Justin Lee Bartha (born July 21, 1978) is an American actor. In film, Bartha has played Riley Poole in the National Treasure film series and Doug Billings in The Hangover trilogy. His television roles include David Sawyer in the NBC comedy series The New Normal as well as Colin Morrello in the CBS All Access (later Paramount+) legal and political drama The Good Fight.

Early life Bartha was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and moved to West Bloomfield, Michigan when he was eight. Bartha was raised in a Reform Jewish family. After he graduated from West Bloomfield High School in 1996, he moved to New York City and studied filmmaking and theatre at New York University's Tisch School of Arts.

Career

Bartha began his film career behind the camera as a production assistant on the film Analyze This. His acting debut came with his first film, 54, as a clubgoer. He wrote and directed a short film, Highs and Lows, which was shown at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2003. Additionally, he wrote, produced, and starred in an MTV pilot called The Dustin and Justin Show.

Bartha co-starred opposite Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Christopher Walken and Al Pacino in the critically bashed Gigli in 2003, before his co-starring role in the National Treasure franchise (2004; 2007) as Riley Poole. He reprised the role in the series continuation for Disney+.

In 2006, Bartha co-starred in the film Failure to Launch and NBC's sitcom Teachers which only aired six episodes.

In November 2007, Bartha was cast in an indie drama, Holy Rollers. His character lures a young Hasidic Jew (Jesse Eisenberg) into becoming an ecstasy dealer. Filming began in New York in the spring of 2008, and the film was released in 2010. Bartha re-teamed with Eisenberg for Eisenberg's critically acclaimed play, Asuncion. Bartha also starred alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Bart Freundlich film, The Rebound which is about a 25-year-old man who starts a romance with his older single mother neighbor, the film began shooting in April 2008 in New York and finished in June. In The Hangover comedy film series, he played Doug Billings, one of the "Wolfpack" members who goes on weekend trips with the trio. After a wild night of partying, he goes missing and his friends frantically search everywhere for him.

Bartha starred as Max in the Broadway revival of the play Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig. He performed alongside Tony Shalhoub, Anthony LaPaglia, Brooke Adams, and Jan Maxwell. A farcical comedy, it was directed by Stanley Tucci and started previews at the Music Box Theatre on March 11, 2010, with the official opening date on April 4, 2010. It was nominated for a Tony award for best revival of a play. In 2011, Bartha signed on to star in the premiere of Zach Braff's play All New People at Second Stage Theatre. All New People began June 28 and ran through mid-August. Anna Camp, David Wilson Barnes and Krysten Ritter co-starred in this production under the direction of Peter DuBois. In February 2012, Bartha signed on to co-star on the NBC comedy pilot The New Normal. On May 7, 2012, NBC ordered the project to series. The show was centered around a gay couple (played by Bartha and Andrew Rannells) and the surrogate mother (Georgia King) they selected to bear their child. It premiered on September 11, 2012, but was officially canceled the next year on May 10, 2013.

In 2014, Bartha starred in another of Jesse Eisenberg's plays, A Little Part of All Of Us, alongside Eisenberg, for Playing On Air, a non-profit organization that "records short plays [for public radio and podcast] written by top playwrights and performed by outstanding actors."

Bartha has worked with the Matrix Theatre Company, guest directing their Teen Company in Are You Passing?, a play on the state of education in Detroit.

In 2018, Bartha co-starred as Colin Morrello in the first two seasons of the critically acclaimed CBS all-access drama, The Good Fight. In 2021, Bartha signed on to play Robert Morgenthau in the second season of the critically acclaimed EPIX hit drama, Godfather of Harlem and co-starred opposite Jason Momoa in the Netflix movie Sweet Girl. In 2022, Bartha starred in the controversial and critically acclaimed standalone episode in the third season of Atlanta called, The Big Payback. Bartha plays a man named Marshall Johnson who finds out he must pay slavery reparations.

Personal life Bartha married Pilates instructor and creator of B The Method Lia Smith in Oahu, Hawaii, on January 4, 2014. On April 13, 2014, she gave birth to their first daughter. On April 16, 2016, she gave birth to their second daughter.

Acting credits

Film + Film Year Title Role Notes 1998 54 Clubgoer Uncredited 1999 Tag Kip Woffard Short film 2003 Gigli Brian Carnival Sun Brian Short film 2004 National Treasure Riley Poole 2005 Trust the Man Jasper Bernard 2006 Failure to Launch Philip "Ace" 2007 National Treasure: Book of Secrets Riley Poole 2008 New York, I Love You Justin Segment: "Randy Balsmeyer" 2009 Doug Billings Jusqu'à toi Jack Aka Shoe at Your Foot; also executive producer Aram Finkelstein 2010 Holy Rollers Yosef Zimmerman 2011 Doug Billings Dark Horse Richard 2013 Doug Billings CBGB Stiv Bators 2014 Brahmin Bulls Alex 2016 White Girl Kelly Sticky Notes BryanAlso known as The Backup Dancer 2018 Driven Howard Weitzman Sorry for Your Loss Ken 2019 Against the Clock Peter HobbsAlso known as Headlock and Transference 2021 Sweet Girl Simon Keeley 2022 Dear Zoe David Gladstone2024NukedJack Langer 2026 Influenced

Television + Television Year Title Role Notes 2004 Strip Search Television film 2006 Teachers Jeff Cahill Main cast; 6 episodes 2009 WWII in HD Jack Werner (voice) Miniseries; 5 episodes 2012–2013 David Sawyer Main cast; 22 episodes 2016Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life Josh Barrett Main cast; 13 episodes 2017–2018 The Good Fight Colin Morrello Main cast; 17 episodes 2019 Drunk History Thomas H. Ince Episode: "Drunk Mystery II"2020; 2022The Accidental Wolf 2021; 2023 Godfather of Harlem Robert Morgenthau Recurring; 7 episodes2021The Other TwoHimselfEpisode: "Brooke & Cary Go to a Fashion Show"2022AtlantaMarshall JohnsonEpisode: "The Big Payback" National Treasure: Edge of History Riley Poole Episode: "Charlotte" TBA Ken Feld Upcoming miniseries

Music videos Year Title Artist Role 2014 "Imagine" Various Himself

Theatre + Theatre Year Title Role Notes201064th Tony AwardsPerforming ArtistLend Me a TenorMaxBroadway revivalMusic Box Theatre2011All New PeopleCharlieSecond Stage Theatre AsuncionVinny Off-BroadwayRattlestick Playwrights Theater2013The Sunshine BoysBenAhmanson TheatreCenter Theatre Group2015PermissionEricMCC Theater

Awards and nominations +YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult2003Stinkers Bad Movie AwardsWorst Supporting ActorGigliWorst Song 2009Awards Circuit Community AwardsBest Cast EnsembleThe Hangover

References

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