Eric Bogosian ( hy, Էրիկ Բոգոսյան; ; born April 24, 1953) is an American actor,

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

, monologuist,

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while othe ...

, and

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

. Descended from

Armenian American Armenian Americans ( hy, ամերիկահայեր, ''amerikahayer'') are citizens or residents of the United States who have total or partial Armenian ancestry. They form the second largest community of the Armenian diaspora after Armenians i ...

immigrants, he grew up in Watertown and

Woburn, Massachusetts Woburn ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,876 at the 2020 census. Woburn is located north of Boston. Woburn uses Massachusetts' mayor-council form of government, in which an elected mayor is ...

, and attended

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

and Oberlin College. His numerous plays include '' subUrbia'' (1994) and Pulitzer Prize in Drama finalist ''

Talk Radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

'' (1987), which were adapted to film by Richard Linklater and

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sca ...

, respectively. He also starred as Arno in the Safdie brothers' critically acclaimed film '' Uncut Gems'' (2019). Bogosian has appeared in a variety of plays, films, and television series throughout his career. His television roles include Captain Danny Ross in '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' (2006–2010), Lawrence Boyd on '' Billions'' (2017–2018), and Gil Eavis on ''

Succession Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence. Governance and politics *Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...

'' (since 2018). He has also been involved in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

ballet production, and has written several novels as well as the historical nonfiction '' Operation Nemesis'' (2015).

Early life

Bogosian was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Edwina (''née'' Jamgochian), a hairdresser and instructor, and Henry Bogosian, an accountant. He spent his early childhood in

Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End. Watertow ...

, home to a large Armenian-American community which included his grandparents, survivors of the

Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...

. His family moved to nearby Woburn in 1960. He became interested in theater while attending Woburn Memorial High School, and would later base his play '' subUrbia'' on his youth in Woburn's Four Corners neighborhood. He attended the

before graduating from Oberlin College.

Career

Bogosian is an author and actor known for his plays ''

'' and '' subUrbia'' as well as numerous one-man shows. In 1983, early in his career, Bogosian appeared in the music video for Jim Capaldi's song "That's Love". In recent years he has starred on Broadway in Donald Margulies' '' Time Stands Still'', published three novels, and was featured on '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' as Captain Danny Ross.

Stage

Between 1980 and 2000, six major solos written and performed by Eric Bogosian were produced

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

, garnering him three Obie Awards as well as the Drama Desk award. His first two solos, ''Men Inside'' and ''funHouse'' were presented at the

New York Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare in the Park (or Free Shakespeare in the Park) is a theatrical program that stages productions of Shakespearean plays at the Delacorte Theater, an open-air theater in New York City's Central Park. The theater and the productions a ...

. His third, ''Drinking in America'', was produced by American Place Theater. ''Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll'', ''Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead'' and ''Wake Up and Smell the Coffee'' were all produced commercially Off-Broadway by Frederick Zollo. Eric is also the author of six produced plays, including 1987's ''

''. ''Talk Radio'' was a finalist for

Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were ...

, but lost to Alfred Uhry's ''

Driving Miss Daisy '' Driving Miss Daisy'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford and written by Alfred Uhry, based on his 1987 play of the same name. The film stars Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, and Dan Aykroyd. Freeman reprised his ...

''. In 2007, a Broadway revival of ''Talk Radio'' directed by Robert Falls starred Liev Schreiber. '' subUrbia'' was directed by Robert Falls and produced by Lincoln Center Theater in 1994. Other titles include ''Griller'' ( Goodman Theater); ''Humpty Dumpty'' (The McCarter); ''Red Angel'' (

Williamstown Theater Festival The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. I ...

) and ''1+1'' (New York Stage and Film). Bogosian's one-person drama, ''Notes from Underground'' has had several productions, most recently starring Jonathan Ames at Performance Space 122. In addition to his many appearances in his solo work and starring in his play, ''Talk Radio'', Bogosian has also starred in

Stephen Adly Guirgis Stephen Adly Guirgis is a Pulitzer Prize Winning American playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor. He is a member and a former co-artistic director of New York City's LAByrinth Theater Company.Blake, Leslie (Hoban)"Comin' Uptown" ''Theater ...

' ''

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot ''The Last Days of Judas Iscariot'' is a play by American playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis first staged Off-Broadway at The Public Theater on March 2, 2005, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Plot summary ''The Last Days of Judas Iscariot'' tel ...

'' directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman (

LAByrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...

) and Donald Margulies' '' Time Stands Still'' directed by Daniel Sullivan ( Manhattan Theater Club/Broadway).

Film

Bogosian's play ''Talk Radio'' was adapted to film in 1988 by

, garnering Bogosian the prestigious

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

Silver Bear. The film version of ''subUrbia'' (1996) was directed by Richard Linklater. His play '' Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll'' was adapted to film in 1991. He has starred in several other films including '' Under Siege 2: Dark Territory'' and ''

Wonderland Wonderland may refer to: Places Municipalities * Wonderland, California, a ghost town in Plumas County * Wonderland, Ohio, a ghost town in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. Roads, streets, and trails * Wonderland Avenue, a roadway in Laurel Canyon, Los Ang ...

''. In addition, he has been featured in films by such directors as

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...

Taylor Hackford Taylor Edwin Hackford (born December 31, 1944) is an American film director and former president of the Directors Guild of America. He won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for ''Teenage Father'' (1979). Hackford went on to direc ...

, Atom Egoyan and Agnieszka Holland.

Television

In television, Bogosian is best known for his starring role as Captain Danny Ross in the series '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent''. In addition, he has appeared as a guest star on dramas and in 1994 created with

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spi ...

the series '' High Incident'' for ABC television. He portrayed Barney Greenwald, defense attorney, in the TV film ''The Caine Mutiny Court Martial''. He also appeared in the episode "His Story" on '' Scrubs'' as Dr. Cox's therapist and was recurring character Lawrence Boyd in '' Billions second season. In 1993, Bogosian played the role of Stan Paxton, Larry's ex standup partner in the series 'The Larry Sanders Show'. He has also appeared in HBO's show ''

'' as Senator Gil Eavis.

Books

Bogosian is the author of three novels published by

Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pub ...

: ''Mall'', ''Wasted Beauty'', and ''Perforated Heart''. All of his dramatic work is in print, published by

Theater Communication Group Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

. In 2015, he published '' Operation Nemesis: The Secret Plot that Avenged the Armenian Genocide'', a history of Operation Nemesis which involved a group of Armenian assassins who set out to avenge the deaths of the one and a half million victims of the

Dance

Bogosian founded the dance series at The Kitchen. During his charter tenure there, he produced the first concerts in New York City by

Bill T. Jones William Tass Jones, known as Bill T. Jones, (born February 15, 1952) is an American choreographer, director, author and dancer. He is the co-founder of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Jones is Artistic Director of New York Live Ar ...

and Arnie Zane, Karole Armitage and Molissa Fenley as well as dozens of other choreographers. In 2006, Bogosian acted as producer on the

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...

's documentary, ''Bringing Back Balanchine''.

Collaborations

In addition to working with Jo Bonney and Tad Savinar, other notable collaborations include Michael Zwack (“I Saw the Seven Angels”); Joe Hannan (“The Ricky Paul Show”);

Glenn Branca Glenn may refer to: Name or surname * Glenn (name) * John Glenn, U.S. astronaut Cultivars * Glenn (mango) * a 6-row barley variety Places In the United States: * Glenn, California * Glenn County, California * Glenn, Georgia, a settlement ...

(“The New World”); Robert Longo (“American Vanity”);

Ann Magnuson Ann Magnuson (born January 4, 1956) is an American actress, performance artist, and nightclub performer. She was described by ''The New York Times'' in 1990 as "An endearing theatrical chameleon who has as many characters at her fingertips as L ...

(sketches at Folk City) and Elliot Sharp (“This Is Now!”). For the past six years Bogosian has been filming th
100monologues.com
series with Travis Bogosian and Good Baby Films.

Awards

Bogosian has won the Obie Award three times as well as the

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

. He received the prestigious "Silver Bear" at the 1989

for his work on ''

''. He is a 2004

Guggenheim fellow Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

and the recipient of two fellowships from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federa ...

Personal life

In 1980, he married Jo Anne Bonney, with whom he has two sons, Harry and Travis Bogosian.

Filmography

Film

Television

Writing credits

* ''Men in Dark Times'' * ''Scenes from the New World'' * ''Sheer Heaven'' (1980) * ''Men Inside'' (1981) * ''The New World'' (1981) * ''FunHouse'' (1983) * ''Drinking in America'' (1986) (Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show) * ''

'' (1987) (also

film version A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

1988) * ''Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll'' (1990) * ''Notes from the Underground'' (1993) * ''Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead'' (1994) * '' subUrbia'' (1994) (also

1996) * '' Griller'' (1998) * '' Mall'' (2000) * ''Wake Up and Smell the Coffee'' (2000) * '' Humpty Dumpty'' (2004) * ''Non-profit Benefit'' * ''Red Angel'' * '' Wasted Beauty'' (2005) * ''1+1'' (2008) * ''Perforated Heart'' (novel) (2009) * '' Operation Nemesis'' (2015)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bogosian, Eric 1953 births 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights Armenian-American male actors American male film actors American male novelists American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Armenian descent Living people Male actors from Massachusetts Performance art in New York City Oberlin College alumni Obie Award recipients People from Woburn, Massachusetts Novelists from Massachusetts National Endowment for the Arts Fellows American male dramatists and playwrights Franklin Furnace artists 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Woburn Memorial High School alumni