- Martin Donovan
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Martin Donovan Born August 19, 1957
Reseda, California, U.S.Martin Donovan (born August 19, 1957) is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust (1990), Surviving Desire (1991), Simple Men (1992), Flirt (1993), Amateur (1994), and The Book of Life (1998) (in which he played Jesus). He is currently best known as Peter Scottson, the DEA agent on Showtime's Weeds. He will make his Writing and Directorial debut in 2011 with the film Collaborator, which he stars in with David Morse.
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Early life
Donovan, one of four children, was born Martin Smith in Reseda, California.[1] His family was Irish American and middle class, and he was raised Catholic.[2][3] He attended St. Catherine Of Siena School, Crespi Carmelite High School, Los Angeles Pierce College for 2 years, then the American Theater Arts, a combined conservatory and theater company in Los Angeles, where he appeared in the plays "Richard's Cork Leg" by Brendan Behan and Brecht's "Private Life of the Master Race." In 1983, he and his wife, Vivian Lanko, moved to NYC. He took odd jobs, like installing draperies, to support his family. During his time in NYC, he joined the Cacaracha Theater on Greenwich Street.[4]
Career
Donovan recently appeared in three episodes of season one and season two of the critically acclaimed Showtime television series Weeds playing Mary-Louise Parker's love interest for which he was nominated for a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by An Ensemble in a Comedy Series. This continues a string of collaborations with Ms. Parker including MGM's Saved!, the romantic comedy Pipe Dream and Jane Campion's The Portrait of A Lady.
In 2009, he starred opposite Virginia Madsen in A Haunting in Connecticut. Recently he was seen in The Sentinel with Kiefer Sutherland and Michael Douglas as well as the unsettling family drama The Quiet with Edie Falco. 2007 also included the suspense horror film Wind Chill with Emily Blunt and Ashton Holmes.
Other recent film appearances are in the Matthew Ryan Hope-directed The United States of Leland with Ryan Gosling and Don Cheadle. Martin also starred opposite Al Pacino in director Chris Nolan's Insomnia for Warner Bros. as well as MGM's Agent Cody Banks. Other film credits include the critically acclaimed The Opposite of Sex, as well as Living Out Loud, In a Savage Land, Onegin, Heaven, Hollow Reed, and Nadja. He will be taking the role of Douglas Cartland in the upcoming Silent Hill: Revelation 3D. [5]
In The Portrait of A Lady, Martin played Nicole Kidman's doomed cousin and admirer for which he won the National Society of Film Critics' Award for best supporting actor.
Donovan has enjoyed a long association with celebrated director Hal Hartley, starring in several of his films including Amateur which was selected for both the Cannes and New York Film Festivals. Other Hartley collaborations are Simple Men, which was also an official Cannes selection; Trust, Surviving Desire, Flirt and The Book of Life, which was shown at the New York Film Festival.
Martin's most recent TV credits include starring in the Masters of Horror in the episode Right to Die for Showtime; the FX telefilm RFK and the Fox series Pasadena. Other television credits are Amy and Isabelle, The Great Gatsby, and HBO's harrowing World War II drama When Trumpets Fade. Donovan made his television series regular début in Peter Berg's critically acclaimed drama series Wonderland. Donovan also stars in Shadows and Lies alongside James Franco and Julianne Nicholson.
Writing & Directing
In 2010, Donovan wrote, directed and starred in the film Collaborator, portraying a once-successful playwright who is taken hostage while visiting his mother and childhood home.
Personal life
Donovan married actress Vivian Lanko in 1984. They have two sons, Austin (born 1990) and Micah (born 1996). They lived in New York City for many years, but have relocated to Vancouver, Canada. Martin is 6' 1".[2][6][7]
Filmography
Year Film Role Notes 1985 Hard Choices Josh 1987 At Mother's Request Detective Rogen TV movie 1990 Trust Matthew Slaughter 1991 Surviving Desire Jude 1992 Malcolm X FBI Agent aka X (USA: poster title) Simple Men Martin aka Uomini semplici (Italy) 1993 Quick Herschel Brewer aka Crossfire (UK: video box title) Scam Gordon Wexler TV movie South Beach Spencer Robinson TV series - Episode #1.7 "School for Scandal" The Adventures of Pete & Pete TV series - "Apocalypse Pete" and "Space, Geeks, and Johnny Unitas" 1994 The Rook John Abbott Nadja Jim Amateur Thomas Ludens Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor 1995 Flirt Walter 1996 The Portrait of A Lady Ralph Touchett National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting ActorHollow Reed Martyn Wyatt Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor Nominee 1997 Night Sins Paul Garrison TV movie 1998 Rescuers: Stories of Courage - Two Couples Aart Vos TV movie - segment "Aart and Johtje Vos" When Trumpets Fade Capt. Roy Pritchett The Opposite of Sex Bill Truitt Heaven Robert Marling Living Out Loud Robert Nelson The Book of Life Jesus Christ Spanish Fly Carl 1999 In a Savage Land Dr. Phillip Spence The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer Richard DiBenedetto TV movie Onegin Prince Nikitin 2000 Desire The Great Gatsby Tom Buchanan TV movie Custody of the Heart Dennis Raphael TV movie Wonderland Dr. Neil Harrison 8 episodes 2001 Amy and Isabelle Peter Robertson TV movie Pasadena Will McAllister 13 episodes 2002 Insomnia Detective Hap Eckhart Pipe Dream David Kulovic RFK John F. Kennedy TV movie 2003 The United States of Leland Harry Pollard Agent Cody Banks Dr. Connors Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dr. Archibald Newlands TV episode: "Serendipity" CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Howard Delhomme TV episode: "After the Show" 2004 The Pornographer: A Love Story Saved! Pastor Skip Traffic Brent Delaney TV mini-series Dark Shadows Roger Collins TV series - "Pilot" White Like Me Gus 2005 At Last Mark Singleton The Quiet Paul Deer Weeds Peter Scottson 14 episodes
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2005)2006 The Visitation Travis Jordan The Garage Adult Matt The Sentinel William Montrose Day on Fire Walter Evering Law & Order Robert White TV series - "Cost of Capital" 2007 The Dead Zone Malcolm Janus 6 episodes Masters of Horror Cliff Addison TV series - "Right to Die" Wind Chill Highway Patrolman Ghost Whisperer Tom Gordon 4 episodes 2008 The Alphabet Killer Jim Walsh 2009 The Haunting in Connecticut Peter Campbell Unthinkable Jack Saunders 2010 Unnatural History Bryan Bartlett 2011 Collaborator Robert Longfellow Written and Directed by Martin Donovan Boss STARZ TV series 2012 Silent Hill: Revelation 3D Douglas Cartland References
- ^ Martin Donovan Biography (1957-)
- ^ a b For an Art-House Regular, a Wider World - New York Times
- ^ "Opposite" attracts low-key indie star - New York Post
- ^ For an Art-House Regular, a Wider World - New York Times
- ^ Michael Bassett discusses the role of Douglas Cartland
- ^ amateur - Martin Donovan
- ^ Martin Donovan - Interview - Stumped? - Stumped At the Video Store is a Magazine About Movies, DVD releases, actors, filmakers, and more
External links
Categories:- 1957 births
- Actors from California
- American film actors
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- American people of Irish descent
- Living people
- People from the San Fernando Valley
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