Craig Bierko
Craig Bierko | |
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Born | Craig Philip Bierko August 18, 1964 Rye Brook, New York, U.S. |
Occupation | Actor, singer |
Years active | 1987–present |
Craig Philip Bierko (born August 18, 1964) is an American actor and singer.
Early life[]
Bierko was born in Rye Brook, New York, the son of Pat and Rex Bierko, who ran a local community theatre.[1][2] Bierko's mother was a Jewish-born convert to Roman Catholicism. Bierko has said he is "very connected" to his Jewish heritage.[3] His surname is Polish.[4] He attended Blind Brook High School and then went on to Boston University intending to study broadcast journalism at the School of Public Communications but graduated from Northwestern University in 1986 with a BS in theater arts from the School of Speech.[5][6]
Career[]
Television and film[]
Bierko may be best known for his role as Timothy in the 1996 action film The Long Kiss Goodnight (a role he credits as the beginning of his penchant for "darker" roles),[7] as Max Baer in the film Cinderella Man, as Tom Ryan in Scary Movie 4 (spoofing Tom Cruise throughout the film) and on the Broadway stage as Harold Hill in The Music Man, or as the lead in The Thirteenth Floor. He was also the original choice for the character of Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends but turned it down.[8] He had a small role as a jazz musician love interest for Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) in the fourth season of Sex and the City. He had another small role as attorney Jeffrey Coho during the third season of the ABC television series Boston Legal and as a lead in the short-lived Unhitched. He was also cast as Dave Lister in the pilot for the American TV version of Red Dwarf, which was not picked up as a series. He appeared in 2001's Kate & Leopold in an uncredited role, and in TV's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Andy Eckerson, a United States Deputy Marshal who is working with the SVU (and ex-flame Det. Olivia Benson) to recapture an escaped convict.[9]
Bierko also appeared in the Lifetime dramedy series UnREAL as Chet, the "eccentric and drug-using" creator of a reality dating show.[10]
Theater roles[]
Bierko was slated to appear on Broadway in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of To Be or Not to Be but withdrew from the production August 29, 2008, for unspecified reasons.[11] He starred as Sky Masterson in the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls which began performances at the Nederlander Theatre on February 5, 2009, and officially opened on March 1, 2009.[12] The production closed on June 14, 2009 after 113 performances.[13] He performed the role of Peter in the 2011 New York Philharmonic production of Stephen Sondheim's Company with Neil Patrick Harris, Patti Lupone and Stephen Colbert.
Bierko was slated to replace Bertie Carvel as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical at the Shubert Theatre along with Jill Paice as Miss Honey on September 3, but did not start performances until September 17 due to a "minor injury".[14] On November 19, it was announced that Bierko will not return to the role of Miss Trunchbull due to "medical circumstances", following a shoulder injury sustained during rehearsals.[15]
Filmography and stage work[]
Film[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Love Note | Craig Johnson | Video |
1991 | Victimless Crimes | ||
1993 | Danielle Steel's Star | Spencer Hill | Television film |
1996 | The Long Kiss Goodnight | Timothy | |
1996 | Johns | Christmas Radio Preacher | |
1997 | 'Til There Was You | Jon Hass | |
1998 | Sour Grapes | Richie Maxwell | |
1998 | Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | Lacerda | |
1999 | The Suburbans | Mitch | |
1999 | The Thirteenth Floor | Douglas Hall, John Ferguson, David | |
2000 | The Cherry Picker | Short film | |
2001 | Kate & Leopold | Actor in Advertisement | Uncredited |
2002 | I'm With Lucy | Peter | |
2003 | Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | George Finney | |
2003 | Hench at Home | Terry Hench | Television film |
2004 | Hair High | Sarge (voice) | |
2005 | Cinderella Man | Max Baer | |
2005 | Untitled David Diamond/David Weissman Project | Dylan | Television film |
2006 | Scary Movie 4 | Tom Ryan | |
2006 | Danika | Randy Merrick | |
2006 | For Your Consideration | Talk Show Host | |
2007 | Meet Bill | Sergeant | Uncredited |
2008 | Superhero Movie | Wolverine | Deleted scenes |
2008 | A Bad Situation | Richard | Video |
2011 | Company | Peter | New York Philharmonic production |
2011 | The Change-Up | Valtan | |
2011 | Bad Seed | Bert | |
2012 | The Three Stooges | Mac Mioski | |
2013 | Louder Than Words | Eddie Stolzenberg | |
2013 | If I Had Wings | Geoff Taylor | |
2016 | Equity | Benji Akers | |
2016 | Catfight | The Talk Show Host | |
2019 | Fair Market Value | Lucas |
Stage[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | The Music Man | Harold Hill | Theatre World Award Nominee: Tony Award Nominee: Drama Desk Award |
2001 | Thou Shalt Not | Laurent LeClaire | |
2004 | Modern Orthodox | Ben Jacobson | |
2009 | Guys and Dolls | Sky Masterson | |
2011 | Company | Peter | |
2013 | Matilda the Musical | Agatha Trunchbull |
Television[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Roomies | Dale | Episode: "The Ditch" |
1987 | Our House | Douglas | Episode: "The Children's Crusade" |
1987 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Carl Warner | Episode: "The Day My Kid Went Punk" |
1988 | Amen | Bellman | Episode: "A Sight Case of Murder (2)" |
1988 | Eisenhower and Lutz | Waiter | Episode: "Don't Change a Hair for Me" |
1989 | The Young and the Restless | Greg | |
1989 | Newhart | Dirk | 2 episodes |
1989 | Guns of Paradise | Johnny Ryan | 2 episodes |
1990 | Sydney | Matt Keating | 13 episodes |
1990 | Wings | Matt Sargent | Episode: "The Puppet Master" |
1990 | Murphy Brown | Alex | Episode: "Rootless People" |
1991 | Empty Nest | Fred | Episode: "The Man That Got Away" |
1991 | Baby Talk | Bill Noonan | Episode: "A Star Is Born" |
1992 | The Powers That Be | Joe Bowman | 4 episodes |
1992 | Red Dwarf | Dave Lister | Unaired television pilot |
1993 | Bodies of Evidence | Thomas Wilkes | Episode: "Trial by Fire" |
1994–1995 | Madman of the People | B.J. Cooper | 16 episodes |
1995 | Pride & Joy | Greg Sherman | 6 episodes |
1998 | Mad About You | Gardner Mulloy | Episode: "Weekend in L.A." |
2000 | Ally McBeal | Dennis Martin | Episode: "In Search of Pygmies" |
2001 | Sex and the City | Ray King | 2 episodes |
2002 | The Court | Harlan Brandt | |
2003, 2016 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Deputy Marshal Andy Eckerson, Bobby D'Amico | 2 episodes |
2006 | The Great Malones | Episode: "Pilot" | |
2006–2007 | Boston Legal | Jeffrey Coho | 14 episodes |
2007 | Nip/Tuck | Bob Easton | Episode: "Carly Summers" |
2008 | Unhitched | Jack "Gator" Gately | 6 episodes |
2009 | Head Case | Episode: "The Big Book" | |
2010 | The Good Wife | Duke Roscoe | Episode: "Infamy" |
2010 | Damages | Terry Brooke | 4 episodes |
2010 | The League | Craig O'Connor | Episode: "Bro-Lo El Cuñado" |
2010–2011 | The Temp Life | Eddie Chiapetta | 3 episodes |
2011 | Suite 7 | Alan | Episode: "Superman" |
2011–2012 | Leap Year | Andy Corvell | 5 episodes |
2011 | Necessary Roughness | Ray Santino | 2 episodes |
2011 | Easy to Assemble | Jebedehia Bateman | 8 episodes |
2011 | The Mentalist | Doc Dugan | Episode: "The Redshirt" |
2012 | 6 passi nel giallo | Harry Chase | Episode: "Visions of Murder" |
2012, 2014 | Hot in Cleveland | Donald | 2 episodes |
2012 | Elementary | Jim Fowkes | Episode: "The Rat Race" |
2013 | Body of Proof | Dr. Derrick Malcolm | Episode: "Committed" |
2013–2014 | The Michael J. Fox Show | Bill | 2 episodes |
2013 | Unforgettable | Marco Lantini | Episode: "A Moveable Feast" |
2015–2018 | UnREAL | Chet Wilton | 38 episodes |
2017 | Kevin Can Wait | Peter | Episode: "The Back Out" |
2017 | Tin Star | Dermot O'Hanrahan | Episode: "Jack" |
2018 | Blue Bloods | Ray Cross | Episode: “Meet the new boss” |
Awards and recognition[]
- Shorty Award for Humor (Nominee) (2014)
- 100 Most Creative People in Entertainment "It" List, 2003 Entertainment Weekly
- Sexiest Broadway Star - People (2000)
- Theatre World Award (Winner) (2000)
- Broadway.com Audience Awards (Winner) (2000)
- Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for The Music Man (Nominee) (2000)
- Drama Desk Award for Best Actor in a Musical for The Music Man (Nominee) (2000)
- Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical for The Music Man (Nominee) (2000)
References[]
- ^ "Craig Bierko Biography (1965?-)". Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ "Births". The New York Times. August 23, 1964. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ Lipton, Brian Scott (December 2, 2004). "MODERN MAN". TheaterMania. Archived from the original on February 10, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
"My mother is Jewish, though she converted to Catholicism," Bierko says, "so we ended up being Christmas tree Jews. I grew up in Westchester with a lot of Jewish friends, and I feel very connected to that part of my heritage. I never married because I have carried a torch for my long lost love Susan Freeman who I lost to a better man, Rich Elkin.
When I read the play, it was the first time I'd seen that part of myself addressed."
- ^ "Craig Bierko on Twitter". Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ "The Acting Cycle". Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ Craig Bierko biography
- ^ LevinEpstein, Amy (March 19, 2018). "Craig Bierko On His 30-Year Acting Career - Serendipity". Serendipity. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
- ^ "With Friends Like These" Archived January 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Craig Bierko". Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 22, 2014). "Craig Bierko To Star In New Lifetime Series 'Un-Real', Michael Irby Joins 'The Lottery'". Retrieved July 22, 2016.
- ^ "Bierko Withdraws from To Be or Not To Be" Playbill
- ^ "Luck Be a Lady": Guys and Dolls Returns to Broadway Feb. 5 Archived 2009-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Adelaide's New Lament: Broadway's Guys and Dolls to Close June 14 Archived June 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hetrick, Adam. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) playbill.com, September 3, 2013
- ^ Hetrick, Adam. "Injured Craig Bierko Officially Departs Broadways Matilda the Musical" Archived 2013-11-27 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, November 19, 2013
External links[]
- 1964 births
- Living people
- Jewish American male actors
- Jewish singers
- Male actors from New York (state)
- American male film actors
- American people of Polish descent
- American male musical theatre actors
- American male television actors
- Boston University College of Communication alumni
- Northwestern University School of Communication alumni
- People from Rye Brook, New York
- American people of Jewish descent
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- Theatre World Award winners