John Magaro
American actor (born 1983)
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John Robert Magaro (born February 16, 1983) is an American actor. He has appeared in the films Not Fade Away (2012), The Big Short (2015), Carol (2015), Overlord (2018), First Cow (2019), Showing Up (2022), The Mistress (2022), and Past Lives (2023), and in the series Orange Is the New Black (2015–2019), The Umbrella Academy (2019), and Crisis in Six Scenes (2016). He made his Broadway debut as the escaped convict Earl Williams in the revival of The Front Page in 2016.
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February 16, 1983
John Magaro | |
|---|---|
Magaro in 2023 | |
| Born | John Robert Magaro February 16, 1983 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Spouse | Janice Hong |
| Children | 1 |
Early life
Magaro was born February 16, 1983, in Akron, Ohio, the son of Wendy and James Magaro,[1] and grew up in nearby Munroe Falls. His father is of Italian descent and his mother is Jewish; his parents were teachers. While attending school within the Stow-Munroe Falls City School District, Magaro began acting in local theater, including shows at the Cleveland Play House and the Kent State Porthouse Theatre at Blossom Music Center, and Weathervane Playhouse in Akron. As a youth, Magaro also appeared in television commercials, and had a role in a Rescue 911 episode.[2][3][4][5]
Career
After graduating from Stow-Munroe Falls High School in 2001, Magaro went on to study theater at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. Among his acting highlights are The Big Short, Past Lives and Carol (2015). His early film work included The Brave One, the HBO film Taking Chance and a lead role in the horror film My Soul to Take.[2][6][7] Magaro also appeared in eleven episodes of Orange Is the New Black, spanning seasons 3-7. In 2008, Magaro starred in the popular Walmart x Coke holiday commercial, which played in movie theaters across the country. One of Magaro's earliest appearances was as an extra in Steven Spielberg’s 2005 film Munich;[8] he revisited the events of the 1972 Summer Olympics in 2024's September 5.
Magaro was the lead in the 2012 film Not Fade Away, which earned him the HFF Spotlight award.[9][10] In 2019, he portrayed the lead role of "Cookie" in Kelly Reichardt’s critically acclaimed film First Cow, for which he was nominated for a 2020 Gotham Award as Best Actor.[11]
Personal life
Magaro is married to fashion designer Janice Hong, who gave birth to their first child in 2020.[12][failed verification] Magaro also struggles with an anxiety disorder.[12]
Filmography
| † | Denotes titles that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Munich | Pedestrian | Uncredited extra[13] |
| 2007 | The Brave One | Ethan | |
| The Life Before Her Eyes | Michael Patrick | ||
| 2008 | Assassination of a High School President | Cipriato | |
| We Pedal Uphill | Kyle | ||
| 2009 | The Box | Charles | |
| 2010 | My Soul to Take | Alex | |
| 2011 | Down the Shore | Martin | |
| 2012 | Liberal Arts | Dean | |
| Not Fade Away | Douglas Damiano | ||
| 2013 | Deep Powder | Cota | |
| 2014 | Unbroken | Frank A. Tinker | |
| 2015 | Don't Worry Baby | Robert Lang | |
| Carol | Dannie McElroy | ||
| The Big Short | Charlie Geller | ||
| 2016 | The Finest Hours | Ervin Maske | |
| 2017 | War Machine | Colonel Cory Staggart | |
| Marshall | Irwin Friedman | ||
| 2018 | Overlord | Private First Class Lyle Tibbet | |
| 2019 | First Cow | Otis "Cookie" Figowitz | |
| 2020 | Sylvie's Love | Sid Schuur | |
| 2021 | The Birthday Cake | Cousin Joey | |
| 18½ | Paul | ||
| Lansky | Young Meyer Lansky | ||
| The Many Saints of Newark | Silvio Dante | ||
| 2022 | Call Jane | Detective Chilmark | |
| Showing Up | Sean Carr | ||
| The Mistress | Parker | ||
| 2023 | Past Lives | Arthur Zaturansky | |
| Big George Foreman | Desmond | ||
| LaRoy, Texas | Ray | Also producer | |
| Day of the Fight | Patrick | ||
| Under the Boardwalk | Manny (voice) | ||
| 2024 | Psycho Therapy | Keane | |
| September 5 | Geoffrey Mason | ||
| 2025 | Omaha | Dad | |
| Köln 75 | Keith Jarrett | ||
| The Mastermind | Fred | ||
| Materialists | Mark P. | ||
| 2026 | The Bride! | Clyde |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Conviction | Jiggy | Episode: "Denial" |
| 2007 | Law & Order | Nathan Gersh | Episode: "Talking Points" |
| 2009 | Taking Chance | Rich Brewer | TV movie |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Andrew Hingham | Episode: "Conned" |
| 2011 | Body of Proof | Chuck Foster | Episode: "Buried Secrets" |
| 2012 | Person of Interest | Carl Elias (Age 22) | Episode: "Flesh and Blood" |
| 2013 | The Greatest Event in Television History | Paul | Episode: "Hart to Hart" |
| 2015 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Keith Musio | Episode: "Institutional Fail" |
| 2015–2016 | The Good Wife | Roland Hlavin | 3 episodes |
| 2015–2019 | Orange Is the New Black | Vince Muccio | 11 episodes |
| 2016 | Angie Tribeca | Snick | Episode: "The Coast Is Fear" |
| Crisis in Six Scenes | Alan Brockman | 5 episodes | |
| 2018 | Jack Ryan | Victor Polizzi | Recurring; 3 episodes |
| 2019 | The Umbrella Academy | Leonard Peabody / Harold Jenkins | Main role |
| 2022 | Super Pumped | John Zimmer | Episode: "War" |
| 2024–present | The Agency | Owen Lublin | Main role |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | The Front Page | Earl Williams | Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway debut |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Bully | Sheldon |
| 2008 | Bully: Scholarship Edition |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Hollywood Film Awards | Spotlight Award | Not Fade Away | Won | |
| 2015 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | The Big Short | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Florida Film Critics Circle | Best Actor | First Cow | Runner-up | |
| Gotham Independent Film Award | Best Actor | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Past Lives | Nominated | |
| 2025 | San Diego International Film Festival | Virtuoso Award | Life's work | Honored | [14] |
| Montclair Film Festival | Special Jury Prize | Omaha | Won | [15] |