Stephen Michael Kunken is an American actor. He is known for the roles of Ari Spyros on Showtime's Billions and Commander Putnam on Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. Graduating with top honors from The Juilliard School, Kunken has an extensive theater career, appearing on Broadway in seven different productions and countless off-Broadway and regional productions. He is most readily known for playing Andy Fastow in the Broadway play Enron, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Featured Actor in a Play. Other Broadway credits include Frost/Nixon and Rock 'n' Roll.
Early life and education Stephen Michael Kunken was raised on Long Island in Upper Brookville, New York. His father is a dentist and his mother is a former grade school teacher. He is Jewish.
Kunken received a B.A. degree from Tufts University in 1993. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School's Graduate Acting program, where as a member of the Drama Division's Group 26 (1993–1997) he was awarded both The John Houseman Prize and the Pearl and Rolands Grant. His classmates included David Denman and Alan Tudyk.
Career Kunken has appeared on Broadway as David Halberstam in David Auburn's The Columnist (2012);Jones, Kenneth. "John Lithgow Is David Auburn's 'The Columnist', Beginning Broadway Previews April 4" Playbill, April 4, 2012 opposite Kathleen Turner in High (2011);" 'High', Starring Kathleen Turner, Will Bow at Broadway’s Booth Theatre" broadway.com, January 21, 2011 Tom Stoppard’s Rock 'n' Roll (2007);Brantley, Ben. "Going to Prague in 1968, but Not Without His Vinyl" The New York Times, November 5, 2007 Frost/Nixon (2007) (for which he received Outer Critics Circle Award (Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play) and Drama League Award nominations),;"Outer Critics Circle 2006-2007 nominations announced" newyorktheatreguide.com, April 23, 2007 Festen (2006);Brantley, Ben. "Haunting Memories of Daddy Dearest in 'Festen' " The New York Times, April 10, 2006 and Proof (replacement, 2002)." 'Proof' Replacement" ibdb.com, retrieved October 29, 2017 For his role as CFO Andrew Fastow in Lucy Prebble's Enron, he received a 2010 Tony Award nomination for Featured Actor in a Play."'Enron' to close following Tony noms" Variety, May 5, 2010
Off-Broadway, he played Tim Andrews in the award-winning Richard Nelson cycle of Apple Plays, which includes That Hopey Changey Thing, Sweet and Sad, and Regular Singing in 2013 at The Public.Rickwald, Bethany. "A Look at Richard Nelson's 'That Hopey Changey Thing' at The Public" theatermania.com, October 24, 2013That Hopey Changey Thing lortel.org, retrieved October 29, 2017
He played the title role of Nikolai Nabakov in Lincoln Center Theater's production of Richard Nelson's Nikolai and the Others in 2013.Brantley, Ben. "Famous Russian House Guests, With Plenty of Baggage" The New York Times, May 6, 2013 He has appeared as Dr. Phil in the critically acclaimed production of Kate Fodor's romantic comedy RX (2012, Primary Stages production);Stasio, Marilyn. "Review. 'RX" " Variety, February 7, 2010 and as the Stage Manager in the 2009 David Cromer-directed revival of Thornton Wilder's Our Town (replacement as of January 5, 2010, Barrow Street Theatre);"David Cromer to Return to 'Our Town'; Stephen Kunken to Follow" broadway.com, December 15, 2009 Theresa Rebeck's Our House (2009, Playwrights Horizons);Lipton, Brian Scott. "Morena Baccarin, Stephen Kunken, Jeremy Strong, Christopher Evan Welch, et al. Set for 'Our House'" theatermania.com, April 6, 2009 Fabulation at Playwrights Horizons (2004);Jones, Kenneth. " 'Fabulation', a Sold Out Phenom at Playwrights Horizons, Gets Added Shows to July 11" Playbill, June 18, 2004 A Very Common Procedure by Courtney Baron at Manhattan Class Company (2007)Sommer, Elyse. "A CurtainUp Review. A Very Common Procedure" CurtainUp, February 12, 2007 (for which he received a Drama League Award nomination); Journals of Mihail Sebastian by David Auburn with the Keen Company in 2004Simonson, Robert. "David Auburn Examines 'The Journals of Mihail Sebastian' at Keen Company, March 6" Playbill, March 6, 2004 and Misalliance at the Roundabout Theatre Company (1997).Misalliance lortel.org, retrieved October 29, 2017"Kunken Off-Broadway" lortel.org, retrieved October 29, 2017
He performed in The Story (2003),The Story lortel.org, retrieved October 29, 2017 Henry VIII (1997)Henry VIII lortel.org, retrieved October 29, 2017 and A Dybbuk (1997) at the Public Theater.A Dybbuk lortel.org, retrieved October 29, 2017
Regionally, Kunken has appeared in Quartermaine’s Terms (2009),Guiliano, Charles. " 'Quartermaine's Terms' at Williamstown Theatre Festival" berkshirefinearts.com, August 14, 2009 True West (2009),Guiliano, Charles. " 'True West' at Williamstown Theatre Festival" berkshirefinearts.com, July 17, 2009 Three Sisters as Solyony (2008) all at the Williamstown Theatre Festival;"'Three Sisters'. July 16 - July 27. Main Stage. 2008 Season" wtfestival.org, retrieved October 29, 2017 and Mister Roberts as Doc at the Kennedy Center in 2005,Gans, Andrew. "Casting Complete for Kennedy Center 'Mister Roberts' " Playbill, February 8, 2005 among many other credits.
He played the lead role of lawyer Don Pearlman in Kyoto (2025) at the @sohoplace theatre.
His television credits include: Unforgettable, Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, Gossip Girl, The Unusuals, New Amsterdam, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: SVU, The Sopranos, Spin City, Far East (2001, TV movie), Mary and Rhoda (2000, TV movie)"Mary And Rhoda" (TV)" paleycenter.org, retrieved October 30, 2017 and The Affair."Stephen Kunken Television" tv.com, retrieved October 30, 2017"Stephen Kunken Film and TV" hollywood.com, retrieved October 30, 2017
In film, Kunken's work includes The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Still Alice (2014),Still Alice tcm.com, retrieved October 29, 2017 Café Society (2016), A Birder's Guide to Everything (2013), The Bay (2012),Scott, A. O. "There’s Something Bubbling Off the Shore of a Chesapeake Hamlet" The New York Times, November 1, 2012 Price Check (2012),Price Check rottentomatoes.com, retrieved October 30, 2017 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011), All Good Things (2010), Taking Woodstock (2009), The Girl in the Park (2008),The Girl in the Park rottentomatoes.com, retrieved October 30, 2017 Wait 'til This Year, Light and the Sufferer (2014),Light and the Sufferer hollywood.com, retrieved October 29, 2017 and Bamboozled (2000)."Stephen Kunken Films" tcm.com, retrieved October 29, 2017
Personal life Kunken and stage director Jenn Thompson were married in 2005.Jones, Kenneth. "Jenn Thompson Named Co-Artistic Director of Off-Broadway's TACT" Playbill, June 30, 2011 The couple have a daughter.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes2000 Bamboozled David 2007 The Girl in the Park Leo Light and the Sufferer Douglas 2009 Taking Woodstock Mel 2010 All Good Things Todd Fleck 2011 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Teacher 2012 Price Check Cartwright The Bay Dr. Abrams 2013 A Birder's Guide to Everything Ted Blumenthal Barry The Wolf of Wall Street Jerry Fogel 2014 Still Alice Dr. Benjamin 2015 Bridge of Spies William Tompkins 2016 Custody Mark Dooley Café Society Leonard Jason Bourne Baumen 2019 Otherhood Joel Lieberman 2020 Hillbilly Elegy Phillip Roseman
Television Year Title Role Notes2014-2019 The Affair Harry 8 episodes2016-2023 Billions Ari Spyros 41 episodes2017-2022 The Handmaid's Tale Warren Putnam 19 episodes 2022 A Spy Among Friends James Jesus Angleton 6 episodes
References
External links