Sam Rockwell | |
|---|---|
 Rockwell at the 2026 Berlinale | |
| Born | November 5, 1968 Daly City, California, U.S. |
| Education | William Esper Studio |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Partner | Leslie Bibb (2007–present) |
| Awards | Full list |
Samuel Rockwell[1][2] (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor known for his quirky and charismatic character roles in independent films. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing a troubled police officer in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017). He was nominated in the same category for playing George W. Bush in the political satire Vice (2018). His portrayal of Bob Fosse in the miniseries Fosse/Verdon (2019) earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, while his performance in the Broadway revival of American Buffalo (2022) garnered him a Tony nomination.
Rockwell's other films include The Green Mile (1999), Galaxy Quest (1999), Charlie's Angels (2000), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Matchstick Men (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), Moon (2009), Gentlemen Broncos (2009), The Winning Season (2009), Iron Man 2 (2010), Seven Psychopaths (2012), Jojo Rabbit (2019), The Bad Guys (2022), See How They Run (2022), and The Bad Guys 2 (2025). In 2025, he had a role in the third season of the HBO anthology series The White Lotus, for which he earned a second nomination for Primetime Emmy Award.
Early life and education
Rockwell was born November 5, 1968, in Daly City, California.[3][4] He is the only child of actors Pete Rockwell and Penny Hess. After their divorce when he was five, he was raised by his father in San Francisco and spent his summers with his mother in New York City.[5] At age 10, he made a brief stage appearance as Humphrey Bogart in an East Village improv comedy sketch with his mother.[6]
He started high school at the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts[7] with Margaret Cho and Aisha Tyler, but received his high school diploma from Urban Pioneers, an Outward Bound-style alternative school. Rockwell explained, "I just wanted to get stoned, flirt with girls, go to parties." The school "had a reputation as a place stoners went because it was easy to graduate."[8] The school helped him regain an interest in performing. After appearing in an independent film during his senior year, he moved to New York to pursue an acting career.[9] He later enrolled in the Professional Actor Training Program at the William Esper Studio in New York.[10]
Career
Early films
After his debut role in the controversial horror film Clownhouse in 1989, which he filmed while living in San Francisco, he moved to New York and trained at the William Esper Studios with teacher William Esper.[11] Rockwell went on to say: "It was great. We shot at Coppola's house. I didn't know anything about acting ... It was fun."[12] His career slowly gained momentum in the early 1990s, when he alternated between small-screen guest spots in TV series like The Equalizer, NYPD Blue and Law & Order and small roles in films such as Last Exit to Brooklyn and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He also appeared as the title character in The Search for One-eye Jimmy (1994). During this time, Rockwell worked in restaurants as a busboy and delivered burritos by bicycle.[13] At one point, Rockwell worked as a private detective's assistant. "I tailed a chick who was having an affair and took pictures of her at this motel", he told Rolling Stone in 2002. "It was pretty sleazy." A well-paying Miller commercial in 1994 finally allowed him to pursue acting full-time.
The turning point in Rockwell's career was Tom DiCillo's film Box of Moonlight (1996), in which he played an eccentric man-child who dresses like Davy Crockett and lives in an isolated mobile home. The ensuing acclaim put him front and center with casting agents and newfound fans alike, with Rockwell himself acknowledging that "That film was definitely a turning point ... I was sort of put on some independent film map after 10 years in New York."[9] Rockwell later elaborated: "People saw it at Sundance and it got me a lot of attention ... It led to Lawn Dogs, and Safe Men, and Jerry and Tom."[12]
He then received strong reviews for the film Lawn Dogs (1997), where he played a working-class lawn mower who befriends a wealthy 10-year-old girl (Mischa Barton) in an upper-class gated community in Kentucky; Rockwell's performance won him Best Actor honors at both the Montreal World Film Festival and the Catalan International Film Festival. In 1999, Rockwell played the deranged prisoner William "Wild Bill" Wharton in the Stephen King prison drama The Green Mile. At the time of the film's shooting, Rockwell explained why he was attracted to playing such unlikable characters. He said, "I like that dark stuff. I think heroes should be flawed. There's a bit of self-loathing in there, and a bit of anger ... But after this, I've really got to play some lawyers, or a British aristocrat, or they'll put a label on me."[5]
Hollywood recognition
After appearances as a bumbling actor in the science fiction parody Galaxy Quest (1999). Rockwell went on to say: "Who doesn't love that fucking movie, right?" [12] He also played Francis Flute in the Shakespeare adaptation A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), and gregarious villain Eric Knox in Charlie's Angels (2000), Rockwell won the then-biggest leading role of his career as The Gong Show host Chuck Barris in George Clooney's directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002). Rockwell's performance was well-received, and the film earned generally positive reviews. "That is a great movie. George (Clooney) really taught me to be simple and not like put too much in there."[12]
Rockwell also received positive notices for his role opposite Nicolas Cage in Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men (2003), with Entertainment Weekly calling him "destined by a kind of excessive interestingness to forever be a colorful sidekick."[14] Rockwell went on to say: "Matchstick Men was really fun. Had a lot of fun with Nic (Cage). Alison Lohman, incredible. Bruce McGill. Ridley Scott ... He's really cool ... He let us really go ... he let us fuck around with that. (Producers) would never make that movie for that amount of money now (in 2026). We had nice trailers and we got paid."[12] He received somewhat more mixed reviews as Zaphod Beeblebrox in the film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005). About the film, Rockwell said: "Not fun really... it's all the kind of stuff Jim Carrey and Eddie Murphy did very well... Those puppets were phenomenal and the sets were incredible."[12] He then had a notable supporting role as Charley Ford, brother of Casey Affleck's character Robert Ford, in the well-received drama The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), in which Brad Pitt played the lead role of Jesse James. About taking on the role, Rockwell revealed: "I didn't want to do that movie initially but then I was glad I did it because it was such a great movie."[12] According to an interview on The Howard Stern Show, director Jon Favreau considered casting him as the titular character in Iron Man as the studio was initially hesitant to work with Robert Downey Jr., who had been considered for his role in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Rockwell eventually appeared in Iron Man 2, released in 2010, as Tony Stark's rival weapons developer, Justin Hammer.
In addition to big-budget feature films, Rockwell has also appeared in indie films such as The F Word and played a randy, Halloween-costume-clad Batman in a short, Robin's Big Date, opposite Justin Long as Robin. He also starred in the film Snow Angels (2008) opposite Kate Beckinsale. Rockwell said about the movie: "That's a good one ... I think David allowed me to do what I wanted to do ... David Gordon Green and I created this character together based on this book. It was a dark story and there was this documentary that Brad Pitt gave me about these born again Christians who blow up abortion clinics ... that was very helpful, watching that. It was a really cool movie to do."[12] He has worked on several occasions with the comedy troupe Stella (Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter and David Wain), making cameo appearances in their short films and eponymous TV series.
Rockwell played Victor Mancini in the film Choke (2008), based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk. Critic Roger Ebert said of his performance that he "seems to have become the latter-day version of Christopher Walken – not all the time, but when you need him, he's your go-to guy for weirdness."[15]
In 2007, Rockwell guest-starred in the web series Casted: The Continuing Chronicles of Derek Riffchyn, Greatest Casting Director in the World. Ever. He appears opposite Jonathan Togo as Derek and Justin Long as Scott. Rockwell plays an aspiring young actor named Pete Sampras.[16] In 2009, he starred in the critically acclaimed science fiction film Moon, directed by Duncan Jones. His performance as a lonely astronaut on a long-term solo mission to the Moon was widely praised, with some critics calling for an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination.[17] Rockwell went on to say about playing the dual roles: "The trick of (playing opposite yourself) is you can be your own director and have control over the scene because you're playing both parts ... That's a trick I've seen done well a couple of times ... Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers, I watched that quite a bit and I watched Midnight Cowboys."[12] On May 3, 2010, it was announced that Rockwell would team up again with Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau for Favreau's adaptation of the graphic novel Cowboys & Aliens. He played a bar owner named Doc who joins in the pursuit of the aliens.[18]
Rockwell also had key roles in Martin McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths (2012),[19] and Nat Faxon and Jim Rash's The Way, Way Back (2013).[20] For his performance in The Way, Way Back, some critics felt he again deserved an Academy Award nomination.[21][22] He went on to say: "Oh man, I love that movie. That's a fun movie. We were ab-libbing. That's essentially Bill Murray in Meatballs - I mean, that's the character."[12]
In January 2014, it was announced that Rockwell was cast in The Eel, in which he played an escaped convict. The film was produced by Kevin Walsh, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, marking Rockwell's second collaboration with all three.[23] Additionally, in 2015 Rockwell starred in two films, remake of Poltergeist and Mr. Right. Mr. Right is about an ex-CIA agent turned hitman who gained a conscience and turned the tables on those that hired him as a hitman. He was also brutally honest with his girlfriend, portrayed by Anna Kendrick, on what he does. She then turns herself into a hitwoman. On May 3, 2016, it was announced that Rockwell would voice Mortimer Ramsey in the action video game Dishonored 2. Rockwell was cast along with other Marvel Cinematic Universe actors.[24]
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Rockwell re-teamed with McDonagh for the 2017 film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. His performance as a racist, bullying police officer Jason Dixon won several accolades, including his first Academy Award, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture,[25] two Screen Actors Guild Awards and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.[26][27][28][29] In August 2017, Rockwell was cast to play George W. Bush in Adam McKay's Vice, a biopic of Dick Cheney; he received his second nomination for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award as a result.[30][31][32] Rockwell was cast as Bob Fosse with Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon in the 2019 miniseries Fosse/Verdon, for which he received critical acclaim and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.[33] That same year, Rockwell appeared in two acclaimed films, Richard Jewell and Jojo Rabbit. In 2020, he had a voice role in DreamWorks Animation's Trolls World Tour, also serving as a performer on the film's soundtrack; and also voiced Ivan the gorilla in the 2020 Disney+ film The One and Only Ivan.[34] Rockwell also provided the voice of the main character Mr. Wolf in another DreamWorks Animation film, 2022's The Bad Guys,[35] and reprised the role in the 2025 sequel The Bad Guys 2. In 2025, Rockwell appeared as a guest star in the third season of The White Lotus, drawing praise for his lengthy monologue in the fifth episode.[36]
Theatre
Since 1992, Rockwell has been a member of the New York–based LAByrinth Theater Company, where John Ortiz is a co-artistic director. In 2005, Philip Seymour Hoffman directed him in Stephen Adly Guirgis' hit play The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Rockwell workshopped a LAByrinth production, North of Mason-Dixon, which debuted in London in 2007 and then premiered in New York later the same year. Other plays in which Rockwell has performed include: Dumb Waiter (2001), Zoo Story (2001), The Hot L Baltimore (2000), Goosepimples (1998), Love and Human Remains, Face Divided, Orphans, Den of Thieves, Dessert at Waffle House, The Largest Elizabeth in the World, and A Behanding in Spokane.
In 2022, he returned to the Broadway stage in a revival of David Mamet's American Buffalo alongside Laurence Fishburne and Darren Criss. For his performance in the play, Rockwell received his first nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.
Personal life
Rockwell has never been married, and said in a 2007 interview, "I definitely don't want to become a parent. It's not my bag."[37] He has been in a long-term relationship with actress Leslie Bibb since 2007. They met in Los Angeles while he was filming Frost/Nixon.[38] Rockwell and Bibb appeared together in Iron Man 2, Don Verdean, and The White Lotus.[39][40]
In 2013, Rockwell contracted Lyme disease and was briefly hospitalized.[41]
Awards and nominations
His performance as a troubled police officer in the crime drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, a Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2018, his portrayal of George W. Bush in the biopic Vice earned him his second Academy Award nomination in the same category.
References
- ^ "SAM ROCKWELL: "IT'S JUST BEING THERE FOR THE FIRST TIME"". Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- ^ Mike Rose, cleveland com (November 5, 2023). "Famous birthdays list for November 5, 2023 includes celebrities Sam Rockwell, Famke Janssen". cleveland. Archived from the original on April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ Barney, Chuck (March 4, 2018). "Oscars 2018: Bay Area's Sam Rockwell wins best supporting actor". The Mercury News. San Jose, California.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Neal, Rome (January 22, 2003). "Sam Rockwell's 'Confessions'". CBS News.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b Winters, Laura (September 13, 1998). "Sam Rockwell; One-Man Gallery of Rogues, Crooks and Oddballs". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 18, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2008.
- ^ Spencer, Miranda (January 2003). "Sam Rockwell". Biography.
- ^ Nguyen, Chris (March 2, 2018). "Sam Rockwell's alma mater in San Francisco hoping for Oscar glory". KGO-TV. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- ^ "Today's Buzz Stories: Rockwell turned around". CNN. December 23, 2002. Archived from the original on July 20, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2007.
- ^ a b Weinraub, Bernard (January 23, 1998). "AT THE MOVIES; Looking Back At 2 Classics". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
- ^ "Why Meisner? Ask Sam Rockwell and learn why it's "Meisner acting all the way."". Terry Knickerbocker Studio. December 28, 2015. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
- ^ Adams, Johnny. "Sam Rockwell". The Talks. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Sam Rockwell answers one question for (almost) every film he's done GQ February 2026 interview
- ^ Stern, Marlow (July 11, 2017). "Sam Rockwell on 'The Way, Way Back,' His Troubled Youth & More". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Schwarzbaum, Lisa (September 10, 2003). "Movie Review: Matchstick Men". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 8, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2007.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (September 25, 2008). "Sex addict seeks Heimlich maneuver". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2021 – via RogerEbert.com.
- ^ Casted: Episode 2 – Enter The Sampras! (with Sam Rockwell) on YouTube
- ^ "Moon". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 22, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
- ^ Flores, Ramses (May 5, 2010). "Sam Rockwell cast in COWBOYS & ALIENS". Collider. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "Martin McDonagh Helms 'Seven Psychopaths', Colin Farrell among all-star cast". Irish Film and Television Network. May 12, 2011. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
- ^ Mele, Rick (July 5, 2013). "Sam Rockwell in 'The Way, Way Back': Will It Be His Breakout Role?". Moviefone. Archived from the original on February 11, 2015. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
- ^ Seibert, Perry. "The Way Way Back Review". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ "The Way Way Back - Movie Review". Movieline. July 8, 2013. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 17, 2014). "Sundance: 'Laggies' Sam Rockwell Sets 'The Eel' To Reunite With 'Way Way Back' Gang". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 20, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ Bertz, Matt (May 3, 2016). "Dishonored 2 Taps Vocal Talent From Game Of Thrones, Daredevil, And The Wire". Game Informer. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
- ^ Lawrence, Derek (January 7, 2018). "Sam Rockwell wins best supporting actor at Golden Globes". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Sam Rockwell". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "The 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Archived from the original on January 5, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- ^ "Film - Supporting Actor in 2018". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ "THE 90TH ACADEMY AWARDS - 2018". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
- ^ Kit, Borys (August 31, 2017). "Sam Rockwell to Play George W. Bush in Adam McKay's Dick Cheney Biopic (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
- ^ "Sam Rockwell". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ "Film - Supporting Actor in 2019". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ Mazziotta, Julie (April 9, 2019). "Michelle Williams and Sam Rockwell Would Dream of Friday Cheat Meals While Filming Fosse/Verdon". People. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (August 19, 2020). "'The One and Only Ivan' Review: Sam Rockwell and Angelina Jolie Voice a Touching Animal Fable From Disney Plus". Variety. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
- ^ Scheck, Frank (April 21, 2022). "Sam Rockwell and Awkwafina in 'The Bad Guys': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ Abramovitch, Seth (March 28, 2025). "How That 'White Lotus' Monologue Came Together: Sam Rockwell, His Acting Coach and a Leap of Faith". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
- ^ Iley, Chrissy (November 11, 2007). "It's scary in here..." Film. The Observer. London. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ Lutkin, Aimée (April 2, 2024). "Leslie Bibb and Sam Rockwell's Complete Relationship Timeline". Elle. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Shone, Tom (December 3, 2012). "Sam Rockwell: Hollywood's odd man out". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
- ^ Brody, Richard (December 17, 2015). "Jared Hess's Bitter Religious Satire, "Don Verdean"". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ Sam Rockwell answers one question for (almost) every film he's done GQ February 2026 interview
External links
- Sam Rockwell at IMDb
- Sam Rockwell at the Internet Broadway Database
- Sam Rockwell at the Internet Off-Broadway Database (archived)
- Sam Rockwell at the TCM Movie Database
- Sam Rockwell Interview Archived November 13, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1968 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- American male video game actors
- American male voice actors
- Best Supporting Actor AACTA International Award winners
- Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners
- Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Award winners
- Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners
- Best Supporting Male Independent Spirit Award winners
- Male actors from San Francisco
- Male actors from San Mateo County, California
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- People from Daly City, California
- Silver Bear for Best Actor winners
- William Esper Studio alumni
- Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts alumni
