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Timothy David Olyphant ( ; born May 20, 1968) is an American actor. He made his acting debut in an
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 ...
theater in 1995, in ''The Monogamist'', and won the
Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...
for his performance, and then originated
David Sedaris David Raymond Sedaris (; born December 26, 1956) is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay " Santaland Diaries.” He published his first c ...
' ''
The Santaland Diaries "Santaland Diaries" is an essay by David Sedaris. It is a humorous account of Sedaris' stint working as a Christmas elf in "Santaland" at Macy's department store. Sedaris first read the essay on National Public Radio's ''Morning Edition'' on De ...
'' in 1996. He then branched out to film; in the early years of his career, he was often cast in supporting villainous roles, most notably in ''
Scream 2 ''Scream 2'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, Elise Neal, Tim ...
'' (1997), '' Go'' (1999), ''
A Man Apart ''A Man Apart'' is a 2003 American vigilante action film directed by F. Gary Gray and released by New Line Cinema. The film stars Vin Diesel and Larenz Tate. The story follows undercover DEA agent Sean Vetter who is on a vendetta to take down a ...
'' (2003), '' Gone in 60 Seconds'' (2000), and '' The Girl Next Door'' (2004). He came to the attention of a wider audience with his portrayal of Sheriff
Seth Bullock Seth Bullock (July 23, 1849 – September 23, 1919) was a Canadian-American frontiersman, business proprietor, politician, sheriff, and U.S. Marshal. He was a prominent citizen in Deadwood, South Dakota, where he lived from 1876 until his death, ...
in
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television, premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office busi ...
's western '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006), later reprising the role in '' Deadwood: The Movie'' (2019). He had starring roles in such films as ''
Catch and Release Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture, often a fast measurement and weighing of the fish is performed, followed by posed photography as proof of the catch, and then the fish are unhooked and returned ...
'' (2006), ''
Hitman Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...
'' (2007), ''
A Perfect Getaway ''A Perfect Getaway'' is a 2009 American thriller film written and directed by David Twohy and starring Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez, and Steve Zahn. Olyphant, Jovovich, Sanchez, and Zahn portray a group of vacationing co ...
'' (2009), and '' The Crazies'' (2010), and he played the main antagonist, Thomas Gabriel, in ''
Live Free or Die Hard ''Live Free or Die Hard'' (released as ''Die Hard 4.0'' outside North America) is a 2007 American action-thriller film directed by Len Wiseman, and serves as the fourth installment in the ''Die Hard'' film series. It is based on the 1997 articl ...
'' (2007). Olyphant was a recurring guest star in season two of the FX legal thriller ''
Damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognised at ...
'' (2009). From 2010 to 2015, Olyphant starred as Deputy U.S. Marshal
Raylan Givens Raylan Givens is a fictional character created by American novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard. Givens is a Deputy U.S. Marshal and initially appeared in the novels ''Pronto'' and '' Riding the Rap''. (''Pronto'' was adapted as a TV movie ...
in FX's modern-day
Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to ...
southern gothic Southern Gothic is an artistic subgenre of fiction, country music, film and television that are heavily influenced by Gothic elements and the American South. Common themes of Southern Gothic include storytelling of deeply flawed, disturbing o ...
'' Justified'', a performance for which he was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, leading actors in drama have competed alone. However, these dramatic performances inc ...
in 2011. Since the end of ''Justified'', Olyphant has starred in films such as ''
Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...
'', '' Snowden'' (both 2016), ''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is a ...
'' (2019), and '' Amsterdam'' (2022). He has also had notable guest appearances in numerous television sitcoms including ''
The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series of ...
'' (2010), ''
The Mindy Project ''The Mindy Project'' is an American romantic comedy television series created by and starring Mindy Kaling that began airing on Fox in September 2012 and finished its run of six seasons on Hulu in November 2017. The series was co-produced by U ...
'' (2013), and '' The Grinder'' (2015–2016), for which he won a Critics' Choice Award. He also starred in the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a film ...
comedy series ''
Santa Clarita Diet ''Santa Clarita Diet'' is an American horror-comedy streaming television series created by Victor Fresco for the streaming service Netflix, starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. Fresco serves as the showrunner, and is an executive prod ...
'' (2017–2019). In 2020, he played himself in a brief cameo, parodying his ''Justified'' character, in the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
award-winning show ''
The Good Place ''The Good Place'' is an American fantasy comedy television series created by Michael Schur. It premiered on NBC on September 19, 2016, and concluded on January 30, 2020, after four seasons and 53 episodes. Although the plot evolves signific ...
''. In the same year, he guest starred in season 10 of ''
Curb Your Enthusiasm ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' is an American television sitcom produced and broadcast by HBO since October 15, 2000, and created by Larry David, who stars as a semi-fictionalized version of himself. It follows David's life as a semi-retired televisi ...
'', as well as in the fourth season of '' Fargo'' and the second season of ''
The Mandalorian ''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the '' Star Wars'' franchise, beginning five years after the events of ''Retur ...
'' in the episode " Chapter 9: The Marshal" as Cobb Vanth, a role he later reprised in ''
The Book of Boba Fett ''The Book of Boba Fett'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the '' Star Wars'' franchise and a spin-off from the series ''The Mandalorian'', taking place in t ...
''.


Early life

Olyphant was born in
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is ...
, but moved to
Modesto, California Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton ...
, at the age of two. His parents are Katherine (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Gideon) and John Vernon Bevan Olyphant, who worked as vice president of production at Gallo Winery. He has an older brother, Andrew, and a younger brother, Matthew. His parents divorced when Olyphant was a teenager; both remarried. He is of English, German, Scottish, Dutch, Irish, and one-eighth
Russian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...
ancestry. Olyphant is a descendant of the
Vanderbilt family The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthr ...
of New York. His paternal fourth great-grandfather was family patriarch
Cornelius Vanderbilt Cornelius Vanderbilt (May 27, 1794 – January 4, 1877), nicknamed "the Commodore", was an American business magnate who built his wealth in railroads and shipping. After working with his father's business, Vanderbilt worked his way into lead ...
; his third great-grandfather was
William Henry Vanderbilt William Henry Vanderbilt (May 8, 1821 – December 8, 1885) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the eldest son of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, an heir to his fortune and a prominent member of the Vanderbilt family. Vanderbi ...
, who doubled the family's railroad fortune; his great-grandmother was socialite Emily Vanderbilt Sloane; and his great-uncle was music producer John Hammond. The surname Olyphant is of Scottish origin. Another paternal fourth great-grandfather, Dr. David Olyphant, was born in Scotland and served as director-general of the Southern hospitals during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. His third great-grandfather, David Olyphant, and great-great-grandfather, Robert Morrison Olyphant, were both prominent businessmen. Olyphant attended Modesto's Fred C. Beyer High School. Growing up, he was "embarrassed" by the idea of acting, but enjoyed art and drawing. He swam competitively throughout his childhood and was a finalist at the 1986 Nationals, in the 200m Individual Medley. He was then recruited to the
University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...
by
USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ''Trojans'', the women's athletic teams are referred ...
swimming coach Peter Daland. When Olyphant first visited the campus as part of a recruitment trip, he hoped to study architecture but was told it would be unmanageable with his training schedule. Instead, he opted to earn a
Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...
. However, Olyphant left university one elective shy of a degree; he returned to finish the degree 30 years later, taking an online course during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 1990, he planned to finish his degree and apply for a master's degree in fine arts and half-heartedly considered a career in
commercial art Commercial art is the art of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. Commercial art uses a variety of platforms (magazines, websites, apps, television, etc.) for viewers with the intent of prom ...
. While working as a swimming coach at Irvine Novaquatics, Olyphant decided to move to New York to explore other options. He initially performed
stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories ...
: "I'd dabbled eforeand then there was a six-month period where I did it with a certain commitment. Then I'd occasionally go back." Ultimately, he decided to become an actor. In his final year of college, he had taken an acting class as an elective at
UC Irvine UC may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''University Challenge'', a popular British quiz programme airing on BBC Two ** '' University Challenge (New Zealand)'', the New Zealand version of the British programme * Universal Century, one of the ti ...
and found it "really enjoyable". He completed a two-year acting program at New York's
William Esper Studio The William Esper Studio was founded in 1965 as a school for the performing arts in Manhattan, New York. The school is dedicated to the acting technique of Sanford Meisner. Its founder, William "Bill" Esper, is often referred to as the best-known o ...
and began auditioning for roles.


Career


1995–2003: Early supporting roles

Olyphant's first paid acting job was in a 1995 WB television pilot based on ''
77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was ...
''. Phyllis Huffman cast him in the role but he did not have an opportunity to meet the show's producer,
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Dolla ...
, who quit days before filming began. Later that year, he made his professional
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 tha ...
debut in the
Playwrights Horizons Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work. Under th ...
' production of ''The Monogamist'' and received the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance. He starred in the world premiere of ''
The SantaLand Diaries "Santaland Diaries" is an essay by David Sedaris. It is a humorous account of Sedaris' stint working as a Christmas elf in "Santaland" at Macy's department store. Sedaris first read the essay on National Public Radio's ''Morning Edition'' on De ...
'' (1996) at the
Atlantic Theater Company Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater, whose mission is to produce great plays "simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble." The company was founded in 1985 by David Mamet, William H. Macy, and 30 of their acti ...
, a one-man play based on
David Sedaris David Raymond Sedaris (; born December 26, 1956) is an American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor. He was publicly recognized in 1992 when National Public Radio broadcast his essay " Santaland Diaries.” He published his first c ...
' essay about working as a
Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wit ...
department store Christmas elf. Ben Brantley of ''The New York Times'' felt the "charming" Olyphant did "a wonderful job" when imitating other characters but had "a harder time finding a convincing style for the running narrative." Howard Kissell of ''The New York Daily News'' remarked that he delivered "all the drollery with a perfect deadpan and a twinkle" while David Patrick Stearns of ''USA Today'' described him as "an excellent young actor who successfully projects the world-weariness of a young 20-something who slowly evolves into somebody who just might believe in Christmas." Olyphant made his feature film debut in ''
The First Wives Club ''The First Wives Club'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith. The film stars Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton as three divorcées who seek retribution ...
'' (1996) as an eager young director who attempts to cast Elise Elliot (
Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, dancer, producer, and singer. She rose to fame on the NBC sketch comedy program ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (1968–1970), before going on to receive the Academy Award and G ...
) – who thinks she will be playing the leading lady – in the role of the elderly mother. Airing on the same day of that film's release, he made his television debut in the pilot of the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
spy series '' Mr. & Mrs. Smith''. In 1997, Olyphant made a guest appearance as Officer Brett Farraday in three episodes of the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
police drama ''
High Incident ''High Incident'' was a police drama television series produced by DreamWorks Television for the ABC network. The show was created by Steven Spielberg, Michael Pavone, Eric Bogosian, and Dave Alan Johnson. It aired from March 4, 1996, to May 8, ...
'' and returned to New York's Playwrights Horizons to play a supporting role in ''Plunge''. He also had minor roles in the romantic comedy ''
A Life Less Ordinary ''A Life Less Ordinary'' is a 1997 romantic black comedy film directed by Danny Boyle, written by John Hodge, and starring Ewan McGregor, Cameron Diaz, Holly Hunter, Delroy Lindo, Ian Holm and Dan Hedaya. The plot follows two angels (Hunter ...
'' and the CBS television film '' Ellen Foster''. Olyphant's most high-profile role of 1997 was as a film student in the successful horror film ''
Scream 2 ''Scream 2'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, Elise Neal, Tim ...
'', bringing "a degree of wild-eyed flair to the role," according to ''HitFix''s Chris Eggertsen. He later described the role as "a gift. I had virtually nothing on my resume at that point. I'm sure some of it was made up." Olyphant returned to television in 1998 for a guest starring role in an episode of the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television, premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office busi ...
sitcom ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United State ...
'', playing a love interest for
Carrie Bradshaw Caroline Marie "Carrie" Bradshaw is a fictional character from the HBO franchise ''Sex and the City'', portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker. Candace Bushnell created Carrie as a semi-autobiographical character for her column "Sex and the City" in '' ...
.
Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 10 ...
later said the episode, " Valley of the Twenty Something Guys", was her favorite of the series. Also that year, he had supporting roles in the HBO war film '' When Trumpets Fade'' and the independent ensemble drama ''
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
''. Two little-seen films were released in 1999: the drama '' Advice from a Caterpillar'', in which Olyphant played the bisexual love interest of
Cynthia Nixon Cynthia Ellen Nixon (born April 9, 1966) is an American actress, activist, and theater director. For her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), she won the 2004 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supp ...
's character, and the offbeat ensemble comedy '' No Vacancy'', in which he starred with
Christina Ricci Christina Ricci ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. Known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge, Ricci predominantly works in independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box office hits. She has receive ...
. Olyphant received positive notices for portraying a drug dealer in the cult comedy '' Go'' (1999). Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' noted that the role was "played with offbeat flair" while Todd McCarthy of ''Variety'' described it as a "deftly etched" performance. He was set to star in the fantasy film ''
Practical Magic ''Practical Magic'' is a 1998 American fantasy romantic drama film based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Alice Hoffman. The film was directed by Griffin Dunne and stars Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Aidan ...
'', but he was replaced by
Aidan Quinn Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an American actor who made his film debut in '' Reckless'' (1984). He has starred in over 80 feature films, including ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' (1985), '' The Mission'' (1986), ''Stakeout'' (1987), ''Aval ...
. After Olyphant's performance in ''Go'', the film's producer Mickey Liddell offered him his choice of parts in his next project '' The Broken Hearts Club'' (2000), a romantic comedy about a group of gay friends living in West Hollywood. ''The Village Voice''s Dennis Lim commented that his leading performance was better than the film deserved: "Olyphant is charismatic enough for his worst lines not to stick." However, Mick LaSalle of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' felt he played the part "like a straight actor gaying it up." Olyphant played a detective in the successful action film '' Gone in 60 Seconds'' (2000) and joked in an interview about the challenges of playing "second fiddle to a car"; his performance reminded the ''Washington Post''s Stephen Hunter of a young
Bill Paxton William Paxton (May 17, 1955 – February 25, 2017) was an American actor and filmmaker. He appeared in films such as '' Weird Science'' (1985), '' Aliens'' (1986), ''Near Dark'' (1987), '' Tombstone'' (1993), ''True Lies'' (1994), ''Apollo 13 ...
. Olyphant was offered a starring role for a character called
Dominic Toretto Dominic "Dom" Toretto is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists of the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. He is portrayed by Vin Diesel and first appeared on film, alongside the other protagonist Brian O'Conner, in ''The Fast and t ...
in another car film called ''Redline'' – that would later be retitled ''
The Fast and the Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, a ...
''. According to Sony producer
Neal H. Moritz Neal H. Moritz (born June 6, 1959) is an American film producer and founder of Original Film. He has produced over 70 major motion pictures which have grossed a total of over $11 billion worldwide as of 2021. He is best known for the ''Fast & Fu ...
, "The studio said, 'If you can get Timothy Olyphant to play that role we will greenlight the movie.'" Olyphant declined the role, which went to
Vin Diesel Mark Sinclair (born July 18, 1967), known professionally as Vin Diesel, is an American actor. One of the world's highest-grossing actors, he is best known for playing Dominic Toretto in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Diesel began audition ...
. The film went on to be a massive success with eight sequels to date. Olyphant later discussed passing on a lot of roles earlier in his career. In 2011, when asked by ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' what was the most absurd project he had ever been pitched, he replied, "I've passed on absurd projects and they have become enormous, enormous hits spawning numerous sequels, and I'm not in them." In 2018, he reflected on passing on the role of Toretto in ''The Fast and the Furious'', thinking it would be "stupid" and would bomb at the box office. Olyphant also had supporting roles in the musical comedy '' Rock Star'', the crime drama '' Auggie Rose'', and the romantic comedy '' Head Over Heels'' (all 2001). He starred in the short film ''Doppelganger'' (2001) and appeared in an episode of the
Sci-Fi Channel Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
horror series ''
Night Visions ''Night Visions'' is the debut studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. It was released on September 4, 2012, through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. The album was primarily produced by the band themselves, as well as Engli ...
'' (2002). The independent drama '' Coastlines'' made its debut at the 2002 SXSW Festival, but failed to find a distributor until 2006. Olyphant starred opposite
Josh Brolin Joshua James Brolin (; born February 12, 1968) is an American actor. He has appeared in films such as ''The Goonies'' (1985), ''Mimic'' (1997), ''Hollow Man'' (2000), ''Grindhouse'' (2007), '' No Country for Old Men'' (2007), '' American Gangst ...
as an ex-con who returns to his Florida hometown to collect a $200,000 debt. Kevin Crust of the ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that he "possesses the kind of thousand-yard stare that suggests something deeper going on," while Owen Gleiberman of ''Entertainment Weekly'' remarked that "Olyphant, in the sort of role that
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
used to swagger through, has a star's easy command." However, Todd McCarthy of ''Variety'' felt his performance "sort of floats along." Olyphant's most high-profile role of 2003 was in the Vin Diesel-starring action film ''
A Man Apart ''A Man Apart'' is a 2003 American vigilante action film directed by F. Gary Gray and released by New Line Cinema. The film stars Vin Diesel and Larenz Tate. The story follows undercover DEA agent Sean Vetter who is on a vendetta to take down a ...
''. Desson Howe of the ''Washington Post'' remarked that Olyphant "gets a kudo or two for avingthe good sense to realize he's playing one of the movie's many one-dimensional characters, so he might as well have insane fun." Similarly, Mick LaSalle of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' noted that "the most lively character in "A Man Apart" turns out
o be O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), plu ...
a middling drug dealer played to the hilt by Timothy Olyphant." He appeared in the
film adaptation 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 dia ...
of
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
's horror novel ''
Dreamcatcher In some Native American and First Nations cultures, a dreamcatcher ( oj, asabikeshiinh, the inanimate form of the word for 'spider') is a handmade willow hoop, on which is woven a net or web. It may also be decorated with sacred items such ...
'' as one of four friends attacked by parasitic aliens. The film was poorly reviewed, with David Rooney of ''Variety'' remarking: "Only
Lee Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...
and Olyphant come close to hitting the right note of tongue-in-cheek humor that might have made all this palatable. Unfortunately, they're the first to go." Also in 2003, he appeared in the independent ensemble drama '' The Safety of Objects''. Olyphant received widespread praise for his 2004 performance as a porn film producer in the comedy '' The Girl Next Door''. He was initially reluctant to audition for the part, feeling it was too similar to some of his previous roles but, "as my manager dutifully reminded me, not many people saw those movies." Mick LaSalle of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' described the character of Kelly as "a leering, magnetic, frightening, glad-handing, easily-amused, hyper-sensitive, utterly deceitful, maddeningly likable wild man. When Olyphant is on screen, there's the feeling that things might go anywhere." A.O. Scott of ''The New York Times'' remarked that the part was played with "a throwaway inventiveness" while Kenneth Turan of the ''Los Angeles Times'' felt it was played "with wonderful comic zest." David Edelstein of ''Slate'' enjoyed his "spaced-out volatility. Olyphant's Kelly is a brilliant synthesis of poses." Joe Leydon of ''Variety'' said he "strikes an impressively deft balance of hearty amiability and understated menace in his scene-stealing turn." In a 2015 interview, Olyphant reflected on the early stages of his film career, and not getting the leading roles that would have possibly led to major fame: "I got great opportunities right off the bat. And at the same time I either passed or failed to get things that would have made things ridiculously quick. I passed on enormous opportunities only to end up playing the supporting role in the next film. And then I'd think to myself, "What the fuck am I doing? Why did I do that?" But sometimes I feel like I got away with some things, because I've been able to work for a long time and I haven't had to deal with any kind of fame issues."


2004–2009: ''Deadwood'' and leading film roles

Olyphant came to the attention of a wider audience when he was cast as Sheriff
Seth Bullock Seth Bullock (July 23, 1849 – September 23, 1919) was a Canadian-American frontiersman, business proprietor, politician, sheriff, and U.S. Marshal. He was a prominent citizen in Deadwood, South Dakota, where he lived from 1876 until his death, ...
in HBO's acclaimed western '' Deadwood'', which aired for three seasons from 2004 to 2006. While he had previously been typecast "as a talkative,
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
–styled, funny bad boy," in the words of ''Vulture''s
Matt Zoller Seitz Matt Zoller Seitz (born December 26, 1968) is an American film and television critic, author and film-maker. Career Matt Zoller Seitz is editor-at-large at RogerEbert.com, and the television critic for ''New York'' magazine and Vulture.com, as ...
, ''Deadwood'' gave him the opportunity to play a righteous, brooding lawman. The show's creator,
David Milch David Sanford Milch (born March 23, 1945) is an American writer and producer of television series. He has created several television shows, including ABC's ''NYPD Blue'' (1993-2005), co-created with Steven Bochco, and HBO's '' Deadwood'' (2004- ...
, said of the casting choice: "Bullock's uprightness is an alternative to going medieval on people. You can see that same fire and that possibility in Tim, even at his most genial ... I'm not sure which poet talked about 'thoughts too deep for words,' but he brings that idea alive ... Tim is a guy that doesn't let himself be known easily." While Bullock was initially introduced as ''Deadwood''s protagonist, Emily VanDerWerff of ''The A.V. Club'' noted that the character of
Al Swearengen Ellis Alfred Swearengen (July 8, 1845 – November 15, 1904) was an American pimp and entertainment entrepreneur who ran the Gem Theater, a notorious brothel, in Deadwood, South Dakota, for 22 years during the late 19th century. Personal life Swe ...
came to "dominate the show ... This is not to slight Timothy Olyphant. He's a fine actor, and his portrayal of Bullock is frequently very, very good. Bullock is still unquestionably one of the most important characters on the show but the character of a Wild West lawman, no matter how revisionist it was in its portrayal of that lawman as someone who seemed barely in control at all times, just ended up not having as much to do in a blatantly revisionist Western about how chaos gives way to civilization." Matt Feeney of ''Slate'' described Bullock as "laconic, feral, hot-tempered and a little vain", and said the character was "not so much played as embodied by Olyphant". Alan Sepinwall of ''HitFix'' found his performance "fierce and commanding" while Jeremy Egner of ''The New York Times'' said that he showed "a capacity for explosive, nuanced performance barely suggested by earlier roles." The cast were nominated for the 2006
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast (or Ensemble) in a Drama Series is an award given by the Screen Actors Guild to honor the finest ensemble acting achievements in drama series. Winners and nominees 1990s 20 ...
. Years later, Olyphant remarked that ''Deadwood'' "almost has done more for me since we wrapped than while it was on. I continue to draw from it, to steal from it. I'm much better at my job now because of the things I learned while doing it. David Milch is one of the greatest writers, storytellers, directors, creative forces I've ever been around." He has been somewhat critical of his own performance: "Frankly, the show is much better than my performance ...
Ian Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ') and corresponding to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. It is a popular name in Sc ...
was like a little kid, playing with the props and playing with the language and he never lost the sense of fun of it all. I wasn't operating at that same level." Also in 2006, he made a guest appearance in an episode of the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
comedy ''
My Name Is Earl ''My Name Is Earl'' is an American television sitcom created by Greg Garcia that aired on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States. It was produced by 20th Century Fox Television and starred Ja ...
''. In 2007, Olyphant starred in the romantic comedy ''
Catch and Release Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture, often a fast measurement and weighing of the fish is performed, followed by posed photography as proof of the catch, and then the fish are unhooked and returned ...
''. He knew co-star
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Compan ...
from their days as struggling actors in New York, and was excited for the opportunity to play a romantic lead. Lael Loewenstein of ''Variety'' felt "Olyphant clearly has a bright future" while Desson Thomson of the ''Washington Post'' described him as "the strongest performer here" but that he was "entirely misplaced, an estimable actor caught in a thankless, frilly role." Scott Tobias of ''The A.V. Club'' remarked: "Olyphant's trademark volatility makes him a livelier romantic lead than the usual stuffed shirt." Similarly, Stephanie Zacharek of ''Salon'' found him "effective here precisely because he seems a little sharp and dangerous. He's not your typical cuddly romantic lead." Olyphant's first post-''Deadwood'' roles were the action movies ''
Live Free or Die Hard ''Live Free or Die Hard'' (released as ''Die Hard 4.0'' outside North America) is a 2007 American action-thriller film directed by Len Wiseman, and serves as the fourth installment in the ''Die Hard'' film series. It is based on the 1997 articl ...
'' and ''
Hitman Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...
'' (both 2007). (''Coastlines'' was first screened during the Sundance Film Festival in 2002 while ''Catch and Release'' was filmed in 2005.) He had bought a house in the weeks before ''Deadwood''s cancellation and he later admitted his job choices during this period were for "purely financial reasons." In ''Live Free or Die Hard'', he played a villainous cybersecurity expert. Both he and
Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series '' Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero ...
have said his role was underwritten in the script, and he enjoyed working with Willis to develop the character. Peter Travers of ''Rolling Stone'' declared him "a master at smiling menace", while Mick LaSalle of ''The San Francisco Chronicle'' found him "perfectly ice cold." However,
Manohla Dargis Manohla June Dargis () is an American film critic. She is one of the chief film critics for ''The New York Times''. She is a five-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Career Before being a film critic for ''The New York Times'', ...
of ''The New York Times'' remarked: "Mr. Olyphant has many charms, but annihilating menace is not one of them." He next starred in ''Hitman'', a video game adaptation, as the assassin
Agent 47 Agent 47 is a fictional character, the protagonist and the player character of the ''Hitman'' video game franchise, developed by IO Interactive. He has been featured in all games of the series, as well as various spin-off media, including two th ...
. He was hired to replace Vin Diesel six weeks before filming began and reluctantly agreed to shave his head. The film was commercially successful, grossing over $100 million, but received negative reviews. Todd McCarthy of ''Variety'' described Olyphant as "an actor capable of portraying subtle ambiguities and thought, which suggests he ought to branch out to play something other than baddies." Nick Schager of ''Slant Magazine'' was disappointed to see the actor "reduced to glowering and posing with pistols" while Manohla Dargis of ''The New York Times'' felt he was "strangely, at times ridiculously, miscast." In 2008, he had a supporting role as a
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
in the
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...
drama '' Stop-Loss'', played a pompous newscaster in the little-seen comedy ''
Meet Bill ''Meet Bill'' (formerly known as ''Bill'') is a 2007 American comedy film written and directed by Bernie Goldmann and Melisa Wallack, and stars Aaron Eckhart as the title character, with supporting performances by Logan Lerman, Jessica Alba, Eliza ...
'', voiced the character Cowboy in the video game ''
Turok Turok is a fictional character who first appeared in American comic books published by Western Publishing through licensee Dell Comics. He first appeared in '' Four Color Comics'' #596 (October/November 1954). After a second ''Four Color'' appea ...
'' and made a guest appearance on the first season of the ABC sitcom ''
Samantha Who? ''Samantha Who?'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from October 15, 2007, to July 23, 2009. The series was created by Cecelia Ahern and Donald Todd, who also served as producers. Although highly rated during its fir ...
'' with
Christina Applegate Christina Applegate (born November 25, 1971) is an American actress. As a child actress, she gained recognition for starring as Kelly Bundy in the Fox sitcom '' Married... with Children'' (1987–1997). Applegate established a successful film a ...
. Olyphant had a new outlook when choosing his 2009 projects, influenced by his experience with ''Hitman'': "It motivated me to take a little more responsibility with what I was doing ... I was very fond of the director and a lot of the people that worked on the film but there was definitely a part of me that was like, "What am I doing here?'" He starred as a morphine addict in the little-seen independent heist comedy '' High Life'', with Derek Elley of ''Variety'' praising his "terrific" performance. He had a starring role in the thriller ''
A Perfect Getaway ''A Perfect Getaway'' is a 2009 American thriller film written and directed by David Twohy and starring Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez, and Steve Zahn. Olyphant, Jovovich, Sanchez, and Zahn portray a group of vacationing co ...
'' as a possible serial killer of fellow holidaymakers in Hawaii. Manohla Dargis of ''The New York Times'' enjoyed "the regrettably underemployed" actor's performance, Ty Burr of the ''Boston Globe'' found him "delightfully confident" while Lisa Schwarzbaum of ''Entertainment Weekly'' noted he "has a heckuva good time telegraphing macho mania." He was nominated for the Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor. He returned to the stage for one night to appear in ''Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays'', benefiting the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
. Also in 2009, he appeared in 11 episodes of the FX legal thriller ''
Damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognised at ...
'', as a morally ambiguous love interest for
Rose Byrne Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut in the film '' Dallas Doll'' (1994), and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She obtained her first leading film role ...
's character. Byrne later said he was her favorite ''Damages'' guest star, while FX president
John Landgraf John Phillip Landgraf (born May 20, 1962) is the Chairman of FX Networks. He is also a member of the Peabody Awards board of directors, which is presented by the University of Georgia's Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. ...
sent him the pilot script for another FX project, ''Lawman'' (later renamed '' Justified''). In 2010, he starred as the town sheriff in the horror film '' The Crazies''. Peter Bradshaw of ''The Guardian'' was impressed by the "saturnine screen presence of Timothy Olyphant – that formidable actor who deserves a lead role to match his potential." ''The Hollywood Reporter''s Michael Rechtshaffen found him "convincing" while Claudia Puig of ''USA Today'' enjoyed the "smart, stoic and sympathetic" performance. He also appeared in the independent comedy ''
Elektra Luxx ''Elektra Luxx'' is a 2010 comedy film directed and written by Sebastian Gutierrez featuring Carla Gugino. The film is a sequel to the ensemble comedy '' Women in Trouble''. The film premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2010, whe ...
'' (2010).


2010–2015: ''Justified'' and comedic performances

Olyphant starred in FX's modern-day western series, '' Justified'', as Deputy U.S. Marshal
Raylan Givens Raylan Givens is a fictional character created by American novelist and screenwriter Elmore Leonard. Givens is a Deputy U.S. Marshal and initially appeared in the novels ''Pronto'' and '' Riding the Rap''. (''Pronto'' was adapted as a TV movie ...
, who is reassigned to his native Eastern Kentucky following a "justified", but questionable, quick-draw shooting of a criminal in Miami. There, he encounters many outlaw figures from his childhood, including his father and Boyd Crowder, with whom he dug coal as a teenager. Olyphant was initially drawn to "the ease and the charm and the sort of old-fashionedness" of the character but has said he does not consider him a "good guy." The character of Raylan Givens was created by novelist
Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thr ...
, appearing in his short story "Fire in the Hole" (2001) and the novels ''
Pronto Pronto, stylized as PRONTO, is the second-generation contactless payment system for automated fare collection on public transit services in San Diego County, California. The system is managed by the San Diego Association of Governments, operat ...
'' (1993) and '' Riding the Rap'' (1995). Leonard was an executive producer of ''Justified'' and befriended Olyphant; his final novel, '' Raylan'' (2012), was inspired by the television show. Raylan Givens has been described by many television critics as the "defining role" of Olyphant's career. Brian Lowry of ''Variety'' said it was "an unabashed star turn": "There are surely worse ways to be pigeonholed than playing tough, laconic lawmen, and Timothy Olyphant is carving himself a formidable niche in those confines ... It's an enormously appealing performance." Tim Goodman of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' praised "an incredibly riveting performance": "Olyphant's steely gaze, Zen interior and matinee looks called to mind a younger Clint Eastwood." Daniel Fienberg of ''HitFix'' described him as "a tremendously compelling actor. It's not that he thrives only on minimalism, but he gets a lot out of a little. His performance is about potential energy, or potential violence. And Olyphant does "intense and coiled" to perfection." Matthew Gilbert of ''The Boston Globe'' said: "It's hard to imagine any other actor in the part, as Olyphant milks Raylan's smooth, laconic cowboy style for as much wry humor as he can. He is riveting without a lot of noise — both his body language and his conversation are pared down, and yet his presence is always resonant." Although Olyphant was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emmy Awards, leading actors in drama have competed alone. However, these dramatic performances inc ...
in 2011, he and the show were often perceived to have been "snubbed" by Emmy voters. Matt Zoller Seitz of ''Vulture'' suggested this was because it was "the kind of performance that almost nobody recognizes as 'acting.' It's an old-fashioned movie hero performance in which much of the emotional action is internal and articulated with great subtlety." Similarly, Robert Bianco of ''USA Today'' commented that his "masterfully complete immersion in the role seems to have masked the talent expended playing it." Olyphant also served as a co-executive producer on ''Justified'', working with
Graham Yost Graham John Yost (born September 5, 1959) is a Canadian film and television screenwriter. His best-known works are the films ''Speed'', '' Broken Arrow'', and '' Hard Rain'' and the TV series '' Justified''. Early life, family and education Yo ...
and the writing team on some of the show's storylines and coming to the set on his days off to work with guest stars. He has described producing as "the greatest thing about this job." Yost has said of his producer credit: "Often on shows that really doesn't mean much. On this show it actually doesn't reflect the depth of his involvement, which would be an even bigger credit. Tim is the biggest reminder for everyone that we're in the Elmore Leonard world. And that it needs to be funny and dark and twisted, and it needs to speak with all of those voices at the same time." ''Justified'' was awarded a
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...
in 2011. Olyphant made occasional guest appearances on comedy television shows during ''Justified''s six-season run. He played a paper salesman in two episodes of the NBC comedy ''
The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original series of ...
'' (2010), after
Mindy Kaling Vera Mindy Chokalingam (born June 24, 1979),Additional archive on June 25, 2015. known professionally as Mindy Kaling (), is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter and producer. She first gained recognition starring as Kelly Kapoor in the ...
, a writer, producer and actress on the show, pushed for him to make a guest appearance. In 2012, he played a character billed as White Sushi Chef in an episode of the FX sitcom ''
The League ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football league ...
'' (2012) and voiced a character in an episode of the FX animated series ''
Archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In mo ...
''. In 2013, he appeared as a love interest on the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve s ...
comedy ''
The Mindy Project ''The Mindy Project'' is an American romantic comedy television series created by and starring Mindy Kaling that began airing on Fox in September 2012 and finished its run of six seasons on Hulu in November 2017. The series was co-produced by U ...
''. The guest appearance came about after he told Kaling that he wanted to appear on the show and he later said he would have been happy to play his middle-aged skateboarder character for "years." Olyphant also worked on numerous films in between seasons of ''Justified''. He voiced the Spirit of the West in the animated film '' Rango'' (2011). The character was a parody of
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Dolla ...
's
Man with No Name The Man with No Name ( it, Uomo senza nome) is the antihero character portrayed by Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's "''Dollars Trilogy''" of Italian Spaghetti Western films: ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964), ''For a Few Dollars More'' (1965), ...
and Olyphant was cast after director
Gore Verbinski Gregor Justin "Gore" Verbinski (born March 16, 1964) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and musician. He is best known for directing '' The Ring'', the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films, and '' Rango''. He won the Academy Awar ...
overheard him speaking on television: "I just sort of doubled back and looked through the door and was like, "That's our guy" ... Timothy has such a great quality to his voice." Olyphant appeared as a mentor to
Alex Pettyfer Alexander Richard Pettyfer (born 10 April 1990) is a British actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of '' Stormbreaker''. Pettyfer was nominate ...
's character in the science-fiction thriller ''
I Am Number Four ''I Am Number Four'' is a young adult science fiction novel by Pittacus Lore (the pseudonym of James Frey and Jobie Hughes) and the first book in the ''Lorien Legacies'' series. The book was published by HarperCollins on August 3, 2010, and spe ...
'' (2011). Justin Chang of ''Variety'' said he "brings some of his usual edge" but Betsy Sharkey of the ''Los Angeles Times'' felt he was "an untapped resource." Also in 2011, he voiced a character called Sergeant First Class "Grinch" in the video game, '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3''. In 2013, he appeared as
Jeff Garlin Jeffrey Garlin (born June 5, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Murray Goldberg, patriarch of the eponymous family in the ABC sitcom '' The Goldbergs'', and Jeff Greene on the HBO sitcom ''Curb Your E ...
's father in the independent comedy '' Dealin' with Idiots'' and took part in a one-off LACMA Live Read of the black comedy ''
Raising Arizona ''Raising Arizona'' is a 1987 American crime comedy film directed by Joel Coen, produced by Ethan Coen, and written by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Nicolas Cage as H.I. "Hi" McDunnough, an ex-convict, and Holly Hunter as Edwina "Ed" McDunnough ...
'' (1987); he played
Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gui ...
's character while
Amy Poehler Amy Poehler (; born September 16, 1971) is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and director. After studying improv at Chicago's Second City and ImprovOlympic in the early 1990s, Poehler co-founded the improvisational-comedy tro ...
played
Holly Hunter Holly Patricia Hunter (born March 20, 1958) is an American actress. For her performance as Ada McGrath in the 1993 drama film ''The Piano'', Hunter won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She earned three additional Academy Award nominations for ...
's character. In 2014, Olyphant starred with
Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...
in the ensemble comedy-drama ''
This Is Where I Leave You ''This Is Where I Leave You'' is a 2014 American comedy-drama film directed by Shawn Levy and starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard, and Jane Fonda. It ...
''. Their characters were teenage sweethearts until an accident left him with a mild brain injury. The film received mixed reviews, with David Edelstein of ''Vulture'' commenting: "Over the course of his career, Olyphant has given life to head-slappingly bad material, and he does it again by simply underplaying."


2015–present: ''Santa Clarita Diet'', ''Deadwood'' returns

Olyphant had a recurring guest role, as a fictionalized version of himself, in the Fox comedy '' The Grinder'' (2015–2016). His performance received positive critical notices, with ''USA Today''s Robert Bianco declaring it an "Emmy-deserving performance." He won the
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series The Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series is one of the award categories presented annually by the Critics' Choice Television Awards (BTJA) (US) to recognize the work done by television actors. It was introduce ...
. In early 2016, Olyphant starred in the world premiere of
Kenneth Lonergan Kenneth Lonergan (born October 16, 1962) is an American film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He is the co-writer of the film ''Gangs of New York'' (2002), and wrote and directed '' You Can Count on Me'' (2000), '' Margaret'' (2011), and ...
's comedy ''Hold On to Me Darling'' at the off-Broadway
Atlantic Theater Company Atlantic Theater Company is an Off-Broadway non-profit theater, whose mission is to produce great plays "simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble." The company was founded in 1985 by David Mamet, William H. Macy, and 30 of their acti ...
. His character, Strings McCrane, is a self-absorbed country singer and actor who returns to Tennessee, after his mother's death. Ben Brantley of the ''New York Times'' found him "entertainingly irritating" in a performance that "avoids the obvious route of histrionic posing": "The startling, bona fide sorrow that Mr. Olyphant brings to he final scenetruly illuminates everything that has come before." Frank Rizzo of ''Variety'' felt his performance was "a stunner, striking just the right notes of guilelessness, obliviousness and narcissism to make Strings one of the most appealing messes in a long time." David Rooney of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' felt the role "seems tailor-made for his laid-back swagger and sly humor ... Olyphant's natural charm ensures that Strings' unapologetic self-absorption remains more human than monstrous." He also played Henry, the ex-husband of Sandy (
Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...
), in the universally panned ensemble romantic comedy ''
Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...
'' (2016) and appeared in
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 '' Sc ...
's '' Snowden'', as a CIA agent who befriended Snowden prior to the latter's departure to Russia after his leak of classified documents. In February 2017, Olyphant began starring in the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a film ...
horror-comedy ''
Santa Clarita Diet ''Santa Clarita Diet'' is an American horror-comedy streaming television series created by Victor Fresco for the streaming service Netflix, starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. Fresco serves as the showrunner, and is an executive prod ...
'', and also served as an executive producer for the series, which co-starred
Drew Barrymore Drew Blythe Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, director, producer, talk show host and author. A member of the Barrymore family of actors, she is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a ...
. Netflix renewed the series for a second season in March 2017 and for a third and ultimately final season in May 2018. '' Dark Was the Night'', an independent drama in which he starred with
Marisa Tomei Marisa Tomei ( , ; born December 4, 1964) is an American actress. She came to prominence as a cast member on ''The Cosby Show'' spin-off ''A Different World'' in 1987. After having minor roles in a few films, she came to international attention ...
, was filmed in 2015 and premiered at the 2018
Galway Film Fleadh The Galway Film Fleadh (; Irish for "festival") is an international film festival founded in 1989 as part of the Galway Arts Festival. Describing itself as Ireland’s leading film festival, the event is held every July in Galway city in Irela ...
. In early 2016, HBO announced that David Milch was developing a two-hour film continuation of ''Deadwood''. The long-awaited follow-up to the television series began production in October 2018. '' Deadwood: The Movie'' premiered on HBO on May 31, 2019. In 2017, it was reported Olyphant would portray an FBI agent in the film '' Driven'', though he ultimately did not appear in the film. In 2018, Olyphant was cast as a voice actor for the
stop-motion Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...
animated film '' Missing Link'', which was released in April 2019. He was also part of the large ensemble cast for the
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensemble ...
semi-historical film ''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is a ...
'', which was released in July 2019. Olyphant portrayed TV western star James Stacy in the film. In 2020, Olyphant appeared as Cobb Vanth in the second season of the
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
space Western ''
The Mandalorian ''The Mandalorian'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is the first live-action series in the '' Star Wars'' franchise, beginning five years after the events of ''Retur ...
''. In 2022, he reprised the role in the first season of ''The Mandalorian'' spinoff series ''
The Book of Boba Fett ''The Book of Boba Fett'' is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau for the streaming service Disney+. It is part of the '' Star Wars'' franchise and a spin-off from the series ''The Mandalorian'', taking place in t ...
''.


Personal life

Olyphant has been married to his college sweetheart Alexis Knief since 1991. They live in
Westwood, Los Angeles Westwood is a commercial and residential neighborhood in the northern central portion of the Westside region of Los Angeles, California. It is the home of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Bordering the campus on the south ...
, and have three children. From 2006 to late 2008, Olyphant was the sports reporter for Joe Escalante's morning radio show on Los Angeles' Indie 103.1; film director
David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
served as the show's weatherman. Olyphant phoned the station every weekday, delivering his reports in an unconventional style. Following the station's demise, he joked: "If you know of anyone looking for sports reports from an actor who is often just going off of what he recalls happened yesterday, or reading it directly from the newspaper, then I'm your guy." He is also a keen tennis player, and has participated in many pro-celebrity tournaments. He is a fan of the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
and the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookl ...
, and he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Dodgers game in 2013.


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Theatre


Podcasts


Awards and nominations


References


External links

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Nerdist Podcast: Timothy Olyphant
{{DEFAULTSORT:Olyphant, Timothy 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors 1968 births American male film actors American male swimmers American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Dutch descent American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent American people of Scottish descent Living people Male actors from California Male actors from Honolulu Male actors from Modesto, California Timothy People from Westwood, Los Angeles Television producers from California Theatre World Award winners USC Roski School of Fine Arts alumni USC Trojans men's swimmers
Timothy Olyphant Timothy David Olyphant ( ; born May 20, 1968) is an American actor. He made his acting debut in an off-Broadway theater in 1995, in ''The Monogamist'', and won the Theatre World Award for his performance, and then originated David Sedaris' '' ...
William Esper Studio alumni