Reed Birney
{{Short description|American actor (born 1954)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Reed Birney
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|09|11}}
| birth_place = Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
| education = Boston University
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1976–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Constance Shulman|1999}}
| children = Gus Birney and Ephraim Birney
}}
Reed Birney (born September 11, 1954) is an American actor. Birney is known for his performances on stage and screen often acting on and off Broadway. Birney gained acclaim in 2016 for his role in The Humans winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He was also nominated previously in the same category for his performance in Casa Valentina in 2014.
He starred in the films Mass (2021), and The Menu (2022). He is also known for his recurring roles in Gossip Girl (2007–2009), House of Cards (2013–2017), The Blacklist (2014–2015), and Home Before Dark (2021–2022). He has also acted in The Americans, The Handmaid's Tale, and Succession.
Career
Birney attended the Boston University College of Fine Arts for two years. After moving to New York City, he attended classes sponsored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.Sod, Ted. [http://blog.roundabouttheatre.org/2015/10/04/interview-with-actor-reed-birney/ "Interview"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423124809/http://blog.roundabouttheatre.org/2015/10/04/interview-with-actor-reed-birney/ |date=2017-04-23 }} roundabouttheatre.org, October 4, 2015
Birney appeared off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in 1976 in Gemini by Albert Innaurato. He has appeared in many plays off-Broadway since, including Bug (2004) and Circle Mirror Transformation (2009).Gates, Anita. [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/theater/reviews/16circle.html "At Peter J. Sharp Theater: Actor, Make Like a Tree"] The New York Times, October 15, 2009
He has performed on Broadway in Casa Valentina (2014) and The Humans.[http://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Reed-Birney/ "Reed Birney Credits"] broadwayworld.com, accessed June 13, 2016 He appeared in the Annie Baker adaptation of Uncle Vanya at the Soho Rep in 2012. Charles Isherwood in his review for The New York Times wrote: "The indispensable Reed Birney is as vitally moving a Vanya as I’ve yet to see..."Isherwood, Charles. [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/18/theater/reviews/uncle-vanya-adapted-by-annie-baker-at-soho-rep.html "A Fresh Breeze in Pastoral Russia"] The New York Times, June 18, 2012 He was nominated for the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actor in a Play, for Uncle Vanya.Lefkowitz, Andy. [http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/05-2013/the-58th-annual-drama-desk-award-winners-are-annou_65186.html "The 58th Annual Drama Desk Award Winners Are Announced!"] theatermania.com, May 19, 2013
He won the 2016 Tony Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play, for The Humans;Viagas, Robert. [http://www.playbill.com/article/tony-time-its-broadways-biggest-night# " 'Hamilton' Tops Tony Awards With 11 Wins"] Playbill, June 12, 2016 the 2014 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, for Casa Valentina; and the 2010 Obie Award, Performance, for Circle Mirror Transformation.[http://www.broadwayworld.com/people/bio/Reed-Birney/ "Reed Birney Bio"] broadwayworld.com, accessed June 13, 2016 He received a Special Drama Desk Award in 2011, honoring his career.[http://arts.columbia.edu/theatre/faculty/reed-birney "Reed Birney"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222212352/http://arts.columbia.edu/theatre/faculty/reed-birney |date=2016-12-22 }} columbia.edu, accessed June 13, 2016[http://www.playbill.com/person/reed-birney-vault-0000096413# "Reed Birney Broadway"] Playbill, accessed June 13, 2016
He appeared off-Broadway in the play by Tracy Letts, Man from Nebraska, which opened in January 2017 in previews at the Second Stage Theatre.Clement, Olivia. [http://www.playbill.com/article/man-from-nebraska-opens-at-second-stage# " 'Man from Nebraska 'Opens at Second Stage"] Playbill, February 15, 2017 From May to October 2017, he starred as O'Brien in the Broadway production of 1984 at the Hudson Theatre.
His television performances include Matthew Lester in Kane & Abel, Mr. Prescott on Gossip Girl, Donald Blythe on the Netflix series House of Cards,[http://www.madeinhollywood.tv/house-of-cards-star-reed-birney-endures-quiet-desperation-in-mad-women/ "'House of Cards’ Star Reed Birney Endures ‘Quiet Desperation’ in ‘Mad Women’"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124083511/http://www.madeinhollywood.tv/house-of-cards-star-reed-birney-endures-quiet-desperation-in-mad-women/ |date=2020-11-24 }} madeinhollywood.tv, July 22, 2015 Tom Connolly in The Blacklist and Dr. Adamson on Titans. He also appeared in Hulu's adaptation of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale as Lieutenant Stans.
His movie roles included Louie in Four Friends (1981), the Merchant Prince in A Perfect Murder (1998), Governor Willis in Morning Glory (2010), J. Whitman in The 40-Year-Old Version, Pa in The Hunt (both 2020), Peter Bloom in Strawberry Mansion, and Richard in Mass (both 2021).
Birney is an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University.
Personal life
He is married to actress Constance Shulman, who appears in Orange is the New Black, and they have two children together.Borison, Susan. [https://yourteenmag.com/stuff-we-love/celebrity-interviews/shulman-birney-talk-parenting "Actors Constance Shulman and Reed Birney Talk Parenting"] Your Teen, retrieved June 8, 2018 Their daughter Gus Birney is also an actor, as is their son, Ephraim.
Acting credits
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 1976
|Fred |Feature film debut |
| 1981
|Louie | |
| 1985
|Vic Ajax | |
| 1998
|Merchant Prince #1 | |
| 2003
|Executive | |
| 2007
|Jim Stansel | |
| 2008
| |
| 2010
|Martin | |
| 2010
|Governor Willis | |
| 2012
|Dr. Chalmers | |
| 2013
|Asher | |
| 2013
|Todd | |
| 2014
|Dr. Maynard | |
| 2015
|Paul Bateson | |
| 2015
|Richard | |
| 2019
|The Lost Weekend |Henry |Short film {{cite web|title=The Lost Weekend (Short 2019)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3971010/|access-date=29 April 2023|website=IMDb}} |
| 2020
|J. Whitman | |
| 2020
|Peter Hackett | |
| 2020
|Pop | |
| 2021
|Peter Bloom | |
| 2021
|Mass |Richard | |
| 2022
| Dr. Rosenbaum | |
| 2022
|Richard Liebbrandt | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 1979
|Steven |Episode: "Mary, He's Married" |
| 1981
| |Episode: "Margin for Error" |
| 1983
|Wenfield |Episode: "Flight: Flying Animals" |
| 1985
|Matthew Lester |2 episodes |
| 1987
|Larry Fielding |Episode: "Sid and Randy" |
| 1990
|Paul |Episode: "Mute Witness to Murder" |
| 1992–2010
|Various |3 episodes |
| 1994
|Walter Trask |3 episodes |
| 1994
|Actor |Episode: "Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage" |
| 1998
|Episode: "Spider" |
| 2000
|Law & Order: Special Victims Unit |Harry Waters |Episode: "Chat Room" |
| 2002
|The Education of Max Bickford |Todd |Episode: "Money Changes Everything" |
| 2002
|Ed |Mr. Walzer |Episode: "Human Nature" |
| 2002–2005
|A.D.A. Stillman / Fred Martz |2 episodes |
| 2003
| |Episode: "The Eyes Have It" |
| 2006
|Mancini |Episode: "Number One with a Bullet" |
| 2007–2009
|Mr. Prescott |4 episodes |
| 2008
|Charlie Rose |Episode: "Jonah and the Manilow" |
| 2009
|Minister Forsythe |5 episodes |
| 2010
|Michael Foster |2 episodes |
| 2012
|Lee Tripke |Episode: "Battle of the Proxies" |
| 2013–2017
|Donald Blythe |17 episodes |
| 2014
|Burden Maxwell |Episode: "Manhattan Queens" |
| 2014
|Peter |Episode: "I Saw You" |
| 2014–2015
|Tom Connolly |9 episodes |
| 2015
|Senator Darnell |3 episodes |
| 2017
|Roland Hobbs |Episode: "Gift Horse" |
| 2017
|The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks |Dr. George Gey |Television film |
| 2018
|Greg |Episode: "Best Laid Plans" |
| 2018
|Patrick McCleesh |2 episodes |
| 2018
|Dr. Adamson |5 episodes |
| 2019
|Eugene Bloon |Episode: "The Day Before..." |
| 2019
|Leonard |Episode: "Cruise" |
| 2019
|Bull |Judge Humphrey |Episode: "Imminent Danger" |
| 2020–2021
|Sylvester Lisko |18 episodes |
| 2021
|Lieutenant Stans |Episode: "The Crossing" |
| 2021
|Evil |Father Thunderland |Episode: "I Is for IRS" |
| 2021
|Vice President Dave Boyer |Episode: "What It Takes" |
| 2023
|Gabriel/Ben |Episode "Time of the Monkey" |
| 2023
|Star Trek: Strange New Worlds |Luq |Episode: "Among the Lotus Eaters" |
| 2024
|American Horror Story: Delicate |Dexter Harding Sr. |4 episodes |
= Theatre =
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IOBDB name|2254}}
- {{IMDb name|0083714}}
- {{IBDB name|85032}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Reed Birney
|list =
{{DramaDesk PlayFeaturedActor}}
{{TonyAward PlayFeaturedActor 2001–2025}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Birney, Reed}}
Category:American male stage actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:Boston University College of Fine Arts alumni
Category:Drama Desk Award winners