Keith Gordon
Encyclopedia
Keith Gordon is an American
actor
and film director
.
, the son of Barbara, an actress, and Mark Gordon, an actor and stage
director. He grew up in an atheist Jewish family and was inspired to become an actor at the age of twelve, after seeing James Earl Jones
in a Broadway
production of Of Mice and Men
. As an actor, Gordon's first feature film was in the 1978 sequel film Jaws 2
, as the class clown Doug, then his 1979 excellent turn as the young Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider
) in All That Jazz
. His film credits include the 1980 erotic thriller Dressed to Kill, the 1983 horror film Christine (in the role of Arnie Cunningham, the teen who buys Christine and falls under the car's influence), the 1985 cult film The Legend of Billie Jean
as Lloyd Muldaur, the son of a District Attorney who aspires to be Attorney General, the 1986 Mark Romanek
classic Static
(for which he wrote the screenplay), and the 1986 comedy movie Back to School, as Jason Melon. In these movies he is most known for playing a nerd. He was named number 1 in Cinematicals' Top 7 Most Convincing Nerds. His most recent onscreen film appearance was in 2001, in the movie Delivering Milo
.
Gordon left acting for directing, making his debut in 1988 with the movie The Chocolate War
, about a student who rebels against the rigid hierarchies in his Catholic school. His other films include the 1992 anti-war film about a group of American soldiers in the Ardennes just before and during the Battle of the Bulge
, A Midnight Clear
, as well as Mother Night
(adapted from the novel by Kurt Vonnegut
), Waking the Dead
, and the 2003
Robert Downey Jr.
film The Singing Detective
. He also directed some of the mini-series Wild Palms
and appeared in the 2006 Iraq War documentary Whose War?. His directing credits for television include Homicide: Life on the Street
, Gideon's Crossing
, Dexter
and House
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Life and career
Gordon was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of Barbara, an actress, and Mark Gordon, an actor and stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
director. He grew up in an atheist Jewish family and was inspired to become an actor at the age of twelve, after seeing James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
in a Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men is a novella written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the tragic story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California, USA....
. As an actor, Gordon's first feature film was in the 1978 sequel film Jaws 2
Jaws 2
Jaws 2 is a 1978 thriller film and the first sequel to Steven Spielberg's Jaws , which is based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name...
, as the class clown Doug, then his 1979 excellent turn as the young Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
) in All That Jazz
All That Jazz
All That Jazz is a 1979 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse is a semi-autobiographical fantasy based on aspects of Fosse's life and career as dancer, choreographer and director. The film was inspired by Bob Fosse's manic effort to edit his...
. His film credits include the 1980 erotic thriller Dressed to Kill, the 1983 horror film Christine (in the role of Arnie Cunningham, the teen who buys Christine and falls under the car's influence), the 1985 cult film The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean
The Legend of Billie Jean is a 1985 American drama film, directed by Matthew Robbins.-Plot:Billie Jean Davy , a Corpus Christi, Texas high school girl, rides with her younger brother, Binx , on a Honda Elite to a local lake to enjoy a day of swimming and relaxation...
as Lloyd Muldaur, the son of a District Attorney who aspires to be Attorney General, the 1986 Mark Romanek
Mark Romanek
Mark Romanek is an American filmmaker, whose directing work includes feature films, music videos and commercials.He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 2002 film One Hour Photo starring Robin Williams...
classic Static
Static (film)
Static is an American comedy-drama film directed by Mark Romanek. Static stars Keith Gordon, Amanda Plummer, and Bob Gunton, and was released in 1986 by NFI Productions....
(for which he wrote the screenplay), and the 1986 comedy movie Back to School, as Jason Melon. In these movies he is most known for playing a nerd. He was named number 1 in Cinematicals' Top 7 Most Convincing Nerds. His most recent onscreen film appearance was in 2001, in the movie Delivering Milo
Delivering Milo
Delivering Milo is a 2001 film written by David Hubbard and directed by Nick Castle. Anton Yelchin stars as Milo, with Bridget Fonda and Campbell Scott in the roles of his parents. Albert Finney stars as Elmore Dahl, a guardian angel sent to convince a soul that life on Earth is worth living. Sean...
.
Gordon left acting for directing, making his debut in 1988 with the movie The Chocolate War
The Chocolate War (film)
The Chocolate War is a 1988 American drama film based on Robert Cormier's novel of the same name, about a young man who rebels against the ingrained hierarchy of an elite Catholic school. It was the directorial debut of Keith Gordon, and stars John Glover, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Wallace Langham, and...
, about a student who rebels against the rigid hierarchies in his Catholic school. His other films include the 1992 anti-war film about a group of American soldiers in the Ardennes just before and during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, A Midnight Clear
A Midnight Clear
A Midnight Clear is a 1992 American war film directed by former actor Keith Gordon with an ensemble cast featuring Ethan Hawke, Gary Sinise, Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, and Arye Gross...
, as well as Mother Night
Mother Night (film)
Mother Night is a 1996 film based on Kurt Vonnegut's 1961 book of the same name.Nick Nolte stars as Howard W. Campbell, Jr., an American who moves with his family to Germany after World War I and goes on to become a successful German language playwright...
(adapted from the novel by Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
), Waking the Dead
Waking the Dead (film)
Waking the Dead is a 2000 American drama film directed by Keith Gordon. The screenplay by Robert Dillon is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Scott Spencer.-Plot:...
, and the 2003
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey, Jr. is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the...
film The Singing Detective
The Singing Detective (film)
The Singing Detective is a 2003 film based on the BBC serial The Singing Detective, a work by Dennis Potter. It stars Robert Downey, Jr...
. He also directed some of the mini-series Wild Palms
Wild Palms
Wild Palms is a six-hour mini-series, which first aired in May 1993 on the ABC network in the United States. Written by Bruce Wagner, who was also the executive producer, Wild Palms was a sci-fi drama about the dangers of brainwashing through technology and drugs...
and appeared in the 2006 Iraq War documentary Whose War?. His directing credits for television include Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
, Gideon's Crossing
Gideon's Crossing
Gideon's Crossing is a US medical drama starring Andre Braugher. The series was loosely based on the experience of real-life physician Jerome Groopman and his book The Measure of Our Days. It premiered on October 10, 2000, and ran for one season, with its last episode airing on April 9, 2001, with...
, Dexter
Dexter (TV series)
Dexter is an American television drama series, which debuted on Showtime on October 1, 2006. The sixth season premiered on October 2, 2011. The series centers on Dexter Morgan , a bloodstain pattern analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer...
and House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
External links
- MovieMaker magazine interview
- Senses of Cinema two-part interview
- interview on Kittenpants.orgKittenpantsKittenpants was an online humor magazine published monthly from 2000 to 2005 on Kittenpants.org. Kittenpants was founded by Darci Ratliff, who also wrote under the name Kittenpants for other publications, including the Comedy Central Insider...