Richard Jenkins

Richard Dale Jenkins (born May 4, 1947) is an American actor. He began his career in theater at the Trinity Repertory Company and made his film debut in 1974. He has worked steadily in film and television since the 1980s, mostly in supporting roles.

His body of work includes such films as The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Little Nikita (1988), Flirting with Disaster (1996), Snow Falling on Cedars (1999), The Mudge Boy (2003), Cheaper By The Dozen (2003), Burn After Reading (2008), Step Brothers (2008), Let Me In (2010), Jack Reacher (2012), The Cabin in the Woods (2012), White House Down (2013), Bone Tomahawk (2015), The Last Shift (2020), The Humans (2021), and Nightmare Alley (2021). On television, he played Nathaniel Fisher in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2001–2005).

Jenkins received nominations for the Academy Award, Spirit Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor for the drama film The Visitor (2007). He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for the limited drama series Olive Kitteridge (2014). For his performance in the fantasy drama film The Shape of Water (2017), he was nominated for the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor. The Netflix miniseries Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) garnered him both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor, and an additional Emmy nomination for producing the series.

Early life and education Jenkins was born and raised in DeKalb, Illinois. His mother, Mary Elizabeth (née Wheeler), was a housewife, and his father, Dale Stevens Jenkins, was a dentist. He attended DeKalb High School. Before he became a professional actor, Jenkins drove a linen truck; his boss was the father of actor John C. Reilly. He earned a degree in drama from Illinois Wesleyan University before relocating to Rhode Island.

Career

Theatre Jenkins worked with the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island, while breaking into film with a bit part in Feasting with Panthers (1974), a television film about Oscar Wilde. When he was given the option of joining the Screen Actors Guild, he accepted immediately. He continued as a member of Trinity's resident acting company and served as its artistic director from 1990 to 1994.

Film Since his debut in the television movie Feasting with Panthers (1974), Jenkins has worked steadily in film. His earlier film credits include Silverado (1985), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Sea of Love (1989), Blue Steel (1990), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Flirting with Disaster (1996), and Snow Falling On Cedars (1999).

He has worked with the director siblings the Farrelly brothers in There's Something About Mary (1998), Outside Providence (1999), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Say It Isn't So (2001) and Hall Pass (2011). He has also appeared in three Coen Brothers movies: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), and Burn After Reading (2008). He is in North Country (2005), has three memorable scenes as FBI Director James (Robert) Grace in The Kingdom (2007), and Dr. Robert Dobeck in Step Brothers (2008).

Although primarily known for supporting parts, Jenkins had a lead role in The Visitor (2007) for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award and an Academy Award for Best Actor. Jenkins won the International Press Academy's Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture.

In 2010, Jenkins costarred in Dear John, as the father of John Tyree (Channing Tatum), and also co-starred with Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem in Eat Pray Love. In 2012, he appeared in the Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard horror film The Cabin in the Woods and the action film Jack Reacher. He then appeared in the action films White House Down (2013) and Kong: Skull Island (2017).

Jenkins co-starred in Guillermo del Toro's fantasy romance drama film The Shape of Water (2017), for which he received critical acclaim. For his performance, he garnered Academy Award, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor.

Television Jenkins played Nathaniel Fisher in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under. His character is the deceased patriarch of the Fisher family and regularly appears to his family as a ghost or in dreams. He played the role for the show's entire run. He and his castmates received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2002.

Jenkins portrayed a DEA agent in one episode of Miami Vice and a mob boss in a later episode.

In 2015, Jenkins won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his performance as Henry Kitteridge in the HBO miniseries Olive Kitteridge.

In 2022, Jenkins portrayed Lionel Dahmer, father of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, in Netflix's limited series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Starring alongside Evan Peters and Molly Ringwald, Jenkins appears in all ten episodes of the series created by Ryan Murphy. His performance was described in The New Yorker as "brilliant," and he was nominated for the 2023 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie.

Personal life Jenkins is married to choreographer Sharon R. Friedrick, with whom he has two children.

Acting credits Film Year Title Role Director Notes 1985 Silverado Kelly Lawrence Kasdan 1986 Hannah and Her Sisters Dr. Wilkes Woody Allen The Manhattan Project Radiation Controls Officer, Medatomics Lab Marshall Brickman On Valentine's Day Bobby Pate Ken Harrison 1987 Rachel River Cordell Sandy Smolan The Witches of Eastwick Clyde Alden George Miller Courtship Bobby Pate Howard Cummings 1988 Little Nikita Richard Grant Richard Benjamin Stealing Home Hank Chandler Steven Kampmann & William Porter 1989 Sea of Love Detective Gruber Harold Becker Blaze Picayune Ron Shelton How I Got into College Bill Browne Savage Steve Holland 1990 Blue Steel Attorney Mel Dawson Kathryn Bigelow 1993 Undercover Blues Frank Herbert Ross 1994 It Could Happen to You C. Vernon Hale Andrew Bergman Trapped in Paradise Agent Shaddus Peyser George Gallo Wolf Detective Bridger Mike Nichols 1995 How to Make an American Quilt Howell Saunders Jocelyn Moorhouse The Indian in the Cupboard Victor Frank Oz 1996 Flirting with Disaster Paul Harmon David O. Russell A Couch in New York Campton Chantal Akerman Eddie Carl Zimmer Steve Rash 1997 Eye of God Willard Sprague Tim Blake Nelson Absolute Power Michael McCarty Clint Eastwood 1998 There's Something About Mary Psychiatrist Peter & Bobby Farrelly Uncredited cameo The Impostors Johnny Leguard Stanley Tucci 1999 Random Hearts Truman Trainor Sydney Pollack Snow Falling on Cedars Sheriff Art Moran Scott Hicks Det. Bob Mothershed Scott Silver Outside Providence Barney Michael Corrente Cass O'Donnell David Hugh Jones 2000 What Planet Are You From? Don Fisk Mike Nichols Me, Myself & Irene Agent Boshane Peter & Bobby Farrelly 2001 Say It Isn't So Walter Wingfield J.B. Rogers Walter Abundas Joel & Ethan Coen One Night at McCool's Father Jimmy Harald Zwart 2002 Stealing Harvard Honorable Emmett Cook Bruce McCulloch Changing Lanes Walter Arnell Roger Michell 2003 Cheaper by the Dozen Shake McGuire Shawn Levy Intolerable Cruelty Freddy Bender Joel & Ethan Coen General Thomas Purcell Jon Amiel Edgar Mudge Michael Burke 2004 Shall We Dance? Devine Peter Chelsom I Heart Huckabees Mr. Hooten David O. Russell Uncredited cameo 2005 Fun with Dick and Jane Frank Bascombe Dean Parisot Rumor Has It… Earl Huttinger Rob Reiner North Country Hank Aimes Niki Caro 2007 FBI Director Robert Grace Peter Berg 2008 Professor Walter Vale Tom McCarthy John McVey Sean Ellis Step Brothers Dr. Robert Doback Adam McKay Burn After Reading Ted Treffon Joel & Ethan Coen Principal Sam Fell & Robert Stevenhagen Voice 2009 Waiting for Forever Richard Twist James Keach 2010 happythankyoumoreplease Paul Gertmanian Josh Radnor Dear John Bill Tyree Lasse Hallström Eat Pray Love Richard Fenwick Ryan Murphy Norman Doug Long Jonathan Segal Let Me In The Father Matt Reeves 2011 Friends with Benefits Mr. Harper Will Gluck Edward J. Lotterman Bruce Robinson Hall Pass Coakley Peter & Bobby Farrelly 2012 Liberal Arts Professor Peter Hoberg Josh Radnor Darling Companion Russell Lawrence Kasdan Gary Sitterson Drew Goddard Killing Them Softly Ron Fenwick, The Driver Andrew Dominik Jack Reacher District Attorney Alex Rodin Christopher McQuarrie The Company You Keep Jed Lewis Robert Redford 2013 White House Down Speaker Eli Raphelson Roland Emmerich Turbo Bobby David Soren Voice A.C.O.D. Hugh Stu Zicherman 2014 God's Pocket Richard Shelburn John Slattery 4 Minute Mile Coach Coleman Charles-Olivier Michaud Lullaby Robert Andrew Levitas 2015 Bone Tomahawk Deputy Chicory S. Craig Zahler Spotlight Richard Sipe Tom McCarthy Uncredited voice cameo 2016 The Hollars Don Hollar John Krasinski LBJ Senator Richard Russell Rob Reiner 2017 Kong: Skull Island Senator Al Willis Jordan Vogt-Roberts The Shape of Water Giles Guillermo del Toro 2020 Kajillionaire Robert Shepard Miranda July The Last Shift Stanley Andrew Cohn 2021 The Humans Erik Blake Stephen Karam Nightmare Alley Ezra Grindle Guillermo del Toro 2024 IF Art Teacher John Krasinski Voice

Television Year Title Role Notes 1974–1975 Great Performances Warder / The Sheriff 2 episodes 1984 American Playhouse Nicholas Vazzana Episode: "Concealed Enemies, Part I: Suspicion" 1985 Spenser: For Hire 'Tex' Episode: "Internal Affairs" 1985–1989 Miami Vice Goodman / DEA Agent Ed Waters 2 episodes 1986 The Little Sister Roger Davis Television film 1988 In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders Detective Hamill 1989 Out on the Edge Paul Evetts Kojak: Fatal Flaw Joel Litkin 1990 Challenger Gregory Jarvis Rising Son Tommy When You Remember Me Vaughan Against the Law Wexford 3 episodes Descending Angel Debaudt Television film 1991 Doublecrossed Jim Donaldson 1992 Afterburn Acton Ryder Crossroads Jim Mundy Episode: "Pilot" 1993 Alex Haley's Queen Mr. Benson 2 episodes And the Band Played On Dr. Marc Conant Television film 1996 The Boys Next Door Bob Klemper 1997 Into Thin Air: Death on Everest Beck Weathers 2001 Ally McBeal Mr. Bo Episode: "Mr. Bo" 2001–2005 Six Feet Under Nathaniel Fisher 21 episodes 2002 Sins of the Father Bobby Frank Cherry Television film 2014 Olive Kitteridge Henry KitteridgeMain role; Limited Series 2016–2019 Berlin Station Steven Frost 24 episodes 2017 Comrade Detective Vlad Anghel (voice) Episode: "No Exit" 2022 Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Lionel Dahmer Main role and producer; Limited Series 2026 DTF St. Louis Donoghue Homer Limited SeriesTBACriminal Ivan Main role; Limited Series

Awards and honors

In 2014, Jenkins and his wife Sharon received the Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement from Trinity Repertory Company in Providence.