Craig Philip Bierko (born August 18, 1964) is an American actor.
Early life Bierko was born in Rye Brook, New York, where, for a brief time, his mother Pat was president of The Harrison Players, a local community theatre.
After graduating Blind Brook High School, Bierko spent his freshman year studying journalism at Boston University’s School of Public Communications. But he spent most of his time across the Charles River doing plays at Harvard. The following year Bierko transferred to Northwestern University to study acting alongside David Schwimmer, Stephen Colbert, George Newbern and Harry Lennix. He graduated in 1986 with a BS in theater arts from the School of Speech.Craig Bierko biography
Career Television and film Bierko’s film roles include Timothy in the 1996 action film The Long Kiss Goodnight which he credits for being cast in far more interesting, darkly humorous roles such as Max Baer in Ron Howard’s Cinderella Man opposite Russell Crowe, Tom Ryan in Scary Movie 4 (spoofing Tom Cruise throughout the film), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Thirteenth Floor. Bierko was the original choice for the character of Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends but turned it down, contrary to the advice of his friends Matthew Perry and Hank Azaria."With Friends Like These" "CBC Radio Interview" He played "the jazz guy" Ray King, a love interest for Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) in the fourth season of Sex and the City, attorney Jeffrey Coho on season three of the ABC television series Boston Legal, and one of four newly divorced friends on Fox’s short-lived Unhitched. Bierko was cast as Dave Lister in the pilot for the American TV version of the British show Red Dwarf. He has appeared twice on TV's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – first as Andy Eckerson, a United States Deputy Marshal who is working with the SVU (and ex-flame Det. Olivia Benson) to recapture an escaped convict, and several years later, a serial rapist.
Bierko appeared for four seasons in the Peabody Award-winning series UnREAL as Chet Wilton, the eccentric, drug addicted, womanizing creator of a reality dating show. Recently, he appeared on The Blacklist as The Chairman, the coldly sociopathic head of an underground stock market for criminals, and was seen on season two of the hit Netflix show Sex/Life as a superstar literary agent.
Theater roles In 2000, Bierko made his Broadway debut as Professor Harold Hill in Susan Stroman's critically acclaimed revival of Meredith Willson's The Music Man, for which he received a Tony Award nomination.
Bierko was slated to appear on Broadway in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of To Be or Not to Be but withdrew from the production August 29, 2008, for creative differences."Bierko Withdraws from To Be or Not To Be" Playbill He starred as Sky Masterson in the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls which began performances at the Nederlander Theatre on February 5, 2009, and officially opened on March 1, 2009."Luck Be a Lady": Guys and Dolls Returns to Broadway Feb. 5 It closed on June 14, 2009, after 113 performances.Adelaide's New Lament: Broadway's Guys and Dolls to Close June 14 He performed the role of Peter in the acclaimed 2011 New York Philharmonic production of Stephen Sondheim's Company with Neil Patrick Harris, Patti Lupone and Stephen Colbert.
Bierko replaced Bertie Carvel as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda the Musical at the Shubert Theatre along with Jill Paice as Miss Honey on September 3, 2013, but could not start performances until September 17 following a neck and shoulder injury he suffered rehearsing a gymnastic flip.Hetrick, Adam. playbill.com, September 3, 2013 Despite the injury, Bierko continued rehearsing, eventually performing the role for about a month before the shoulder injury – along with a foot injury sustained during performance – made it impractical to continue.Hetrick, Adam. "Injured Craig Bierko Officially Departs Broadways Matilda the Musical" playbill.com, November 19, 2013
In 2022, Conor McPherson cast Bierko as Mr. Burke in his Girl from the North Country (featuring music by Bob Dylan) opposite Luba Mason and Mare Winningham. The Tony Award-winning limited engagement played its final performance June 19, 2022.
Personal life Bierko was in a relationship with actress Charlize Theron from 1995 to 1997.
Filmography and stage work
Film Year Title Role Notes1987Love NoteCraig JohnsonVideo1991Victimless CrimesTerry Sullivan1996The Long Kiss GoodnightTimothy1996JohnsChristmas Radio Preacher1997'Til There Was YouJon Hass1998Sour GrapesRichie Maxwell1998Fear and Loathing in Las VegasLacerda1999The SuburbansMitch1999The Thirteenth FloorDouglas Hall, John Ferguson, David2000The Cherry PickerShort film2001Kate & LeopoldActor in AdvertisementUncredited2002I'm with LucyPeter2003Dickie Roberts: Former Child StarGeorge Finney2004Hair HighSarge (voice)2005Cinderella ManMax Baer2006Scary Movie 4Tom Ryan2006DanikaRandy Merrick2006For Your ConsiderationTalk Show Host2007Meet BillSergeantUncredited2008Superhero MovieWolverineDeleted scenes2008A Bad SituationRichardVideo2011CompanyPeterFilmed production2011The Change-UpValtan2011Bad SeedBert2012The Three StoogesMac Mioski2013Louder Than WordsEddie Stolzenberg2013If I Had WingsGeoff Taylor2016EquityBenji Akers2016CatfightThe Talk Show Host2019Fair Market ValueLucas2021Scenes from an Empty ChurchThe Sinner2021Before I GoWalt2025D(e)adDaniel2026The Debut Steve
Television Year Title Role Notes1987RoomiesDaleEpisode: "The Ditch"1987Our HouseDouglasEpisode: "The Children's Crusade"1987ABC Afterschool SpecialsCarl WarnerEpisode: "The Day My Kid Went Punk"1988AmenBellmanEpisode: "A Sight Case of Murder (2)"1988Eisenhower and LutzWaiterEpisode: "Don't Change a Hair for Me"1989The Young and the RestlessGreg1989NewhartDirk2 episodes1989Guns of ParadiseJohnny Ryan2 episodes1990SydneyMatt Keating13 episodes1990WingsMatt SargentEpisode: "The Puppet Master"1990Murphy BrownAlexEpisode: "Rootless People"1991Empty NestFredEpisode: "The Man That Got Away"1991Baby TalkBill NoonanEpisode: "A Star Is Born"1992The Powers That BeJoe Bowman4 episodes1992Red DwarfDave ListerUnaired television pilot1993Bodies of EvidenceThomas WilkesEpisode: "Trial by Fire"1993Danielle Steel's StarSpencer HillTelevision film1994–1995Madman of the PeopleB.J. Cooper16 episodes1995Pride & JoyGreg Sherman6 episodes1998Mad About YouGardner MulloyEpisode: "Weekend in L.A."2000Ally McBealDennis MartinEpisode: "In Search of Pygmies"2001Sex and the CityRay King2 episodes2002The CourtHarlan Brandt2003Hench at HomeTerry HenchTelevision film2003, 2016Law & Order: Special Victims UnitDeputy Marshal Andy Eckerson, Bobby D'Amico2 episodes2005Untitled David Diamond/David Weissman ProjectDylanTelevision film2006The Great MalonesEpisode: "Pilot"2006–2007Boston LegalJeffrey Coho14 episodes2007Nip/TuckBob EastonEpisode: "Carly Summers"2008UnhitchedJack "Gator" Gately6 episodes2009Head CaseEpisode: "The Big Book"2010The Good WifeDuke RoscoeEpisode: "Infamy"2010DamagesTerry Brooke4 episodes2010The LeagueCraig O'ConnorEpisode: "Bro-Lo El Cuñado"2010–2011The Temp LifeEddie Chiapetta3 episodes2011Suite 7AlanEpisode: "Superman"2011–2012Leap YearAndy Corvell5 episodes2011Necessary RoughnessRay Santino2 episodes2011Easy to AssembleJebedehia Bateman8 episodes2011The MentalistDoc DuganEpisode: "The Redshirt"20126 passi nel gialloHarry ChaseEpisode: "Visions of Murder"2012, 2014Hot in ClevelandDonald2 episodes2012ElementaryJim FowkesEpisode: "The Rat Race"2013Body of ProofDr. Derrick MalcolmEpisode: "Committed"2013–2014The Michael J. Fox ShowBill2 episodes2013UnforgettableMarco LantiniEpisode: "A Moveable Feast"2015–2018UnREALChet Wilton38 episodes2017Kevin Can WaitPeterEpisode: "The Back Out"2017Tin StarDermot O'HanrahanEpisode: "Jack"2018Blue BloodsRay CrossEpisode: "Meet the New Boss"2022The BlacklistThe ChairmanEpisode: "The Chairman (No. 171)"2023Sex/LifeMick4 episodes2023JuliaRoss MacdonaldEpisode: "Loup en Croûte"2024Curb Your EnthusiasmMan in TheatreEpisode: "The Gettysburg Address"2025Grey's AnatomyDr. Joseph ChaseEpisode: "Love in the Ice Age"
Stage Year Title Role Notes2000–2001The Music ManHarold HillBroadwayTheatre World AwardNominee: Tony AwardNominee: Drama Desk Award2001–2002Thou Shalt NotLaurent LeClaireBroadway2004–2005Modern OrthodoxBen JacobsonOff-Broadway2009Guys and DollsSky MastersonBroadway2011CompanyPeterNew York Philharmonic Concert2013Matilda the MusicalAgatha TrunchbullBroadway replacement2022Girl from the North CountryMr. BurkeBroadway
Awards and recognition Sexiest Broadway Star by People (2000) Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for The Music Man (nominee, 2000) Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for The Music Man (nominee, 2000) Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical for The Music Man (nominee, 2000) Theatre World Award (winner, 2000) Broadway.com Audience Awards (winner, 2000) 100 Most Creative People in Entertainment "It" List, 2003 Entertainment Weekly Shorty Award for Humor (nominee, 2014)
References
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