David Strathairn
Born
January 26, 1949 (age 76)
Birthplace
San Francisco, California, USA

David Strathairn

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).

Movies

This Ordinary Thing
This Ordinary Thing
2025
Voice
Zootopia 2
Zootopia 2
2025 ★ 7.7
Milton Lynxley (voice)
The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address
2025
Ralph Waldo Emerson (voice)
A Little Prayer
A Little Prayer
2025 ★ 6.0
Bill
The Luckiest Man in America
The Luckiest Man in America
2025 ★ 6.4
Bill
O Horizon
O Horizon
2025
Warren
Remember This
Remember This
2023
Jan Karski
Where the Crawdads Sing
Where the Crawdads Sing
2022 ★ 7.5
Tom Milton
Nightmare Alley
Nightmare Alley
2021 ★ 7.0
Pete
Nomadland
Nomadland
2021 ★ 7.2
Dave
The Oedipus Project
The Oedipus Project
2020 ★ 10.0
Messenger 1
Walkaway Joe
Walkaway Joe
2020 ★ 5.9
Joe Haley
The Devil Has a Name
The Devil Has a Name
2019 ★ 5.3
Fred Stern
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
2019 ★ 6.7
Admiral William Stenz
Fast Color
Fast Color
2019 ★ 6.0
Ellis
My Dinner with Hervé
My Dinner with Hervé
2018 ★ 6.2
Marty Rothstein
UFO
UFO
2018 ★ 6.9
Franklin Ahls
An Interview with God
An Interview with God
2018 ★ 7.0
God
Darkest Hour
Darkest Hour
2017 ★ 7.4
President Roosevelt (voice)
November Criminals
November Criminals
2017 ★ 5.3
Theo
American Pastoral
American Pastoral
2016 ★ 6.2
Nathan Zuckerman
He Does Not Want Peace
He Does Not Want Peace
2016 ★ 8.0
Richard Englebright
Louder Than Bombs
Louder Than Bombs
2015 ★ 6.4
Richard Weissman
The Debt
The Debt
2015 ★ 6.1
Nathan
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
2015 ★ 6.4
Ty Burley
Godzilla
Godzilla
2014 ★ 6.4
Admiral William Stenz
No God, No Master
No God, No Master
2014 ★ 5.9
William Flynn
Lincoln@Gettysburg
Lincoln@Gettysburg
2013 ★ 7.4
Narrator (voice)
Lincoln
Lincoln
2012 ★ 6.9
William Seward
Hemingway & Gellhorn
Hemingway & Gellhorn
2012 ★ 6.1
John Dos Passos
The Bourne Legacy
The Bourne Legacy
2012 ★ 6.2
Noah Vosen
Maladies
Maladies
2012 ★ 5.3
Delmar
The Whistleblower
The Whistleblower
2010 ★ 6.7
Peter Ward
The Tempest
The Tempest
2010 ★ 5.3
King Alonso
Howl
Howl
2010 ★ 6.5
Ralph McIntosh
Inside Area 51's Secrets
Inside Area 51's Secrets
2010
Narrator
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin
2010 ★ 7.8
Professor Carlock
Matadors
Matadors
2010 ★ 6.0
Roman Lodari
Cold Souls
Cold Souls
2009 ★ 6.0
Dr. Flintstein
The Uninvited
The Uninvited
2009 ★ 6.5
Steven
The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer
The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer
2008 ★ 5.9
J. Robert Oppenheimer
The Spiderwick Chronicles
The Spiderwick Chronicles
2008 ★ 6.7
Arthur Spiderwick
My Blueberry Nights
My Blueberry Nights
2007 ★ 6.4
Arnie
Matters of Life and Death
Matters of Life and Death
2007 ★ 8.5
Mr. Jennings
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne Ultimatum
2007 ★ 7.4
Noah Vosen
Racing Daylight
Racing Daylight
2007 ★ 3.3
Henry / Harry
Steel Toes
Steel Toes
2007 ★ 5.2
Danny Dunkelman
Fracture
Fracture
2007 ★ 7.3
Joe Lobruto
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court
2007
Narrator
We Are Marshall
We Are Marshall
2006 ★ 6.9
President Dedmon
The Sensation of Sight
The Sensation of Sight
2006 ★ 7.0
Finn
Heavens Fall
Heavens Fall
2006 ★ 6.9
Judge James Horton
The Human Behavior Experiments
The Human Behavior Experiments
2006 ★ 7.5
Narrator
The Shovel
The Shovel
2006
Paul Mullin
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Good Night, and Good Luck.
2005 ★ 7.1
Edward R. Murrow
The Notorious Bettie Page
The Notorious Bettie Page
2005 ★ 6.3
Estes Kefauver
Willa Cather: The Road Is All
Willa Cather: The Road Is All
2005
Narrator
Missing in America
Missing in America
2005 ★ 5.8
Henry R. Hocknell Jr.
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Los Angeles Plays Itself
2004 ★ 7.6
Pierce Patchett in L.A. Confidential (archive footage)
Twisted
Twisted
2004 ★ 5.6
Dr. Melvin Frank
Paradise
Paradise
2004 ★ 3.3
Reverend Bobby Paradise
Blue Car
Blue Car
2003 ★ 6.2
Auster
Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story
Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story
2002 ★ 4.5
Jack Hoschouer
Lathe of Heaven
Lathe of Heaven
2002 ★ 5.7
Mannie
Speakeasy
Speakeasy
2002 ★ 3.8
Bruce Hickman
Relative Evil
Relative Evil
2001 ★ 5.1
Dr. Charlie
The Victim
The Victim
2001
Mark Zingerline
A Good Baby
A Good Baby
2000 ★ 6.3
Truman Lester
The Miracle Worker
The Miracle Worker
2000 ★ 7.1
Captain Keller
Harrison's Flowers
Harrison's Flowers
2000 ★ 6.5
Harrison Lloyd
Freedom Song
Freedom Song
2000 ★ 5.5
Peter Crowley
A Map of the World
A Map of the World
1999 ★ 5.9
Howard Goodwin
Limbo
Limbo
1999 ★ 6.5
Joe Gastineau
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
1999 ★ 6.4
Theseus
Bad Manners
Bad Manners
1998 ★ 4.4
Wes Westlund
The Giraffe
The Giraffe
1998 ★ 4.8
Charles Kaminski
Simon Birch
Simon Birch
1998 ★ 6.8
Rev. Russell
With Friends Like These
With Friends Like These
1998 ★ 5.0
Armand Minetti
Evidence of Blood
Evidence of Blood
1998 ★ 6.4
Jackson Kinley
The Climb
The Climb
1998 ★ 6.9
Earl Himes
L.A. Confidential
L.A. Confidential
1997 ★ 7.8
Pierce Patchett
Song of Hiawatha
Song of Hiawatha
1997 ★ 6.0
Marcel
In the Gloaming
In the Gloaming
1997 ★ 5.9
Martin
Mother Night
Mother Night
1996 ★ 6.6
Bernard B. O'Hare
Beyond the Call
Beyond the Call
1996 ★ 6.0
Russel Gates
Home for the Holidays
Home for the Holidays
1995 ★ 6.2
Russell Terziak
Dolores Claiborne
Dolores Claiborne
1995 ★ 7.3
Joe St. George
Losing Isaiah
Losing Isaiah
1995 ★ 6.5
Charles Lewin
The River Wild
The River Wild
1994 ★ 6.4
Tom Hartman
April One
April One
1994
John McCowan
A Dangerous Woman
A Dangerous Woman
1993 ★ 5.5
Getso
The Firm
The Firm
1993 ★ 6.7
Ray McDeere
Lost in Yonkers
Lost in Yonkers
1993 ★ 6.3
Johnny
The American Clock
The American Clock
1993 ★ 5.4
Young Arthur Huntington
Passion Fish
Passion Fish
1992 ★ 6.9
Rennie
Sneakers
Sneakers
1992 ★ 6.9
Whistler
Bob Roberts
Bob Roberts
1992 ★ 6.5
Mack Laflin
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own
1992 ★ 7.2
Ira Lowenstein
Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even
Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even
1992 ★ 6.0
Keith
O Pioneers!
O Pioneers!
1992 ★ 5.4
Carl Linstrum
City of Hope
City of Hope
1991 ★ 6.6
Asteroid
Without Warning: The James Brady Story
Without Warning: The James Brady Story
1991 ★ 6.0
Dr. Arthur Kobrine
Judgment
Judgment
1990 ★ 5.3
Father Frank Aubert
Memphis Belle
Memphis Belle
1990 ★ 6.7
Craig Harriman
Heat Wave
Heat Wave
1990 ★ 6.2
Bill Thomas
The Feud
The Feud
1989 ★ 4.2
The Stranger
Day One
Day One
1989 ★ 5.8
J. Robert Oppenheimer
Eight Men Out
Eight Men Out
1988 ★ 6.9
Eddie Cicotte
Call Me
Call Me
1988 ★ 4.6
Sam
Stars & Bars
Stars & Bars
1988 ★ 4.3
Charlie
Dominick and Eugene
Dominick and Eugene
1988 ★ 6.8
Martin Chernak
Matewan
Matewan
1987 ★ 7.4
Police Chief Sid Hatfield
Broken Vows
Broken Vows
1987 ★ 4.7
Stuart Chase
At Close Range
At Close Range
1986 ★ 6.8
Tony Pine
When Nature Calls
When Nature Calls
1985 ★ 4.4
Weejun
The Brother from Another Planet
The Brother from Another Planet
1984 ★ 6.6
Man In Black
Iceman
Iceman
1984 ★ 6.2
Dr. Singe
Silkwood
Silkwood
1983 ★ 6.9
Wesley
Lovesick
Lovesick
1983 ★ 5.5
Marvin Zuckerman
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute
Enormous Changes at the Last Minute
1983 ★ 3.8
Jerry
Return of the Secaucus Seven
Return of the Secaucus Seven
1980 ★ 6.5
Ron
The Bard
The Bard
By Any Means
By Any Means
Babies
Babies

TV Series