Person

Sam Waterston

Acting · Born 1940-11-15 · Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Biography

Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston (born November 15, 1940) is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy on the NBC television series Law & Order. He has been nominated for multiple Golden Globe-, Screen Actors Guild-, BAFTA- and Emmy Awards, having starred in over eighty film and television productions during his forty-five year career. Allmovie has characterised Waterston as having "cultivated a loyal following with his quietly charismatic, unfailingly solid performances." Description above from the Wikipedia article Sam Waterston, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Filmography

2026CarouselSam
2024The Six Triple EightFranklin Delano Roosevelt
2024Merchant IvorySelf
2024Rain Falls from Earth: Surviving Cambodia's Darkest HourSelf (voice)
2024A Case for LoveSelf
2023Liv Ullmann: A Road Less TravelledSelf
2022The DropoutGeorge Shultz
2021Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in TimeSelf (voice)
2020The Man in the WoodsHeadmaster Waldorf
2020Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold StorySelf
2018On the Basis of SexErwin Griswold
2018The Mayo ClinicCharlie Mayo (voice)
2018Jane Fonda in Five ActsSelf - (archive footage)
2017GodlessMarshall John Cook
2017Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's CreatorsNarrator (voice)
2017Dateline: SaigonNarrator (voice)
2016Miss SloaneGeorge Dupont
2016AnesthesiaProf. Walter Zarrow
2015The Late Show with Stephen ColbertSelf - Guest
2015And It Was GoodJudge Alexander Baas / Doctor / Gravedigger
2015Grace and FrankieSol Bergstein
2015Dean SmithNarrator
2015Please Be NormalDad
2013Jo
2012The NewsroomCharlie Skinner
2011ProhibitionReader (voice)
2010The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or FearSelf
2007Masters of Science Fiction
2006The Best of The Tony Awards: The PlaysJohn Honeyman (segment "A Walk in the Woods")
2005The Colbert Report
2005Law & Order: Trial by JuryJack McCoy
2004Hammer and CycleSelf - Narrator
2003The CommissionJ. Lee Rankin
2003Le DivorceChester Walker
2002The Matthew Shepard StoryDennis Shepard
2000A House DividedDavid Dickson
1999The Unfinished JourneyNarrator (voice)
1999Law & Order: Special Victims UnitJack McCoy
1999In Bad TasteSelf
1999Moment of Impact: Stories of the Pulitzer Prize PhotographsSelf / Host / Narrator
1999Here Am I, Send Me: The Story of Jonathan DanielsNarrator
1999Family GuyBruce Kaplan (voice)
1998ExiledJack McCoy
1998Miracle at MidnightDr. Karl Koster
1997Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of DiscoveryThomas Jefferson (voice)
1997The ViewSelf
1997Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson (voice)
1997Shadow ConspiracyThe President
1996The ProprietorHarry Bancroft
1995NixonRichard Helms
1995The Journey of August KingMooney Wright
1995Amazing Stories: The Movie IVJordan Manmouth (archive footage)
1995Time Life's Lost CivilizationsNarrator
1994Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American StageTom Wingfield (archive footage)
1994The Enemy WithinPresident William Foster
1994Serial MomEugene Sutphin
1994David's MotherJohn Nils
1994Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson WhittakerDaniel Chamberlain
1993I'll Fly Away: Then and NowForrest Bedford
1993Homicide: Life on the StreetJack McCoy
1992Earth and the American DreamReader (voice)
1992HBO First Look
1991MindwalkJack Edwards
1991I'll Fly AwayForrest Bedford
1991The Man in the MoonMatthew Trant
1990The Civil WarAbraham Lincoln (voice)
1990Law & OrderJack McCoy
1990Night of 100 Stars IIISelf
1990A Captive in the LandRoyce
1989The Nightmare YearsBill Shirer
1989Crimes and MisdemeanorsBen
1989Welcome HomeWoody
1989Lantern HillAndrew Stuart
1989Tales from the CryptG.G. Devoe (segment "As Ye Sow")
1988Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim AjamiJim Delmore
1988LincolnAbraham Lincoln
1988A Walk in the WoodsJohn Honeyman
1987SeptemberPeter
1987Devil's ParadiseJones
1987Swimming to CambodiaAdditional Cast from 'The Killing Fields' (archive footage)
1987The Room UpstairsTravis Coles
1986Flagrant désirInspecteur Gerry Morrison
1986Just Between FriendsHarry Crandall
1986The Fifth MissileCapt. Allard Renslow
1986Hannah and Her SistersDavid (uncredited)
1985Amazing StoriesJordan Manmouth
1985Warning SignCal Morse
1985Love Lives OnBernie
1985Finnegan Begin AgainPaul Broadbent
1984The Killing FieldsSydney Schanberg
1984The Boy Who Loved TrollsOfoeti
1984Jeopardy!Self
1983DempseyDoc Kearns
1983In Defense of KidsPaul Wilcox
1982Games Mother Never Taught YouDavid Bentells
1982Q.E.D.
1982American PlayhouseRobert Oppenheimer
1980Heaven's GateFrank Canton
1980Friendly FireC.D.B. Bryan
1980OppenheimerRobert Oppenheimer
1980HopscotchJack Cutter
1980Sweet WilliamWilliam McClusky
1979Eagle's WingWhite Bull
1978InteriorsMike
1977Capricorn OneLt. Col. Peter Willis
1976Sweet RevengeLe Clerq
1975Saturday Night LiveSelf (uncredited)
1975Journey into FearMr. Graham
1975Rancho DeluxeCecil Colson
1975People's Choice AwardsSelf - Presenter
1974Reflections of MurderMichael Elliott
1974The Great GatsbyNick Carraway
1973The Glass MenagerieTom Wingfield
1973Much Ado About NothingBenedick
1972Mahoney's Last StandFelix
1972SavagesJames, the Limping Man
1971Who Killed Mary Whats'ername?Alex Monte
1971Film '72Self
1970Cover Me BabeCameraman
1969ThreeTaylor
1969GenerationDesmond
1967FitzwillyOliver
1966The Plastic Dome of Norma JeanAndy
1961Dr. KildareMark
1951Hallmark Hall of FameTravis Coles
—Serial Mom: Surreal MomentsSelf

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