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{{short description|American actor, director and writer (born 1964)}}
{{short description|American actor and writer (born 1964)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Distinguish|Tim Nelson (lacrosse)}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name =
| name =
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| birth_place = [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], U.S.
| education = [[Brown University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br/>[[Juilliard School]] ([[Graduate diploma|GrDip]])
| education = [[Brown University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br/>[[Juilliard School]] ([[Graduate diploma|GrDip]])
| occupation = Actor, director, writer
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Actor
* playwright
* director
* producer
* screenwriter}}
| years_active = 1989–present
| years_active = 1989–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Lisa Benavides|1994}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Lisa Benavides|1994}}
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}}
}}


⚫
'''Timothy Blake Nelson''' (born May 11, 1964) is an American actor and playwright. Described as a "modern [[character actor]]",<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 5, 2021|first1=Devan |last1=Coggan |title=Tim Blake Nelson reflects on his most memorable roles, from 'Buster Scruggs' to 'Watchmen'|url=https://ew.com/movies/tim-blake-nelson-role-call/|access-date=January 28, 2024|website=EW.com|language=en}}</ref> his roles include Delmar O'Donnell in ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'' (2000), Gideon in ''[[Minority Report (film)|Minority Report]]'' (2002), Doctor Steve Pendanski in ''[[Holes (film)|Holes]]'' (2003), Doctor Jonathan Jacobo in ''[[Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed]]'' (2004), Danny Dalton Jr. in ''[[Syriana]]'' (2005), [[Characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: M–Z#Samuel Sterns|Samuel Sterns]] in the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]], [[Richard Schell]] in ''[[Lincoln (film)|Lincoln]]'' (2012), the titular character of ''[[The Ballad of Buster Scruggs]]'' (2018) and [[Henry McCarty]] in ''[[Old Henry]]'' (2021). He portrayed Wade Tillman / Looking Glass in the [[HBO]] limited series ''[[Watchmen (TV series)|Watchmen]]'' (2019), for which he received a [[10th Critics' Choice Television Awards|Critics' Choice Television Awards]] nomination for [[Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series|Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series]] in [[25th Critics' Choice Awards|2020]].
'''Timothy Blake Nelson''' (born May 11, 1964) is an American actor and playwright.


⚫
Nelson's directorial credits include ''[[Eye of God (film)|Eye of God]]'' (1997), which was nominated for the [[Sundance Grand Jury Prize]] and an [[Independent Spirit Awards|Independent Spirit Award]]; ''[[O (2001 film)|O]]'' (2001), a modern-day adaptation of ''[[Othello]];'' and the Holocaust drama ''[[The Grey Zone]]'' (2001). ''Eye of God'' and ''The Grey Zone'' were both adapted from Nelson's own plays. Nelson has also co-directed music videos for [[Billy Woods]] and [[Kenny Segal]] including "Babylon by Bus" and "Soft Landing". He also co-directed the music video for [[Armand Hammer (music group)|Armand Hammer]] feat. Pink Siifu's "Trauma Mic".
⚫
Described as a "modern [[character actor]]",<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 5, 2021|first1=Devan |last1=Coggan |title=Tim Blake Nelson reflects on his most memorable roles, from 'Buster Scruggs' to 'Watchmen'|url=https://ew.com/movies/tim-blake-nelson-role-call/|access-date=2024-01-28|website=EW.com|language=en}}</ref> his roles include Delmar O'Donnell in ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'' (2000), Gideon in ''[[Minority Report (film)|Minority Report]]'' (2002), Dr. Pendanski in ''[[Holes (film)|Holes]]'' (2003), Danny Dalton Jr. in ''[[Syriana]]'' (2005), [[Characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: M–Z#Samuel Sterns|Samuel Sterns]] in the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe]], [[Richard Schell]] in ''[[Lincoln (film)|Lincoln]]'' (2012), the title character in ''[[The Ballad of Buster Scruggs]]'' (2018), and [[Henry McCarty]] in ''[[Old Henry (film)|Old Henry]]'' (2021). He portrayed Wade Tillman / Looking Glass in the [[HBO]] limited series ''[[Watchmen (TV series)|Watchmen]]'' (2019), for which he received a [[10th Critics' Choice Television Awards|Critics' Choice Television Awards]] nomination for [[Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series|Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series]] in [[25th Critics' Choice Awards|2020]].

⚫
Nelson's directorial credits include ''[[Eye of God (film)|Eye of God]]'' (1997), which was nominated for the [[Sundance Grand Jury Prize]] and an [[Independent Spirit Awards|Independent Spirit Award]]; ''[[O (film)|O]]'' (2001), a modern-day adaptation of ''[[Othello]];'' and the Holocaust drama ''[[The Grey Zone]]'' (2001). ''Eye of God'' and ''The Grey Zone'' were both adapted from Nelson's own plays. Nelson has also co-directed music videos for [[Billy Woods|billy woods]] and [[Kenny Segal]] including ''Babylon by Bus'' and ''Soft Landing''. He also co-directed the music video for [[Armand Hammer (music group)|Armand Hammer]]'s''Trauma Mic feat. Pink Siifu''.


Nelson recently published his debut novel, ''City of Blows'' (2023), an epic group portrait of four men grappling for control of a script in a radically changing Hollywood.
Nelson recently published his debut novel, ''City of Blows'' (2023), an epic group portrait of four men grappling for control of a script in a radically changing Hollywood.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Nelson was born to a [[American Jews|Jewish]] family<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aboutfilm.com/features/greyzone/feature.htm|title=Feature Article and Interviews - THE GREY ZONE (2001)|publisher=Aboutfilm.com|access-date=2014-07-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bloom|first=Nate|title=Jewish stars: Whales, ghosts and 'Smash'|newspaper=[[Cleveland Jewish News]]|date=February 2, 2012|url=https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/archives/jewish-stars-whales-ghosts-and-smash/article_77b968c0-4dde-11e1-a4ef-0019bb2963f4.html|access-date=April 16, 2018}}</ref> in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], the son of Ruth Nelson (''[[née]]'' Kaiser),<ref name="TW060509">Michael Smith, [http://www.tulsaworld.com/spot/article.aspx?subjectid=243&articleid=20090506_282_D10_Thenew625933 "Bloomer Sooner: Tulsa native Tim Blake Nelson's roots are showing"], ''[[Tulsa World]]'', May 6, 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishmuseum.net/other/images/muse.pdf|title=Star's Talents Return to Tulsa|access-date=2007-09-27|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001110522/http://www.jewishmuseum.net/other/images/muse.pdf|archive-date=October 1, 2011}}</ref> a noted Tulsa social activist and philanthropist, and Don Nelson, a geologist and [[wildcatter]].<ref>Tulsa Historical Society, [http://www.tulsahistory.org/hof/nelson.html 1999 Hall of Fame Inductee: Ruth K. Nelson] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126213615/http://www.tulsahistory.org/hof/nelson.html|date=2009-01-26}}, tulsahistory.org; accessed June 14, 2017.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/native-tulsan-featured-in-miniseries-tim-nelson-makes-leap-from/article_26a35455-cdb7-5ad9-853d-b7abf7c4a7cf.html|title=Native Tulsan Featured in Miniseries: Tim Nelson Makes Leap From Shakespeare to 'Dead Man's Walk'|first=Rita|last=Sherrow}}</ref> His maternal uncle is businessman [[George Kaiser]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jweekly.com/2015/08/06/celebrity-jews0807|title=Celebrity jews|author=Bloom, Nate|date=August 6, 2015|publisher=jweekly.com|access-date=April 16, 2018}}</ref>
Nelson was born to a [[American Jews|Jewish]] family<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aboutfilm.com/features/greyzone/feature.htm|title=Feature Article and Interviews - THE GREY ZONE (2001)|publisher=Aboutfilm.com|access-date=July 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Bloom|first=Nate|title=Jewish stars: Whales, ghosts and 'Smash'|newspaper=[[Cleveland Jewish News]]|date=February 2, 2012|url=https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/archives/jewish-stars-whales-ghosts-and-smash/article_77b968c0-4dde-11e1-a4ef-0019bb2963f4.html|access-date=April 16, 2018}}</ref> in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], the son of Ruth Nelson (''[[née]]'' Kaiser),<ref name="TW060509">Michael Smith, [http://www.tulsaworld.com/spot/article.aspx?subjectid=243&articleid=20090506_282_D10_Thenew625933 "Bloomer Sooner: Tulsa native Tim Blake Nelson's roots are showing"], ''[[Tulsa World]]'', May 6, 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishmuseum.net/other/images/muse.pdf|title=Star's Talents Return to Tulsa|access-date=September 27, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001110522/http://www.jewishmuseum.net/other/images/muse.pdf|archive-date=October 1, 2011}}</ref> a noted Tulsa social activist and philanthropist, and Don Nelson, a geologist and [[wildcatter]].<ref>Tulsa Historical Society, [http://www.tulsahistory.org/hof/nelson.html 1999 Hall of Fame Inductee: Ruth K. Nelson] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126213615/http://www.tulsahistory.org/hof/nelson.html|date=January 26, 2009}}, tulsahistory.org; accessed June 14, 2017.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/native-tulsan-featured-in-miniseries-tim-nelson-makes-leap-from/article_26a35455-cdb7-5ad9-853d-b7abf7c4a7cf.html|title=Native Tulsan Featured in Miniseries: Tim Nelson Makes Leap From Shakespeare to 'Dead Man's Walk'|first=Rita|last=Sherrow}}</ref> His maternal uncle is businessman [[George Kaiser]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jweekly.com/2015/08/06/celebrity-jews0807|title=Celebrity jews|author=Bloom, Nate|date=August 6, 2015|publisher=jweekly.com|access-date=April 16, 2018}}</ref>


His maternal grandparents Herman Geo. Kaiser and Kate Kaiser, daughter of businessman [[Max Samuel]], were from Germany, and escaped the [[Nazi]]s shortly before [[World War II]]. They moved to Britain in 1938,<ref name="Heinsohn 2022">Ulf Heinsohn, ''Max Samuel: a real mentsh, inventor, self-made-man / Menschenfreund, Erfinder, Selfmademan'', Scott Galliart (trlr.), Stiftung Begegnungsstätte für jüdische Geschichte und Kultur in Rostock / Max-Samuel-Haus (ed.), (= Schriften aus dem Max-Samuel-Haus; vol.&nbsp;15), Rostock: Hinstorff, 2022, page as indicated behind the footnote sign. ISBN 978-3-356-02380-0.</ref>{{rp|96seq.}} where Nelson's mother was born,<ref name="Heinsohn 2022" />{{rp|87seq.}}<ref>Stated on ''[[WTF with Marc Maron]]'', December 3, 2018</ref> and immigrated to the United States in 1941.<ref name=NPRgrey>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1152404|title=The Grey Zone|publisher=NPR|date=2002-10-26|access-date=2014-07-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bluntreview.com/reviews/blake.htm|title=Blunt Review: Film Reviews, Celebrity Interviews, Music Reviews with Web Celeb Emily Blunt|access-date=2007-09-27|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002031656/http://www.bluntreview.com/reviews/blake.htm|archive-date=October 2, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/o-brother-who-art-thou-a-_b_3001892|title=Jonathan Valania: O Brother Who Art Thou? A Q&A With Actor/Writer/Director Tim Blake Nelson|website=HuffPost|date=2013-04-03|access-date=2013-07-01}}</ref> His father's family were [[Russian Jews|Russian-Jewish]] emigrants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F6F9FF3E0B2D6ED&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=People adapt to 'Grey Zone' Jewish workers in Nazi camp|work=The Washington Times|access-date=2014-07-15}}</ref>
His maternal grandparents Herman Geo. Kaiser and Kate Kaiser, daughter of businessman [[Max Samuel]], were from Germany, and escaped the [[Nazi]]s shortly before [[World War II]]. They moved to Britain in 1938,<ref name="Heinsohn 2022">Ulf Heinsohn, ''Max Samuel: a real mentsh, inventor, self-made-man / Menschenfreund, Erfinder, Selfmademan'', Scott Galliart (trlr.), Stiftung Begegnungsstätte für jüdische Geschichte und Kultur in Rostock / Max-Samuel-Haus (ed.), (= Schriften aus dem Max-Samuel-Haus; vol.&nbsp;15), Rostock: Hinstorff, 2022, page as indicated behind the footnote sign. ISBN 978-3-356-02380-0.</ref>{{rp|96seq.}} where Nelson's mother was born,<ref name="Heinsohn 2022" />{{rp|87seq.}}<ref>Stated on ''[[WTF with Marc Maron]]'', December 3, 2018</ref> and immigrated to the United States in 1941.<ref name=NPRgrey>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1152404|title=The Grey Zone|publisher=NPR|date=October 26, 2002|access-date=July 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bluntreview.com/reviews/blake.htm|title=Blunt Review: Film Reviews, Celebrity Interviews, Music Reviews with Web Celeb Emily Blunt|access-date=September 27, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002031656/http://www.bluntreview.com/reviews/blake.htm|archive-date=October 2, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/o-brother-who-art-thou-a-_b_3001892|title=Jonathan Valania: O Brother Who Art Thou? A Q&A With Actor/Writer/Director Tim Blake Nelson|website=HuffPost|date=April 3, 2013|access-date=July 1, 2013}}</ref> His father's family were [[Russian Jews|Russian-Jewish]] emigrants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F6F9FF3E0B2D6ED&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=People adapt to 'Grey Zone' Jewish workers in Nazi camp|work=The Washington Times|access-date=July 15, 2014}}</ref>


Nelson attended the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at [[Quartz Mountain Resort Arts and Conference Center]] in [[Lone Wolf, Oklahoma|Lone Wolf]], Oklahoma.<ref>Oklahoma Arts Institute, [http://oaiquartz.com/alumni/listing.cfm Alumni Listing] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825111930/http://www.oaiquartz.com/alumni/listing.cfm|date=2007-08-25|accessdate=January 21, 2009}}</ref>
Nelson attended the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at [[Quartz Mountain Resort Arts and Conference Center]] in [[Lone Wolf, Oklahoma|Lone Wolf]], Oklahoma.<ref>Oklahoma Arts Institute, [http://oaiquartz.com/alumni/listing.cfm Alumni Listing] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825111930/http://www.oaiquartz.com/alumni/listing.cfm|date=August 25, 2007|accessdate=January 21, 2009}}</ref>


Nelson is a 1982 graduate of [[Holland Hall School]] in Tulsa,<ref name="TW060509"/> and a graduate of [[Brown University]], where he was a classics major as well as senior orator for his class of 1986. At Brown, he studied under philosopher [[Martha Nussbaum]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/15/tim-blake-nelson-classics-nerd-brings-socrates-to-the-stage|title=Tim Blake Nelson, Classics Nerd, Brings "Socrates" to the Stage|last=Singer|first=Mark|magazine=The New Yorker|date=2019-04-08|access-date=2019-04-10|issn=0028-792X}}</ref> He is a member of the [[Phi Beta Kappa Society]]. He won the Workman/Driskoll award for excellence in classical studies.<ref>Kari Molvar, [https://web.archive.org/web/20011226063441/http://brownalumnimagazine.com/storydetail.cfm?ID=61 "Q&A: Tim Blake Nelson"], ''Brown Alumni Magazine'' (March/April 2001).</ref> He graduated from [[Juilliard]] in 1990, a member of [[List of Juilliard School people|Group 19]].<ref>[http://www.juilliard.edu/alumni/reflections_0603.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219080312/http://www.juilliard.edu/alumni/reflections_0603.html|date=December 19, 2010}}</ref>
Nelson is a 1982 graduate of [[Holland Hall School]] in Tulsa,<ref name="TW060509"/> and a graduate of [[Brown University]], where he was a classics major as well as senior orator for his class of 1986. At Brown, he studied under philosopher [[Martha Nussbaum]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/15/tim-blake-nelson-classics-nerd-brings-socrates-to-the-stage|title=Tim Blake Nelson, Classics Nerd, Brings "Socrates" to the Stage|last=Singer|first=Mark|magazine=The New Yorker|date=April 8, 2019|access-date=April 10, 2019|issn=0028-792X}}</ref> He is a member of the [[Phi Beta Kappa Society]]. He won the Workman/Driskoll award for excellence in classical studies.<ref>Kari Molvar, [https://web.archive.org/web/20011226063441/http://brownalumnimagazine.com/storydetail.cfm?ID=61 "Q&A: Tim Blake Nelson"], ''Brown Alumni Magazine'' (March/April 2001).</ref> He graduated from [[Juilliard]] in 1990, a member of [[List of Juilliard School people|Group 19]].<ref>[http://www.juilliard.edu/alumni/reflections_0603.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219080312/http://www.juilliard.edu/alumni/reflections_0603.html|date=December 19, 2010}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
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Nelson's debut play, ''Eye of God'', was produced at [[Seattle Repertory Theatre]] in 1992. ''[[The Grey Zone]]'' premiered at [[MCC Theater]] in New York in 1996, where his 1998 work ''Anadarko'' was produced. He was a co-star of the sketch comedy show ''The Unnaturals'', which ran on [[Ha! (TV channel)|HA!]] (later [[CTV: The Comedy Network|CTV]], and would turn into [[Comedy Central]]) between 1989 and 1991, alongside [[Paul Zaloom]], [[John Mariano]] and [[Siobhan Fallon Hogan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/tv/the-unnaturals-59530743|title=The Unnaturals - TV Series - 1989|date=February 5, 2015|publisher=hollywood.com}}</ref>
Nelson's debut play, ''Eye of God'', was produced at [[Seattle Repertory Theatre]] in 1992. ''[[The Grey Zone]]'' premiered at [[MCC Theater]] in New York in 1996, where his 1998 work ''Anadarko'' was produced. He was a co-star of the sketch comedy show ''The Unnaturals'', which ran on [[Ha! (TV channel)|HA!]] (later [[CTV: The Comedy Network|CTV]], and would turn into [[Comedy Central]]) between 1989 and 1991, alongside [[Paul Zaloom]], [[John Mariano]] and [[Siobhan Fallon Hogan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/tv/the-unnaturals-59530743|title=The Unnaturals - TV Series - 1989|date=February 5, 2015|publisher=hollywood.com}}</ref>


Nelson has appeared as an actor in film, TV and theatre. He had a featured role as Delmar in the film ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'' According to directors [[Coen brothers|Joel and Ethan Coen]], he was the only one in the cast or crew who had read [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]'', a story upon which the film is loosely based.<ref>Romney, Jonathan. [http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,1083527,00.html "The Coen brothers: Double vision"], ''The Guardian'', May 19, 2000.</ref> He sang "[[In the Jailhouse Now]]" on the film's soundtrack (which received a [[Grammy]] for Album of the Year in 2002). He has had a number of supporting performances in feature films such as ''[[Holes (film)|Holes]]'', ''[[Minority Report (film)|Minority Report]]'', ''[[Syriana]]'' and ''[[Lincoln (film)|Lincoln]]''. He also appeared in [[Marvel Comics]] adaptations ''[[The Incredible Hulk (film)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' and ''[[Fantastic Four (2015)|Fantastic Four]]''. He portrayed Ralph Myers in the drama/legal drama ''[[Just Mercy]]'' (2019).
Nelson has appeared as an actor in film, TV and theatre. He had a featured role as Delmar in the film ''[[O Brother, Where Art Thou?]]'' According to directors [[Coen brothers|Joel and Ethan Coen]], he was the only one in the cast or crew who had read [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]'', a story upon which the film is loosely based.<ref>Romney, Jonathan. [http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,1083527,00.html "The Coen brothers: Double vision"], ''The Guardian'', May 19, 2000.</ref> He sang "[[In the Jailhouse Now]]" on the film's soundtrack (which received a [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year]] in 2002). He has had a number of supporting performances in feature films such as ''[[Holes (film)|Holes]]'', ''[[Minority Report (film)|Minority Report]]'', ''[[Syriana]]'' and ''[[Lincoln (film)|Lincoln]]''. He also appeared in [[Marvel Comics]] adaptations ''[[The Incredible Hulk (film)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' and ''[[Fantastic Four (2015 film)|Fantastic Four]]''.


Nelson narrated the 2001 audiobook ''At the Altar of Speed: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr''. He appeared on stage extensively off-Broadway in New York at theatres including [[Manhattan Theater Club]], [[Playwrights Horizons]], Manhattan Class Company, Soho Repertory Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, and [[Delacorte Theater|Central Park's Open Air Theater]] in the Shakespeare plays ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'', ''[[Troilus and Cressida]]'', and ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''.
Nelson narrated the 2001 audiobook ''At the Altar of Speed: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr''. He appeared on stage extensively off-Broadway in New York at theatres including [[Manhattan Theater Club]], [[Playwrights Horizons]], Manhattan Class Company, Soho Repertory Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, and [[Delacorte Theater|Central Park's Open Air Theater]] in the Shakespeare plays ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]'', ''[[Troilus and Cressida]]'', and ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]''.


He has directed film versions of his plays ''[[The Grey Zone]]'' and ''[[Eye of God (film)|Eye of God]]'' (for which he received an [[Independent Spirit Awards]] nomination for the [[Someone to Watch Award]]), and directed two of his original screenplays: ''Kansas'' (1998) and ''[[Leaves of Grass (film)|Leaves of Grass]]'' (2009). He directed the film ''[[O (film)|O]]'', based on ''[[Othello]]'' and set in a modern-day high school.
He has directed film versions of his plays ''[[The Grey Zone]]'' and ''[[Eye of God (film)|Eye of God]]'' (for which he received an [[Independent Spirit Awards]] nomination for the [[Someone to Watch Award]]), and directed two of his original screenplays: ''Kansas'' (1998) and ''[[Leaves of Grass (film)|Leaves of Grass]]'' (2009). He directed the film ''[[O (2001 film)|O]]'', based on ''[[Othello]]'' and set in a modern-day high school. For ''Eye of God'', he received the Tokyo Bronze Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival (1997) and the American Independent Award at the Seattle International Film Festival (1997); for ''O'', the Best Director Award at the Seattle International Film Festival (2001); and for ''The Grey Zone'', the National Board of Review's Freedom of Expression Award (2002). Holocaust film historian [[Rich Brownstein]], in his 2021 book "[[Holocaust Cinema Complete: A History and Analysis of 400 Films, with a Teaching Guide]]," regards [[The Grey Zone]] as the finest Holocaust film ever made. Nelson is on the boards of directors of The Actors Center in New York City and the Soho Rep Theatre.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Roger Ebert's Film Festival - Filmmaker Guests|url=http://archive.ebertfest.media.illinois.edu/thirteen/bios.html|website=archive.ebertfest.media.illinois.edu|access-date=May 26, 2020}}</ref>

For ''Eye of God'', he received the Tokyo Bronze Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival (1997) and the American Independent Award at the Seattle International Film Festival (1997); for ''O'', the Best Director Award at the Seattle International Film Festival (2001); and for ''The Grey Zone'', the National Board of Review's Freedom of Expression Award (2002). He is on the boards of directors of The Actors Center in New York City and the Soho Rep Theatre.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Roger Ebert's Film Festival - Filmmaker Guests|url=http://archive.ebertfest.media.illinois.edu/thirteen/bios.html|website=archive.ebertfest.media.illinois.edu|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref>


Nelson guest-starred on the ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]'' season 10 episode "Working Stiffs". In the episode "My Brother's Bomber" (aired September 29, 2015) of the PBS investigative series ''[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]]'', he talked about the loss of his friend David Dornstein in the [[Pan Am Flight 103|1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103]] over [[Lockerbie]], Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/my-brothers-bomber|title=My Brother's Bomber|publisher=pbs.org|access-date=April 16, 2018}}</ref>
Nelson guest-starred on the ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]'' season 10 episode "Working Stiffs". In the episode "My Brother's Bomber" (aired September 29, 2015) of the PBS investigative series ''[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]]'', he talked about the loss of his friend David Dornstein in the [[Pan Am Flight 103|1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103]] over [[Lockerbie]], Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/my-brothers-bomber|title=My Brother's Bomber|publisher=pbs.org|access-date=April 16, 2018}}</ref>


In 2018, Nelson played the title character in ''[[The Ballad of Buster Scruggs]]'', a western [[anthology]] film by [[Coen brothers|Joel and Ethan Coen]],<ref name="balladcast">{{cite news |last=Giroux |first=Jack |url= http://www.slashfilm.com/the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs-cast-includes-james-franco-tim-blake-nelson-zoe-kazan-and-more/ |title='The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' Cast Includes James Franco, Tim Blake Nelson, Zoe Kazan, and More |work=[[/Film]] |date=July 9, 2017 |access-date=November 22, 2018}}</ref> after receiving the original script 16 years prior, in 2002. The film was released on Netflix on November 16, after a limited theatrical run,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/coen-brothers-the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs-theatrical-release-venice-film-festival-1202923156/|title=Coen Brothers Confirm Theatrical Release for 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs'|last=Chu|first=Henry|date=August 31, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=November 22, 2018}}</ref> and received positive reviews,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_ballad_of_buster_scruggs/ | title = The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) | work = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | date = 8 November 2018 | publisher = [[Fandango Media]] | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181118010027/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_ballad_of_buster_scruggs/ | archive-date = November 18, 2018 | access-date = November 22, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs | title = The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Reviews | work = [[Metacritic]] | publisher = [[CBS Interactive]] | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181107001228/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs | archive-date = November 7, 2018 | access-date = November 22, 2018 }}</ref> with many highlighting Nelson's performance and his overall segment. In January 2023, he joined the cast of ''[[Dune: Part Two]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dune-part-2-casts-time-blake-nelson-1235292182/ |title=Tim Blake Nelson Joins Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune: Part 2' (Exclusive) |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=January 6, 2023 |access-date=January 6, 2023}}</ref>
In 2018, Nelson played the title character in ''[[The Ballad of Buster Scruggs]]'', a western [[anthology]] film by [[Coen brothers|Joel and Ethan Coen]],<ref name="balladcast">{{cite news |last=Giroux |first=Jack |url= http://www.slashfilm.com/the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs-cast-includes-james-franco-tim-blake-nelson-zoe-kazan-and-more/ |title='The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' Cast Includes James Franco, Tim Blake Nelson, Zoe Kazan, and More |work=[[/Film]] |date=July 9, 2017 |access-date=November 22, 2018}}</ref> after receiving the original script 16 years prior, in 2002. The film was released on Netflix on November 16, after a limited theatrical run,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/coen-brothers-the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs-theatrical-release-venice-film-festival-1202923156/|title=Coen Brothers Confirm Theatrical Release for 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs'|last=Chu|first=Henry|date=August 31, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=November 22, 2018}}</ref> and received positive reviews,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_ballad_of_buster_scruggs/ | title = The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) | work = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | date = November 8, 2018 | publisher = [[Fandango Media]] | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181118010027/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_ballad_of_buster_scruggs/ | archive-date = November 18, 2018 | access-date = November 22, 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs | title = The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Reviews | work = [[Metacritic]] | publisher = [[CBS Interactive]] | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181107001228/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs | archive-date = November 7, 2018 | access-date = November 22, 2018 }}</ref> with many highlighting Nelson's performance and his overall segment. He portrayed Ralph Myers in the drama/legal drama ''[[Just Mercy]]'' (2019). In January 2023, he joined the cast of ''[[Dune: Part Two]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dune-part-2-casts-time-blake-nelson-1235292182/ |title=Tim Blake Nelson Joins Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune: Part 2' (Exclusive) |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=January 6, 2023 |access-date=January 6, 2023}}</ref> though his role was ultimately cut out of the film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharf |first=Zack |date=March 4, 2024 |title=Denis Villeneuve Cut Two Actors From 'Dune 2' and One of Them Is 'Heartbroken'; No Deleted Scenes Will Be Released: 'When It's Not in the Movie, It's Dead' |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/dune-2-cut-actors-deleted-scenes-released-stephen-mckinley-henderson-1235929610/ |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>


===Playwright===
===Playwright===
Nelson's play ''Socrates'' opened at [[The Public Theater]] in 2019, starring [[Michael Stuhlbarg]].<ref name="Schilling Review">{{cite magazine |last1=Schilling |first1=Mary Kay |title=Tim Blake Nelson's New Play Reveals How Socrates Predicted Donald Trump—And the Tyranny of Democracy. |url=https://www.newsweek.com/2019/05/03/tim-blake-nelson-1398692.html |access-date=13 May 2019 |magazine=Newsweek |date=April 17, 1989}}</ref> It was favorably received by numerous publications, including the ''New York Times''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/theater/socrates-public-theater-review.html|title=Review: In 'Socrates,' a Brainy Tribute to a Prickly Provocateur|last=Collins-Hughes|first=Laura|date=2019-06-02|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-06-16|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Nelson's play ''Socrates'' opened at [[The Public Theater]] in 2019, starring [[Michael Stuhlbarg]].<ref name="Schilling Review">{{cite magazine |last1=Schilling |first1=Mary Kay |title=Tim Blake Nelson's New Play Reveals How Socrates Predicted Donald Trump—And the Tyranny of Democracy. |url=https://www.newsweek.com/2019/05/03/tim-blake-nelson-1398692.html |access-date=May 13, 2019 |magazine=Newsweek |date=April 17, 1989}}</ref> It was favorably received by numerous publications, including the ''New York Times''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/theater/socrates-public-theater-review.html|title=Review: In 'Socrates,' a Brainy Tribute to a Prickly Provocateur|last=Collins-Hughes|first=Laura|date=June 2, 2019|work=The New York Times|access-date=June 16, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Nelson resides in New York City with his wife, Lisa Benavides, and their three sons.<ref name="TW060509"/> On May 8, 2009, he was inducted as an honorary member of the [[University of Tulsa]]'s Beta of Oklahoma chapter of the [[Phi Beta Kappa]] national collegiate honor society.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://orgs.utulsa.edu/spcol/?p=4805|title=McFarlin Fellows Dinner: An Evening with Tim Blake Nelson|last=Murphy|first=Jennifer|date=2017-04-11|website=From McFarlin Tower|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-20}}</ref>
Nelson resides in New York City with his wife, Lisa Benavides, and their three sons.<ref name="TW060509"/> One of his sons is Henry Nelson, a film director who directed ''[[Asleep in My Palm]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2021/12/asleep-in-my-palm-tim-blake-nelson-to-produce-star-in-son-henrys-feature-1234882488/ |title=Tim Blake Nelson To Produce & Star In 'Asleep In My Palm', His Son Henry's Feature Directorial Debut |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |first=Matt |last=Grobar |date=December 1, 2021 |access-date=October 23, 2024}}</ref> On May 8, 2009, he was inducted as an honorary member of the [[University of Tulsa]]'s Beta of Oklahoma chapter of the [[Phi Beta Kappa]] national collegiate honor society.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://orgs.utulsa.edu/spcol/?p=4805|title=McFarlin Fellows Dinner: An Evening with Tim Blake Nelson|last=Murphy|first=Jennifer|date=April 11, 2017|website=From McFarlin Tower|language=en-US|access-date=November 20, 2019|archive-date=June 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610111957/http://orgs.utulsa.edu/spcol/?p=4805|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nelson currently serves on the Board of Trustees of [[Bryn Mawr College]], the school from which his mother Ruth Nelson graduated in 1958.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ruth Nelson Obituary (1935 - 2023) - Tulsa, OK - Tulsa World |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/tulsaworld/name/ruth-nelson-obituary?id=38789187 |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=Legacy.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Board of Trustees |url=https://www.brynmawr.edu/about-college/college-leadership/board-trustees |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=www.brynmawr.edu |language=en}}</ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Key
| style="background:#FFFFCC;"| {{dagger|alt=Denotes productions that have not yet been released}}
| Denotes productions that have not yet been released
⚫
|}
===Film===
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
Line 106: Line 112:
|
|
|-
|-
| ''Kanas''
| ''Kansas''
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| Short film; director and writer
| Short film; director and writer
Line 120: Line 126:
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"|2001
| rowspan="2"|2001
| ''[[O (film)|O]]''
| ''[[O (2001 film)|O]]''
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| Director
| Director
Line 310: Line 316:
|
|
|-
|-
| rowspan="3"|2017
| rowspan="4"|2017
| ''[[Deidra & Laney Rob a Train]]''
| ''[[Deidra & Laney Rob a Train]]''
| Truman
| Truman
Line 322: Line 328:
| Dr. Lemelle
| Dr. Lemelle
|
|
⚫
|-
⚫
| ''[[The Long Home]]''
⚫
| Hovington
| Unreleased
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"|2018
| rowspan="2"|2018
Line 365: Line 375:
|
|
|-
|-
| rowspan="6"|2021
| rowspan="5"|2021
| ''[[Naked Singularity (film)|Naked Singularity]]''
| ''[[Naked Singularity (film)|Naked Singularity]]''
| Angus
| Angus
Line 372: Line 382:
| ''[[Old Henry]]''
| ''[[Old Henry]]''
| Henry
| Henry
|Also executive producer
| Also executive producer
|-
|-
| ''[[Ghosts of the Ozarks]]''
| ''[[Ghosts of the Ozarks]]''
Line 385: Line 395:
| Carny Boss
| Carny Boss
|
|
⚫
|-
⚫
| ''[[The Long Home]]''
⚫
| Hovington
⚫
|
|-
|-
| 2022
| 2022
| ''[[Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio|Pinocchio]]''
| ''[[Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio]]''
| The Black Rabbits (voice)
| The Black Rabbits (voice)
|
|
|-
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2023
| rowspan="3"| 2023
| ''[[Ghosted (2023 film)|Ghosted]]''
| ''[[Ghosted (2023 film)|Ghosted]]''
| Borislov
| Borislov
Line 401: Line 407:
|-
|-
| ''[[Ninety-Five Senses]]''
| ''[[Ninety-Five Senses]]''
| Coy
| Coy (voice)
| Short film
| Short film
|-
|-
| ''[[Asleep in My Palm]]''
⚫
| rowspan="2| 2024
| Tom
⚫
| ''[[The Bricklayer (2024 film)|The Bricklayer]]''
| Also producer
⚫
|-
⚫
| rowspan="4" | 2024
| ''[[The Bricklayer]]''
| O'Malley
| O'Malley
|
|
|-
|-
| ''[[Dune: Part Two]]''
| ''Bang Bang''
| Bernard 'Bang Bang' Rozyski
⚫
| {{TableTBA}}
| <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/tim-blake-nelson-boxing-movie-bang-bang-marvel-1235966738/ |title=Tim Blake Nelson on Becoming a Veteran Boxer in 'Bang Bang' and Returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe |date=2024-08-07 |access-date=2024-08-23 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |last=Galuppo |first=Mia}}</ref>
⚫
|
|-
⚫
| ''[[Greedy People (2024 film)|Greedy People]]''
| Wallace Chetlo
| <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2024/08/greedy-people-review-joseph-gordon-levitts-loopy-cop-tops-black-crime-comedy-1236046516/ |title='Greedy People' Review: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Loopy Cop Tops Black Comedy That Somehow Escaped The Coens' Grasp |date=2024-08-21 |access-date=2024-08-23 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |last=Hammond |first=Pete}}</ref>
|-
⚫
| ''[[The Invisibles (2024 film)|The Invisibles]]''
| Charlie
|
|-
|-
| 2025
| rowspan="2" | 2025
|''[[Captain America: Brave New World]]''
| {{Pending film|[[Captain America: Brave New World]]}}
| Samuel Sterns / Leader
| [[Leader (character)|Samuel Sterns / Leader]]
| Post-production
| Post-production
|-
|-
| {{TableTBA}}
| {{Pending film|On The End}}
| Tom Ferreira
⚫
| ''[[Greedy People (upcoming film)|Greedy People]]''
| Post-production<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2024/07/tim-blake-nelson-mireille-enos-anna-chlumsky-more-to-star-on-the-end-1236023562/ |title=Tim Blake Nelson, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Lois Smith, Anna Chlumsky & More To Star In Drama 'On The End' From Filmmaker Ari Selinger |date=2024-07-29 |access-date=2024-08-23 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |last=Grobar |first=Matt}}</ref>
| {{TableTBA}}
|-
⚫
| rowspan="2"| {{TableTBA}}
| {{Pending film|[[The Long Home]]}}
| Hovington
| Complete but no official release date<ref>{{Cite web |last=Serben |first=Brandy Lynn |date=2021-12-22 |title=James Franco Speaks on Sexual Misconduct Allegations 4 Years Later |url=https://movieweb.com/james-franco-sexual-misconduct-allegations-speak-out/ |access-date=2022-01-21 |website=MovieWeb|language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| {{pending film|[[Ann Lee (film)|Ann Lee]]}}
| TBA
| Post-production
| Post-production
|}
|}
Line 476: Line 502:
| 2012–2015
| 2012–2015
| ''[[Black Dynamite (TV series)|Black Dynamite]]''
| ''[[Black Dynamite (TV series)|Black Dynamite]]''
| Chief Humphrey Magillahorn / Donald Sterling (voice)
| Chief Humphrey Magillahorn / [[Donald Sterling]] /<br>PBS Executive / XXX Film Director (voice)
| 4 episodes
| 4 episodes
|-
|-
Line 529: Line 555:
| ''[[George & Tammy]]''
| ''[[George & Tammy]]''
| [[Roy Acuff]]
| [[Roy Acuff]]
|Episode: "The Race Is On"
| Episode: "The Race Is On"
|-
|-
| 2023
| 2023
Line 535: Line 561:
| Keith Owens
| Keith Owens
| Episode: "[[The Future of the Sport]]"
| Episode: "[[The Future of the Sport]]"
|-
| TBA
| ''[[The Sensitive Kind]]''
| TBA
| Upcoming series
|-
|}
|}


Line 547: Line 579:
| ''[[The Incredible Hulk (2008 video game)|The Incredible Hulk]]''
| ''[[The Incredible Hulk (2008 video game)|The Incredible Hulk]]''
| [[Leader (character)|Samuel Sterns]] (voice)
| [[Leader (character)|Samuel Sterns]] (voice)
|}

=== Music videos ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Artist(s)
! Title
! class=unsortable | Notes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2023
| [[Billy Woods]] and [[Kenny Segal]]
| "Soft Landing"
| Director, with Henry Nelson<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyYQcms0Shg |title=billy woods & Kenny Segal - Soft Landing (Official Video) |website=[[YouTube]] |date=May 5, 2023 |access-date=October 23, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| Billy Woods and Kenny Segal featuring ShrapKnel
| "Babylon by Bus"
| Director, with Henry Nelson<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF63pXAp5mw |title=billy woods & Kenny Segal - Babylon by Bus feat. ShrapKnel (Official Video) |website=[[YouTube]] |date=May 26, 2023 |access-date=October 23, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[Armand Hammer (music group)|Armand Hammer]] featuring [[Pink Siifu]]
| "Trauma Mic"
| Director, with Henry Nelson<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ-00HEeY-A |title=Armand Hammer - Trauma Mic feat. Pink Siifu (Official Video) |website=[[YouTube]] |date=August 2, 2023 |access-date=October 23, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| 2024
| ShrapKnel
| "Deep Space 9 Millie Pulled a Pistol"
| Director, with Henry Nelson<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4MOF6zUKwU |title=Shrapknel "Deep Space 9 Millie Pulled A Pistol" [OFFICIAL VIDEO] |website=[[YouTube]] |date=June 7, 2024 |access-date=October 23, 2024}}</ref>
|-
|}
|}


Latest revision as of 12:08, 17 December 2024

Tim Blake Nelson
Nelson at the 2016 Fantastic Fest
Born
Timothy Blake Nelson

(1964-05-11) May 11, 1964 (age 60)
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
EducationBrown University (BA)
Juilliard School (GrDip)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • playwright
  • director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
Years active1989–present
Spouse
Lisa Benavides
​
(m. 1994)​
Children3

Timothy Blake Nelson (born May 11, 1964) is an American actor and playwright. Described as a "modern character actor",[1] his roles include Delmar O'Donnell in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Gideon in Minority Report (2002), Doctor Steve Pendanski in Holes (2003), Doctor Jonathan Jacobo in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), Danny Dalton Jr. in Syriana (2005), Samuel Sterns in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Richard Schell in Lincoln (2012), the titular character of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) and Henry McCarty in Old Henry (2021). He portrayed Wade Tillman / Looking Glass in the HBO limited series Watchmen (2019), for which he received a Critics' Choice Television Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2020.

Nelson's directorial credits include Eye of God (1997), which was nominated for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and an Independent Spirit Award; O (2001), a modern-day adaptation of Othello; and the Holocaust drama The Grey Zone (2001). Eye of God and The Grey Zone were both adapted from Nelson's own plays. Nelson has also co-directed music videos for Billy Woods and Kenny Segal including "Babylon by Bus" and "Soft Landing". He also co-directed the music video for Armand Hammer feat. Pink Siifu's "Trauma Mic".

Nelson recently published his debut novel, City of Blows (2023), an epic group portrait of four men grappling for control of a script in a radically changing Hollywood.

Early life

[edit]

Nelson was born to a Jewish family[2][3] in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Ruth Nelson (née Kaiser),[4][5] a noted Tulsa social activist and philanthropist, and Don Nelson, a geologist and wildcatter.[6][7] His maternal uncle is businessman George Kaiser.[8]

His maternal grandparents Herman Geo. Kaiser and Kate Kaiser, daughter of businessman Max Samuel, were from Germany, and escaped the Nazis shortly before World War II. They moved to Britain in 1938,[9]: 96seq.  where Nelson's mother was born,[9]: 87seq. [10] and immigrated to the United States in 1941.[11][12][13] His father's family were Russian-Jewish emigrants.[14]

Nelson attended the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain Resort Arts and Conference Center in Lone Wolf, Oklahoma.[15]

Nelson is a 1982 graduate of Holland Hall School in Tulsa,[4] and a graduate of Brown University, where he was a classics major as well as senior orator for his class of 1986. At Brown, he studied under philosopher Martha Nussbaum.[16] He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He won the Workman/Driskoll award for excellence in classical studies.[17] He graduated from Juilliard in 1990, a member of Group 19.[18]

Career

[edit]
Nelson with Ahna O'Reilly in 2012

Nelson's debut play, Eye of God, was produced at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 1992. The Grey Zone premiered at MCC Theater in New York in 1996, where his 1998 work Anadarko was produced. He was a co-star of the sketch comedy show The Unnaturals, which ran on HA! (later CTV, and would turn into Comedy Central) between 1989 and 1991, alongside Paul Zaloom, John Mariano and Siobhan Fallon Hogan.[19]

Nelson has appeared as an actor in film, TV and theatre. He had a featured role as Delmar in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? According to directors Joel and Ethan Coen, he was the only one in the cast or crew who had read Homer's Odyssey, a story upon which the film is loosely based.[20] He sang "In the Jailhouse Now" on the film's soundtrack (which received a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2002). He has had a number of supporting performances in feature films such as Holes, Minority Report, Syriana and Lincoln. He also appeared in Marvel Comics adaptations The Incredible Hulk and Fantastic Four.

Nelson narrated the 2001 audiobook At the Altar of Speed: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. He appeared on stage extensively off-Broadway in New York at theatres including Manhattan Theater Club, Playwrights Horizons, Manhattan Class Company, Soho Repertory Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, and Central Park's Open Air Theater in the Shakespeare plays Richard III, Troilus and Cressida, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

He has directed film versions of his plays The Grey Zone and Eye of God (for which he received an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for the Someone to Watch Award), and directed two of his original screenplays: Kansas (1998) and Leaves of Grass (2009). He directed the film O, based on Othello and set in a modern-day high school. For Eye of God, he received the Tokyo Bronze Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival (1997) and the American Independent Award at the Seattle International Film Festival (1997); for O, the Best Director Award at the Seattle International Film Festival (2001); and for The Grey Zone, the National Board of Review's Freedom of Expression Award (2002). Holocaust film historian Rich Brownstein, in his 2021 book "Holocaust Cinema Complete: A History and Analysis of 400 Films, with a Teaching Guide," regards The Grey Zone as the finest Holocaust film ever made. Nelson is on the boards of directors of The Actors Center in New York City and the Soho Rep Theatre.[21]

Nelson guest-starred on the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation season 10 episode "Working Stiffs". In the episode "My Brother's Bomber" (aired September 29, 2015) of the PBS investigative series Frontline, he talked about the loss of his friend David Dornstein in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.[22]

In 2018, Nelson played the title character in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a western anthology film by Joel and Ethan Coen,[23] after receiving the original script 16 years prior, in 2002. The film was released on Netflix on November 16, after a limited theatrical run,[24] and received positive reviews,[25][26] with many highlighting Nelson's performance and his overall segment. He portrayed Ralph Myers in the drama/legal drama Just Mercy (2019). In January 2023, he joined the cast of Dune: Part Two,[27] though his role was ultimately cut out of the film.[28]

Playwright

[edit]

Nelson's play Socrates opened at The Public Theater in 2019, starring Michael Stuhlbarg.[29] It was favorably received by numerous publications, including the New York Times.[30]

Personal life

[edit]

Nelson resides in New York City with his wife, Lisa Benavides, and their three sons.[4] One of his sons is Henry Nelson, a film director who directed Asleep in My Palm.[31] On May 8, 2009, he was inducted as an honorary member of the University of Tulsa's Beta of Oklahoma chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa national collegiate honor society.[32] Nelson currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Bryn Mawr College, the school from which his mother Ruth Nelson graduated in 1958.[33][34]

Filmography

[edit]
Key
† Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1992 This Is My Life Dennis
1993 Motel Blue 19 Adult Luther (voice) Uncredited
1994 Amateur Young Detective
1995 Heavyweights Roger Johnson
1996 Joe's Apartment Cockroach (voice)
1997 Eye of God — Director and writer
Donnie Brasco FBI Technician
Prix Fixe Busboy Short film
1998 The Thin Red Line Pvt. Lysander Tills
Kansas — Short film; director and writer
2000 Hamlet Flight captain
O Brother, Where Art Thou? Delmar O'Donnell
2001 O — Director
The Grey Zone — Director, writer, producer and editor
2002 The Good Girl Bubba
Cherish Daly
Minority Report Gideon
2003 A Foreign Affair Jake Adams Also executive producer
Holes Dr. Kiowa "Mom" Pendanski
Wonderland Billy Deverell
2004 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Dr. Jonathan Jacobo
The Last Shot Marshal Paris
Bereft Dennis
Meet the Fockers Officer Vern LeFlore
2005 The Amateurs Barney Macklehatton
My Suicidal Sweetheart Various
The Big White Gary
Syriana Danny Dalton
2006 Come Early Morning Uncle Tim
The Darwin Awards Perp
Hoot Curly
Fido Mr. Theopolis
2007 The Astronaut Farmer Kevin Munchak
2008 The Incredible Hulk Samuel Sterns
American Violet David Cohen
2009 Saint John of Las Vegas Militant Ned
Leaves of Grass Bolger Also director, writer and producer
2011 Flypaper Peanut Butter
Yelling to the Sky Coleman
Detachment Mr. Wiatt
The Big Year Fuchs
2012 Big Miracle Pat Lafayette
Lincoln Richard Schell
2013 Blue Caprice Ray
As I Lay Dying Anse
Child of God Sheriff Fate
Snake and Mongoose Mike McAllister
2014 The Homesman Freighter
The Sound and the Fury Father
Kill the Messenger Alan Fenster
Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power[35] Admiral Hyman Rickover Documentary
2015 Anesthesia Adam Zarrow Also director, writer and producer
Fantastic Four Dr. Harvey Allen
2016 The Confirmation Vaughn
Colossal Garth
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Wayne Pfister
2017 Deidra & Laney Rob a Train Truman
The Vanishing of Sidney Hall Johan Tidemand
The Institute Dr. Lemelle
The Long Home Hovington Unreleased
2018 Monster Leroy Sawicki
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Buster Scruggs Segment: "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
2019 The Report Raymond Nathan
Arara Thomas
The Hustle Portnoy Uncredited
Angel Has Fallen Vice President Martin Kirby
Just Mercy Ralph Myers
Zeroville Professor Kohn
The True Don Quixote Don Quixote
The Jesus Rolls Doctor
2021 Naked Singularity Angus
Old Henry Henry Also executive producer
Ghosts of the Ozarks Torb
National Champions Rodger Cummings
Nightmare Alley Carny Boss
2022 Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio The Black Rabbits (voice)
2023 Ghosted Borislov
Ninety-Five Senses Coy (voice) Short film
Asleep in My Palm Tom Also producer
2024 The Bricklayer O'Malley
Bang Bang Bernard 'Bang Bang' Rozyski [36]
Greedy People Wallace Chetlo [37]
The Invisibles Charlie
2025 Captain America: Brave New World † Samuel Sterns / Leader Post-production
On The End † Tom Ferreira Post-production[38]
TBA The Long Home † Hovington Complete but no official release date[39]
Ann Lee † TBA Post-production

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1989–1991 The Unnaturals Recurring characters
1995 House of Buggin' Kidnapper Episode: "The Paco Vasquez Story"
1996 Dead Man's Walk Johnny Carthage 3 episodes
2005 Stella Mountain Man Episode: "Camping"
Warm Springs Tom Loyless Television film
2006 Haskett's Chance — Pilot; director
2009 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Paulie Krill Episode: "Working Stiffs"
2011 CHAOS Casey Malick 13 episodes
Modern Family Hank Episode: "Dude Ranch"
2012–2015 Black Dynamite Chief Humphrey Magillahorn / Donald Sterling /
PBS Executive / XXX Film Director (voice) 		4 episodes
2014 Klondike Meeker 6 episodes
2015, 2019 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Randy 4 episodes
2015 Z: The Beginning of Everything — Episode: "Pilot"; director
For Justice Ochs Rainey Pilot
2017 Wormwood Sidney Gottlieb 4 episodes
2018 Dallas & Robo The Woodsman (voice) 8 episodes
2019 Watchmen Wade Tillman / Looking Glass 6 episodes
2020 Big City Greens Grampa Ernest Green (voice) Episode: "Garage Tales"
2022 Lost Ollie Zozo (voice) 4 episodes
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities Nick Appleton Episode: "Lot 36"
George & Tammy Roy Acuff Episode: "The Race Is On"
2023 Poker Face Keith Owens Episode: "The Future of the Sport"
TBA The Sensitive Kind TBA Upcoming series

Video games

[edit]
Year Game Role
2008 The Incredible Hulk Samuel Sterns (voice)

Music videos

[edit]
Year Artist(s) Title Notes
2023 Billy Woods and Kenny Segal "Soft Landing" Director, with Henry Nelson[40]
Billy Woods and Kenny Segal featuring ShrapKnel "Babylon by Bus" Director, with Henry Nelson[41]
Armand Hammer featuring Pink Siifu "Trauma Mic" Director, with Henry Nelson[42]
2024 ShrapKnel "Deep Space 9 Millie Pulled a Pistol" Director, with Henry Nelson[43]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Coggan, Devan (October 5, 2021). "Tim Blake Nelson reflects on his most memorable roles, from 'Buster Scruggs' to 'Watchmen'". EW.com. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  2. ^ "Feature Article and Interviews - THE GREY ZONE (2001)". Aboutfilm.com. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  3. ^ Bloom, Nate (February 2, 2012). "Jewish stars: Whales, ghosts and 'Smash'". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Michael Smith, "Bloomer Sooner: Tulsa native Tim Blake Nelson's roots are showing", Tulsa World, May 6, 2009.
  5. ^ "Star's Talents Return to Tulsa" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2007.
  6. ^ Tulsa Historical Society, 1999 Hall of Fame Inductee: Ruth K. Nelson Archived January 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, tulsahistory.org; accessed June 14, 2017.
  7. ^ Sherrow, Rita. "Native Tulsan Featured in Miniseries: Tim Nelson Makes Leap From Shakespeare to 'Dead Man's Walk'".
  8. ^ Bloom, Nate (August 6, 2015). "Celebrity jews". jweekly.com. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Ulf Heinsohn, Max Samuel: a real mentsh, inventor, self-made-man / Menschenfreund, Erfinder, Selfmademan, Scott Galliart (trlr.), Stiftung Begegnungsstätte für jüdische Geschichte und Kultur in Rostock / Max-Samuel-Haus (ed.), (= Schriften aus dem Max-Samuel-Haus; vol. 15), Rostock: Hinstorff, 2022, page as indicated behind the footnote sign. ISBN 978-3-356-02380-0.
  10. ^ Stated on WTF with Marc Maron, December 3, 2018
  11. ^ "The Grey Zone". NPR. October 26, 2002. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  12. ^ "Blunt Review: Film Reviews, Celebrity Interviews, Music Reviews with Web Celeb Emily Blunt". Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2007.
  13. ^ "Jonathan Valania: O Brother Who Art Thou? A Q&A With Actor/Writer/Director Tim Blake Nelson". HuffPost. April 3, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  14. ^ "People adapt to 'Grey Zone' Jewish workers in Nazi camp". The Washington Times. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  15. ^ Oklahoma Arts Institute, Alumni Listing Archived August 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Singer, Mark (April 8, 2019). "Tim Blake Nelson, Classics Nerd, Brings "Socrates" to the Stage". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  17. ^ Kari Molvar, "Q&A: Tim Blake Nelson", Brown Alumni Magazine (March/April 2001).
  18. ^ [1] Archived December 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ "The Unnaturals - TV Series - 1989". hollywood.com. February 5, 2015.
  20. ^ Romney, Jonathan. "The Coen brothers: Double vision", The Guardian, May 19, 2000.
  21. ^ "Roger Ebert's Film Festival - Filmmaker Guests". archive.ebertfest.media.illinois.edu. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  22. ^ "My Brother's Bomber". pbs.org. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  23. ^ Giroux, Jack (July 9, 2017). "'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' Cast Includes James Franco, Tim Blake Nelson, Zoe Kazan, and More". /Film. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  24. ^ Chu, Henry (August 31, 2018). "Coen Brothers Confirm Theatrical Release for 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs'". Variety. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  25. ^ "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. November 8, 2018. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  26. ^ "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  27. ^ Kit, Borys (January 6, 2023). "Tim Blake Nelson Joins Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune: Part 2' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  28. ^ Sharf, Zack (March 4, 2024). "Denis Villeneuve Cut Two Actors From 'Dune 2' and One of Them Is 'Heartbroken'; No Deleted Scenes Will Be Released: 'When It's Not in the Movie, It's Dead'". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  29. ^ Schilling, Mary Kay (April 17, 1989). "Tim Blake Nelson's New Play Reveals How Socrates Predicted Donald Trump—And the Tyranny of Democracy". Newsweek. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  30. ^ Collins-Hughes, Laura (June 2, 2019). "Review: In 'Socrates,' a Brainy Tribute to a Prickly Provocateur". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  31. ^ Grobar, Matt (December 1, 2021). "Tim Blake Nelson To Produce & Star In 'Asleep In My Palm', His Son Henry's Feature Directorial Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  32. ^ Murphy, Jennifer (April 11, 2017). "McFarlin Fellows Dinner: An Evening with Tim Blake Nelson". From McFarlin Tower. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  33. ^ "Ruth Nelson Obituary (1935 - 2023) - Tulsa, OK - Tulsa World". Legacy.com. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  34. ^ "Board of Trustees". www.brynmawr.edu. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  35. ^ "Tim Blake Nelson". IMDb.
  36. ^ Galuppo, Mia (August 7, 2024). "Tim Blake Nelson on Becoming a Veteran Boxer in 'Bang Bang' and Returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  37. ^ Hammond, Pete (August 21, 2024). "'Greedy People' Review: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Loopy Cop Tops Black Comedy That Somehow Escaped The Coens' Grasp". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  38. ^ Grobar, Matt (July 29, 2024). "Tim Blake Nelson, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Lois Smith, Anna Chlumsky & More To Star In Drama 'On The End' From Filmmaker Ari Selinger". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  39. ^ Serben, Brandy Lynn (December 22, 2021). "James Franco Speaks on Sexual Misconduct Allegations 4 Years Later". MovieWeb. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  40. ^ "billy woods & Kenny Segal - Soft Landing (Official Video)". YouTube. May 5, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  41. ^ "billy woods & Kenny Segal - Babylon by Bus feat. ShrapKnel (Official Video)". YouTube. May 26, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  42. ^ "Armand Hammer - Trauma Mic feat. Pink Siifu (Official Video)". YouTube. August 2, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  43. ^ "Shrapknel "Deep Space 9 Millie Pulled A Pistol" [OFFICIAL VIDEO]". YouTube. June 7, 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
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