Finn Wittrock

Peter L. "Finn" Wittrock Jr. (born October 28, 1984) is an American actor, known for his collaborations with television producer Ryan Murphy. He began his career in guest roles on several television shows, while making his film debut in 2004's Halloweentown High and later returning to films in 2010's Twelve. After studying theater at The Juilliard School, he was a regular in the soap opera All My Children from 2009 to 2011, while performing in several theatrical productions. In 2011, he performed in playwright Tony Kushner's Off-Broadway play The Illusion and made his Broadway debut in 2012 as Happy Loman in the revival of Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman, directed by Mike Nichols.

In 2014, he gained recognition for his roles in the films The Normal Heart (his first collaboration with Murphy), Noah, and Unbroken, and garnered a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his role as Dandy Mott in the FX series American Horror Story: Freak Show. In 2015, he portrayed model Tristan Duffy and actor Rudolph Valentino in American Horror Story: Hotel, and starred in the ensemble cast of Adam McKay's The Big Short. In 2016, Wittrock guest starred as Jether Polk in American Horror Story: Roanoke, and played Greg in Damien Chazelle's La La Land. In 2018, he portrayed murder victim Jeffrey Trail in the FX crime drama series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story for which he received a second Emmy nomination. In his seventh collaboration with Ryan Murphy, Wittrock played murderer Edmund Tolleson in the Netflix series Ratched (2020).

Early life Wittrock was born in Lenox, Massachusetts, the son of Kate Claire Crowley, a professor of occupational therapy at the University of Southern California, and Peter L. Wittrock, an actor. He has a younger brother, Dylan. As a child, he grew up at the Shakespeare & Company theatre, where his father worked, and would often act as a pageboy or messenger. As a teenager, he attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where he would act, make films and be a part of movement classes for actors. In 2003, Wittrock was named a U.S Presidential Scholar in the Arts as part of the Presidential Scholars program. He is also a YoungArts alumnus. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2008.

Career

At the end of high school, Wittrock appeared in guest stints on the police procedural series Cold Case and medical drama ER. He also made an appearance on CSI: Miami and in the Disney Channel Original Movie Halloweentown High (2004) during his time at drama school. After graduating from Juilliard, he portrayed Romeo in Washington, D.C.'s regional theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre Company's production of Romeo and Juliet, as well as playing the role of Eugene Marchbanks in the 2008 production of Candida at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. He later portrayed Damon Miller in the long-running series All My Children from 2009 to 2011, portrayed Troilus in the 2009 Off-Broadway play The Age of Iron, and appeared in the teen drama film Twelve (2010).

In 2011, Wittrock starred in the Off-Broadway play The Illusion by famous playwright Tony Kushner. Director Mike Nichols came to see the play and later told Wittrock to audition for producer Scott Rudin for their upcoming revival of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. and Wittrock won a Theatre World Award and the Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Male Performer. Later that year, he starred in a production of The Blue Deep at the Williamstown Theatre Festival directed by Bob Balaban. He also appeared on series such as Harry's Law, Criminal Minds and played the role of gigolo Chance Wayne in the David Cromer-directed production of Tennessee Williams' play Sweet Bird of Youth at The Goodman Theatre

In 2013, he starred in the play adaptation of the film The Guardsman at The Kennedy Center, directed by Gregory Mosher. He also guest-starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and on several episodes of the series Masters of Sex.

In 2014, Wittrock first collaborated with director Ryan Murphy in the HBO television film The Normal Heart, based on the play of the same name. He also appeared in the films Winter's Tale and director Darren Aronofsky's Noah, playing a young Tubal-cain. He next collaborated with Murphy playing the integral part of the wealthy Dandy Mott on American Horror Story: Freak Show, the fourth season of the FX anthology series American Horror Story for which he was a series regular. For his performance, Wittrock received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie. Wittrock rounded out 2014 by starring as World War II Air Force bombardier Francis "Mac" McNamara in Angelina Jolie's biographical war drama film Unbroken, which revolves around the life of USA Olympian and athlete Louis "Louie" Zamperini. Also in 2015, he co-starred in Adam McKay's drama film The Big Short. In 2016, Wittrock had a small role in the musical La La Land, directed by Damien Chazelle, and released in December. He co-stars as Cassio alongside Daniel Craig and David Oyelowo in the Sam Gold-directed production of William Shakespeare's Othello, which started its run on December 12 at the New York Theatre Workshop.

In 2017, Wittrock returned to Broadway, in the Sam Gold-directed production of Tennessee Williams' play The Glass Menagerie, opposite Sally Field and Joe Mantello. The play opened on March 23, 2017 and closed on July 2, 2017. That year, Wittrock also appeared in Gillian Robespierre's comedy film Landline. In 2018, he briefly played actor Tim Matheson in David Wain's comedy A Futile and Stupid Gesture.

In August 2018, he starred with Kristen Stewart in the music video for Indie band Interpol's music video for "If You Really Love Nothing".

Wittrock co-starred as Judy Garland's fifth and final husband Mickey Deans in the biopic Judy (2019), directed by Rupert Goold. In January 2019, it was announced that Wittrock will star in the upcoming Netflix drama series Ratched, as well as appearing in one episode of American Horror Story: 1984.

In April 2021, Wittrock had officially been cast as Guy Gardner for the HBO Max live action television series based on Green Lantern. In July 2022, the series was confirmed to have been undergoing rewrites, and the start of production had been delayed. In an interview, Wittrock claimed that the series was still in production. In January 2023 the DC Studios co-president James Gunn, announced a new slate of projects that would serve as a reboot of the DC Extended Universe. Among these projects was a Green Lantern series titled Lanterns. This series was going to be focused on the Hal Jordan version of Green Lantern. It was unknown at the time whether or not Wittrock was still involved. It was speculated that the majority of actors involved in the DCEU would be recast, and that all prior plans for DC in film or TV had been cancelled, leading to some backlash from fans. In July 2023 Gunn announced that he had chosen to cast frequent collaborator Nathan Fillion as the Guy Gardner character, effectively replacing Wittrock.

In 2024, Wittrock appeared in the autobiographical documentary Steve! (martin): a documentary in two pieces on Apple TV. In it, he plays Steve Martin's father, Glenn, in a skit based on Martin's play WASP.

Personal life On October 18, 2014, Wittrock married his longtime girlfriend and fellow Juilliard graduate, Sarah Roberts, in a private ceremony. In March 2019, the couple had a son, Jude.

Filmography Film Year Title RoleNotes 2002 Le Dernier Tour Tigo Short film 2010 Twelve Warren 2014 Winter's Tale Gabriel Noah Young Tubal-cain Unbroken Francis "Mac" McNamara 2015 My All American Freddie Steinmark The Submarine Kid Spencer Koll The Big Short Jamie Shipley 2016 La La Land Greg Earnest 2017 Landline Nate A Midsummer Night's Dream Demetrius 2018 A Futile and Stupid Gesture Tim Matheson Write When You Get Work Jonny Collins If Beale Street Could Talk Hayward 2019 Locating Silver Lake Seth Plus One Steve The Last Black Man in San Francisco Clayton Big Boy Pants Kyle Short film Judy Mickey Deans Semper Fi "Jaeger"2021 Long Weekend Bart A Mouthful of Air Ethan Davis 2022 Deep Water Tony Cameron Luckiest Girl Alive Luke Harrison 2023 Downtown Owl Coach Laidlaw Origin August Landmesser 2024 Don't Move Richard 2025 Westhampton Tom Bell 2026 All That She Wants Post-production Hershey Milton S. Hershey Post-production Trust the Man Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 2003 Cold Case Eric Whitley (1976) Episode: "Look Again" ER Thomas Yoder Episode: "Missing" 2004 CSI: Miami Chad Van Horn Episode: "Murder in a Flash" Halloweentown High Cody Trainer Television film 2009–2011 All My Children Damon Miller 112 episodes 2011 Torchwood: Miracle Day Danny Episode: "Rendition" 2012 Harry's Law Jimmy Cormack Episode: "New Kidney on the Block" Criminal Minds Harvey Morell Episode: "True Genius" 2013 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Cameron Tyler Episode: "Wonderland Story" Masters of Sex Dale 4 episodes 2014 The Normal Heart Albert Television film 2014–2015 American Horror Story: Freak Show Dandy Mott 12 episodes 2015 Deadbeat Max Episode: "The Polaroid Flasher" 2015–2016 American Horror Story: Hotel Tristan Duffy 6 episodes Rudolph Valentino 3 episodes 2016 American Horror Story: Roanoke Jether Polk 2 episodes 2018 The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Jeffrey Trail 4 episodes 2019 Alternatino with Arturo Castro Eddie Episode: "The Dreamer" American Horror Story: 1984 Bobby Richter Episode: "Final Girl" 2020 Cake Himself Episode: "Forbidden Love" Ratched Edmund Tolleson Main role 2021 American Horror Story: Double Feature Harry Gardner 6 episodes 2024 Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces Glenn Martin Episode: "Now"

Stage Year Title Role Notes 2008 Candida Eugene Marchbanks Berkshire Theatre FestivalRomeo and Juliet Romeo Montague Shakespeare Theatre Company 2009 The Age of Iron Troilus Classic Stage Company 2011 The Illusion Calisto / Clindor / Theogenes Signature Theatre Company 2012 Death of a Salesman Harold "Happy" Loman Ethel Barrymore TheatreThe Blue Deep Jamie Williamstown Theatre FestivalSweet Bird of Youth Chance Wayne The Goodman Theatre 2013 The Guardsman The Actor The Kennedy Center 2016 Othello Michael Cassio New York Theatre Workshop 2017 The Glass Menagerie Jim O'Connor Belasco Theatre 2022 2:22 Sam Ahmanson Theatre

Music videos +YearArtistTitleRoleRef.2025Ava MaxLost Your FaithMale lead

Awards and nominations Organizations Year Category Work Result Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2016 Best Acting Ensemble The Big Short Critics' Choice Super Awards 2021 Best Villain in a Series Ratched Critics' Choice Television Awards 2015 Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries American Horror Story: Freak Show 2019 The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Clarence Derwent Awards 2012 Most Promising Male Performer Death of a Salesman Dorian Awards 2015 We're Wilde About You Rising Star Award Himself Fangoria Chainsaw Awards 2015 Favorite Supporting Actor on Television American Horror Story: Freak Show National Board of Review Awards 2015 Best Ensemble The Big Short Primetime Emmy Awards 2015 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie American Horror Story: Freak Show 2018 The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Satellite Awards 2019 Best Cast – Television Series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Screen Actors Guild Awards 2016 Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture The Big Short Theatre World Awards 2012 Theatre World Award Death of a Salesman Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 2015 Best Ensemble The Big Short