Clark Middleton
Clark Tinsley Middleton (April 13, 1957 – October 4, 2020) was an American actor. He is best known for his supporting roles in Kill Bill: Vol. 2, Sin City, Fringe, Snowpiercer, and The Blacklist.
Clark Middleton | |
---|---|
Born | Clark Tinsley Middleton April 13, 1957 Bristol, Tennessee |
Died | October 4, 2020 63) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1983–2020 |
Spouse(s) | Elissa Middleton (m. 2006) |
Career
Middleton began acting at a California junior college when he signed up with an acting class with friends in his 20s.[1][2] He then moved to New York City to study acting. He took classes at the Herbert Berghof Studio and Geraldine Page became his teacher.[2]
He made his film debut in the 1983 TV movie Miss Lonelyhearts. In 1997, Middleton wrote the one-person play Miracle Mile about his lifelong struggle with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. He performed it in New York City and other parts of the US.[3]
In the 1990s, Middleton had a recurring role on Law & Order as forensics technician Ellis. He also played a recurring character known as Edward Markham, a rare book dealer, in the science-fiction series Fringe. Middleton appeared as a recurring cast member of The Blacklist in which he played Glen, a DMV worker who moonlights as a tracker. This is arguably his most well-known role. In 2017, he was cast as Charlie, Audrey Horne's husband, in the Showtime Network series Twin Peaks: The Return, the sequel to the 1990s TV series Twin Peaks.
His final performance, via Zoom, was in July 2020. He played a weary Times Square hotel night clerk in Eugene O'Neill's one-act play Hughie. He performed it from his bedroom.[2]
Personal life
Born Clark Tinsley Middleton on April 13, 1957, in Bristol, Tenn., he grew up in Tucson, Ariz.[2]
Middleton learned that he had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis when he was four years old. He summarized its effects in an interview: "At first it distorted my hands. Then the cortisone I had to take made my cheeks fat. At 8, I lost movement in my neck. When I was 15, my hip snapped. After an operation, I had to be on crutches and later, after I broke my leg falling over my dog, on canes". He remained at a height of 5 ft 4 in (163 cm).[1]
He married Elissa Meyers in 2006.[2]
Middleton died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on October 4, 2020, of complications from West Nile virus. He was just 63 years old. He is survived by his wife Elissa.[4]
Selected filmography
- American Playhouse (1983, TV Series) as Congregation
- Bail Jumper (1990) as Dickey
- The Contenders (1993) as John
- Law & Order (1997–2000, TV Series) as Ellis
- The Opponent (2000) as Max Weller
- Little Pieces (2000) as Bellhop
- Serendipity (2001) as Airport Cab Driver
- Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) as Ernie
- $5.15/Hr. (2004, TV Movie)
- Jonny Zero (2005, TV Series) as Wally
- Sin City (2005) as Schutz
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2005–2006, TV Series) as Delivery Man's Attorney / Freddie Sloan
- Live Free or Die (2006) as Larry
- The Convention (2006, Short) as Singing Hobo
- The Warrior Class (2007) as Carl Raffon
- Day Zero (2007) as Porn Clerk
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2007, TV Series) as Landlord
- Noise (2007) as Board of Elections Worker #1
- The Attic (2007) as Dr. Cofi
- Last Call (2008) as Tim
- Taking Woodstock (2009) as Frank
- The Good Heart (2009) as Dimitri
- Fringe (2009–2012, TV Series) as Edward Markham
- As Good as Dead (2010) as Seth
- Hide Your Smiling Faces (2013) as Religious Man
- Aftermath (2013) as Man in Wheel Chair
- Snowpiercer (2013) as Painter
- Birdman (2014) as Sydney
- The Blacklist (2014–2020, TV Series) as Glen Carter
- Gotham (2014, TV Series) as Jimmy
- South of Hell (2015, TV Series) as Corky
- Trivia Night (2016)
- The Path (2016–2017, TV Series) as Richard
- Twin Peaks (2017, TV Series) as Charlie
- American Gods (2019, TV Series) as Sindri
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2019, TV Series) as Pretorious Pryce
- Gutterbee (2019) as Luke Kenneth Hosewall
References
- Koblenz, Eleanor (December 11, 1993). "Actor Middleton refuses to let disability make him a victim". Daily Gazette. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- Vadukul, Alex (19 October 2020). "Clark Middleton, Actor With a Cause, Is Dead at 63". New York Times. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- Marks, Peter (September 18, 1997). "THEATER REVIEW; Into the Spotlight With a Disability". The New York Times. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- Oganesyan, Natalie (October 5, 2020). "Clark Middleton, Actor in 'The Blacklist,' 'Twin Peaks,' Dies at 63". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
External links
- Clark Middleton at IMDb
- Brunner, Jeryl (April 4, 2017). "'The Blacklist' And 'The Path' Star Clark Middleton: 'Take The Lead. Redefine Your Narrative.'". Forbes.
- Brunner, Jeryl (April 18, 2017). "Actor Clark Middleton Shares Insight Into His Shows, The Path and The Blacklist". Parade.