Hamish Linklater

Early work and theater

Linklater began his professional career primarily in theater before moving into television and film. His early stage credits included productions of Hamlet, Love's Fire and The Chemistry of Change. He made his film debut in the independent film Groove (2000).

His early television work included a regular role as Dr. Bruce Cherry in the ABC medical drama Gideon's Crossing (2000–2001), followed by appearances in American Dreams and the HBO television film Live from Baghdad, in which he portrayed CNN correspondent Richard Roth.

Linklater continued to work extensively on stage. He portrayed the title role in Hamlet at both Long Wharf Theatre and South Coast Repertory and appeared in Keith Bunin's The Busy World Is Hushed at Playwrights Horizons in 2006. In 2009, he played Sir Andrew Aguecheek opposite Anne Hathaway, Audra McDonald and Raúl Esparza in the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night.

Television breakthrough

From 2006 to 2010, Linklater played Matthew Kimble, the brother of Julia Louis-Dreyfus' title character, on the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine. He appeared in 88 episodes during the show's five-season run.^[9]

In 2011, he made his Broadway debut as Martin in Theresa Rebeck's Seminar, appearing alongside Alan Rickman, Lily Rabe, Jerry O'Connell and Hettienne Park.

Linklater's film roles during this period included The Future (2011), Battleship (2012), and the Jackie Robinson biopic 42 (2013), in which he portrayed Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca.

In 2013, he joined the HBO drama The Newsroom as producer Jerry Dantana before becoming a series regular on the CBS sitcom The Crazy Ones, playing Andrew Keanelly opposite Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Playwriting

Linklater made his professional debut as a playwright with The Vandal, which premiered at The Flea Theater in New York in 2013. The play, involving three strangers meeting near a hospital in Kingston, New York, developed from Linklater's interest in grief and mortality.^[5]

The Associated Press described The Vandal as Linklater's transition from established stage and television actor to playwright.^[5] Linklater later wrote The Whirligig, a play set in the Berkshires dealing with a group of people brought together by the impending death of a young woman.^[11] In a 2017 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Linklater said that deaths within his family helped shape the play's development.^[12]

Legion and Midnight Mass

From 2017 to 2019, Linklater portrayed Clark Debussy in the FX superhero drama Legion, created by Noah Hawley. Initially a recurring character, Clark became part of the main cast during the second season. Linklater also appeared in Hawley's Fargo in 2017.

In 2021, he played convicted rapist John Tyler in the Amazon Prime Video thriller Tell Me Your Secrets.^[13]

Later that year, Linklater starred in Mike Flanagan's Netflix miniseries Midnight Mass. He portrayed Father Paul Hill, whose identity as the rejuvenated Monsignor John Pruitt becomes central to the story.

The role received considerable critical attention. Entertainment Weekly later argued that his performance merited Emmy recognition, describing it as one of the standout performances of the series.^[14] Linklater was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries and won the Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Actor in a Horror Series.^[15]

Directing and later work

In 2022, Linklater appeared as Jeb Stuart Magruder in the Starz political drama Gaslit and as Rick Krause in the Peacock miniseries Angelyne. He also appeared opposite Christoph Waltz and Willem Dafoe in Walter Hill's Western Dead for a Dollar.

Linklater made his feature-film directing debut with Downtown Owl, co-directed with Lily Rabe. He also wrote the screenplay, adapting Chuck Klosterman's 2008 novel, and served as a producer. The film premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Festival.^[6]

In 2024, Linklater portrayed Abraham Lincoln in the Apple TV+ miniseries Manhunt. That year he also began voicing Bruce Wayne / Batman in the Prime Video animated series Batman: Caped Crusader.^[16]

In 2025, he joined the second season of the Prime Video series Gen V as Cipher, the new dean of Godolkin University. The character's identity became a major plot point during the season.^[17]

He also returned to the stage in 2025 as Jakob Engstrand in a Lincoln Center Theater revival of Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts, alongside Lily Rabe, Billy Crudup, Levon Hawke and Ella Beatty.^[18]

In 2026, Linklater guest-starred as Richard Warren, the founder of the fictional island community in the Apple TV comedy horror series Widow's Bay. His performance in the episode "Seasickness" earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, his first Primetime Emmy nomination.^[4]

Film

Television

Theater

Selected credits (adapted from About the Artists).^[22]