Ted Levine

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Ted Levine
Levine in 2008
Born
Frank Theodore Levine

(1957-05-29) May 29, 1957 (age 66)
Bellaire, Ohio, U.S.
EducationMarlboro College
OccupationActor
Years active1978–present
PartnerKim Phillips (former)
Children2

Frank Theodore Levine (born May 29, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Jame Gumb in the film The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Leland Stottlemeyer in the television series Monk (2002–2009).

Levine's other notable roles were in the films Nowhere to Run (1993), Heat (1995), Bullet (1996), The Fast and the Furious (2001), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), American Gangster (2007), Shutter Island (2010), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), and The Report (2019).

Early life[edit]

Levine was born in Bellaire, Ohio, the son of Charlotte Virginia (Clark) and Milton Dmitri Levine,[1] who were both doctors and members of Physicians for Social Responsibility. Levine's father was of Russian-Jewish descent and his mother had Welsh and Native American ancestry. He describes himself as a "hillbilly Jew."[1] He grew up in Oak Park, Illinois. In 1975, he enrolled at Marlboro College.

Career[edit]

He became a fixture in the Chicago theatre scene and joined the Remains Theatre which was co-founded by Gary Cole and William Petersen. After his stage experience, Levine began to devote most of his energy during the 1980s toward finding roles in film and television. One of his most prominent roles in the 1980s was playing mob enforcer Frank Holman in the NBC drama Crime Story (1986–88).

After his breakout role in The Silence of the Lambs (as primary antagonist Jame Gumb), there was a period where he was typecast in villainous roles. Levine was able to gradually branch out into other types of roles such as a member of Al Pacino's police unit in Heat and astronaut Alan Shepard in the HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon. In the drama Georgia, he played Mare Winningham's husband, one of his most sympathetic roles.

In 2001, Levine performed as Paul Walker's police superior Sergeant Tanner in The Fast and the Furious. His résumé also includes an uncredited role as the voice of the sociopathic trucker "Rusty Nail" in Joy Ride, also starring Walker.

He played Detective Sam Nico in the 2003 film Wonderland, based on the gruesome murders in the Hollywood Hills. He also appeared as a psychiatrist at a mental institution in Wonderland, a completely unrelated TV series of the same name in 2000 that aired briefly on ABC.

From 2002 to 2009, he co-starred as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer on USA Network's detective series Monk, starring Tony Shalhoub.

Levine provided the voice of the supervillain Sinestro in Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited, all part of the DC Animated Universe.

Levine also appeared as a patriarch whose family takes a turn for the worse in the remake of The Hills Have Eyes (2006).

In 2007, he portrayed local Sheriff James Timberlake in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and appeared in Ridley Scott's American Gangster, alongside Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

In 2010, he appeared as the warden of the island prison in Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

In 2012, he appeared as Sheriff Bloom Towne in Deep Dark Canyon, alongside Spencer Treat Clark and Nick Eversman, who portray Sheriff Towne's sons, Nate and Skylar, respectively.

In 2013, he had a major supporting role in the FX murder mystery series The Bridge as Lieutenant Hank Wade, commander of a police homicide unit in a Texas border city.[2]

In 2014, he portrayed General Underwood in the British-Finnish action film Big Game.[3]

In 2018, Levine co-starred in the sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, as hunter Ken Wheatley.[4]

From 2018 to 2020, he played Thomas F. Byrnes on the TNT series The Alienist.

In 2021, he joined the cast of the ABC drama Big Sky, playing the role of Horst Kleinsasser.[5]

Personal life[edit]

Levine has two children: a son with girlfriend Kim Phillips, and a daughter.[1]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1986 One More Saturday Night Cop in Station
1987 Ironweed Pocono Pete
1988 Betrayed Wes
1989 Next of Kin Willy
1990 Love at Large Frederick King / James McGraw
1991 The Silence of the Lambs Jame 'Buffalo Bill' Gumb
1992 The Paint Job Kenny the D.J.
1993 Nowhere to Run Mr. Dunston
1994 Todo cambia Vince
1995 The Mangler Officer John Hunton
Georgia Jake
Heat Detective Mike Bosko
1996 Bullet Louis Stein
1997 Mad City Lemke
Switchback Deputy Nate Booker
Flubber Wesson
1998 You Can Thank Me Later Eli Cooperberg
1999 Wild Wild West General 'Bloodbath' McGrath
2001 Evolution General Russell Woodman
The Fast and the Furious Sergeant Tanner
Joy Ride 'Rusty Nail' Voice
Ali Joe Smiley
2002 The Truth About Charlie Emil Zadapec
2003 Wonderland Detective Sam Nico
2004 The Manchurian Candidate Colonel Howard
Birth Mr. Conte
2005 The L.A. Riot Spectacular Tom Saltine
Memoirs of a Geisha Colonel Derricks
2006 The Hills Have Eyes Bob 'Big Bob' Carter
2007 The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Sheriff James Timberlake
American Gangster Captain Lou Toback
2010 Shutter Island Warden
2012 Deep Dark Canyon Bloom Towne
2013 Jimmy James Lee Mitchell
A Single Shot Cecile
Banshee Chapter Thomas Blackburn
2014 Big Game General Underwood
Dig Two Graves Sheriff Waterhouse
Gutshot Straight Lewis
2015 Little Boy Sam
2016 Bleed for This Lou Duva
2017 Bottom of the World The Preacher
Swing State Rouge Holmes
A Midsummer Night's Dream Theseus
2018 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Ken Wheatley
2019 The Report John Brennan
A Violent Separation Ed Quinn

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1983 Through Naked Eyes Patrolman Television film
1984 The Killing Floor Commander American Playhouse television film
1985 Two Fathers' Justice Bennett Television film
1986–1988 Crime Story Frank Holman Recurring role
1989 The Fulfillment of Mary Gray Jonathan Television film
1990 Midnight Caller Frank Brewer Episode: "With Malice Towards One"
1991 Murder in High Places Carson Russell Television film
Dead and Alive: The Race for Gus Farace Charles Rose Television film
1993 Death Train Alex Tierney Television film
The Last Outlaw Potts Television film
Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back Gary Ward Television film
1995 Nowhere Man Dave 'Eddie' Powers Episode: "Absolute Zero"
1996 Wiseguy Paul Callendar Television film
1997, 1999 Superman: The Animated Series Karkull, Sinestro Voice, 2 episodes[6]
1997 Ellen Foster Bill Hammond Television film
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Alan Shepard 2 episodes; miniseries
Moby Dick Starbuck Main cast; miniseries
2000 Harlan County War Silas Kincaid Television film
Wonderland Dr. Robert Banger Main cast
2002 Third Watch Brian O’Malley Episode: "Falling"
2002–2003 Justice League Bulldozer, Sinestro Voice, 4 episodes[6]
2002–2009 Monk Captain Leland Stottlemeyer Main cast
2004 Static Shock Sinestro Voice, episode: "Fallen Hero"[6]
2006 Justice League Unlimited Sinestro Voice, episode: "The Great Brain Robbery"[6]
2011 Hell on Wheels Captain Daniel Johnson Episode: "Pilot"
2012 Luck Isadore Cohen Recurring role
2013–2014 The Bridge Lt. Hank Wade Main cast
2014 Child of Grace Chief Edwards Television film
2015 The Spoils Before Dying Gerhart Moll Episode: "The Trip Trap"; miniseries
2016 Dr. Del Tanner Television film
Mad Dogs Conrad Tull 2 episodes
Ray Donovan Bill Primm 4 episodes
Lethal Weapon Ned Brower Episode: "Best Buds"
2018–2020 The Alienist Thomas F. Byrnes Recurring role
2018 Here and Now Ike Bayer 2 episodes
2019 On Becoming a God in Central Florida Obie Garbeau II Main cast
2020 Peacock Presents: The At-Home Variety Show Featuring Seth MacFarlane Captain Leland Stottlemeyer Episode: "Monk In Quarantine"
2021 Big Sky Horst Kleinsasser Main cast (season 1)
2023 Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie Captain Leland Stottlemeyer TV movie
2024 Mayfair Witches Julien Mayfair Recurring guest star (season 2)

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award/Event Category Nominated work Result Ref
1991 Awards Circuit Community Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role The Silence of the Lambs Nominated [7]
2008 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture American Gangster Nominated [8]
2012 20/20 Awards Best Supporting Actor The Silence of the Lambs Nominated [9]
2015 Beaufort International Film Festival Best Actor Dig Two Graves Won [10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c McGavin, Patrick Z. (February 28, 1991). "Ted Levine is not a bad guy". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  2. ^ TV Guide (August 14, 2013). "The Bridge's Ted Levine: "The Killer Is More Hannibal Lecter Than Jame Gumb"". littlefallstimes.com. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  3. ^ TV Guide (August 14, 2013). "Big Game". littlefallstimes.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  4. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 10, 2017). "'Jurassic World' Sequel Adds 'Silence of the Lambs' Actor Ted Levine". Variety. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  5. ^ "Is Big Sky Going In A Completely Different Direction With All These New Cast Members?". CINEMABLEND. January 29, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d "Ted Levine (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved September 9, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  7. ^ "ACCA 1991 - AwardsCircuit - By Clayton Davis - Celebrating 10 Years". Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  8. ^ "Into the Wild Leads S.A.G. Awards - Observer". The New York Observer. December 20, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  9. ^ "2012 Nominees – 3rd Annual 20/20 Awards - 20/20 Awards - Films that have stood the test of time". Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  10. ^ "Beaufort International Film Festival takes place in Beaufort, SC. - 2015". Retrieved June 9, 2018.

External links[edit]