David Morse

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David Morse
Morse in 2015
Born (1953-10-11) October 11, 1953 (age 70)
Beverly, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma materWilliam Esper Studio
OccupationActor
Years active1980–present
Spouse
Susan Wheeler Duff
​
(m. 1982)​
Children3

David Bowditch Morse[1] (born October 11, 1953) is an American actor. He first came to national attention as Dr. Jack "Boomer" Morrison in the medical drama series St. Elsewhere (1982–88). His film career has included roles in The Negotiator, The Good Son, Horns, Contact, The Green Mile, Dancer in the Dark, Disturbia, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Rock and 12 Monkeys.

In 2006, Morse had a recurring role as Detective Michael Tritter on the medical drama series House, for which he received an Emmy Award nomination. He portrayed George Washington in the 2008 HBO miniseries John Adams, which garnered him a second Emmy nomination. He received acclaim for his portrayal of Uncle Peck on the Off-Broadway play How I Learned to Drive, earning a Drama Desk Award and Obie Award. He has had success on Broadway, portraying James "Sharky" Harkin in The Seafarer. From 2010 to 2013, he portrayed Terry Colson, an honest police officer in a corrupt New Orleans police department, on the HBO series Treme. Morse appeared in the WGN America series Outsiders (2016–17), the Showtime miniseries Escape at Dannemora (2018), and the Netflix comedy drama series The Chair (2021).

Early life[edit]

Morse was born October 11, 1953, in Beverly, Massachusetts, the son of Jacquelyn Morse, a teacher, and Charles Morse, a salesman.[2] He was raised in Essex, Massachusetts and Hamilton, Massachusetts. As a teenager, he was confirmed in the Episcopal church, and he has said that he continues to pray daily into adulthood.[3] His middle name, Bowditch, comes from mathematician Nathaniel Bowditch.[1]

Career[edit]

Early career in theater[edit]

After graduating from high school in 1971,[4] Morse was invited by Esquire Jauchem, who had directed him in one of his school plays, to audition for the repertory theater he was helping form in Boston, the Boston Repertory Company.[5] Morse became a member that summer at age 17 and spent six years performing there while living in the Fort Hill section of Roxbury.[6]

In 1975, Jauchem, by then the artistic director of the Boston Repertory Theater, adapted and directed a stage musical version of The Point! that starred Morse as Oblio.[7] The production later toured to the Trinity Square Repertory Company in Providence. In the late 1970s, Morse moved from Boston to New York to further his stage career with the Circle Repertory Company and to study acting at the William Esper Studio.[8][9]

Film and television[edit]

In 1980, Morse made his theatrical film debut in the drama Inside Moves.[6] Morse was listed as one of the twelve most "Promising New Actors of 1980" in John A. Willis's Screen World, Vol. 32.[10]

Morse's big break came in 1982 when he was cast in the television medical drama St. Elsewhere. He played Dr. Jack "Boomer" Morrison, a young physician who is forced to deal with the death of his wife and the struggles of a single parent professional.[11]

Morse appeared in a number of supporting roles following St. Elsewhere. He is quoted as saying, "I made the decision that I didn't care if there was any money in the role or not. I had to find roles that were different from what I had been doing."[12] His turn in Desperate Hours as antagonist showed a darker side of Morse.[12] He later starred in The Indian Runner and The Crossing Guard. He has appeared in three adaptations of Stephen King stories: The Langoliers, Hearts in Atlantis, and The Green Mile. He was a guest star on Homicide: Life on the Street, playing a racist cousin of Detective Tim Bayliss.[13]

Morse in 2005

In 2002, Morse starred as Mike Olshansky, an ex-Philadelphia police officer turned cab driver, in the television film Hack. For his role in the 2002 crime-drama film Shuang Tong, Morse was nominated as Best Supporting Actor in the Golden Horse Awards, the first ever nomination for an English-speaking actor. He appeared as suspicious neighbor Mr. Turner in the 2007 thriller Disturbia. Film critic and commentator John Podhoretz wrote that Morse is a "largely unsung character actor who enlivens and deepens every movie fortunate enough to have him in the cast."[14]

In 2006, Morse received a phone call from David Shore, who had previously worked with him on the Hack series. Shore asked him if he would be interested in having a guest role on House. When Morse watched the show, he could not understand why people enjoyed it because he believed "this House guy is a total jerk." When he told some of his friends about the offer, however, their excited reactions convinced him to accept the role.[15] Morse portrayed Michael Tritter, a detective with a vendetta against Dr. House. He earned his first Emmy Award nomination for his work on the series.[16]

In 2008, Morse portrayed George Washington in the HBO miniseries John Adams, for which his nose was made bigger with prosthetics. Morse commented, "The first thing that comes to mind is my nose; it was my big idea to do that nose. We didn't have a lot of time, because they asked me to do this about three weeks before they started shooting, and I just kept looking at these portraits and thinking 'this man's face is so commanding.' And I did not feel that my face was very commanding in the way his was. So I convinced them that we should try the nose, and we tried it on, and everybody went, 'Wow, that's Washington.'"[15] Morse's portrayal earned him his second Emmy Award nomination. He also portrays Washington in voice form as part of The Hall of Presidents show in Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Kingdom.[17]

Morse has stated that out of all of the films he has done, his favorites are The Green Mile,[18] The Crossing Guard, and The Indian Runner.[15]

In 2010, he guest starred in two episodes of the HBO drama series Treme as Lt. Terry Colson of the New Orleans Police Department. He was promoted to series regular starting with the show's second season, which began in April 2011. Later that year, Morse won the best actor award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for his role in Collaborator.[19] He played an ex-CIA agent in the film World War Z (2013). He played the late NFL player Mike Webster in the biographical sports drama Concussion (2015).

Stage[edit]

In addition to performing in films and on television, Morse has continued to appear on stage. For his performance in the 1997 Off-Broadway production of Paula Vogel's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama How I Learned to Drive, he received an Obie Award, a Drama League Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Lucille Lortel Award. That same year, he played Father Barry in the play adaptation of On the Waterfront.[20] From 2007 to 2008, Morse appeared on Broadway in Conor McPherson's play The Seafarer.[21][22] He received a Tony Award nomination for his role in the 2018 Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh.[23]

Personal life[edit]

Morse has three younger sisters and had one stepsister.[24] He has been married to actress and author of The Habit, Susan Wheeler Duff Morse since 1982. They have one daughter and twin sons.[25] After losing their home in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Morse and his family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[12][18] Morse has food sensitivities and has to prepare almost all food he eats himself.[3]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

List of David Morse film credits
Year Title Role Notes
1980 Inside Moves Jerry Maxwell
1982 Max Dugan Returns Shoe Store Cop
1987 Personal Foul Ben
1990 Desperate Hours Albert
1991 The Indian Runner Joe Roberts
1993 The Good Son Jack Evans
1994 The Getaway Jim "Deer" Jackson
Magic Kid II Jack
1995 The Taming Power of the Small
The Crossing Guard John Booth Nominated – Best Supporting Male at the Independent Spirit Awards
12 Monkeys Dr. Peters
1996 The Rock Major Tom Baxter
Extreme Measures FBI Agent Frank Hare
The Long Kiss Goodnight Luke / Daedalus
1997 George B George
Contact Ted Arroway
1998 The Legend of Pig Eye
The Negotiator Adam Beck
1999 Crazy in Alabama Dove Bullis
The Green Mile Brutus "Brutal" Howell Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2000 Bait Edgar Clenteen
Dancer in the Dark Bill Houston
Proof of Life Peter Bowman
2001 Diary of a City Priest Father John McNamee
Hearts in Atlantis Adult Bobby Garfield
2002 The Slaughter Rule Gideon "Gid" Ferguson
Double Vision Kevin Richter Nominated – Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Horse Film Festival
2005 Down in the Valley Wade
Nearing Grace Shep Nearing
Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story Everett Palmer
2006 A.W.O.L. Major Cliff Marquette
16 Blocks Det. Frank Nugent
2007 Hounddog Lou
Disturbia Robert Turner
2008 Passengers Arkin
2009 The Hurt Locker Colonel Reed Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Ensemble Cast
WAFCA Award for Best Ensemble
2010 Mother and Child Tom
Shanghai Richard Astor
Mint Julep Karl
The Pond Adam 11 Short film
2011 Drive Angry Webster
Collaborator Gus Williams Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Award for Best Actor[19]
Nominated – Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Canadian Screen Awards
2012 The Odd Life of Timothy Green James "Big Jim" Green Sr.
Yellow Psychologist
2013 Horns Dale Williams
McCanick Eugene "Mack" McCanick Also producer
World War Z Ex-CIA Agent
Winter in the Blood Airplane Man
2015 The Boy John Henley
Concussion Mike Webster[26]
2017 Trouble Gerry
Thank You for Your Service Fred Gusman
2018 Slender Man Jerry Newsman
2021 The Virtuoso The Deputy
2024 Cabrini Archbishop Corrigan
TBA Blood Knot TBA Filming
The Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln Voice; post-production

Television[edit]

List of David Morse television credits
Year Title Role Notes
1981 Nurse Kevin Mallory Episode: "Equal Opportunity"
1981 Our Family Business Phil Television film
1982–88 St. Elsewhere Dr. Jack Morrison 137 episodes
Directed episodes: "A Coupla White Dummies Sitting Around Talking", "Handoff"
1983 Prototype Michael Television film
1984 Shattered Vows Father Tim Television film
1985 When Dreams Come True Robert Wynton Television film
1987 Place at the Table Tom Williams Television film
1987 Knowzone Host 13 episodes
1987 Six Against the Rock Marvin Hubbard Television film
1987 Downpayment on Murder Det. Jackson Television film
1988 Winnie Thomas Television film
1989 Brotherhood of the Rose Chris / Remus Television film
1989 Cross of Fire Klell Henry Television film
1989 Friday the 13th: The Series Wrote and directed episode: "A Friend to the End"
1989 Midnight Caller Chandler Episode: "Wait Until Midnight"
1991 Cry in the Wild: The Taking of Peggy Ann Bicycle Pete Television film
1992 The Hat Squad Frankie Stein Episode: "Frankie Stein"
1992 Tales from the Crypt Tom McMurdo Episode: "Showdown"
1992 Reasonable Doubts Edward Durrell Episode: "Moment of Doubt"
1992 Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster Rick Steiner Television film
1993 Miracle on Interstate 880 Dr. Jim Betts Television film
1993 Big Wave Dave's Dave Bell 6 episodes
1993 SeaQuest DSV Lenny Sutter Episode: "SeaWest"
1995 Homicide: Life on the Street Jim Bayliss Episode: "Colors"
1995 The Langoliers Captain Brian Engle Television film
1995 Tecumseh: The Last Warrior Galloway Television film
1997 Murder Live! Frank McGrath Television film
2001 American Experience Abraham Lincoln Voice
6 episodes
2002–04 Hack Mike Olshansky 40 episodes
Wrote episode: "Gone"
2006–07 House Det. Michael Tritter 6 episodes
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
2008 John Adams George Washington 4 episodes
Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated – Monte-Carlo Television Festival for Outstanding Actor in a Mini Series
2009 Medium Douglas Lydecker 3 episodes
2009 Empire State James Cochrane Episode: "Pilot"
2010–13 Treme NOPD Lt. Terry Colson 31 episodes
2011 Lights Out Jerry "The Rainmaker" Raines Episode: "Rainmaker"
2012 Victory in Defeat Douglas MacArthur Japanese series
2012 Robot Chicken Robin Hood
The Lorax		 Voice
Episode: "Butchered in Burbank"
2014 Untitled Wall Street Project Conklin CBS pilot
2015 True Detective Eliot Bezzerides 3 episodes
2016–17 Outsiders "Big Foster" Farrell VI 26 episodes
2017–20 Blindspot Hank Crawford 7 episodes
2018 Escape at Dannemora Gene Palmer 6 episodes
2019 The Deuce Matthew Rouse 2 episodes
2019 The Morning Show Mr. Jackson Episode: "No One's Gonna Harm You, Not While I'm Around"
2020 The Good Lord Bird Dutch Henry Sherman Episode: "Meet the Lord"
2021 The Chair Dean Paul Larson 6 episodes
2023 The Last Thing He Told Me Nicholas Bell Miniseries

Selected stage work[edit]

List of selected David Morse stage credits
Year Title Role Notes
1981 The Trading Post Jim WPA Theatre
1981 Threads Nub / Clyde Circle Theatre
1990–91 The Wild Duck Los Angeles Theatre Center
1992 Redwood Curtain Lyman Bagley Wright Theatre – Seattle Repertory Theatre
World Premiere
1995 On the Waterfront Father Barry Brooks Atkinson Theatre
1997–98 How I Learned to Drive Uncle Peck Century Center for the Performing Arts
World Premiere
Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Actor
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor
Obie Award for Best Performance
Nominated – Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor
2007–08 The Seafarer James "Sharky" Harkin Booth Theatre
2013 The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin[27] Tom Durnin Laura Pels Theatre
2018 The Iceman Cometh Larry Slade Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
Nominated – Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play
2022 How I Learned to Drive Uncle Peck Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
Broadway Premiere
Nominated – Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play

Audiobook performances[edit]

List of David Morse audiobook credits
Year Title Author Notes
1999 A Patchwork Planet Anne Tyler Abridged Version
2003 Messenger Lois Lowry
2014 Revival Stephen King
2015 The Andromeda Strain Michael Crichton
2016 Skeleton Crew Stephen King Partial Reading
2016 And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer Fredrik Backman English Translation
2018 Flight or Fright Various Partial Reading
2018 Leadership: In Turbulent Times Doris Kearns Goodwin Partial Reading
2020 The Second Life of Tiger Woods Michael Bamberger

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Morse, David (June 23, 2008). "Patricia Sheridan's Breakfast With ... David Morse". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Interview). Interviewed by Patricia Sheridan. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021.
  2. ^ "Remembering the life of Jacquelyn Fellows". obituaries.salemnews.com. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Shattuck, Kathryn (June 14, 2022). "David Morse Steadies Himself With Daily Devotions and His Own Cooking". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  4. ^ "Boston Repertory Theatre: Introduction". theatermirror.com. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  5. ^ Brunner, Jeryl. "What Drives Actor David Morse?". Forbes. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Decoding Morse". Northshore Magazine. October 17, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  7. ^ "A Recycled Cartoon | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  8. ^ "William Esper Studio for Acting". Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  9. ^ Evans, Suzy (May 18, 2019). "Richard Schiff, Calista Flockhart, Christine Lahti, David Morse Pay Tribute to Acting Teacher William Esper". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  10. ^ Willis, John (1982). Screen World 1981. Vol. 32. Crown. ISBN 978-0-584-97079-1.
  11. ^ Thompson, Robert J. "St. Elsewhere". The Museum of Broadcast Communications. Archived from the original on June 25, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  12. ^ a b c Byrne, Bridget (November 8, 2006). "David Morse a 'House' Cop With a Problem". Austin American-Statesman. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2008 – via Austin360.
  13. ^ Fontana, Tom; Attanasio, Paul; Mark, Bonnie (April 28, 1995). "Colors". Homicide: Life on the Street. Season 3. Episode 19. NBC.
  14. ^ Podhoretz, John (April 30, 2007). "Hitchcock Lite". The Weekly Standard. Vol. 12, no. 31. Washington. p. 47 – via ProQuest. It's got thrills and scares and laughs and a frightening villain in David Morse (a largely unsung character actor who enlivens and deepens every movie fortunate enough to have him in the cast).
  15. ^ a b c Murray, Noel. "Random Roles: David Morse". The A.V. club. Archived from the original on June 26, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  16. ^ "The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards and Creative Arts Emmy Awards Nominees are..." Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  17. ^ Kubersky, Seth. "Live Active Cultures". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Amodio, Joseph V. (February 24, 2008). "Fast Chat: David Morse". Actor David Morse of 'The Green Mile' and 'Disturbia' is starring on Broadway in 'The Seafarer'. Newsday. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
  19. ^ a b "'Restoration' wins at Karlovy Vary". Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  20. ^ "On the Waterfront". The Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  21. ^ Latifi, Sadia (June 12, 2007). "We Ask David Morse of 'The Seafarer' Who's Tougher: The Devil or House?". New York Magazine. Retrieved November 28, 2008.
  22. ^ "The Seafarer". The Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
  23. ^ McPhee, Ryan (July 1, 2018). "The Iceman Cometh, Starring Denzel Washington, Concludes Broadway Run July 1". Playbill. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  24. ^ "Karen Rhodes Fellows died Feb. 4, 2017 | Community Advocate". February 14, 2017. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  25. ^ Fiorillo, Victor (May 29, 2022). "David Morse on His Dark, Tony-Nominated Broadway Role". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  26. ^ David Morse as Steeler Mike Webster in Will Smith movie. Blogs.post-gazette.com (October 10, 2014). Retrieved on October 21, 2015.
  27. ^ "The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin – 2012–2013 Season". Roundabout Theatre Company. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2015.

External links[edit]

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