. Robert Oppenheimer
1989
Film
Song of Hiawatha
Marcel
1997
Film
Paradise
Reverend Bobby Paradise
2004
Film
City of Hope
Asteroid
1991
The Shovel
Paul Mullin
2006
Film
Remember This
Jan Karski
2023
Film
Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story
Jack Hoschouer
2002
Film
With Friends Like These
Armand Minetti
1998
Film
Lovesick
Marvin Zuckerman
1983
Film
Blue Car
Auster
2003
Film
Lathe of Heaven
Mannie
2002
Film
Heat Wave
Bill Thomas
1990
Film
O Horizon
Warren
2026
Film
April One
John McCowan
1994
Film
Heavens Fall
Judge James Horton
2006
Film
Dominick and Eugene
Martin Chernak
1988
Film
Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential'
Self
2008
Film
Without Warning: The James Brady Story
Dr. Arthur Kobrine
1991
Film
The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer
J. Robert Oppenheimer
2008
Film
The Making of ‘Sneakers’
Self
2003
Matadors
Roman Lodari
2010
Film
Speakeasy
Bruce Hickman
2002
Film
The American Clock
Young Arthur Huntington
1993
Film
Steel Toes
Danny Dunkelman
2007
Film
Trumbo
Self
2007
Film
Judgment
Father Frank Aubert
1990
Film
The Oedipus Project
Messenger 1
2020
Film
Missing in America
Henry R. Hocknell Jr.
2005
Film
Lost in Yonkers
Johnny
1993
Film
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute
Jerry
1983
Film
O Pioneers!
Carl Linstrum
1992
Film
Broken Vows
Stuart Chase
1987
Film
Evidence of Blood
Jackson Kinley
1998
Film
The Sensation of Sight
Finn
2006
Film
Area 51 Declassified
Himself - Narrator
2010
Film
The Debt
Nathan
2015
Film
Beyond the Call
Russel Gates
1996
Film
Freedom Song
Peter Crowley
2000
Film
Return of the Secaucus Seven
Ron
1980
Sunlight and Shadow: The Visual Style of 'L.A. Confidential'
Self
2008
Film
No God, No Master
William Flynn
2014
Film
The Climb
Earl Himes
1998
Film
Racing Daylight
Henry / Harry
2007
Film
Matters of Life and Death
Mr. Jennings
2007
Film
The Feud
The Stranger
1989
The Bard
Film
Z: The Beginning of Everything
Judge Anthony Sayre
2015
Film
Maladies
Delmar
2012
Babies
Film
Inside Area 51's Secrets
Narrator
2010
Film
The Human Behavior Experiments
Narrator
2006
Film
He Does Not Want Peace
Richard Englebright
2016
Film
When Nature Calls
Weejun
1985
Film
Willa Cather: The Road Is All
Narrator
2005
Film
Relative Evil
Dr. Charlie
2001
Film
A Good Baby
Truman Lester
2000
Film
The Supreme Court
Narrator
2007
Film
Them That Work
Self
2019