Martin Donovan (born Martin Paul Smith; August 19, 1957) is an American actor. He has had a long collaboration with director

Hal Hartley Hal Hartley (born November 3, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and composer who became a key figure in the American independent film movement of the 1980s and '90s. He is best known for his films '' The Unbelievable Tr ...

, appearing in many of his films, such as ''

Trust Trust often refers to: * Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality It may also refer to: Business and law * Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another * Trust (bus ...

'' (1990), '' Surviving Desire'' (1991), '' Simple Men'' (1992), '' Amateur'' (1994), ''

Flirt Flirting or coquetry is a social and sexual behavior involving spoken or written communication, as well as body language. It is either to suggest interest in a deeper relationship with the other person or, if done playfully, for amusement. I ...

'' (1995), and '' The Book of Life'' (1998), starring as

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

in the latter. Donovan played Tom Gordon in '' Ghost Whisperer''. Donovan also played Peter Scottson on Showtime's cable series '' Weeds''. He made his writing/directorial debut with the film '' Collaborator'' (2011). Donovan played Detective Hap Eckhart in

Christopher Nolan Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British-American filmmaker. Known for his lucrative Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling, Nolan is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century. His films have grossed $5&nb ...

's psychological thriller ''

Insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, ...

'' (2002) and the Protagonist's CIA handler, Fay, in Nolan's science fiction action thriller film '' Tenet'' (2020).

Early life

Donovan was born Martin Paul Smith in

Reseda, California Reseda is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1912, and its central business district started developing in 1915. The neighborhood was devoted to agriculture for many years. Earthquake ...

. He graduated from Crespi Carmelite High School and attended Pierce College for two years. He attended American Theater Arts, a combined conservatory and theater company in Los Angeles, where he appeared in the plays ''Richard's Cork Leg'' by

Brendan Behan Brendan Francis Aidan Behan (christened Francis Behan) ( ; ga, Breandán Ó Beacháin; 9 February 1923 – 20 March 1964) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, and Irish Republican activist who wrote in both English an ...

and ''Private Life of the Master Race'' by

Bertold Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

. In 1983, he and his future wife, Vivian, moved to New York City. He joined the

off-off-Broadway Off-off-Broadway theaters are smaller New York City theaters than Broadway and off-Broadway theaters, and usually have fewer than 100 seats. The off-off-Broadway movement began in 1958 as part of a response to perceived commercialism of the pro ...

Cucaracha Theater on Greenwich Street.

Career

Donovan has appeared in fourteen episodes of the Showtime television series '' Weeds'', which stars

Mary-Louise Parker Mary-Louise Parker (born August 2, 1964) is an American actress. After making her Broadway debut as Rita in Craig Lucas' '' Prelude to a Kiss'' in 1990 (for which she received a Tony Award nomination), Parker came to prominence for film roles i ...

, for which he was nominated for a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by An Ensemble in a Comedy Series. He has also acted with Parker in '' Saved!'', '' Pipe Dream'' and '' The Portrait of a Lady''. For the latter film, he won the National Society of Film Critics' Award for best supporting actor.

Personal life

Donovan married actress Vivian Lanko in 1984; they have two sons. They lived in New York City for many years before relocating 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 ...

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Donovan, Martin 1957 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American emigrants to Canada American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors living people male actors from Los Angeles people from Reseda, Los Angeles