Brad Dourif
| Brad Dourif | |
|---|---|
 Dourif at the Lord of the Rings Convention in Bonn, Germany, November 2002 |
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| Born | Bradford Claude Dourif March 18, 1950 Huntington, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse | Joni Dourif (divorced) |
Bradford Claude "Brad" Dourif (born March 18, 1950) is an American film and television actor who gained early fame for his portrayal of Billy Bibbitt in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and has since appeared in a number of memorable roles, including the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play franchise, Younger Brother in Ragtime, Gríma Wormtongue in The Lord of the Rings, the Betazoid Lon Suder in the TV series Star Trek: Voyager, and Doc Cochran in the HBO television series Deadwood.
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Early life
Dourif was born in Huntington, West Virginia. His father, Jean Dourif, was an art collector and owned and operated a dye factory. After Dourif's father died in 1953, his actress mother, Joan (née Bradford),[1] remarried champion golfer William C. Campbell, who helped raise Dourif and his five siblings (four sisters and one brother). From 1963 to 1965, Dourif attended the private Aiken Preparatory School in Aiken, South Carolina. There he pursued his interests in art and acting. Although he briefly considered becoming an artist, he was eventually inspired to become an actor by his mother's participation as an actress in a community theater. After Aiken Prep, he attended another private school, Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, graduating in 1969. He attended Marshall University for a time, before quitting college and moving to New York City to study acting, on the advice of Conchata Ferrell.[2]
Early career
Starting in school productions, he progressed to community theater, joining up with the Huntington Community Players, while attending Marshall. In New York, he worked with the Circle Repertory Company. During the early 1970s, Dourif appeared in a number of plays, off-Broadway and at Woodstock, New York, including The Ghost Sonata, The Doctor in Spite of Himself, and When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?, in which he was spotted by director Miloš Forman[2] who cast him in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
Although this film is frequently cited as his film debut, in fact, Dourif made his first big-screen appearance with a bit part in W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975). Nevertheless, his portrayal of the vulnerable Billy Bibbit in Cuckoo's Nest was his big break, earning him a Golden Globe (Best Actor Debut) and a British Academy Award (Supporting Actor); he was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[2] Skeptical of his instant stardom, Dourif returned to New York, where he continued in theater and taught acting and directing classes at Columbia University until 1988, when he moved to Hollywood.
In 1981, Vincent Canby listed Dourif as one of twelve actors to watch, calling Dourif "one of the most intense, most interesting young film actors of his generation".[3]
Film and television
Despite his attempts to avoid typecasting, he frequently plays eccentric or disturbed characters, starting in Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), John Huston's Wise Blood (1979), Forman's Ragtime (1981) and Marc Didden's Istanbul. Dourif then teamed up with director David Lynch for Dune (1984) and Blue Velvet (1986).
He has appeared in a number of horror films, notably as the voice of the evil killer doll Chucky in Child's Play (1988) and its sequels, as well as in Exorcist III as the Gemini Killer (1990). Dourif broke from the horror genre with roles in Fatal Beauty (1987), Mississippi Burning (1988), Hidden Agenda (1990), and London Kills Me (1991). He also played Gríma Wormtongue in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
On television, Dourif appeared in The X-Files episode "Beyond the Sea" as Luther Lee Boggs. He also played Lon Suder, a murderous psychopath who eventually redeems himself, in a three-episode story arc on Star Trek: Voyager, and has guest-appeared in shows such as Babylon 5. In 1984, he played a suspected serial killer in the episode "Number Eight" of the British TV series Tales of the Unexpected.
He is a fan of video games and appeared as Saavedro in Myst III: Exile (2001), the third game in the popular Myst franchise, and as the sadistic preacher Reed in GUN (2005).
Dourif was cast as The Scarecrow in Batman Forever, while Tim Burton was attached to the project. However, Joel Schumacher eventually took over the project, and instead cast Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face and Jim Carrey as The Riddler.
Dourif played Doc Cochran in the HBO series Deadwood, receiving a 2004 Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series." He recently voiced Chucky in the fifth Child's Play film, Seed of Chucky, appeared in the film Sinner, and played Sheriff Brackett in 2007 in Rob Zombie's version of Halloween and its sequel in 2009, Halloween II.
Personal life
Dourif was formerly married to businesswoman and claimed remote viewer Joni Dourif, with whom he has two daughters, Kristina and Fiona. He lives in Manhattan and plays the didgeridoo, an Australian Aboriginal musical instrument.
Dourif is the uncle of Nat Friedman.[4]
Filmography
Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings | uncredited | |
| One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Billy Bibbit | Golden Globe for Best New Star of the Year
BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor Nominated - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor |
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| 1976 | The Mound Builders | Chad Jasker | (made for television) |
| 1977 | Group Portrait with Lady | Boris Koltowski | |
| The Gardener's Son | Robert McEvoy | (made for television) | |
| 1978 | Eyes of Laura Mars | Tommy Ludlow | |
| Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force | Sgt. Leonard Matlovich | (made for television) | |
| 1979 | Studs Lonigan | Danny O'Neill | (made for Television) |
| Wise Blood | Hazel Motes | ||
| 1980 | Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones | David Langtree | (made for television) |
| Heaven's Gate | Mr. Eggleston | ||
| 1981 | Ragtime | Younger Brother | |
| 1982 | Desire, the Vampire | Paul | (made for television) |
| 1984 | Dune | The Mentat Piter De Vries | |
| 1985 | Istanbul | Klamski | (Belgian movie) |
| 1986 | Blue Velvet | Raymond | |
| Rage of Angels | Seymour Bourne | (made for television) | |
| Vengeance: The Story of Tony Cimo | Lamar Sands | (made for television) | |
| Impure Thoughts | Kevin Harrington | ||
| 1987 | Fatal Beauty | Leo Nova | |
| 1988 | Child's Play | Charles Lee Ray (Chucky) | (character and voice of Chucky) |
| Mississippi Burning | Deputy Clinton Pell | ||
| 1989 | Desperado: The Outlaw Wars | Camillus Fly | (made for television) |
| Sonny Boy | Weasel | ||
| Terror on Highway 91 | Keith Evans | (made for television) | |
| 1990 | Child's Play 2 | Chucky | (voice only) |
| Spontaneous Combustion | Sam | ||
| Horseplayer | Bud Cowan | ||
| Graveyard Shift | Tucker Cleveland | ||
| The Exorcist III | James Venamun | ||
| Hidden Agenda | Paul Sullivan | ||
| Chaindance | Johnny Reynolds | ||
| Grim Prairie Tales | Farley | ||
| 1991 | Murder Blues | John Barnes | a.k.a. Dead Certain |
| Child's Play 3 | Chucky | (voice only) | |
| Jungle Fever | Leslie | ||
| Body Parts | Remo Lacey | ||
| Scream of Stone | Fingerless | ||
| London Kills Me | Hemingway the Restaurant Manager | ||
| 1992 | Final Judgement | Father Tyrone | |
| Critters 4 | Al Bert | ||
| 1993 | Wild Palms | Chickie Levitt | television miniseries |
| Trauma | Dr. Lloyd | ||
| Amos & Andrew | Officer Donnie Donaldson | ||
| 1994 | Color of Night | Clark | |
| A Worn Path | Hunter | (Made for Television) | |
| 1995 | Death Machine | Dante | |
| Murder in the First | Byron Stamphill | ||
| Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story | Sheriff Bill Douglass | (Made for Television) | |
| Escape to Witch Mountain | Luther/Bruno | (Made for Television) | |
| Phoenix | Reiger | ||
| 1996 | Blackout | Thomas Payne | (Made for Television) |
| If Looks Could Kill | M. Eugene 'Gene' Hanson | (Made for Television) | |
| Sworn to Justice | Teddy | ||
| A Step Toward Tomorrow | Kirby | ||
| 1997 | Jamaica Beat | Tom Peterson | |
| Nightwatch | Duty Doctor | ||
| Best Men | The Vet | ||
| Alien Resurrection | Dr. Gediman | ||
| 1998 | Brown's Requiem | Edwards | |
| Senseless | Dr. Wheedon | ||
| Progeny | Dr. Bert Clavell | ||
| Urban Legend | Michael McDonnell, gas station attendant | (uncredited) | |
| Bride of Chucky | Chucky | (voice only) | |
| 1999 | The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man | Gabriel | |
| Cypress Edge | Colin McCammon | ||
| Interceptors | David M. Webber | ||
| Silicon Towers | Alton | ||
| 2000 | Shadow Hours | Roland Montague | |
| The Prophecy 3: The Ascent | Zealot | ||
| 2001 | The Ghost | Lt. Garland | a.k.a. Code of the Dragon |
| Soulkeeper | Mr. Pascal | ||
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Gríma Wormtongue | |
| 2003 | The Box | Stan | |
| Vlad | Radescu | ||
| The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Gríma Wormtongue | (extended version only) | |
| 2004 | Seed of Chucky | Chucky | (voice only) |
| The Devil's Due at Midnight | The Dark One | ||
| The Hazing | Professor Kapps | ||
| El Padrino | Cyrus | ||
| 2005 | Drop Dead Sexy | Herman | |
| The Wild Blue Yonder | The Alien | ||
| Man of Faith | B. B. Gallen | ||
| 2006 | Pulse | Thin Bookish Guy | |
| 2007 | Sinner | Caddie | |
| The List | Johan Gabini | ||
| The Wizard of Gore | Dr. Chong | ||
| Halloween | Sheriff Lee Brackett | ||
| 2008 | Humboldt County | Jack | |
| Touching Home | Clyde Winston | ||
| 2009 | Born of Earth | Mayor | |
| Chucky vs. Leprechaun | Chucky (voice only) | pre - production | |
| Lock and Roll Forever | Zee | ||
| Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans | Ned Schoenholtz | ||
| Halloween II | Sheriff Lee Brackett | ||
| My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? | Uncle Ted | ||
| 2010 | Chain Letter | Mr. Smirker | |
| Blood Shot | Bob | ||
| Fading of the Cries | Mathias | ||
| Priest | Salesman | ||
| Child's Play (2010 film) | Chucky (voice only) | pre - production |
Video games
- Myst III: Exile (2001) - as Saavedro
- Run Like Hell (2002) - as Fred (voice only)
- GUN (2005) - as Reverend Josiah Reed (voice only)
References
- ↑ Brad Dourif Biography (1950-)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Roberts, Jerry (1990-10-26). "CRAZED - With two Hollywood films opening today and seven more in the can, brad Dourif may just be Hollywood's busiest actor". Daily Breeze. p. E3.
- ↑ Canby, Vincent (1981-01-18). "Film View - Speculating on Talent: 12 Actors to Watch in 1981". New York Times. p. D19.
- ↑ http://nat.org/blog/2001/10/28-october-2001/
External links
- Brad Dourif at the Internet Movie Database
- Brad Dourif at Allmovie
- Brad Dourif at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
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