Morgan Spector

{{Short description|American actor (born 1980)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Morgan Spector

| image = 2024-03-08 SXSW-2024 Variety-comedy-awards 04486 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Spector at SXSW 2024

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|10|4}}

| birth_place = Santa Rosa, California, U.S.

| death_place =

| education = Reed College (BA)
American Conservatory Theater (MFA)

| occupation = Actor

| spouse = {{marriage|Rebecca Hall|2015}}

| children = 1

| years_active = 2004–present

}}

Morgan Spector is an American actor. Spector has appeared in the TV series Allegiance (2015), The Mist (2017), Homeland (2018), and Pearson (2019), as well as the films The Drop (2014), Christine (2016), A Vigilante (2018), and Boston Strangler (2023). He starred in the HBO project The Plot Against America, and also appears in the network's The Gilded Age.

Early life

Spector grew up in Guerneville, California. His father was an attorney and his mother worked in public education as a teacher and then as an administrator. Spector is Jewish on his father's side; his paternal grandmother was an actress in the New York Yiddish Theatre District.Matthew Blank. [http://www.playbill.com/article/playbillcoms-cue-a-machinal-star-morgan-spector-com-214003 PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Machinal Star Morgan Spector] Playbill. January 21, 2014Adrianna Chaviva Freedman. [https://forward.com/schmooze/422576/get-ready-for-a-very-jewish-philip-roth-tv-show/ Get Ready For A Very Jewish Philip Roth TV Show], The Forward. April 16, 2019Gerri Miller. [https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/299194/the-jewish-stars-of-summer-tv/ The Jewish Stars of Summer TV], Jewish Journal. May 28, 2019Gerri Miller. [https://jewishjournal.com/arts/television/311967/history-in-the-plot-against-america/ 'The Plot Against America' Explains How Genocide 'Can Happen Here' Says Producer], Jewish Journal. March 11, 2020 His mother is of mostly Irish Catholic descent.{{Cite web |last=Frick |first=Evelyn |date=2022-03-21 |title=I Said I Wanted to Eat Babka Off Morgan Spector's Abs. He Responded. |url=https://www.heyalma.com/i-said-i-wanted-to-eat-babka-off-morgan-spectors-abs-he-responded/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=Hey Alma |language=en-US}}

Spector acted for the first time in community theater at the age of eight; and later acted in high school and college productions.Alexis Soloski. 012). [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/theater/morgan-spector-of-russian-transport-visits-sheepshead-bay.html Angel or Devil, an Actor Finds Peace With It All] The New York Times. February 9, 2012

After graduating from Reed College, in Portland, Oregon, he enrolled in the acting school of the American Conservatory Theater, in San Francisco. He next pursued work in regional theater, including a tour in The Lion King. In 2006, he moved to New York City.

Career

In 2010, Spector made his Broadway debut as Rodolpho in Gregory Mosher's revival of Arthur Miller's play A View from the Bridge. He was originally cast in a bit part, but moved into the major role when the actor scheduled for it was injured during previews. In 2012 he played the role of Boris in The Russian Transport, by Erika Sheffer. It was produced Off-Broadway by The New Group.

In 2014, he co-starred with Rebecca Hall in a Broadway revival of Sophie Treadwell's Machinal. They later married; they appeared together on stage in New York again in June 2017, in Clare Lizzimore's play Animal.Alexis Soloski. [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/25/theater/rebecca-hall-and-morgan-spector-together-onstage-and-off.html Rebecca Hall and Morgan Spector: Together, Onstage and Off], 'The New York Times. May 25, 2017 They have also appeared together on-screen in the 2016 drama Christine and the 2017 film Permission''.

In 2018, Spector starred alongside Olivia Wilde in the drama A Vigilante.Owen Gleiberman. [https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/a-vigilante-review-olivia-wilde-sxsw-1202729243/ SXSW Film Review: 'A Vigilante'] Variety. March 17, 2018 In 2019, he starred alongside Gina Torres in the legal drama Pearson on USA Network, a spin-off of Suits.LaToya Ferguson. [https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/07/pearson-tv-show-review.html Pearson: Come for Gina Torres, Then Decide Whether to Stay] Paste. July 17, 2019

In 2020, he starred in the HBO miniseries adaptation of Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, alongside Winona Ryder.Jessica Zack. [https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/morgan-spectors-political-perspective-aptly-cast-in-the-plot-against-america Morgan Spector's political perspective aptly cast in 'The Plot Against America']. Datebook, San Francisco Chronicle. March 13, 2020[https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/the-plot-against-america-hbo-trailer-2020-watch.html The Plot Against America Trailer Warns That the Fascism Call Is Coming From Inside the House] Vulture. January 30, 2020 In 2022, he also headlined alongside Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski in HBO's The Gilded Age.Denise Petski, Nellie Andreeva. [https://deadline.com/2019/09/the-gilded-age-christine-baranski-cynthia-nixon-amanda-peet-morgan-spector-star-hbo-period-drama-1202745528/ 'The Gilded Age': Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Amanda Peet & Morgan Spector To Star In HBO Period Drama] Deadline. September 26, 2019Dave Itzkoff. [https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/movies-tv/hbo-s-the-gilded-age-finally-arrives-as-16792346 HBO's 'The Gilded Age' finally arrives as the 'next Downton Abbey']. Preview, Houston Chronicle. January 21, 2022

Personal life

In September 2015, Spector married actress Rebecca Hall, whom he had first met the year before, during their work together in the Broadway play Machinal. Their first child was born in 2018.Jen Juneau [https://people.com/parents/rebecca-hall-pregnant-morgan-spector-expecting-first-child/ Rebecca Hall and Morgan Spector Expecting First Child - See the Hilarious Double Announcement]. People. January 1, 2018

Spector is a socialist and helped produce the documentary, The Big Scary "S" Word.{{cite web | url=https://www.documentary.org/project/big-scary-s-word | title=The Big Scary "S" Word | International Documentary Association }} In 2024, along with 30 other artists, Spector participated in publicly reading the dossier of South Africa's genocide case against Israel, which was brought before the International Court of Justice. The reading was organised by Palifest.{{cite web | url=https://www.palestinechronicle.com/renowned-artists-lend-a-voice-to-south-africas-icj-submission-against-israel/ | title=Renowned Artists Lend a Voice to South Africa's ICJ Submission Against Israel | date=January 15, 2024 }}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2004

| Raspberry Heaven

| Kurt Callaway

|

2010

| The Last Airbender

| Lead Fire Nation Soldier

|

2011

| Musical Chairs

| Kenny

|

rowspan="2"|2013

| All Is Bright

| Vladimir

|

Burning Blue

| William Stephensen

|

rowspan="2"|2014

| Grand Street

| Nino

|

The Drop

| Andre

|

rowspan="2"|2016

| Christine

| Dr. Parsons

|

Chuck

| Sylvester Stallone

|

rowspan="4"|2017

| Great Choice

| Waiter

|

Split

| Derek

|

Man with Van

| Kier

|

Permission

| Reece

|

2018

| A Vigilante

| Sadie's Husband

|

2021

| With/In: Volume 1

|

| Segment: "Mother!!"; also director

2022

| Nanny

| Adam

|

2023

| Boston Strangler

| James McLaughlin

|

2024

| I Don't Understand You

| Massimo

|

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

2009–2010

| Law & Order: Criminal Intent

| Player #1/Tech

| 2 episodes

2010

| How to Make It in America

| Scott

| 2 episodes

2011–2013

| Person of Interest

| Peter Yogorov

| 5 episodes

rowspan="4"|2013

| Do No Harm

| Roman Spektor

| Episode: "Morning, Sunshine"

Orange Is the New Black

| Patrick

| Episode: "Lesbian Request Denied"

Boardwalk Empire

| Frank Capone

| 4 episodes

Zero Hour

| Golem

| 3 episodes

2014

| Unforgettable

| Dean

| Episode: "Cashing Out"

2015

| Allegiance

| Victor Dobrynin

| 13 episodes

2015–2016

| Friday Night Tykes

| Narrator

| 20 episodes

2016

| Friday Night Tykes: Steel Country

| Narrator

| 12 episodes

2017

| The Mist

| Kevin Copeland

| 10 episodes

rowspan="2"|2018

| Homeland

| Dante Allen

| Main role (season 7)

Suits

| Mayor Bobby Novak

| Episode: "Good-Bye"

2019

| Pearson

| Mayor Bobby Novak

| rowspan=3| Main role

2020

| The Plot Against America

| Herman Levin

2022–present

|The Gilded Age

| George Russell

{{TableTBA}}

| Black Rabbit

| Campbell

| miniseries

=Theatre=

class="wikitable sortable"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! Venue

2010A View from the BridgeRodolphoCort Theatre, Broadway
rowspan="2"|2012Russian TransportBorisAcorn Theatre, Off-Broadway
HarveyLyman Sanderson M.D.Studio 54, Broadway
2014MachinalA LoverAmerican Airlines Theatre, Broadway
rowspan="2"|2016IronboundPerformerRattlestick Theater, Off-Broadway
IncognitoPerformerNew York City Center, Off-Broadway
2017AnimalTomAtlantic Stage 2, Off-Broadway

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable"
Year

! Association

! Category

! Project

! Result

! Ref.

align="center"| 2021

| Critics' Choice Television Awards

| Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries

| The Plot Against America

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/critics-choice-awards-2021-complete-winners-list-1234708683/ |title=Critics Choice Awards: 'Nomadland', 'The Crown' Among Top Honorees – Complete Winners List|last=Ramos|first=Dino-Ray|date=March 7, 2021|work=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=March 7, 2021}}

align="center"| 2023

| Screen Actors Guild Awards

| Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series

| The Gilded Age

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite press release|url=https://www.sagawards.org/media/news/releases/nominations-announced-30th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awardsr|title=Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®|publisher=Screen Actors Guild |date=January 10, 2024|access-date=January 10, 2024}}

References

{{Reflist}}