Brian Markinson (born September 1, 1961) is an American-Canadian actor who has appeared in a wide variety of films and television shows. Some of Markinson's best known roles include a U.S. Attorney General in
''Shooter'', an unscrupulous industrialist in
''Godzilla'', and a supporting role in ''
Angels in America
''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a two-part play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The work won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award for O ...
''.
Personal life
Born in Brooklyn, New York into a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family, Markinson trained at the
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...
and subsequently graduated from the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) is a private performing arts conservatory with two locations, one in Manhattan and one in Los Angeles. The academy offers an associate degree in occupational studies and teaches drama and related art ...
in 1983. He married
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
Nancy Kerr, and their sons Isaac and Evan were both born in Los Angeles in the late 1990s.
In 1999 the family moved to
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, Canada, where they have resided since.
Career
Throughout his career, Markinson has appeared in many American and Canadian film and television projects. He frequently plays either an authority figure or a calculating or menacing villain. One of his most prominent roles was as Police Chief Bill Jacobs on ''Da Vinci's Inquest
''Da Vinci's Inquest'' is a Canadian dramatic television series which originally aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005. While never a ratings blockbuster, the critically acclaimed show did attract a loyal following, and ultimately seven seaso ...
'' and ''Da Vinci's City Hall
''Da Vinci's City Hall'' is a Canadian dramatic television series, which premiered on CBC Television on 25 October 2005 and ended on 28 February 2006. It is a spin-off of the long-running Canadian series ''Da Vinci's Inquest''. The creator, write ...
''. He has also appeared on ''Continuum
Continuum may refer to:
* Continuum (measurement), theories or models that explain gradual transitions from one condition to another without abrupt changes
Mathematics
* Continuum (set theory), the real line or the corresponding cardinal number ...
'', ''Arctic Air
''Arctic Air'' is a Canadian drama television series that began airing on CBC Television on January 10, 2012. The series was canceled on March 17, 2014, due to government budgetary cuts.
Synopsis
''Arctic Air'' is about a Yellowknife-based m ...
'', '' Traveler'', '' NCIS'', ''The L Word
''The L Word'' is a television drama that aired on Showtime from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated with Ilene Ch ...
'', ''NYPD Blue
''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble c ...
'', ''Psych
''Psych'' is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network. The series stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observ ...
'', ''Supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
'', ''Touching Evil
''Touching Evil'' is a British television drama serial following the exploits of a crack squad on the Organised & Serial Crime Unit, a rapid response police force that serves the entire country.
The serial was produced by United Productions f ...
'', '' Taken'', '' Dark Angel'', '' UC: Undercover'', ''Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrigh ...
'', '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', '' Star Trek: Voyager'', ''The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'', ''Millennium
A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...
'', ''Mad Men
''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its fict ...
'', '' Fargo'', the TV film '' Lucky 7''.
Markinson had appeared in three straight Woody Allen films in supporting character roles: ''Sweet and Lowdown
''Sweet and Lowdown'' is a 1999 American comedy-drama mockumentary film written and directed by Woody Allen. Loosely based on Federico Fellini's film ''La Strada'', the film tells the fictional story, set in the 1930s, of self-confident jazz guit ...
'' in 1999, ''Small Time Crooks
''Small Time Crooks'' is a 2000 American crime-comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, the film's plot has some similarities to that of the 1942 comedy ''Larceny, Inc.''Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies on June 15, 2006 It stars Alle ...
'' in 2000 and ''The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
''The Curse of the Jade Scorpion'' is a 2001 American crime comedy film written, directed and starring Woody Allen. The cast also features Helen Hunt, Dan Aykroyd, Elizabeth Berkley, John Schuck, Wallace Shawn, David Ogden Stiers and Charlize Th ...
'' in 2001. Markinson was also a favorite of Mike Nichols, having appeared in more than six of the late director's projects, including the film '' Charlie Wilson's War''. Markinson is also a stage actor, having performed both on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theatres across Canada; On Broadway, he replaced Kevin Spacey in ''Lost In Yonkers'' and in 2016, he led the revival of Tony Kushner's ''Angels in America
''Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes'' is a two-part play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The work won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award for O ...
'' at the Arts Club Theatre Company in Vancouver.
Filmography
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Markinson, Brian
Living people
American expatriate male actors in Canada
Canadian male film actors
Canadian male television actors
Male actors from New York City
1961 births
Male actors from Vancouver
20th-century American male actors
20th-century Canadian male actors
21st-century American male actors
21st-century Canadian male actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
Jewish American male actors
Jewish Canadian male actors
21st-century American Jews