Morgan Spector is an American actor. Spector has appeared in the TV series Allegiance (2015), The Mist (2017), Homeland (2018), and Pearson (2019), as well as the films The Drop (2014), Christine (2016), A Vigilante (2018), and Boston Strangler (2023). He starred in the HBO project The Plot Against America, and also appears in the network's The Gilded Age.
Morgan Spector | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Spector at SXSW 2024 | |
| Born | October 4, 1980 Santa Rosa, California, U.S. |
| Education | Reed College (BA) American Conservatory Theater (MFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
editSpector grew up in Guerneville, California.[1] His father was an attorney and his mother worked in public education as a teacher and then as an administrator.[1] Spector is Jewish on his father's side; his paternal grandmother was an actress in the New York Yiddish Theatre District.[1][2][3][4][5] His mother is of mostly Irish Catholic descent.[6]
Spector acted for the first time in community theater at the age of eight; and later acted in high school and college productions.[7]
After graduating from Reed College, in Portland, Oregon, he enrolled in the acting school of the American Conservatory Theater, in San Francisco. He next pursued work in regional theater, including a tour in The Lion King.[7] In 2006, he moved to New York City.[7]
Career
editIn 2010, Spector made his Broadway debut as Rodolpho in Gregory Mosher's revival of Arthur Miller's play A View from the Bridge. He was originally cast in a bit part, but moved into the major role when the actor scheduled for it was injured during previews.[7] In 2012 he played the role of Boris in The Russian Transport, by Erika Sheffer. It was produced Off-Broadway by The New Group.[7]
In 2014, he co-starred with Rebecca Hall in a Broadway revival of Sophie Treadwell's Machinal. They later married; they appeared together on stage in New York again in June 2017, in Clare Lizzimore's play Animal.[8] They have also appeared together on-screen in the 2016 drama Christine and the 2017 film Permission.[7]
In 2018, Spector starred alongside Olivia Wilde in the drama A Vigilante.[9] In 2019, he starred alongside Gina Torres in the legal drama Pearson on USA Network, a spin-off of Suits.[10]
In 2020, he starred in the HBO miniseries adaptation of Philip Roth's The Plot Against America, alongside Winona Ryder.[4][5][11] In 2022, he also headlined alongside Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski in HBO's The Gilded Age.[12][13]
Personal life
editIn September 2015, Spector married actress Rebecca Hall, whom he had first met the year before, during their work together in the Broadway play Machinal.[7] Their first child was born in 2018.[14]
Spector is a socialist and helped produce the documentary, The Big Scary "S" Word.[15] In 2024, along with 30 other artists, Spector participated in publicly reading the dossier of South Africa's genocide case against Israel, which was brought before the International Court of Justice. The reading was organised by Palifest.[16]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Raspberry Heaven | Kurt Callaway | |
| 2010 | The Last Airbender | Lead Fire Nation Soldier | |
| 2011 | Musical Chairs | Kenny | |
| 2013 | All Is Bright | Vladimir | |
| Burning Blue | William Stephensen | ||
| 2014 | Grand Street | Nino | |
| The Drop | Andre | ||
| 2016 | Christine | Dr. Parsons | |
| Chuck | Sylvester Stallone | ||
| 2017 | Great Choice | Waiter | |
| Split | Derek | ||
| Man with Van | Kier | ||
| Permission | Reece | ||
| 2018 | A Vigilante | Sadie's Husband | |
| 2021 | With/In: Volume 1 | Segment: "Mother!!"; also director | |
| 2022 | Nanny | Adam | |
| 2023 | Boston Strangler | James McLaughlin | |
| 2024 | I Don't Understand You | Massimo |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–2010 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Player #1/Tech | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | How to Make It in America | Scott | 2 episodes |
| 2011–2013 | Person of Interest | Peter Yogorov | 5 episodes |
| 2013 | Do No Harm | Roman Spektor | Episode: "Morning, Sunshine" |
| Orange Is the New Black | Patrick | Episode: "Lesbian Request Denied" | |
| Boardwalk Empire | Frank Capone | 4 episodes | |
| Zero Hour | Golem | 3 episodes | |
| 2014 | Unforgettable | Dean | Episode: "Cashing Out" |
| 2015 | Allegiance | Victor Dobrynin | 13 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Friday Night Tykes | Narrator | 20 episodes |
| 2016 | Friday Night Tykes: Steel Country | Narrator | 12 episodes |
| 2017 | The Mist | Kevin Copeland | 10 episodes |
| 2018 | Homeland | Dante Allen | Main role (season 7) |
| Suits | Mayor Bobby Novak | Episode: "Good-Bye" | |
| 2019 | Pearson | Mayor Bobby Novak | 8 episodes |
| 2020 | The Plot Against America | Herman Levin | 6 episodes |
| 2022–present | The Gilded Age | George Russell | 17 episodes |
| TBA | Black Rabbit | Campbell | Upcoming miniseries |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | A View from the Bridge | Rodolpho | Cort Theatre, Broadway |
| 2012 | Russian Transport | Boris | Acorn Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| Harvey | Lyman Sanderson M.D. | Studio 54, Broadway | |
| 2014 | Machinal | A Lover | American Airlines Theatre, Broadway |
| 2016 | Ironbound | Performer | Rattlestick Theater, Off-Broadway |
| Incognito | Performer | New York City Center, Off-Broadway | |
| 2017 | Animal | Tom | Atlantic Stage 2, Off-Broadway |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | The Plot Against America | Nominated | [17] |
| 2023 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series | The Gilded Age | Nominated | [18] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Matthew Blank. PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Machinal Star Morgan Spector Playbill. January 21, 2014
- ^ Adrianna Chaviva Freedman. Get Ready For A Very Jewish Philip Roth TV Show, The Forward. April 16, 2019
- ^ Gerri Miller. The Jewish Stars of Summer TV, Jewish Journal. May 28, 2019
- ^ a b Gerri Miller. 'The Plot Against America' Explains How Genocide 'Can Happen Here' Says Producer, Jewish Journal. March 11, 2020
- ^ a b Jessica Zack. Morgan Spector's political perspective aptly cast in 'The Plot Against America'. Datebook, San Francisco Chronicle. March 13, 2020
- ^ Frick, Evelyn (March 21, 2022). "I Said I Wanted to Eat Babka Off Morgan Spector's Abs. He Responded". Hey Alma. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Alexis Soloski. 012). Angel or Devil, an Actor Finds Peace With It All The New York Times. February 9, 2012
- ^ Alexis Soloski. Rebecca Hall and Morgan Spector: Together, Onstage and Off, 'The New York Times. May 25, 2017
- ^ Owen Gleiberman. SXSW Film Review: 'A Vigilante' Variety. March 17, 2018
- ^ LaToya Ferguson. Pearson: Come for Gina Torres, Then Decide Whether to Stay Paste. July 17, 2019
- ^ The Plot Against America Trailer Warns That the Fascism Call Is Coming From Inside the House Vulture. January 30, 2020
- ^ Denise Petski, Nellie Andreeva. 'The Gilded Age': Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Amanda Peet & Morgan Spector To Star In HBO Period Drama Deadline. September 26, 2019
- ^ Dave Itzkoff. HBO's 'The Gilded Age' finally arrives as the 'next Downton Abbey'. Preview, Houston Chronicle. January 21, 2022
- ^ Jen Juneau Rebecca Hall and Morgan Spector Expecting First Child - See the Hilarious Double Announcement. People. January 1, 2018
- ^ "The Big Scary "S" Word | International Documentary Association".
- ^ "Renowned Artists Lend a Voice to South Africa's ICJ Submission Against Israel". January 15, 2024.
- ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (March 7, 2021). "Critics Choice Awards: 'Nomadland', 'The Crown' Among Top Honorees – Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
- ^ "Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®" (Press release). Screen Actors Guild. January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.