Richard Jenkins
Richard Dale Jenkins (born May 4, 1947) is an American actor. Jenkins began his acting career in theater at the Trinity Repertory Company and later made his film debut in 1974. He has worked steadily in film and television since the 1980s, mostly in supporting roles. His first major role did not come until the early 2000s, when he portrayed the deceased patriarch Nathaniel Fisher on the HBO funeral drama series Six Feet Under (2001–2005). He is also known for his roles in the films Burn After Reading (2008), Step Brothers (2008), Let Me In (2010), Jack Reacher (2012), The Cabin in the Woods (2012) and The Last Shift (2020).
Richard Jenkins | |
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_(cropped).jpg.webp) Jenkins in 2015 | |
| Born | Richard Dale Jenkins May 4, 1947 DeKalb, Illinois, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Illinois Wesleyan University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse(s) | Sharon R. Friedrick (m. 1969) |
| Children | 2 |
Jenkins was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for the drama film The Visitor (2007).[1] He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for the limited drama series Olive Kitteridge (2014). For his performance in the fantasy drama film The Shape of Water (2017), Jenkins received Academy Award, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
Early life
Jenkins was born and raised in DeKalb, Illinois. His mother, Mary Elizabeth (née Wheeler), was a housewife, and his father, Dale Stevens Jenkins, was a dentist.[2][3] He attended DeKalb High School. Before he was an actor, Jenkins drove a linen truck (his boss was actor John C. Reilly's father).[4][5] Jenkins earned a degree in Drama from Illinois Wesleyan University before relocating to Rhode Island.
Career
Theatre
Jenkins worked with the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island, while breaking into film with a bit part in Feasting with Panthers (1974), a television film about Oscar Wilde. Jenkins was given the option of joining the Screen Actors Guild. Knowing that it was not that easy to join, Jenkins immediately accepted the offer.[6] He continued as a member of Trinity's resident acting company and served as its artistic director from 1990 to 1994.[7]
Film
Since his debut in the television movie Feasting with Panthers (1974), Jenkins has been working steadily in film. His earlier film credits include Silverado (1985), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Sea of Love (1989), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Flirting with Disaster (1996), and Snow Falling On Cedars (1999).
He has worked with the director siblings the Farrelly brothers in There's Something About Mary (1998), Outside Providence (1999), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Say It Isn't So (2001) and Hall Pass (2011). He has also appeared in three Coen Brothers movies: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), and Burn After Reading (2008). He is in North Country (2005), has three memorable scenes as FBI Director James (Robert) Grace in The Kingdom (2007), and Step Brothers (2008).
Although primarily known for supporting parts, Jenkins had a lead role in The Visitor (2007) for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award and an Academy Award for Best Actor.[8] Jenkins won the International Press Academy's Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture.
In 2010, Jenkins costarred in Dear John, as the father of John Tyree (Channing Tatum), and also co-starred with Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem in Eat Pray Love. In 2012, he appeared in the Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard horror film The Cabin in the Woods and the action film Jack Reacher. He then appeared in the action films White House Down (2013) and Kong: Skull Island (2017).
Jenkins co-starred in Guillermo del Toro's fantasy romance drama film The Shape of Water (2017), for which he received critical acclaim. For his performance, he garnered Academy Award, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
Television
Jenkins is perhaps best known on television for playing Nathaniel Fisher in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under. His character is the deceased patriarch of the Fisher family and regularly appears to his family as a ghost or in dreams. He played the role for the show's entire run. He and his castmates received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2002.
Jenkins portrayed a DEA agent in one episode of Miami Vice and a mob boss in a later episode.
In 2015, Jenkins won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his performance as Henry Kitteridge in the HBO miniseries Olive Kitteridge.[9]
Personal life
Jenkins is married to choreographer Sharon R. Friedrick, with whom he has two children.[10][11]
Awards and honors
In 2014, Jenkins and his wife Sharon received the Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement from Trinity Repertory Company in Providence.[12][13]
Filmography
Film
Television
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Performances | 1974, 1975 | Warder / The Sheriff | 2 episodes |
| American Playhouse | 1984 | Nicholas Vazzana | Episode: "Concealed Enemies, Part I: Suspicion" |
| Spenser: For Hire | 1985 | Tex | Episode: "Internal Affairs" |
| Miami Vice | 1985, 1989 | Goodman / DEA Agent Ed Waters | 2 episodes |
| The Little Sister | 1986 | Roger Davis | Television film |
| In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders | 1988 | Detective | Television film |
| Out on the Edge | 1989 | Paul Evetts | Television film |
| When You Remember Me | 1990 | Vaughan | Television film |
| Challenger | 1990 | Gregory Jarvis | Television film |
| Against the Law | 1990 | Wexford | 2 episodes |
| Descending Angel | 1990 | Debaudt | Television film |
| Doublecrossed | 1991 | Jim Donaldson | Television film |
| Crossroads | 1992 | Jim Mundy | Episode: "Pilot" |
| Alex Haley's Queen | 1993 | Mr. Benson | 2 episodes |
| And the Band Played On | 1993 | Dr. Marc Conant | Television film |
| The Boys Next Door | 1996 | Bob Klemper | Television film |
| Into Thin Air: Death on Everest | 1997 | Beck Weathers | Television film |
| Ally McBeal | 2001 | Mr. Bo | Episode: "Mr. Bo" |
| Six Feet Under | 2001–2005 | Nathaniel Fisher | 21 episodes Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
| Sins of the Father | 2002 | Bobby Frank Cherry | Television film |
| Olive Kitteridge | 2014 | Henry Kitteridge | 4 episodes Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie |
| Berlin Station | 2016–2019 | Steven Frost | 24 episodes |
| Comrade Detective | 2017 | Vlad Anghel (voice) | Episode: "No Exit" |
References
- "Just Visiting". FutureMovies.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2018-01-13. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
- Benjamin Secher (2008-06-28). "Richard Jenkins: bald, 61 years old - and a star at last". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2009-02-26. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
- "Richard Jenkins profile". FilmReference.com. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
- "Reilly + Movie Dad Met When He Was Four". Showbizspy.com. 2008-06-29. Archived from the original on 2009-02-26. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
- Stated on the Late Show with David Letterman, February 3, 2009.
- Moynihan, Rob (January 19, 2015). "How I Got My SAG-AFTRA Card", TV Guide. p. 8
- "History". Trinity Rep. Archived from the original on 2017-10-09. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
- Maxwell, Erin and Michael Jones. Variety "Film trio feel the Spirit." Archived 2008-12-05 at the Wayback Machine December 2, 2008
- Boedeker, Hal (September 20, 2015). "Emmys: Viola Davis makes history; HBO scores". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
- Gordon, David (May 8, 2016). "Richard and Sharon Jenkins Bring Oklahoma! to Life at Trinity Rep". TheaterMania. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020.
- Brady, Tara (February 9, 2018). ""I said 'I'm in the movie,' and the guy on the gate said 'Yeah sure, me too' "". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020.
- "Richard and Sharon Jenkins to Receive Trinity Rep's 2014 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement; Ceremony Set for 6/9". Broadway World. April 8, 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-04-09. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- Gray, Channing (June 9, 2014). "Pell Awards salute the best of R.I. arts". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
- "30th Moscow International Film Festival (2008)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-04-21. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richard Jenkins. |
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: Richard Jenkins |
- Richard Jenkins at IMDb
- Interview with Richard Jenkins at everydayyeah.com
- Davy Rothbart Interviews Richard Jenkins for Grantland
- Interview with Richard Jenkins at The Faster Times, Davi Napoleon's Theater Talk.
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