Reed Birney Explained

Reed Birney
Birth Date:11 September 1954
Birth Place:Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Education:Boston University
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1976–present
Children:2, including Gus Birney

Reed Birney (born September 11, 1954) is an American actor. Birney is known for his performances on stage and screen often acting on and off Broadway. Birney gained acclaim in 2016 for his role in The Humans winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He was also nominated previously in the same category for his performance in Casa Valentina in 2014.

He starred in the films Mass (2021), and The Menu (2022). He is also known for his recurring roles in Gossip Girl (2007–2009), House of Cards (2013–2017), The Blacklist (2014–2015), and Home Before Dark (2021–2022). He has also acted in The Americans, The Handmaid's Tale, and Succession.

Career

Birney attended the Boston University College of Fine Arts for two years. After moving to New York City, he attended classes sponsored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.[1]

Birney appeared off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in 1976 in Gemini by Albert Innaurato. He has appeared in many plays off-Broadway since, including Bug (2004) and Circle Mirror Transformation (2009).[2]

He has performed on Broadway in Casa Valentina (2014) and The Humans.[3] He appeared in the Annie Baker adaptation of Uncle Vanya at the Soho Rep in 2012. Charles Isherwood in his review for The New York Times wrote: "The indispensable Reed Birney is as vitally moving a Vanya as I’ve yet to see..."[4] He was nominated for the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actor in a Play, for Uncle Vanya.[5]

He won the 2016 Tony Award, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play, for The Humans;[6] the 2014 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, for Casa Valentina; and the 2010 Obie Award, Performance, for Circle Mirror Transformation.[7] He received a Special Drama Desk Award in 2011, honoring his career.[8] [9]

He appeared off-Broadway in the play by Tracy Letts, Man from Nebraska, which opened in January 2017 in previews at the Second Stage Theatre.[10] From May to October 2017, he starred as O'Brien in the Broadway production of 1984 at the Hudson Theatre.

His television performances include Matthew Lester in Kane & Abel, Mr. Prescott on Gossip Girl, Donald Blythe on the Netflix series House of Cards,[8] [11] Tom Connolly in The Blacklist and Dr. Adamson on Titans. He also appeared in Hulu's adaptation of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale as Lieutenant Stans.

His movie roles included Louie in Four Friends (1981), the Merchant Prince in A Perfect Murder (1998), Governor Willis in Morning Glory (2010), J. Whitman in The 40-Year-Old Version, Pa in The Hunt (both 2020), Peter Bloom in Strawberry Mansion, and Richard in Mass (both 2021).

Birney is an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University.[8]

Personal life

He is married to actress Constance Shulman, who appears in Orange is the New Black, and they have two children together.[12] Their daughter Gus Birney is also an actor, as is their son, Ephraim.

Acting credits

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1976Not a Pretty PictureFredFeature film debut
1981Four FriendsLouie
1985CrimewaveVic Ajax
1998A Perfect MurderMerchant Prince #1
2003Uptown GirlsExecutive
2007The TenJim Stansel
2008ChangelingMayor Cryer
2010Twelve ThirtyMartin
2010Morning GloryGovernor Willis
2012Girl Most LikelyDr. Chalmers
2013Molly's Theory of RelativityAsher
2013Adult WorldTodd
2014In Your EyesDr. Maynard
2015JackrabbitPaul Bateson
2015Mad WomenRichard
2019The Lost WeekendHenryShort film [13]
2020The Forty-Year-Old VersionJ. Whitman
2020Lost GirlsPeter Hackett
2020The HuntPop
2021Strawberry MansionPeter Bloom
2021MassRichard
2022Baby RubyDr. Rosenbaum
2022The MenuRichard Liebbrandt

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1979Eight Is EnoughStevenEpisode: "Mary, He's Married"
1981NurseEpisode: "Margin for Error"
19833-2-1 ContactWenfieldEpisode: "Flight: Flying Animals"
1985Kane & AbelMatthew Lester2 episodes
1987Beverly Hills BuntzLarry FieldingEpisode: "Sid and Randy"
1990Tales from the CryptPaulEpisode: "Mute Witness to Murder"
1992–2010Law & OrderVarious3 episodes
1994Another WorldWalter Trask3 episodes
1994American MastersActorEpisode: "Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage"
1998From the Earth to the MoonJohn HouboltEpisode: "Spider"
2000Harry WatersEpisode: "Chat Room"
2002The Education of Max BickfordToddEpisode: "Money Changes Everything"
2002EdMr. WalzerEpisode: "Human Nature"
2002–2005A.D.A. Stillman / Fred Martz2 episodes
2003Queens SupremeEpisode: "The Eyes Have It"
2006KidnappedManciniEpisode: "Number One with a Bullet"
2007–2009Gossip GirlMr. Prescott4 episodes
2008Wainy DaysCharlie RoseEpisode: "Jonah and the Manilow"
2009KingsMinister Forsythe5 episodes
2010My GenerationMichael Foster2 episodes
2012The Good WifeLee TripkeEpisode: "Battle of the Proxies"
2013–2017House of CardsDonald Blythe17 episodes
2014Blue BloodsBurden MaxwellEpisode: "Manhattan Queens"
2014GirlsPeterEpisode: "I Saw You"
2014–2015The BlacklistTom Connolly9 episodes
2015American OdysseySenator Darnell3 episodes
2017Madam SecretaryRoland HobbsEpisode: "Gift Horse"
2017The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksDr. George GeyTelevision film
2018Chicago MedGregEpisode: "Best Laid Plans"
2018The AmericansPatrick McCleesh2 episodes
2018TitansDr. Adamson5 episodes
2019A Million Little ThingsEugene BloonEpisode: "The Day Before..."
2019High MaintenanceLeonardEpisode: "Cruise"
2019BullJudge HumphreyEpisode: "Imminent Danger"
2020–2021Home Before DarkSylvester Lisko18 episodes
2021The Handmaid's TaleLieutenant StansEpisode: "The Crossing"
2021EvilFather ThunderlandEpisode: "I Is for IRS"
2021SuccessionVice President Dave BoyerEpisode: "What It Takes"
2023Poker FaceGabriel/BenEpisode "Time of the Monkey"
2023LuqEpisode: "Among the Lotus Eaters"
2024Dexter Harding Sr.4 episodes

Theatre

YearTitleRolePlaywrightVenueclass=unsortableRef.
1977 Gemini Randy Hastings Little Theatre, Broadway [14]
2013 Picnic Howard Bevans American Airlines Theatre, Broadway [15]
2014 Casa Valentina Charlotte Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway [16]
2016 The Humans Erik Blake Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Broadway [17]
2017 1984 O'Brien Hudson Theatre, Broadway [18]

Awards and nominations

YearAssociation CategoryProjectResultclass=unsortableRef
2011 Special Drama Desk Award [19]
2014 Casa Valentina [20]
[21]
Distinguished Performance Award [22]
2016 The Humans [23]
Outstanding Ensemble [24]
Outstanding Actor in a Play
Distinguished Performance Award
2021 Mass [25]
[26]

Notes and References

  1. Sod, Ted. "Interview" roundabouttheatre.org, October 4, 2015
  2. Gates, Anita. "At Peter J. Sharp Theater: Actor, Make Like a Tree" The New York Times, October 15, 2009
  3. http://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Reed-Birney/ "Reed Birney Credits"
  4. Isherwood, Charles. "A Fresh Breeze in Pastoral Russia" The New York Times, June 18, 2012
  5. Lefkowitz, Andy. "The 58th Annual Drama Desk Award Winners Are Announced!" theatermania.com, May 19, 2013
  6. Viagas, Robert. " 'Hamilton' Tops Tony Awards With 11 Wins" Playbill, June 12, 2016
  7. http://www.broadwayworld.com/people/bio/Reed-Birney/ "Reed Birney Bio"
  8. http://arts.columbia.edu/theatre/faculty/reed-birney "Reed Birney"
  9. http://www.playbill.com/person/reed-birney-vault-0000096413# "Reed Birney Broadway"
  10. Clement, Olivia. " 'Man from Nebraska 'Opens at Second Stage" Playbill, February 15, 2017
  11. http://www.madeinhollywood.tv/house-of-cards-star-reed-birney-endures-quiet-desperation-in-mad-women/ "'House of Cards’ Star Reed Birney Endures ‘Quiet Desperation’ in ‘Mad Women’"
  12. Borison, Susan. "Actors Constance Shulman and Reed Birney Talk Parenting" Your Teen, retrieved June 8, 2018
  13. Web site: The Lost Weekend (Short 2019). 29 April 2023. IMDb.
  14. Web site: Gemini (Broadway, 1977). Playbill. April 15, 2024.
  15. Web site: Picnic (Broadway, 2013). Playbill. April 15, 2024.
  16. Web site: Casa Valentina (Broadway, 2014). Playbill. April 15, 2024.
  17. Web site: The Humans (Broadway, 2016). Playbill. April 15, 2024.
  18. Web site: 1984 (Broadway, 2017). April 15, 2024.
  19. Web site: PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEATRE: REED BIRNEY. HBstudio. April 15, 2024.
  20. Web site: 2014 Tony Awards Nominees . . . April 15, 2024.
  21. Web site: 2014 Annual Drama Desk Awards Nominations Announced; Gentleman's Guide Earns 12 Nominations. Playbill. April 15, 2024.
  22. Web site: Drama League Awards Nominations: Jessica Lange, Lupita Nyong’o, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Lots More (FULL LIST). Variety. April 15, 2024.
  23. Web site: 2016 Tony Awards Nominees . . . April 15, 2024.
  24. Web site: Drama Desk Nominations: ‘She Loves Me,’ ‘American Psycho’ Earn Most Nods (FULL LIST). Variety. April 15, 2024.
  25. News: Lewis . Hilary . Gotham Awards: The Lost Daughter, Passing Lead Nominations . October 21, 2021 . The Hollywood Reporter . October 21, 2021.
  26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m1OTVMXGO4 MASS wins the Robert Altman Award at the 2022 Spirit Awards. - Film Independent on YouTube