Stephen Dorff

Early life Dorff was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Nancy and Steve Dorff, who is a composer and music producer. His father is Jewish, and his mother was Catholic, and Dorff has stated that he was "brought up half-Jewish." Dorff's brother Andrew (1976–2016) was a country music songwriter. He was raised in Los Angeles, where his father worked, and began acting as a child, appearing in commercials for Kraft and Mattel. Dorff attended several private schools.

Career

Dorff started acting in the late 1980s, landing a few minor roles before being cast as the star of The Gate (1987), a horror film about a boy who, along with a friend, discovers a hole in his back yard that is a gateway to hell. The film was a moderate box office success. He made guest appearances in television programs such as Diff'rent Strokes, Family Ties, Blossom, Roseanne, and Married... with Children. He appeared in the television movies In Love and War, I Know My First Name is Steven and What a Dummy. In 1990, he landed a leading role opposite Patty Duke in the TV movie Always Remember I Love You. In 1992, he starred in The Power of One opposite Sir John Gielgud, Morgan Freeman, and Daniel Craig. In 1993, director Marty Callner hired him to star alongside teen idol Alicia Silverstone in the music video Cryin' by American rock band Aerosmith. He had a leading role as the love interest of Reese Witherspoon's character in S.F.W. (1994). In 1994, Dorff starred in the Iain Softley film Backbeat as the "fifth Beatle" Stuart Sutcliffe during the early days of the Beatles' existence as a group. Dorff's performance was critically acclaimed, with Paul McCartney remarking that while he was disappointed with some aspects of the film, "I was quite taken, however, with Stephen Dorff's astonishing performance as Stu."

In 1996, he starred in the movie Space Truckers and as Candy Darling in I Shot Andy Warhol, a film about Valerie Solanas, the woman infamous for attempting to assassinate pop art icon Andy Warhol. In 1997 he appeared as the protagonist of Blood and Wine alongside an all-star cast. He was one of the first actors to act in the first digitally downloadable movie, SightSound.com's Quantum Project, also starring John Cleese. He played the protagonist, XIII, of a live action TV series of the comic/video game of XIII. He is known for his part as the evil vampire Deacon Frost in the Marvel Comics superhero horror film, Blade (1998). In 1999 he starred opposite Susan Sarandon in Earthly Possessions. He played Dale Massie in the 2003 thriller Cold Creek Manor, alongside Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone. In 2004, Dorff starred in the music video for "Everytime" by Britney Spears, playing Spears' boyfriend. He appeared in the 2009 films Public Enemies and Black Water Transit.

In 2010, he starred in the drama Somewhere opposite Elle Fanning, directed by Sofia Coppola. He described what landing the role meant to him after the loss of his mother as "It almost felt like a savior, this movie, because I felt like it helped me ... I was real empty inside so this was an incredible thing that made me smile."

Dorff appeared as porn star Dick Shadow in the sex industry comedy Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star, a film produced by Adam Sandler, who also co-wrote the screenplay. Dorff has appeared in television and print advertisements for blu eCigs, an electronic cigarette company. Dorff also starred in The Motel Life opposite Emile Hirsch, Dakota Fanning and Kris Kristofferson and in the crime drama film Officer Down. In 2013, he was a guest of honor on 6th Off Plus Camera In 2017, he played obsessed Texas Ranger Hal Hartman in the Texas Chain Saw Massacre prequel Leatherface. Dorff starred as Detective Roland West in Season 3 of HBO's series True Detective.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1987 Glen 1992 Peter Phillip "P.K." Kenneth-Keith (age 18) Rescue Me Fraser Sweeney 1993 George Betts Judgment Night John Wyatt 1994 Backbeat Stuart Sutcliffe S.F.W. Cliff Spab 1995 One Hundred and One Nights Un Acteur Muet à Hollywood Cameo Innocent Lies Jeremy Graves Reckless Tom Jr. 1996 I Shot Andy Warhol Candy Darling Blood and Wine Jason Space Truckers Mike Pucci 1997 City of Industry Skip Kovich 1998 Blade Deacon Frost 1999 Entropy Jake Walsh 2000 Quantum Project Paul Pentcho Short film Cecil B. Demented Sinclair / Cecil B. Demented 2002 Deuces Wild Leon Anthony Steal "Slim" FeardotCom Detective Mike Reilly 2003 Den of Lions Mike Varga Direct-to-video Cold Creek Manor Dale Massie 2005 Alone in the Dark Commander Richard Burke Tennis, Anyone...? T.C. Jackson Shadowboxer Clayton Mayfield 2006 World Trade Center Detective Scott Strauss .45 Reilly 2007 Botched Ritchie Donovan Luke 2008 Felon Wade Porter Direct-to-video; also executive producer 2009 Black Water Transit Nicky Unreleased Public Enemies Homer Van Meter 2010 Somewhere Johnny Marco 2011 Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star Dick Shadow Carjacked Roy Immortals Stavros 2012 Rites of Passage Professor Nash The Motel Life Jerry Lee Flannigan Brake Jeremy Reins Also executive producer Zaytoun Yoni Tomorrow You're Gone Charlie Rankin The Iceman Joseph Kuklinski 2013 Officer Down Detective David "Cal" Callahan 2014 Heatstroke Paul O'Malley 2015 American Hero Melvin The Debt Oliver 2016 Albion: The Enchanted Stallion Connor 2017 Leatherface Ranger Hal Hartman Sex Guaranteed Hank Wheeler Wheeler Also writer and executive producer Jackals Jimmy Levine2018 Life Boat The Counsellor Don't Go Ben Slater Also executive producer 2019 I'll Find You General Huber 2020 Embattled Cash "The Slayer" Boykins2021 Kid 90 Himself Documentary Old Henry Ketchum Traveling Light Todd 2022 Paradise City Robbie Cole The Price We Pay Cody2023 Divinity Jaxxon Pierce Blood for Dust Gus Dead Man's Hand Clarence Bishop Mob Land Clayton Minor King of Killers Robert Xane 2024 Clear Cut Ike The Trainer 2025 Gunslingers Thomas Keller Bride Hard Kurt 2026 Vampires of the Velvet Lounge Randall / Ramsey Lear Rex Poor Tom Post-production What the F*ck Is My Password Filming

Television Year Title Role Notes 1985 Tony Episode: "The Gladiators" Diff'rent Strokes Scott Episode: "Sam Adopts a Grandparent" 1987 In Love and War Stan Stockdale (age 9) Television film 1988Family Ties Martin Episode: Read It and Weep: Part 1 Mutts Eric Gillman Television film Hiroshima Maiden Johnny Bennett Curtis Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story Older Kale Wedemeyer 1989 Empty Nest Billy (age 14) Episode: "A Life in the Day" Married... with Children Boz Episode: "The Dateless Amigo" I Know My First Name Is Steven Pete Television film Do You Know the Muffin Man? Sandy Dollison Roseanne Jimmy Meltrigger 3 episodes 1990 Father Dowling Mysteries Mark Oskowski Episode: "The Sanctuary Mystery" Charles O'Kelley Television film Bobby Dean Episode: "The Stork Club" Always Remember I Love You Robert Mendham Television film 1990–1991 What a Dummy Tucker Brannigan 24 episodes 1991 Blossom Bobby Episode: "My Sister's Keeper" 1999 Earthly Possessions Jake Simms Jr. Television film 2002 Fastlane Dallas Roberts Episode: "Gone Native" 2006 Covert One: The Hades Factor Jonathan Smith Miniseries 2008 Skip Tracer Skip King Pilot XIII: The Conspiracy XIII / Steven Rowland / Ross Tanner Miniseries 2017 Star Brody Dean 9 episodes 2019 True Detective Roland West 8 episodes 2020 Deputy Sheriff Bill Hollister 13 episodes 2023–2025 The Righteous Gemstones Vance Simkins 8 episodes

Music videos Year Title Role Artist 1993 "Cryin'" Boyfriend Aerosmith 2000 "Rollin'" Himself Limp Bizkit 2004 "Everytime" Boyfriend Britney Spears

Video game Year Title Voice role 2005 Far Cry Instincts Jack Carver