Jimmi Simpson

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This article is about the American actor. For the British motorcyclist, see Jimmy Simpson (motorcyclist).
Jimmi Simpson
Jimmi Simpson by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Simpson in July 2017
Born
James Raymond Simpson

(1975-11-21) November 21, 1975 (age 45)
Hackettstown, New Jersey, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active2000–present
Known forIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
House of Cards
Westworld
Black Mirror
Unsolved
Spouse(s)
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 2007; div. 2014)​
  • Sophia Del Pizzo
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2019; sep. 2021)​

James Raymond Simpson (born November 21, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his work on television, which includes recurring roles as Liam McPoyle on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005–13), Lyle the Intern on The Late Show with David Letterman (2008–09), Mary Lightly on Psych (2009–13), Lloyd Lowery on Breakout Kings (2011–13), Jack Spaniel on The Newsroom (2014), Gavin Orsay on House of Cards (2014–15), and William on Westworld (2016–20). For the latter, he received a nomination for the 2018 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Simpson also starred as Soldier on SundanceTV's Hap and Leonard (2016), Detective Russell Poole on USA's Unsolved (2018), and James Schaeler on ePix's Perpetual Grace, LTD (2019). He received a nomination for the 2018 British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Black Mirror episode "USS Callister" (2017).

Simpson made his feature film debut in Loser (2000). Subsequent film roles have included Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005), Stay Alive (2006), Seraphim Falls (2007), Zodiac (2007), The Invention of Lying (2009), Date Night (2010), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012), White House Down (2013), Knights of Badassdom (2013), Under the Silver Lake (2018), Unhinged (2020), Breaking News in Yuba County (2021), and Silk Road (2021).

Early life[]

James Raymond Simpson was born in Hackettstown, New Jersey, on November 21, 1975. He has two older brothers.[1] He attended Hackettstown High School, where he took his first acting class.[2] After graduating from Bloomsburg University with a BA in theater, he acted for four seasons at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Williamstown, Massachusetts.[3]

Career[]

2000–2007: Film debut and early television roles[]

Simpson made his film debut at age 25 when he played Noah in the romantic comedy Loser (2000), directed by Amy Heckerling. This was followed by a supporting role in the Stephen King miniseries Rose Red in 2002 and appearances on television shows such as 24, NYPD Blue, Cold Case, Carnivàle, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where he played the recurring character Liam McPoyle over several seasons, beginning in 2005. Subsequent film roles during this period included the sports comedy Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005) opposite Lindsay Lohan, revisionist Western Seraphim Falls (2006) with Liam Neeson, and the David Fincher thriller Zodiac (2007).

2008–2015: Stage work and House of Cards[]

In 2008, Simpson starred as Philo T. Farnsworth in a production of Aaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention on Broadway, opposite Hank Azaria. His portrayal of Farnsworth was described as "superb" by The Chicago Tribune[4] and earned him a Theatre World Award.[5] That same year, he made the first of several appearances as Lyle—a fictional intern—on The Late Show with David Letterman,[6] a role he frequented until November 2009. During that time he also played guest roles in episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, My Name is Earl, House, and Psych, and had supporting parts in the films The Invention of Lying (2009) and Date Night (2010). He later starred in one of the principal roles—Dr. Lloyd Lowery—on the A&E crime drama series Breakout Kings, which ran from 2011 to 2012.

Simpson's next projects were the films Hello I Must Be Going (2012), Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012), The Truth About Emanuel (2013), Knights of Badassdom (2013), and the Roland Emmerich action epic White House Down (2013). He then joined the cast of Netflix political thriller series House of Cards to play the recurring role of Gavin Orsay between 2014 and 2015.[7] For this, Simpson was nominated on two occasions—alongside his co-stars—for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.[8][9]

In 2015, Simpson starred with Laurie Metcalfe in a Circle X Theatre production of Trevor, a play written by Nick Jones. Simpson's performance was roundly praised, with KCRW writing, "... you can't imagine the humanity that actor Jimmi Simpson brings to Trevor. Yes, it's a funny play and, yes, there's some 'monkey business' but Mr. Simpson's gift is restraint. Instead of playing for broad laughs, he plays Trevor's struggle for just that: an honest struggle".[10]

2016–present: Westworld, Black Mirror, and continued film career[]

Simpson starred as Soldier, a psychotic drug dealer, on the first season of SundanceTV's dark comedy-drama Hap and Leonard in 2016. That same year, he appeared in a principal role on the debut season of HBO's science fiction drama series Westworld. His portrayal of William, a businessman who visits the titular Wild West-themed amusement park and falls in love with one of its android inhabitants (played by Evan Rachel Wood), was described as "spellbinding" by Maureen Ryan of Variety.[11] Simpson was once again nominated alongside his co-stars for an SAG Award in 2017,[12] while his work on the show's second season[13] earned him an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.[14]

In 2017, Simpson appeared as Walton—a lieutenant aboard the titular spaceship—in "USS Callister", the opening episode of the fourth season of anthology sci-fi series Black Mirror. In their review, Den of Geek called Simpson "one of [television's] best-kept secrets" and commented that his performance "pops off the screen".[15] His portrayal of Walton earned him a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor the following year.[16]

Simpson starred as the real-life Det. Russell Poole on Unsolved in 2018, a ten-part USA Network series based on the 1990s murders of rappers Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. IndieWire praised the "elevated artistry" of Simpson's performance,[17] while Vulture.com commented in their review: "In an ensemble this solid, it can be challenging for one performance to emerge as a standout. But Simpson's does because he so carefully calibrates Poole's intensity, dialing it up by slight degrees in each episode until he's radiating with panicky determination ... Simpson physically and emotionally illustrates [the character's] internal struggle beautifully".[18]

Simpson's recent film work includes David Robert Mitchell's neo-noir black comedy Under the Silver Lake (2018), the action thriller Unhinged (2020)—where he starred opposite Russell Crowe—and the comedic crime drama Breaking News in Yuba County (2021).

Upcoming projects[]

It was announced in March 2021 that Simpson will star as Spencer Clay in the upcoming Showtime adaptation of The Man Who Fell to Earth, based on the 1963 novel of the same name.[19] The series is expected to premiere in 2022.

Personal life[]

Simpson met New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey in 2001 during the filming of Rose Red, in which they both appeared. They became engaged in 2005 and married on April 14, 2007, in a chapel on Lake Hayes, near Queenstown, New Zealand.[20] Lynskey filed for divorce in September 2012, citing irreconcilable differences.[21] It was finalised in May 2014.[22]

Simpson married English actress Sophia Del Pizzo in April 2019.[23] It was announced in July 2021 that the pair had split and that Simpson had filed for divorce.[24]

Filmography[]

Film[]

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Loser Noah
2001 Slo-Mo Alex Short film
2003 The Academy Short film
2003 Final Draft Chad
2004 D.E.B.S. Scud
2005 Herbie: Fully Loaded Crash
2006 Stay Alive Phineus
2007 Seraphim Falls Big Brother
2007 Itty Bitty Titty Committee Chris
2007 Zodiac Older Mike Mageau
2008 A Quiet Little Marriage Jackson
2009 The Mother of Invention Martin Wooderson
2009 The Invention of Lying Bob
2009 Taking Chances Charlie Cabonara
2010 Miss This at Your Peril Frank Corral Short film
2010 Good Intentions Kyle
2010 Date Night Armstrong Gold
2011 The Death and Return of Superman Mad Scientist Short film
2011 The Big Bang Niels Geck
2012 Hello I Must Be Going Phil
2012 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Joshua Speed
2012 Wake Jimmi Short film
2012 Tracer Gun Ben Short film
2013 The Truth About Emanuel Arthur
2013 White House Down Skip Tyler
2013 Knights of Badassdom Ronnie Kwok
2014 The Last Time You Had Fun Jake
2015 Gravy Stef
2018 Under the Silver Lake Allen
2020 Unhinged Andy
2021 Breaking News in Yuba County Petey Buttons
2021 Silk Road Chris Talbert
TBA El Tonto Talk Show Host Post-production
TBA The Georgetown Project Tom Post-production
TBA Shriver Detective Karpas Post-production

Television[]

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Rose Red Kevin Bollinger 3 episodes
2002 The Division Sean Townsend Episode: "Forgive Me, Father"
2002 24 Chris 3 episodes
2003 NYPD Blue Mike Episode: "Bottoms Up"
2003 Cold Case Ryan Bayes Episode: "Churchgoing People"
2005 Carnivàle Lee 2 episodes
2005–2013 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Liam McPoyle 7 episodes
2006 My Name Is Earl David Hayes 2 episodes
2007 Girltrash! Valentine 1 episode
2008 Eleventh Hour Will Sanders Episode: "Resurrection"
2008 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Thomas Donover 2 episodes
2008–2009 Late Show with David Letterman Lyle the intern 15 episodes
2009 House Father Daniel Bresson Episode: "Unfaithful"
2009 Virtuality Virtual Man Pilot
2009–2013 Psych Mary Lightly 5 episodes
2010 Party Down Jackal Onassis / Dennis Episode: "Jackal Onassis Backstage Party"
2011 How I Met Your Mother Pete Durkenson Episode: "The Naked Truth"
2011–2012 Breakout Kings Lloyd Lowery 23 episodes
2013 Unsupervised Matthew / Dean Jacobs (voice) Episode: "The Great Traveler's Road"
2013–2016 Person of Interest Logan Pierce 2 episodes
2014 The Newsroom Jack Spaniel 3 episodes
2014–2015 House of Cards Gavin Orsay 17 episodes
2016 Hap and Leonard Soldier 6 episodes
2016 This Is Us Andy Fanning Episode: "Last Christmas"
2016–2020 Westworld William Main role (season 1)
recurring role (season 2)
guest role (season 3)
2017 Psych: The Movie Mary Lightly Television film
2017 Wormwood CIA Agent 2 episodes
2017 Black Mirror James Walton Episode: "USS Callister"
2018 Unsolved Detective Russell Poole 10 episodes
2018–2020 Dream Corp LLC Patient 21 2 episodes
2019 Into the Dark Peter Rake Episode: "Treehouse"
2019 Perpetual Grace, LTD James 10 episodes
2020 The Twilight Zone Phil Hayes Episode: "Meet in the Middle"
2020 Psych 2: Lassie Come Home Mary Lightly Television film
2021 Solar Opposites Ethan (voice) Episode: "The Apple Pencil Pro"
2021 Star Trek: Prodigy Drednok Voice
TBA The Man Who Fell to Earth Spencer Clay Main role, upcoming series

Video games[]

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Wanted: Weapons of Fate Wesley "The Killer II" Gibson Voice

Awards and nominations[]

Year Association Category Work Result Ref.
2008 Theatre World Awards Theatre World Award The Farnsworth Invention Won [5]
2013 Ashland Independent Film Festival Best Acting Ensemble The Truth About Emanuel Won [25]
2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series House of Cards Nominated [8]
2016 Nominated [9]
2017 Westworld Nominated [12]
2018 BAFTA TV Awards Best Supporting Actor Black Mirror (Episode: "USS Callister") Nominated [16]
2018 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Westworld Nominated [14]

References[]

  1. ^ Herzog, Kenny (November 23, 2016). "Westworld's Jimmi Simpson Is Having a Hell of a Year". Paste. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  2. ^ Newman, Melinda (March 1, 2016). "Jimmi Simpson, Hollywood's Favorite Creep". New Jersey Monthly. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  3. ^ Gelt, Jessica (April 22, 2015). "Jimmi Simpson goes ape for his 'Trevor' theater role". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  4. ^ Jones, Chris (December 6, 2007). "Broadway's 'The Farnsworth Invention' is pure Sorkin". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Theatre World Award Recipients". Theatre World Awards. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  6. ^ Leopold, Todd; Hanks, Henry (May 15, 2015). "David Letterman's cast of characters". CNN.com. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  7. ^ Nededog, Jethro; Sneider, Jeff (June 10, 2013). "'Breakout Kings' Alum Jimmi Simpson Joins 'House of Cards' (Exclusive)". Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Nominations Announced for the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". SAG-AFTRA. December 10, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b "Nominations Announced for the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. December 9, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  10. ^ Byrnes, Anthony (March 31, 2015). "The Monkey on Our Backs". KCRW. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Ryan, Maureen (April 13, 2018). "TV Review: 'Westworld' Season 2 on HBO". Variety. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b "Nominations Announced for the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild. December 14, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  13. ^ Houghton, Rianne (July 24, 2017). "Westworld season 2 brings back Jimmi Simpson aka Young William, but why?". Digital Spy. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b "Jimmi Simpson". Television Academy. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  15. ^ Bojalad, Alec (December 29, 2017). "Black Mirror Season 4 Episode 1 Review: USS Callister". Den of Geek. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b Bakare, Lanre (April 4, 2018). "Bafta TV awards 2018: full list of nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  17. ^ Travers, Ben (February 17, 2018). "'Unsolved' Review: 'The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.' Has Big 'Ambitionz' But Fails to 'Hypnotize'". IndieWire. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  18. ^ Chaney, Jen (February 17, 2018). "Unsolved Is Still Worth Watching Even If You Know Everything About Biggie and Tupac". Vulture. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  19. ^ Makuch, Eddie (March 24, 2021). "Westworld's Jimmi Simpson To Star In New Version Of The Man Who Fell To Earth". Game Spot. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  20. ^ "Celebrity Wedding: Melanie Lynskey and Jimmi Simpson". InStyle. 2009. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  21. ^ Johnson, James (October 7, 2012). "Melanie Lynskey Files For Divorce From Jimmi Simpson". Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  22. ^ "'Two & A Half Men' & 'Always Sunny' Stars – Nicest Divorce Ever". TMZ. May 23, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  23. ^ "Celebrity Weddings 2019: Jimmi Simpson and Sophia Del Pizzo". Us Weekly. April 15, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  24. ^ "'Westworld' Star Jimmi Simpson Files For Divorce From Wife Sophia Del Pizzo". The Blast. July 29, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  25. ^ Martinez, Vanessa (April 9, 2013). "'The Retrieval', 'God Loves Uganda' Win "Best" Jury Awards at Ashland Indie Film Festival". IndieWire. Retrieved July 14, 2018.

External links[]

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