Michael Wincott

Wincott was born in Toronto and grew up in an east-end suburb.{{cite magazine |last=Gabriel |first=Alice |date=March 23, 1989 |title=Michael Wincott, 'Serious Actor' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/leather-report-19890323 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=June 1, 2018}}{{cite magazine |last=Croci |first=Roberto |date=November 12, 2014 |title=Michael Wincott: An impeccable cinephile |url=https://www.vogue.it/uomo-vogue/people-stars/2014/11/michael-wincott |language=it |magazine=L'Uomo Vogue |location=Milan, Italy |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=June 1, 2018}} His father is English while his mother was from Piacenza, Italy. Wincott also has two brothers, one of whom is actor and martial artist Jeff Wincott, a star of the late-1980s TV series Night Heat.{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Barry |date=August 1, 1987 |title=Tidy Toronto Yields Gritty 'Night Heat' |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-08-01-8702260303-story.html |work=Chicago Tribune |location=Chicago, Illinois |access-date=October 1, 2018}}

In a 2014 interview with L'Uomo Vogue (the Italian edition of Men's Vogue), Wincott said he fell in love with cinema as a young child and took drama classes in high school. He was educated at the Victoria University, a college of the University of Toronto. Then, in 1982, he enrolled at the Juilliard School in New York City, graduating in 1986.{{cite news |last=Nemy |first=Enid |authorlink=Enid Nemy |date=July 3, 1987 |title=BROADWAY: Lucky Breaks for Michael Wincott |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/03/theater/broadway.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 1, 2018}} Wincott credited director Des McAnuff, as well as his father, with encouraging him to enroll at the prestigious acting school.

In 1976, Wincott starred in his first film, titled Earthbound, as Cole Buckley, a troubled teenager living in a small Saskatchewan town.{{cite news |last=Peterson |first=Maureen |date=January 5, 1977 |title=Earthbound yo-yos from tragedy to comedy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/50038829/ |work=Ottawa Journal |location=Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |page=45 |access-date=August 4, 2018 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription }}{{cite news|date=December 30, 1976 |title=Earthbound on Front Row |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/328735614 |work=Richmond Review |location=Richmond, British Columbia, Canada |page=10 |access-date=August 4, 2018 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription }}{{cite news |last=Irwin |first=Joan |date=January 8, 1977 |title='Bit of the Big Apple' series follows show to Broadway |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/421737995 |work=Montreal Gazette |location=Montreal, Quebec, Canada |page=38 |access-date=August 4, 2018 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription }} Kate Reid and Gerard Parkes played his parents in the film. The film aired on CBC-TV's Front Row Centre series in January 1977.

In 1979, Wincott starred in the Canadian adventure drama film Wild Horse Hank alongside Linda Blair. In 1981, he appeared in the Canadian drama film Circle of Two starring Richard Burton. He also appeared on two episodes of the Canadian TV Series, The Littlest Hobo in 1979 and 1981.{{IMDb name|0000699}}

After graduating from Juilliard, Wincott was cast in the 1987 film, The Sicilian in the role of Corporal Silvestro Canio. That same year he was also cast in the Eric Bogosian play Talk Radio as a stoned heavy metal fan named Kent.{{cite news |last=Rich |first=Frank |authorlink=Frank Rich |date=July 29, 1988 |title=Review/Theater; A 'Road' to Lives That Go Nowhere |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/29/theater/review-theater-a-road-to-lives-that-go-nowhere.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 1, 2018}} The following year Wincott appeared in Oliver Stone's film based on the play. In the 1980s he also appeared on such American TV series as Miami Vice, Crime Story and The Equalizer, as well as Canadian police drama series Night Heat—a series starring his brother Jeff.

Wincott's stage performances include the off-Broadway productions Road (1988) starring Joan Cusack and Kevin Bacon, and the Sam Shepard play, States of Shock (1991), starring John Malkovich.{{cite news |last=Rich |first=Frank |date=May 17, 1991 |title=Review/Theater; Sam Shepard Returns, On War and Machismo |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/17/theater/review-theater-sam-shepard-returns-on-war-and-machismo.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 1, 2018}} He appeared on Broadway starring in the play Serious Money (1988) alongside Kate Nelligan, Alec Baldwin and John Pankow,{{cite news |last=Rich |first=Frank |date=February 25, 1988 |title=Critic's Notebook; Fixing the Blame for 'Serious Money'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/25/theater/critic-s-notebook-fixing-the-blame-for-serious-money.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 1, 2018}} as well as appearing in The Secret Rapture (1989) starring Blair Brown.{{cite news |last=Rich |first=Frank |date=October 27, 1989 |title=Review/Theater; Bad Sister vs. Good Sister In Hare's 'Secret Rapture'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/27/theater/review-theater-bad-sister-vs-good-sister-in-hare-s-secret-rapture.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 1, 2018}}

Wincott again worked with Oliver Stone in 1989, appearing in the film Born on the Fourth of July as a bedridden Vietnam veteran, then yet again in 1991 in the film The Doors where he played the role of Paul Rothchild, the producer of The Doors' first five albums. In 1991, he played Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, a henchman of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) who is also the Sheriff's cousin in the film.

In 1993, he appeared in the film Romeo Is Bleeding as Sal, a mafioso,{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Malcolm |date=February 4, 1994 |title=Surreal 'Romeo Is Bleeding' Pulses With Evil, Dark Humor |url=https://www.courant.com/1994/02/04/surreal-romeo-is-bleeding-pulses-with-evil-dark-humor/ |work=Hartford Courant |location=Hartford, Connecticut |access-date=June 1, 2018}} and also played the part of Rochefort in the Disney film The Three Musketeers starring Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen and Chris O'Donnell. The following year Wincott starred as kingpin Top Dollar opposite Brandon Lee in The Crow. In 1995, he appeared in Dead Man with Johnny Depp. He played poet Rene Ricard in the 1996 biographical film Basquiat. He also played the role of mercenary Frank Elgyn in the 1997 film Alien Resurrection.

Wincott starred as a psychopathic kidnapper opposite Morgan Freeman in the 2001 film Along Came a Spider. The following year he played Armand Dorleac, a sadistic prison warden in the 2002 film version of The Count of Monte Cristo starring Jim Caviezel.{{cite news |last=Nichols |first=Peter M. |date=February 1, 2002 |title=The Count Of Monte Cristo |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/parents/moviesguide/archive/20020201b.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=June 1, 2018}} In 2004 he played Julius Bicke, the brother of Samuel J. Bicke (played by Sean Penn) in The Assassination of Richard Nixon.{{cite magazine |last=Rehlin |first=Gunnar |date=December 2, 2008 |title=Michael Wincott joins Swedish project - Rafael Edholm to direct untitled project |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/news/michael-wincott-joins-swedish-project-1117996678/ |magazine=Variety |access-date=June 1, 2018}}

In 2006, Wincott appeared in the western film Seraphim Falls starring Pierce Brosnan and Liam Neeson.{{cite magazine |last=Schager |first=Nick |date=January 18, 2007 |title=Seraphim Falls |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/seraphim-falls |magazine=Slant Magazine |location=Brooklyn, New York |access-date=June 1, 2018}} He also appeared in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and What Just Happened in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

In 2009, he starred in A Lonely Place for Dying as CIA project manager Anthony Greenglass.{{cite news |last=Morris |first=Anthony |date=February 15, 2013 |title=Interview With A Lonely Place for Dying Director Justin Eugene Evans |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/justine-browning/justin-eugene-evans-director_b_2673925.html |work=Huffington Post |location=Australia |access-date=June 1, 2018}} In early 2012, he was cast as notorious serial killer Ed Gein in the biographical drama film Hitchcock.

In 2014, Wincott played hacker Adrian Cross in the miniseries 24: Live Another Day.{{cite magazine |last=Hibberd |first=James |date=November 19, 2013 |title='24' return casts infamous hacker character |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/11/19/24-hacker/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |location=New York City |publisher=Meredith Corporation |access-date=June 1, 2018}} The following year he starred in the Canadian western drama film Forsaken alongside Kiefer and Donald Sutherland.{{cite magazine |last=Leydon |first=Joe |date=September 15, 2015 |title=Toronto Film Review: 'Forsaken |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/news/michael-wincott-joins-swedish-project-1117996678/ |magazine=Variety |access-date=June 1, 2018}} In 2016 he also played the role of Old Bill in two episodes in season 1 of the science fiction western TV series Westworld.{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/old-bill-westworld-looks-irl-204300542.html |title=This is what Old Bill from "Westworld" looks like IRL, and FYI he's a veteran actor |last=Ro |first=Crystal |date=October 5, 2016 |website=Yahoo.com |access-date=June 1, 2018 }}

In 2017, he appeared in the MTG drama series Veni Vidi Vici.{{cite magazine |last=Roxborough |first=Scott |date=October 12, 2017 |title=Mipcom: Hulu Takes Scandi Drama 'Veni Vidi Vici' for U.S. |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mipcom-hulu-takes-scandi-drama-veni-vidi-vici-us-1048028 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |location=Los Angeles, California |publisher=Lynne Segall |access-date=June 1, 2018}} The Swedish series stars Danish actor Thomas Bo Larsen and centers around the porn industry. Wincott plays the part of Georgina, a transgender former porn director. The show was selected as one of the top new European series at the MIPDrama Screenings held annually in Cannes. The series was also streamed on Hulu in 2017. Wincott starred in Jordan Peele's 2022 thriller, Nope, as Antlers Holst, a cinematographer. In preparation for the role, Wincott shadowed the film's director of photography, Hoyte van Hoytema.

Wincott has also lent his voice to several characters in video games and animated features: In 2002 he provided the voice of Scroop, a malevolent spider/crab-like creature in the Disney animated film Treasure Planet; he also provided the voice of Scroop in the accompanying Sony PlayStation video game of the same name. In 2004 he provided the voice for the Prophet of Truth in the video game Halo 2.{{cite news |last=Douglas |first=Ana |date=July 26, 2012 |title=Why I'll always love Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-the-end-of-the-world-in-the-story-trailer-for-darksiders-2-2012-7 |work=Business Insider |location=New York City, New York |access-date=June 1, 2018}} He also provided the voice of Mr. Big in the 2005 re-launch of the video game Narc.{{cite news |date=March 27, 2005 |title=NARC; God of War; Heritage of Kings: The Settlers |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2602-2005Mar26.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |location=Washington, D.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808214905/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2602-2005Mar26.html |access-date=June 1, 2018|archive-date=2007-08-08 }} In 2012 he provided the voices for several video game characters: Jules Merit in the game Syndicate, Griffin in the interactive graphic novel Infex, and Death in the game Darksiders II.{{cite magazine |last=Carter |first=James |date=August 8, 2013 |title=Keith Arem Discusses His Interactive Graphic Novel "Infex" |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/keith-arem-discusses-his-interactive-graphic-novel-infex/ |magazine=Vice |access-date=June 1, 2018}}

• The Treasure Planet Read-Along DVD (2003) – Scroop (voice)

• The Iceman (2012) – (special thanks)

• 1987 – Talk Radio – Kent
• 1988 – Serious Money – Grevett, Frosby, Jake Todd
• 1988 – Road – Eddy, DJ, Skin Lad
• 1989 – The Secret Rapture – Irwin Posner
• 1991 – State of Shock – Stubbs

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|michaelwincott.org}}
• {{IMDb name|699|Michael Wincott}}

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Category:1958 births

Category:20th-century Canadian male actors

Category:21st-century Canadian male actors

Category:Living people

Category:Canadian male film actors

Category:Canadian male video game actors

Category:Canadian male voice actors

Category:Canadian male stage actors

Category:Canadian male television actors

Category:Canadian people of English descent

Category:Canadian people of Italian descent

Category:Juilliard School alumni

Category:Male actors from Toronto