Brad Dourif

Bradford Claude Dourif born March 18, 1950)

His paternal grandparents emigrated from France, and his paternal grandfather co-founded the Standard Ultramarine and Color Company in Huntington. After Dourif's father died in 1953, his mother married champion golfer William C. Campbell, who helped raise Dourif and his five siblings (four sisters and one brother). From 1963 to 1965, Dourif attended the private Aiken Preparatory School in Aiken, South Carolina. There, he pursued his interests in art and acting. Although he briefly considered becoming a flower arranger, he was eventually inspired to become an actor by his mother's participation as an actress in a community theater called Give Me Shelter.

After Aiken, he attended Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, graduating in 1968. Dourif appeared as an amateur at the Fountain Valley Film Festival in 1969, taking second place in the 8 mm film category with his 10-minute entry "Blind Date." Dourif attended Marshall University for a time, before quitting college and moving to New York City to study acting on the advice of actress Conchata Ferrell.

Career Stage Starting in school productions, Dourif progressed to community theater, joining up with the Huntington Community Players while attending Marshall University. In New York City, he studied with Sanford Meisner, and worked with Marshall Mason and Lanford Wilson at the Circle Repertory Company. During the early 1970s, Dourif appeared in a number of plays, off-Broadway and at Woodstock, New York, including The Ghost Sonata, The Doctor in Spite of Himself, and When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?, in which he was spotted by director Miloš Forman He explained, in a filmed interview released by the producers, why he broke his 29-year hiatus from acting in live theater: "I hated the stage, did not want to do it. And then somebody said, 'Will you do a play? It's with Amanda Plummer', and I said, 'Oh shit! No. Oh God, I'm gonna have to do this...'". It opened on June 19, 2013, and closed on September 29, 2013. The play was subject to a number of performance cancellations, one relating to Dourif's absence due to a death in the family. Plummer refused to perform without Dourif, notwithstanding the presence of an understudy.

Film

Dourif had a small role in the film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), but was omitted from the final cut of the film. His portrayal of the vulnerable Billy Bibbit in Cuckoo's Nest ended up being his big break, earning him a Golden Globe Award (Best Actor Debut) and a British Academy Award (Supporting Actor) as well as a nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Dourif returned to New York, where he continued in theater and taught acting and directing classes at Columbia University until 1988 (Don Mancini was among his students).

He continued with Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), John Huston's Wise Blood (1979), Forman's Ragtime (1981), Marc Didden's Istanbul (1985) and David Lynch's Dune (1984) and Blue Velvet (1986).

Dourif has appeared in a number of horror films, most notably as the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play franchise. He portrayed the Gemini Killer in The Exorcist III (1990) and appeared in Death Machine (1994), Sworn to Justice with Cynthia Rothrock and Alien Resurrection (1997). He later appeared as Sheriff Lee Brackett in Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009). In 2013, Dourif reprised his role as Chucky in the sixth installment of the Child's Play franchise, Curse of Chucky, and then again in the 2017 sequel, Cult of Chucky. His daughter, Fiona Dourif, also starred with him in both films.

Other notable film roles include Gríma Wormtongue in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and supporting roles in Fatal Beauty (1987), Mississippi Burning (1988), Hidden Agenda (1990), London Kills Me (1991) and Sinner (2007).

Dourif has worked with director Werner Herzog on many occasions, appearing in Scream of Stone (1991), The Wild Blue Yonder (2005), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), and My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (2009).

Television In 1984, Dourif played a suspected serial killer in the episode "Number Eight" of Tales of the Unexpected. In 1994, he appeared in The X-Files episode "Beyond the Sea" as the psychic serial killer Luther Lee Boggs. He also portrayed sociopath Lon Suder in a three episode story arc on Star Trek: Voyager and guest starred as a troubled monk haunted by visions in Babylon 5. Dourif later won acclaim as Doc Cochran in Deadwood, receiving a 2004 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

In 2011, he guest-starred in the third-season finale of Fringe and, in 2014, appeared in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "End of the Beginning".

In 2021, Dourif reprised his role as Chucky in the television series adaptation of the Child's Play franchise titled Chucky.

In 2025, he made a cameo on The Pitt as Neil McKay, the father of Dr. Cassie McKay, who is portrayed by his real life daughter Fiona Dourif.

Music In 2012, Dourif contributed spoken word vocals to three songs on the album Misery Together by the Norwegian duo Thinguma*jigSaw. Dourif also appears in the music videos for "Stranger in Town" (1984) by Toto and "Drinking from the Bottle" (2012) by Calvin Harris.

Semi-retirement On April 18, 2024, Dourif announced that he would be retiring from acting, with the exception of any Chucky-related projects involving the character. He made another exception for the HBO Max series The Pitt, with a cameo appearance playing the father of his daughter Fiona's character.

Personal life Dourif has been married twice; first to Janet Stephanie Charmatz, and then to Jonina Bernice Dourif, with whom he had a daughter, actress Fiona Dourif. He also has two stepdaughters.

Filmography Film Year TitleRole Notes 1975 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Billy Bibbit 1977 Group Portrait with a Lady Boris Koltowski 1978 Eyes of Laura Mars Tommy Ludlow 1979 Wise Blood Hazel Motes 1980 Heaven's Gate Mr. Eggleston 1981 Ragtime Younger Brother 1984 Dune Piter De Vries 1985 Istanbul Martin Klamski 1986 Blue Velvet Raymond Impure Thoughts Kevin Harrington 1987 Fatal Beauty Leo Nova 1988 Child's Play Charles Lee Ray / Chucky Mississippi Burning Deputy Clinton Pell 1989 Sonny Boy Weasel 1990 Child's Play 2 Chucky (voice) Grim Prairie Tales Farley Spontaneous Combustion Sam Horseplayer Bud Cowan Graveyard Shift Tucker Cleveland The Exorcist III James "Gemini" Venamun Hidden Agenda Paul Sullivan 1991 Murder Blues John Barnes Chaindance Johnny Reynolds Child's Play 3 Chucky (voice) Jungle Fever Leslie Body Parts Remo Lacey Scream of Stone Fingerless London Kills Me Hemingway 1992 Final Judgement Father Tyrone Critters 4 Al Bert 1993 Trauma Dr. Lloyd Amos & Andrew Officer Donnie Donaldson 1994 Color of Night Clark Death Machine Dante 1995 Murder in the First Byron Stamphill Phoenix Reiger 1996 Sworn to Justice Teddy A Step Toward Tomorrow Kirby 1997 Jamaica Beat Tom Peterson Nightwatch Duty Doctor Best Men John "Gonzo" Coleman Alien Resurrection Dr. Jonathan Gediman 1998 Brown's Requiem Edwards Senseless Dr. Wheedon Progeny Dr. Bert Clavell Urban Legend Michael McDonnell Uncredited Bride of Chucky Chucky (voice) 1999 The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man Gabriel Cypress Edge Colin McCammon Interceptors David M. Webber Silicon Towers Alton 2000 Shadow Hours Roland Montague The Prophecy 3: The Ascent Zealot 2001 The Ghost Lt. Garland Soulkeeper Mr. Pascal 2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Gríma Wormtongue 2003 The Box Stan Vlad Radescu The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Gríma Wormtongue Extended cut only 2004 Seed of Chucky Chucky (voice) The Devil's Due at Midnight The Dark One The Hazing Professor Kapps El Padrino Cyrus 2005 Drop Dead Sexy Herman The Wild Blue Yonder The Alien Man of Faith B. B. Gallen 2006 Pulse Thin Bookish Guy 2007 Sinner Caddie The List Johan Gabini The Wizard of Gore Dr. Chong Halloween Sheriff Leigh Brackett 2008 Touching Home Clyde Winston Humboldt County Jack 2009 Born of Earth Mayor Lock and Roll Forever Zee Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Ned Schoenholtz Halloween II Sheriff Leigh Brackett My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? Uncle Ted 2010 Chain Letter Mr. Smirker Junkyard Dog Sheriff Holk 2011 Fading of the Cries Mathias Priest Salesman Catch .44 Sheriff Connors Death and Cremation Stan 2012 Last Kind Words Wylon Black Box Tom 2013 Santa Monica Stan Short film Gingerclown Worm Creature (voice) Blood Shot Bob Curse of Chucky Charles Lee Ray / Chucky Malignant The Man 2014 The Control Group Dr. Broward 2015 Rosemont Abe 2017 Cult of Chucky Chucky (voice) Out to Lunch Man Short film Cut Off Diggs 2018 Wildling Daddy / Gabriel Hanson Ready Player One Chucky (voice) Archival audio 2019 Obsession George 2021 The Shuroo Process Dr. Feinstein 2022 The Living Vlad Short film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1976 The Mound Builders Chad Jasker Television film 1977 The Gardener's Son Robert McEvoy 1978 Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force Sgt. Leonard Matlovich 1979 Studs Lonigan Danny O'Neill 3 episodes 1980 Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones David Langtree Television film 1982 I, Desire Paul 1984 Tales of the Unexpected Hitchhiker Episode: "Number Eight" 1986 The Equalizer Fenn Episode: "Out of the Past" Spenser: For Hire Maxie Lyons Episode: "Rage" Rage of Angels Seymour Bourne Television film Vengeance: The Story of Tony Cimo Lamar Sands 1987 Moonlighting Father McDonovan Episode: "All Creatures Great...and Not So Great" The Hitchhiker Billy Baltimore Jr. Episode: "The Legendary Billy B." Miami Vice Joey Wyatt Episode: "Theresa" 1989 Murder, She Wrote Dr. Warren Overman Episode: "Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble" Desperado: The Outlaw Wars Camillus Fly Television film Terror on Highway 91 Keith Evans 1993 Wild Palms Chickie Levitt 3 episodes Tales from the Crypt Virgil Episode: "People Who Live in Brass Hearses" 1994 The X-Files Luther Lee Boggs Episode: "Beyond the Sea" A Worn Path Hunter Television film 1995 Babylon 5 Charles Dexter / Brother Edward Episode: "Passing Through Gethsemane" Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story Sheriff Bill Douglass Television film Escape to Witch Mountain Luther / Bruno 1996 Star Trek: Voyager Lon Suder 3 episodes Blackout Thomas Payne Television film If Looks Could Kill M. Eugene "Gene" Hanson 1997 Millennium Dennis Hoffman Episode: "Force Majeure" 1999 The Norm Show The Devil Episode: "Norm and Shelley" The Magnificent Seven Rupert Brauner Episode: "Chinatown" The Hunger Manno Episode: "Sin Seer" 2001–02 Ponderosa Maurice Deveraux 8 episodes 2004–06 Deadwood Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran Main cast 2008 Law & Order Dr. David Lingard Episode: "Called Home" 2010 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Dr. Iggy Drexel Episode: "Torch" 2011 Fringe Moreau Episode: "The Day We Died" Psych Bernie Bethel Episode: "Shawn, Interrupted" Miami Magma Jacob Capilla Television film 2012 Wilfred P.T. Episode: "Questions" Criminal Minds Adam Rain Episode: "The Lesson" Swamp Volcano Jacob Capilla Television film 2012–14 Once Upon a Time Zoso 2 episodes 2013 End of the World Dr. Walter Brown Television film 2014 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Thomas Nash Episode: "End of the Beginning" 2016 The Wilding David Stearns Television film 2019 Deadwood: The Movie Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran 2021–2024 Chucky Charles Lee Ray / Chucky Main cast 2025 The Pitt Neil McKay Episode: "8:00 P.M."

Theatre

Video games Year Title Role Note 2001 Myst III: Exile Saavedro 2002 Run Like Hell Fred Voice 2005 Gun Reverend Josiah Reed 2012 Dishonored Piero Joplin 2023 Dead by Daylight The Good Guy DLC, Voice

Awards and honors