Kyle Martin Chandler (born September 17, 1965)[1] is an American actor. He received critical acclaim for his performance as Eric Taylor in the NBC series Friday Night Lights (2006–2011), winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2011.
Kyle Chandler | |
|---|---|
 Chandler in 2009 | |
| Born | Kyle Martin Chandler September 17, 1965 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Education | George Walton Academy, University of Georgia |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse |
Kathryn Macquarrie (m. 1995) |
| Children | 2, including Sydney |
Making his screen acting debut in a 1988 television film Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story, Chandler's first regular television role was in the ABC drama Homefront (1991–1993). This was followed by the lead role of Gary Hobson in the CBS series Early Edition (1996–2000). His well-received guest appearance on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2006–2007), earned Chandler received his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Chandler's film work[2] has included notable supporting roles in King Kong (2005), The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), Super 8 (2011), Argo, Zero Dark Thirty (both 2012), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Carol (2015), Manchester by the Sea (2016), Game Night and First Man (both 2018), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). Chandler has also starred in the Netflix thriller series Bloodline (2015–2017), for which he received further Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
Early life
editChandler was born in Buffalo, New York, the fourth child of Edward Chandler, a pharmaceutical sales representative, and his wife, Sally Jeanette (née Meyer), a dog breeder.[3][4][5] Chandler has three siblings.[3][6] Chandler was raised Roman Catholic, although he stopped attending church after his father's death in 1980.[7] He grew up in suburban Lake Forest, Illinois, until he was 11 years old, when his family moved to a small farm in Loganville, Georgia. Chandler's mother raised Great Danes for show dogs; he travelled with his parents to dog shows as a child and helped out at their dog boarding kennel.[8][9] Chandler's widowed mother ran the business, Sheenwater Kennels, to support Chandler and his siblings.[10] She "was highly active with the Great Dane Club of America (GDCA) as a breeder, judge and championship prize winner."[11][12][13]
Chandler graduated from George Walton Academy in nearby Monroe, Georgia, in 1983.[14] As a freshman at Walton, he was a member of the 1979 state championship football team. He left the team the following year, aged 14, after his father died of a heart attack.[9] He participated in the theatre program at Walton after quitting football.[14][10] After graduating from high school, Chandler attended the University of Georgia, where he was a drama major and member of the class of 1984 Sigma Nu fraternity.[15] In 1988, seven credits short of a bachelor's degree in drama, Chandler dropped out of college to pursue a television deal.[10]
Career
edit1988–2006: Early career
editIn 1988, Chandler was signed by the American Broadcasting Company and brought to Hollywood as part of ABC's new talent program.[16] He made his television film debut that same year as a supporting hero actor in Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story. Also in 1988, Chandler studied with acting teacher, Milton Katselas.[17] His first major acting experience was a supporting role on television as Army Private William Griner in Tour of Duty. In eight episodes of the last season of the series, he played a member of a special operations squad fighting in Vietnam.
Chandler made his film debut in one of the key roles in the 1992 George Strait film, Pure Country. From 1991 to 1993, he had a series regular role as Cleveland Indians right fielder Jeff Metcalf in the ABC series Homefront, a drama set in the post-World War II era in the fictional town of River Run, Ohio.[18] Homefront ran for two seasons, with Chandler appearing in all 42 episodes.
In 1994, he made his Broadway debut, co-starring with Ashley Judd, in a revival of William Inge's Picnic at the Roundabout Theatre Company. From 1996 to 2000, Chandler starred as the lead character in the CBS series Early Edition, as a man who had the ability to change future disasters. He portrayed bar owner Gary Hobson, a stockbroker turned hero who received "tomorrow's newspaper today", delivered to his door by a mysterious cat. In 1996, he received the Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television for his portrayal of Hobson. Chandler was featured in all 90 episodes of the series, which ran for four seasons.[19] In 2001, he appeared opposite Joan Cusack as investment banker Jake Evans in one season of the ABC comedy series What About Joan.[8]
In 2003, Chandler played scheming lawyer Grant Rashton in six episodes of the short-lived NBC series The Lyon's Den, opposite Rob Lowe.[20] Working again in film, Chandler played the 1930s film star Bruce Baxter in the 2005 film King Kong (the character was based on romantic film star Bruce Cabot, who played Jack Driscoll in the original King Kong). Coincidentally, Chandler later played John Driscoll in The Day the Earth Stood Still.
In February 2006, Chandler returned to television to guest star as the ill-fated bomb squad leader Dylan Young in two episodes of the ABC series Grey's Anatomy. The episodes, titled "It's the End of the World" and "As We Know It", followed Super Bowl XL.[21] He received substantial praise for his performance and was nominated for the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series category at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards.[22] He appeared again on Grey's Anatomy, in the February 15, 2007 episode "Drowning on Dry Land", and the February 22, 2007 episode "Some Kind of Miracle".[21][23]
2006–2011: Friday Night Lights
editWhile working on his Primetime Emmy Award-nominated guest role in Grey's Anatomy, Chandler met Peter Berg, who was developing a drama series Friday Night Lights, which followed the lives of a high school football coach, his family, and the players in a small Texas town. The series was inspired by Buzz Bissinger's book and the film of the same name. Chandler learned that he had been cast as high school football coach Eric Taylor when he was on Christmas vacation in 2005 with his family.[10]
The show's pilot aired on NBC in 2006.[24] While critically acclaimed, the series was at risk of cancellation each year. Starting with the third season in 2008, first-run episodes of the show were broadcast on DirecTV satellite channel The 101 Network before being repeated on NBC. The final season ended in 2011.[25]
Chandler said that neither he nor Berg wanted him to play the role of Coach Taylor. And "while Chandler later changed his mind and decided he would be perfect for the role, Berg didn't see things his way: 'To this day he still says, I still didn't want you.'"[26] Chandler won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in the final season of Friday Night Lights.[27][28]
While shooting the series, Chandler also acted in some films. In 2007, he appeared in The Kingdom, which was directed by Friday Night Lights creator Berg, and in 2008, he appeared in The Day the Earth Stood Still as John Driscoll.
2011–present: Film career and Bloodline
editAfter Friday Night Lights ended, Chandler focused on film work. In 2011, he had a lead role in J. J. Abrams' science fiction film Super 8.[29] The following year, he appeared in Argo. Chandler also co-starred in Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty in 2012, playing the role of Joseph Bradley, an Islamabad CIA Station Chief. He co-starred alongside Jessica Chastain and Jason Clarke.[30]
In 2013, he had a supporting role in Broken City, starring Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Chandler appeared in The Wolf of Wall Street, also released in 2013, based on the memoir of Wall Street tycoon Jordan Belfort. It was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, with Martin Scorsese directing. Chandler played FBI agent Patrick Denham.[31] That same year, he played a deadbeat alcoholic father in The Spectacular Now.[17]
In 2015, Chandler co-starred in Todd Haynes' drama film Carol, portraying "a jealous husband" to his wife played by Cate Blanchett, who is revealed to be lesbian.[2] Also in 2015, Chandler returned to television with the Netflix drama series Bloodline, for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.[2][32][33] The show premiered to positive reviews from critics, and ended after airing its third season.[34] In the 2016 drama Manchester by the Sea, he played the main character's older brother.
Chandler played an investigator in Shawn Christensen's film The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2017),[35][36] and starred with Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman in the comedy film Game Night (2018).[37]
In 2019, he starred in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, a role he reprised in 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong.[38] He portrayed Silicon Valley investor Bill Gurley in Showtime's Super Pumped alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt.[39][40]
In November 2022, Chandler played Peter in the Netflix film Slumberland alongside Jason Momoa.[41]
In September 2024, Chandler was cast as Hal Jordan / Green Lantern in the DC Universe TV series Lanterns.[42]
Personal life
editFor nearly 20 years after beginning his acting career in the late 1980s, Chandler lived in Los Angeles.[43][44] Since 2007, Chandler and his family have lived on a 33-acre spread in Dripping Springs, Texas,[2] southwest of Austin, where they own several dogs and donkeys.[30][45] Chandler's mother came to live with the family toward the end of her life, when she was living with Alzheimer's disease. She died in 2014.[3]
Chandler serves as a volunteer firefighter. He also participates in an annual charity golf tournament at Wolfdancer Golf Club (in Lost Pines, TX) to raise funds for football players who have spinal cord injuries.[44]
Chandler has been married to Kathryn Macquarrie since 1995. Chandler met his wife at a dog park in the mid-1990s.[46] They have two daughters, Sydney, who is an actress, and Sawyer.[46] Chandler and his daughter Sawyer have been active in trying to end the practice of shark finning.[47]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Color of Evening | John | |
| 1992 | Pure Country | Buddy Jackson | |
| 1996 | Mulholland Falls | Captain | |
| 1999 | Angel's Dance | Tony Greco | |
| 2005 | King Kong | Bruce Baxter | |
| 2007 | The Kingdom | Francis Manner | |
| 2008 | The Day the Earth Stood Still | John Driscoll | |
| 2010 | Morning | Businessman | |
| 2011 | Super 8 | Jack Lamb | |
| 2012 | Argo | Hamilton Jordan | |
| Zero Dark Thirty | Joseph Bradley | ||
| 2013 | Broken City | Paul Andrews | |
| The Naughty List | Santa Claus | Voice | |
| The Spectacular Now | Tommy Keely | ||
| The Wolf of Wall Street | FBI Agent Patrick Denham | ||
| 2015 | Carol | Harge Aird | |
| 2016 | Manchester by the Sea | Joe Chandler | |
| 2017 | The Vanishing of Sidney Hall | The Searcher | |
| 2018 | Game Night | Brooks Davis | |
| First Man | Deke Slayton | ||
| 2019 | Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Mark Russell | |
| 2020 | The Midnight Sky | Mitchell Rembshire | |
| 2021 | Godzilla vs. Kong | Mark Russell | |
| 2022 | Slumberland | Peter | |
| 2025 | Back in Action | TBA | Post-production[48] |
| TBD | Anniversary | TBA | |
| RIP | TBA | Filming |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story | Skinner | Television film |
| 1989 | Unconquered | 1st Boy | Television film |
| Home Fires Burning | Billy Benefield | Television film | |
| China Beach | Grunt | Episode: "Independence Day" | |
| Freddy's Nightmares | Chuck | Episode: "Memory Overload" | |
| 1990 | Tour of Duty | William Griner | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
| 1991–1993 | Homefront | Jeff Metcalf | Main role |
| 1994 | North and South Book III: Heaven and Hell | Charles Main | 3 episodes |
| 1995 | Sleep, Baby, Sleep | Peter Walker | Television film |
| Convict Cowboy | Clay Treyton | Television film | |
| 1996–2000 | Early Edition | Gary Hobson | Main role |
| 2000–2001 | What About Joan? | Jake Evans | Main role |
| 2003 | The Lyon's Den | Grant Rashton | Main role |
| And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself | Raoul Walsh | Television film | |
| 2004 | Capital City | Mac McGinty | Unsold television pilot |
| 2005 | Lies and the Wives We Tell Them To | Cooper | Unsold television pilot |
| 2006–2007 | Grey's Anatomy | Dylan Young | 4 episodes |
| 2006–2011 | Friday Night Lights | Eric Taylor | Main role |
| 2008 | King of the Hill | Tucker Mardell | Voice; Episode: "The Courtship of Joseph's Father" |
| 2011–2014 | Robot Chicken | Various voices | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Vatican | Cardinal Thomas Duffy | Unsold television pilot |
| A Monstrous Holiday | Coach | Voice, television film | |
| 2014 | American Dad! | Coach Keegan | Voice; Episode: "Introducing The Naughty Stewardesses" |
| 2015–2017 | Bloodline | John Rayburn | Main role |
| 2016 | Family Guy | Coach Doyle | Voice; Episode: "Bookie of the Year" |
| 2019 | Catch-22 | Colonel Cathcart | Miniseries |
| 2021 | Star Wars: Visions | Mitaka | Voice; Episode: T0-B1 (English dub)[49] |
| Mayor of Kingstown | Mitch McClusky | Episode: "The Mayor of Kingstown" | |
| 2022 | Super Pumped | Bill Gurley | Main role; 7 episodes |
| The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib | Ranger Safety Binkerton | Voice; Episode: "Sitting Ducks" |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Peter Jackson's King Kong | Bruce Baxter | Likeness only |
Theater
edit- Picnic (1994) at Criterion Center Stage Right, as Hal Carter
Awards and nominations
editReferences
edit- ^ Levin, Cheryl (January 19, 1992). "Kyle Chandler". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Rose, Lacey (February 25, 2015). "Bar-Hopping With Kyle Chandler: 'Friday Night Lights' Star on His "Dark, Evil" Period, Comedy Dreams and Return to TV". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Obit: Sally Jeanette Meyer Chandler". Island Dispatch. Niagara Frontier Publications. May 30, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ "Kyle Chandler Biography (1966?-)". Film Reference. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ^ Pergament, Alan (July 30, 1992). "Shy Buffalo-Born Actor Sizzles over Mention of Certain Words". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Neely, Cynthia (May 19, 2012). "Dennis Quaid goes Vegas, Wes Anderson wows Cannes, Kyle Chandler turns FBI with Scorsese & DiCaprio". CultureMap Houston. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Herzog, Erika. "Interview: Kyle Chandler explains why 'Spectacular Now' scared him and 'The Vatican' attracted him". Uproxx.com. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ a b Johnson, Allan (April 3, 2001). "Chandler Finds Chicago Is His Kind Of Town For Roles". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ a b Bianculli, David (July 13, 2011). "Kyle Chandler: Playing A Coach On 'Friday Night'". NPR.org. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Knutzen, Eirik (January 19, 2007). "TV Close-Up: Kyle Chandler". Bend Weekly. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ "Sally Jeanette Meyer CHANDLER (1925 - 2014)". Buffalo News. May 27, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ "CH Sheenwater Gamble On Me". Pedigree Online. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ ""Gamble" BIS/BISS CH. Sheenwater Gamble on Me". Cheshire Great Danes. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
15 Best in shows; 30 Specialty show wins
- ^ a b Johnson, David (June 15, 2011). "Chandler has local ties". The Walton Tribune. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ "Sigma Nu history - UGA". Sigma Nu Mu Chapter, University of Georgia. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ "Overview for Kyle Chandler". Turner Classic Movies Database. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Fienberg, Daniel (August 30, 2013). "Interview: Kyle Chandler explains why 'Spectacular Now' scared him and 'The Vatican' attracted him". HitFix. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Meisler, Andy (September 20, 1992). "Up and Coming: Kyle Chandler and Tammy Lauren; Everybody's Favorite Postwar Sweethearts". The New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Bianculli, David (April 21, 2008). "Actor Kyle Chandler Coaches 'Friday Night'". Fresh Air. NPR. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Acosta, Belinda (October 3, 2003). "The Tried and the True". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ a b Marsi, Steve (February 28, 2007). "Kyle Chandler Leaves His Mark Again". TV Fanatic. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
- ^ "Kyle Chandler Emmy Award Winner". Emmys.com. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
- ^ Ryan, Maureen (February 27, 2007). "Kyle Chandler on his surprising return to 'Grey's Anatomy'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Ford Sullivan, Brian (March 20, 2008). "Live at the Paley Festival: NBC's "Friday Night Lights"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Goodman, Tim (April 12, 2011). "'Friday Night Lights' Finale: Fans Will Finally Get Their Closure (TV Review)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Rosen, Christopher (September 13, 2010). "Matt Saracen Dies and 3 Other Revelations From Diablo Cody's Interview with Kyle Chandler". Movieline. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ O'Neil, Tom (August 16, 2010). "Podcast: Kyle Chandler on 'Friday Night Lights' finally scoring at the Emmys". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Bellafante, Ginia (June 8, 2008). "After 20 Years, Kyle Chandler Gets Off the Bench". The New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Daly, Steve (May 10, 2011). "Kyle Chandler and J. J. Abrams on the Secrets of 'Super 8'". Parade. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Odam, Matthew (January 5, 2013). "With the 'Lights' off, Kyle Chandler shifts career to the big screen". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Scott, Walter (December 28, 2013). "Kyle Chandler's First Interview with Martin Scorsese Was 'Interesting'". Parade. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (January 16, 2014). "Kyle Chandler to Star in Netflix Drama From 'Damages' Creators". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Rooney, David (February 10, 2015). "'Bloodline': Berlin Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Prudom, Laura. "'Bloodline' Ending After Season 3 on Netflix". Variety. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (April 21, 2016). "Logan Lerman and Elle Fanning to Star in Shawn Christensen's 'Sidney Hall' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (December 5, 2016). "Sundance Film Festival Unveils 2017 Premieres, Midnight, Spotlight Sections". Variety. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 22, 2017). "Emmy Winner Kyle Chandler Joins New Line's 'Game Night'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (February 21, 2017). "Kyle Chandler to Co-Star as Millie Bobby Brown's Dad in 'Godzilla' Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
- ^ Kiefer, Halle (May 27, 2021). "Kyle Chandler to Take You for a Ride in Showtime's Super Pumped". Vulture. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ^ "The True Story Behind 'Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber'". Time. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ^ Noraas, Dana (November 17, 2022). "'Slumberland' Cast and Character Guide". Collider. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
- ^ Kit, Borys (September 27, 2024). "'Lanterns': Aaron Pierre, Stephan James in the Mix to Play John Stewart in DC Studios, HBO Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ Taffet, David (July 15, 2011). "Dillon, the best fake place in Texas, fades into TV history with final episode of 'Friday Night Lights'". Dallas Voice. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- ^ a b Eells, Josh (June 10, 2011). "The Last Solid Dude". Men's Journal. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Harper, Marques G. (December 9, 2012). "Dripping Springs downtown street to get makeover". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ a b Hochman, David (October 5, 2010). "The Lights of Kyle Chandler's Life". Men's Health. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Watson, Brandon (March 14, 2013). "Animal Rescue: Kyle Chandler and Joe King Carrasco pitch in to help animals". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (November 15, 2022). "Kyle Chandler And Glenn Close Join Cameron Diaz And Jamie Foxx In Netflix's Back In Action". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ "Stunning New Star Wars: Visions Trailer Debuts". StarWars.com. August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.