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Christopher Denham is an American actor, screenwriter and director. He is known for supporting roles in Oppenheimer, Shutter Island, Argo, Being the Ricardos, Charlie Wilson's War and Sound of My Voice. His television credits include Billions, Shining Girls opposite Elisabeth Moss, and Amazon Prime's Utopia, created by Gillian Flynn. Denham has appeared on Broadway in Master Harold...and the Boys, Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore and David Mamet's China Doll, opposite Al Pacino.

Early life

Denham grew up on the south side of Chicago and worked at the famous Steppenwolf Theatre.

Career

Theatrical career

Denham made his Broadway debut opposite Danny Glover in the Roundabout Theatre revival of "Master Harold"...and the Boys. Denham originated the role of Matt in the Steppenwolf Theater production of Adam Rapp's Red Light Winter. The production moved to New York where Denham won Outstanding Lead Actor at the 2006 Lucille Lortel Awards. His other Broadway credits include the title role in Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore and David Mamet's China Doll, opposite Al Pacino. Off-Broadway, Denham appeared at Playwright's Horizons in Adam Rapp's Kindness opposite Katherine Waterston, Charles Mee's Wintertime at Second Stage, and Steven Levenson's The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin, opposite David Morse at Roundabout Theatre Company. Regionally, Denham has worked with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, New York Stage and Film and the Sundance Lab for Directors and Screenwriters.

Film and television career

Denham's first major film role was as CIA paramilitary operations officer Mike Vickers in Charlie Wilson's War, directed by Mike Nichols. He starred opposite Brit Marling in the acclaimed psychological thriller Sound of My Voice which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His breakout film role was as Mark Lijek, one of the six escaped hostages rescued by Tony Mendez in Argo. Denham later portrayed scientist Jim Meeks on the Emmy-nominated Manhattan. In 2017, he joined the cast of Billions as attorney Oliver Dake. He appeared as Sheriff Peter Trask in Craig Zobel's One Dollar, which premiered on CBS All Access. In 2020, he was a series regular in Gillian Flynn's Utopia as Arby. Denham has collaborated with legendary directors Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island), Mike Nichols (Charlie Wilson's War), Barry Levinson (The Bay), Tony Gilroy (Duplicity), Jodie Foster (Money Monster) and Aaron Sorkin (Being The Ricardos). Other TV credits include: Rubicon, Person of Interest, The Good Wife, Prodigal Son, Law and Order, Law and Order: SVU, and The Following.

Denham wrote and directed the 2008 horror film Home Movie (IFC Films) which premiered at Toronto After Dark and won the Citizen Kane Award for up-and-coming director at the Sitges Film Festival. He also wrote and directed the critically acclaimed thriller, Preservation, starring Wrenn Schmidt, Pablo Schreiber and Aaron Staton. which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and was distributed by The Orchard. He also directed the psychological thriller, Old Flame, which is distributed by Gravitas Ventures.

Denham plays the Russian spy Klaus Fuchs in Christopher Nolan’s film, Oppenheimer, for Universal Pictures, which was released in July 2023.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Awards and nominations

References

1. Parisi, Barbara, ed. (2011). The Best American Short Plays 2009-2010. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-55783-763-9.
2. McBride, Walter (May 3, 2006). "Photo Coverage: 2006 Lucille Lortel Awards". Broadway World. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
3. Ezell, Brice (January 26, 2016). "David Mamet and Al Pacino's 'China Doll' Rat-a-Tats Without the Tat". PopMatters.
4. Dargis, Manohla (April 26, 2012). "The Guru in the Basement Promises a Journey to... Something". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
5. Regalbuto, Benny (September 23, 2020). "Why Arby from Utopia looks so familiar". Looper. Looperland?. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
6. McFarland, Melanie (February 19, 2017). ""Hate is nature's most perfect energy source": Showtime's "Billions" hits its stride in its return". Salon. New York. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
7. Travers, Ben (September 25, 2020). "'Utopia' Review: Gillian Flynn's Amazon Adaptation Was Not Meant for This Moment". Indie Wire. Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
8. "Sitges Film Festival". Sitges Film Festival. 2008. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
9. Zimmerman, Samuel. "First Look: Christopher Denham's "PRESERVATION"". Fangoria. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
10. Grobar, Matt (April 4, 2022). "Christopher Denham & Josh Zuckerman Join 'Oppenheimer'; Shane Dax Taylor's Indie 'Best Man' Adds Andrey Ivchenko". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
11. Bacalzo, Dan (March 2, 2004). "Wintertime". TheaterMania. NYC. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
12. Isherwood, Charles (October 13, 2008). "Welcome to New York; Now Go Find a Friend". The New York Times. NYC. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
13. Feinberg, Scott (October 3, 2012). "Hollywood Film Awards to Honor 'Argo' Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
14. Kim, Eddie (December 5, 2012). "'Argo' ensemble honored at Palm Springs fest". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2020.

External links

• Christopher Denham at IMDb
• Christopher Denham at the Internet Broadway Database

• American male film actors
• American male stage actors
• American male television actors
• Film directors from Illinois
• Film producers from Illinois
• American male screenwriters
• Living people
• Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
• 1980 births