Victor Garber

Victor Garber, (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian stage and film actor, and a singer. Known for his work on stage and screen, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards and six Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2022 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Garber originated roles in the Broadway productions of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 1979 (as Anthony Hope), Noises Off in 1983 (as Garry LeJeune), Lend Me a Tenor in 1989 (as Max), Arcadia in 1995 (as Bernard Nightingale), and Art in 1998 (as Serge). He has received four Tony Award nominations for his performances in the play Deathtrap in 1978 (as Clifford Anderson), the Neil Simon musical Little Me in 1982 (as The Men in Belle's Life), Lend Me a Tenor in 1989, and the musical comedy revival of Damn Yankees in 1994 (as Applegate). He created the role of John Wilkes Booth in the original cast of the 1990 Off-Broadway run of Assassins. In 2018, he returned to Broadway in the revival of Hello, Dolly! as Horace Vandergelder opposite Bernadette Peters and Gavin Creel.

He made his film debut as Jesus Christ in the musical Godspell (1973). He has also been nominated for three Screen Actors Guild Awards along with the casts of the critically acclaimed films Titanic (1997), Milk (2008), and Argo (2012), winning for Argo. Other notable films include Sleepless in Seattle (1993), The First Wives Club (1996), Cinderella (1997), Annie (1999), Legally Blonde (2001), Sicario (2015), Dark Waters (2019), and Happiest Season (2020).

On television, Garber is best known as Jack Bristow in the ABC series Alias (2001 to 2006) for which he received three consecutive Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series nominations. He received further Emmy nominations for his portrayal of Sidney Luft in Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001) and for his guest roles in the sitcoms Frasier in 2001 and Will & Grace in 2005. Garber portrayed Martin Stein / Firestorm in the superhero series The Flash (2015–2017) and Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2017, 2021), which are part of the Arrowverse.

Early life Victor Garber was born in London, Ontario, Canada, and is of Russian-Jewish descent. His father was Joseph Garber (1914-2005), and his mother, Bessie Hope Wolf (1924-2005), was an actress and singer and the host of At Home with Hope Garber. He has a brother, Nathan, and a sister, Alisa.

Garber attended Ryerson Elementary School and London Central Secondary School. He began acting at the age of nine in 1958. Garber enrolled in the children's program of the Grand Theatre, and, at age 16, he was accepted at a six-week summer theatre training program at the University of Toronto taught by Robert Gill. In New York, he studied acting at HB Studio.

Garber has lived with Type 1 diabetes for over six decades. Diagnosed at age 12 in 1962, he has managed his condition throughout his prolific stage and screen career while becoming a prominent advocate for diabetes awareness. During early stage performances like Godspell, he kept honey, orange juice, or sugar packets on or near the stage to manage the unexpected blood sugar drops of diabetes.

Career

Music In 1967, after a period working as a solo folk singer, Garber formed a folk group called The Sugar Shoppe with Peter Mann, Laurie Hood and Lee Harris. The group enjoyed moderate success, breaking into the Canadian Top 40 with a version of Bobby Gimby's song "Canada" (1967). Three other Sugar Shoppe songs made the lower reaches of the Canadian Top 100 in 1967 and 1968. The band had performed on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson before breaking up.

Theatre Garber played Jesus in Toronto's 1972 production of Godspell, alongside Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Gilda Radner, Dave Thomas, Paul Shaffer and Martin Short. In 1985, he appeared in Noises Off at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.

He appeared on Broadway in the original productions of Deathtrap, Sweeney Todd and Noises Off (1983), and in the original Off-Broadway cast of Assassins, as well as the 1990s revival of Damn Yankees. In 1986, Garber appeared at Circle in the Square opposite Uta Hagen in You Never Can Tell. He was nominated for four Tony Awards and opened the 48th Tony Awards program in 1994 (the year he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Damn Yankees). In 1998, he co-starred on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning play Art with Alan Alda and Alfred Molina. In 2005, he played the role of Fredrik Egerman in the Los Angeles Opera production of A Little Night Music. He played Ben Stone in a critically praised Encores! staged concert production of Follies (2007) opposite Donna Murphy. In mid-2007, he played Garry Essendine in a production of Noël Coward's Present Laughter at Boston's Huntington Theatre. He reprised the role on Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre production, which opened in January 2010.

In January 2018, Garber replaced David Hyde Pierce as Horace Vandergelder in the Tony-winning Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly! at the Shubert Theatre opposite Bernadette Peters. Garber began performances on January 20, prior to the press opening on February 22.

Garber received the 2018 Theatre World John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Film His earlier film work includes Godspell (1973) as Jesus Christ (the part he played originally in the 1972 Canadian stage production) and Sleepless in Seattle (1993). He starred opposite Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, and Bette Midler in The First Wives Club as film producer Bill Atchison, husband of Hawn's character Elise Eliot, in 1996. In James Cameron's Titanic (1997), he essayed a Mid-Ulster accent to play the shipbuilder Thomas Andrews.

In 2009, Garber voiced DC Comics supervillain Sinestro in the direct-to-video animated film Green Lantern: First Flight. That same year, Garber played a Klingon interrogator in J. J. Abrams' Star Trek film; however, his scenes were deleted from the finished film.

In 2010, Garber had an uncredited cameo in The Town, directed by Ben Affleck, as David, a bank manager. Garber also appeared in the film Ice Quake. In late 2012, he appeared in Affleck's film Argo, about the Iran hostage crisis; Garber portrayed Canadian Ambassador to Iran Kenneth D. Taylor. He also co-starred in 2014 thriller Big Game.

Garber narrated the 2017 film They Shall Not Perish. Other film appearances include Annie (1999), Legally Blonde (2001), and Tuck Everlasting (2002). He had a recurring guest role on CTV's E.N.G. (1991–93). He portrayed Jack Bristow, the father of main character Sydney Bristow on ABC's Alias, earning three Emmy nominations. He next starred on the television series Justice (2006) on Fox and ABC's Eli Stone. He appeared as Olivier Roth in four episodes of the Canadian science drama ReGenesis. He appeared in the Fox series Glee in the third episode titled "Acafellas", as Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison)'s father Mr. Schuester. He played Martin Stein / Firestorm on The Flash starting with the episode "Crazy for You" (2015), before being spun off onto Legends of Tomorrow, where he was a series regular for its first and second seasons (2016–2017) and half of the third season (2017). Garber made his final appearance as a regular in the crossover event "Crisis on Earth-X" (2017), where Stein was killed off. However, he reprised his role in the series' 100th episode, "Wvrdr_error_100 not found" (2021), where Stein appears as part of Gideon's memories. Additionally, Garber made an independent return to The Flash in the season three episode "Duet" (2017) as the unnamed husband of gangster Digsy Foss (Jesse L. Martin) in a dream world. Garber reprised his role as Stein for a final time in a vocal cameo in "A New World" (2023), the series finale of The Flash. He also played the reoccurring character Admiral Halsey on The Orville.

Personal life Garber prefers to keep his personal life private and has largely stayed out of the tabloids. Garber has been in a relationship with Canadian artist and model Rainer Andreesen since 2000. On October 10, 2015, Andreesen announced on his Instagram page that he and Garber had married in Canada.

Garber has type 1 diabetes. He was diagnosed in 1962 at the age of 12.

Garber is good friends with his Alias co-star Jennifer Garner, and officiated her 2005 wedding to Ben Affleck. Garber and Andreesen were the only guests at the private wedding. He is also the godfather of their first child, Violet.

Filmography

Film

Television

Year Title Role Notes1974 Jack: A Flash Fantasy Jack of Hearts Television film ABC Afterschool Special Christian de Neuvillette Voice, episode: "Cyrano" 1975 Hallmark Hall of Fame Marquis de Lafayette Episode: "Valley Forge" 1976 Great Performances Arthur Miller Episode: "Ah, Wilderness" 1977 The Best of Families Teddy Wheeler Miniseries 1978 Tartuffe Valère Television film 1983 Charley's Aunt Jack Chesney1985 I Had Three Wives Jackson Beaudine Main role (5 episodes) Tales from the Darkside Ambrose Cavender Episode: "The Tear Collector" Private Sessions Jerry Sharma Television film1986 The Twilight Zone Dr. Kevin Carlson Episode: "A Day in Beaumont" Roanoak John White Television film Guiding Light Det. Frank Minnelli Unknown episodes 1987–1991 The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Dennis Widmer 10 episodes 1988 Liberace: Behind the Music Liberace Television film 1991 Grand Larceny Judge Keeler 1991–1993 E.N.G. Adam Hirsch 10 episodes1992 The First Circle Lew Rubin Television film I'll Fly Away Warren Episode: "Fragile Truths" The Powers That Be Mack Novitz Episode: "Oh, Mack"1993 Alex Haley's Queen Digby Miniseries Dieppe Lord Louis Mountbatten Television film Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story Frank Marrocco Sesame Street Charles Episode: "Barkley Wants to Play" 1994 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Blackwell Episode: "The Innocent"1995 Law & Order Paul Sandig Episode: "Savages" Almost Perfect Howard Guthrie Episode: "You Like Me, You Really Like Me" 1996 Hostile Advances Jack Gilcrest Television film F/X: The Series Andrew Price Episode: "The Brotherhood" The Outer Limits Dr. Ben McCormick Episode: "Out of Body"1997 Cinderella King Maximilian Television film Let Me Call You Sweetheart Geoff Dorso Liberty! The American Revolution John Dickinson 6 episodes1999 Summer's End Narrator Voice, television film Invisible Child Tim Beeman Television film Annie Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks External Affairs Harry Raymond2000 Love and Murder Inspector Philip Millard Frasier Ferguson Episode: "Taking Liberties" The Outer Limits Dr. Edward Normandy Episode: "Glitch"2001 Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows Sidney Luft Miniseries The Wandering Soul Murders Inspector Philip MillardTelevision film A Colder Kind of Death Laughter on the 23rd Floor Kenny Franks Call Me Claus Taylor 2001–2006 Alias Jack Bristow Main cast (105 episodes) 2002 Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story J.J. Robinette Television film2003 The Music Man Mayor George Shinn It's All Relative Jerry / Joffrey Episode: "The Doctor Is Out" 2004 Will & Grace Peter Bovington Episode: "Saving Grace, Again: Part 2" 2006 Justice Ron Trott 13 episodes2007 American Masters Narrator Episode: "Novel Reflections: The American Dream" Ugly Betty Professor Barrett Episode: "Grin and Bear It" 2007–2008 ReGenesis Oliver Roth 5 episodes 2008–2009 Eli Stone Jordan Wethersby 26 episodes2009 The Last Templar Monsignor De Angelis Miniseries Everything She Ever Wanted Walter Allanson Glee Mr. Schuester Episode: "Acafellas" Nurse Jackie Neil Nutterman 2 episodes Rex Paul Television film America Before Columbus Narrator Documentary 2009–2014 Web Therapy Kip Wallice Web series, 8 episodes 2010 Ice Quake Colonel Bill Hughes Television film 2010–2013 Republic of Doyle Garrison Steel 4 episodes2011 Stargate Universe Ambassador Ovirda Episode: "Seizure" Suits Phillip Hardman Pilot (scenes cut in US release) Murdoch Mysteries Detective Malcolm Lamb Episode: "Tattered and Torn" Flashpoint Dr. Larry Toth 3 episodes 30 Rock Eugene Gremby Episode: "Respawn" Law & Order: LA Walter Calvin Episode: "Angel's Knoll" William & Catherine: A Royal Romance Charles, Prince of Wales Television film Charlie's Angels Charles "Charlie" Townsend Voice, 8 episodes 2011–2015 Web Therapy Kip Wallice Main role (19 episodes)2012 The Big C Willie Wanker Episode: "Family Matters" Damages Bennett Herreshoff 3 episodes The Firm Judge Walter A. Dominic Episode: "Chapter 6"2013 Deception Robert Bowers Main role (11 episodes) The Hunters Mason Fuller Television film2014 The Good Wife Judge Loudon Spencer Episode: "We, the Juries" Sleepy Hollow Mr. Crane Episode: "Bad Blood" Louie Louie's Lawyer Episode: "Model" Working the Engels Dr. Colin Shandy Episode: "Family Therapy" Blue Bloods Donald Stein Episode: "Under the Gun" 2014–2020 Power Simon Stern 16 episodes2015 Motive Neville Montgomery 4 episodes The Slap Narrator MiniseriesBob's Broken Sleigh Fluffy Voice; TV special 2016–2017,2021 Legends of Tomorrow Martin Stein / Firestorm Main role (42 episodes) Eobard Thawne Episode: "The Chicago Way" Sir Henry Stein Episode: "Return of the Mack" 2016 Vixen Martin Stein / Firestorm Voice, episode: "Episode #2.1" 2017–2022 The Orville Admiral Halsey 13 episodes2017 Modern Family Charles Dumont Episode: "Do It Yourself" Difficult People John Passias Episode: "Cindarestylox" Supergirl Martin Stein / Firestorm Episode: "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1" Arrow Episode: "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2" 2018–2020 Spirit Riding Free James Prescott Sr. Voice, 2 episodes 2020 Schitt's Creek Clifton Sparks Episode: "Sunrise, Sunset" 2020–2021 Power Book II: Ghost Simon Stern 4 episodes 2021–2026 Family Law Harry Svensson Main role (40 episodes) 2021 The Simpsons Michael de Graff Voice, episode: "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire" Beebo Saves Christmas Narrator TV special 2023 The Last Thing He Told Me Professor Tobias Cookman Episode: "Witness to Your Life" 2023–2025 And Just Like That... Mark Kasabian 5 episodes 2024 American Horror Stories David Woodrow Randolph Episode: "Clone"2026 Not Suitable for Work Wes Dryden 5 episodes Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Pit conductor Episode: "Structured Settlements"

Theatre Source: Playbill

Awards and nominations In addition to industry awards, Garber was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2022, with the rank of Officer.