David Russell Strathairn was born on January 26, 1949 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is an Academy Award-nominated American film and television actor.

Strathairn has been in the movies and occasionally on television since his debut in John Sayles's The Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980). Over the years he's worked steadily, often playing intelligent characters in independently produced films as well as big-budget Hollywood hits.

His many films with Sayles include The Brother From Another Planet (1984), Eight Men Out (1988) and Passion Fish (1992). His portrayal of journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck won Strathairn critical raves and his first Oscar nomination. He then returned to business as usual: character roles in big movies like We Are Marshall (2006) and Fracture (2007) starred opposite Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins, and meatier roles in independent films, including The Notorious Bettie Page (2005) and The Sensation of Sight (2006).

His other movie credits include: A League of Their Own (1992), Sneakers (1992), The River Wild (1994) and L.A. Confidential (1997) starring alongside Russell Crowe.

Filmography

• The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2008)
• Hereafter (2008)
• The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
• The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
• Racing Daylight (2007)
• My Blueberry Nights (2007)
• Fracture (2007)
• "The Supreme Court" (4 episodes, 2007)
• Matters of Life and Death (2007)
• We Are Marshall (2006)
• The Sensation of Sight (2006)
• Heavens Fall (2006)
• The Shovel (2006)
• Steel Toes (2006)
• The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)
• Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
• Missing in America (2005)
• "The Sopranos" (3 episodes, 2004)
• Twisted (2004)
• Paradise (2004)
• The Root (2003/I)
• Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story (2002)
• Lathe of Heaven (2002)
• Blue Car (2002)
• Speakeasy (2002)
• Ball in the House (2001)
• "Big Apple" (8 episodes, 2001)
• The Victim (2001)
• The Miracle Worker (2000)
• Harrison's Flowers (2000)
• Freedom Song (2000)
• A Good Baby (2000)
• A Map of the World (1999)
• Limbo (1999)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)
• Meschugge (1998)
• Simon Birch (1998)
• With Friends Like These... (1998)
• Evidence of Blood (1998)
• The Climb (1998)
• Bad Manners (1997)
• L.A. Confidential (1997)
• In the Gloaming (1997)
• Song of Hiawatha (1997)
• Mother Night (1996)
• Beyond the Call (1996)
• Home for the Holidays (1995)
• Dolores Claiborne (1995)
• Losing Isaiah (1995)
• The River Wild (1994)
• A Dangerous Woman (1993)
• The American Clock (1993)
• The Firm (1993)
• Lost in Yonkers (1993)
• April One (1993)
• Passion Fish (1992)
• Sneakers (1992)
• Bob Roberts (1992)
• A League of Their Own (1992)
• Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even (1992)
• O Pioneers! (1992)
• Lethal Innocence (1991)
• City of Hope (1991)
• Without Warning: The James Brady Story (1991)
• Son of the Morning Star (1991)
• Judgment (1990)
• Memphis Belle (1990)
• Heat Wave (1990)
• The Feud (1990)
• "Wiseguy" (2 episodes, 1990)
• Day One (1989)
• "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd" (1987)
• "The Equalizer" (1 episode, 1988)
• Eight Men Out (1988)
• Call Me (1988)
• Dominick and Eugene (1988)
• Stars and Bars (1988)
• "Another World" (1964)
• Matewan (1987)
• "Spenser: For Hire" (1 episode, 1987)
• Broken Vows (1987)
• At Close Range (1986)
• "Miami Vice" (1 episode, 1985)
• When Nature Calls (1985)
• The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
• Iceman (1984)
• Silkwood (1983)
• Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1983)
• Lovesick (1983)
• Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980)

Awards

• Independent Spirit Award Best Supporting Actor "City of Hope" 1991