Thomas McCarthy (actor)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Joseph McCarthy is an American actor, writer, and film director who has appeared in several movies, including Meet the Parents
and Good Night, and Good Luck, and television shows such as The Wire
, Boston Public
, Law & Order
, and the Hallmark Hall of Fame
presentation of Saint Maybe
. McCarthy has received critical acclaim for his writing/direction work for the independent film
s The Station Agent
, The Visitor
, and Win Win
. He currently resides in Manhattan.
in New Providence, New Jersey
; Boston College, Class of 1988
; and the Yale School of Drama
, where he studied under Earle R. Gister
. McCarthy also starred in Flags of Our Fathers
as James Bradley
. McCarthy starred in the final season of The Wire
as a morally challenged reporter named Scott Templeton
. He made his Broadway debut in the 2001 Revival of Noises Off!
McCarthy's directorial debut, The Station Agent
, which he also wrote, won the Audience Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2003
Sundance Film Festival
. The film also won the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay
and the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay
and the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award
. The Station Agent also won awards at film festivals ranging from San Sebastian to Stockholm
, Mexico City, and Aspen.
McCarthy's second feature film was The Visitor
, which premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
. For The Visitor, McCarthy won the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Director
. McCarthy appeared in the 2009 dramas The Lovely Bones
and 2012
. In 2010, McCarthy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the animated film Up
.
He also wrote and directed 2011's Win Win
.
Meet the Parents
Meet the Parents is a 2000 American comedy film written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg and directed by Jay Roach. Starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller, the film chronicles a series of unfortunate events that befall a good-hearted but hapless male nurse while visiting his girlfriend's parents...
and Good Night, and Good Luck, and television shows such as The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
, Boston Public
Boston Public
Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
, Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
, and the Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
presentation of Saint Maybe
Saint Maybe
Saint Maybe is a 1991 novel by American author Anne Tyler.Tyler's plot explores the ways ordinary people react to disastrous events with quietly heroic behavior. When seventeen-year-old Ian Bedloe confronts his older brother Danny with his belief that the latter's wife, Lucy, is having an affair,...
. McCarthy has received critical acclaim for his writing/direction work for the independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
s The Station Agent
The Station Agent
The Station Agent is a 2003 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas McCarthy. McCarthy's script about a man who seeks solitude in an abandoned train station in Newfoundland, New Jersey won him the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.-Plot:Finbar McBride, a quiet,...
, The Visitor
The Visitor (2008 film)
The Visitor is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Thomas McCarthy and produced by Michael London and Mary Jane Skalski. Executive producers were Jeff Skoll and Omar Amanat...
, and Win Win
Win Win (film)
Win Win is a 2011 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Thomas McCarthy. Based on the story written by Joe Tiboni and Thomas McCarthy, it stars Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer and Amy Ryan.-Plot:...
. He currently resides in Manhattan.
Life and career
McCarthy is a graduate of New Providence High SchoolNew Providence High School
New Providence High School is a public high school in the borough of New Providence, in Union County, New Jersey, operating as the only high school in the New Providence School District, serving students in grades 9 through 12. New Providence High School opened on September 8, 1958 with its first...
in New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County...
; Boston College, Class of 1988
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
; and the Yale School of Drama
Yale School of Drama
The Yale School of Drama is a graduate professional school of Yale University providing training in every discipline of the theatre: acting, design , directing, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, playwriting, stage management, sound design, technical design and production, and theater...
, where he studied under Earle R. Gister
Earle R. Gister
Earle R. Gister, born in March 1934, is an acting teacher of international stature and has been a pioneer in professional theatre training since the mid-1960s...
. McCarthy also starred in Flags of Our Fathers
Flags of Our Fathers (film)
is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis. It is based on the book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who were involved...
as James Bradley
James Bradley (author)
James Bradley is an American author, specializing in historical nonfiction chronicling the Pacific theatre of World War II. His father, John Bradley, was one of six men who became famous for being photographed raising the American flag on Mt. Suribachi...
. McCarthy starred in the final season of The Wire
The Wire (TV series)
The Wire is an American television drama series set and produced in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series was broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States...
as a morally challenged reporter named Scott Templeton
Scott Templeton
M. Scott Templeton is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Thomas McCarthy. The actor joined the starring cast as the series' fifth season began.-Biography:...
. He made his Broadway debut in the 2001 Revival of Noises Off!
McCarthy's directorial debut, The Station Agent
The Station Agent
The Station Agent is a 2003 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas McCarthy. McCarthy's script about a man who seeks solitude in an abandoned train station in Newfoundland, New Jersey won him the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.-Plot:Finbar McBride, a quiet,...
, which he also wrote, won the Audience Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at 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,...
Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. The film also won the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay
BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay
The BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay is the British Academy Film Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. It has been awarded since 1984, when the original category was split into two awards, the other being the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted...
and the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay
Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay
The Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay is one of the annual awards given by Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers.-1990s:1994*David O...
and the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award
Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award
The Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award is presented to the creative team of a film budgeted at less than $500,000 by Film Independent, a non-profit organization dedicated to independent film and independent filmmakers...
. The Station Agent also won awards at film festivals ranging from San Sebastian to Stockholm
Stockholm International Film Festival
The Stockholm International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Stockholm, Sweden. It was launched in 1990 and has been held every year in the second half of November...
, Mexico City, and Aspen.
McCarthy's second feature film was The Visitor
The Visitor (2008 film)
The Visitor is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Thomas McCarthy and produced by Michael London and Mary Jane Skalski. Executive producers were Jeff Skoll and Omar Amanat...
, which premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
. For The Visitor, McCarthy won the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for Best Director
Independent Spirit Award for Best Director
The Film Independent's Spirit Award for Best Director is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards.- 1980s :* 1985: Joel Coen – Blood Simple** Martin Scorsese – After Hours** Joyce Chopra – Smooth Talk...
. McCarthy appeared in the 2009 dramas The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. The novel received much critical...
and 2012
2012 (film)
2012 is a 2009 American disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich. It stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson. It was produced by Emmerich's production company, Centropolis Entertainment and was distributed by Columbia Pictures...
. In 2010, McCarthy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the animated film Up
Up (2009 film)
Up is a 2009 American computer-animated comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and presented in Disney Digital 3-D. The film premiered on May 29, 2009 in North America and opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated and 3D film...
.
He also wrote and directed 2011's Win Win
Win Win (film)
Win Win is a 2011 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Thomas McCarthy. Based on the story written by Joe Tiboni and Thomas McCarthy, it stars Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer and Amy Ryan.-Plot:...
.
Director/writer credits
- The Station AgentThe Station AgentThe Station Agent is a 2003 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas McCarthy. McCarthy's script about a man who seeks solitude in an abandoned train station in Newfoundland, New Jersey won him the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.-Plot:Finbar McBride, a quiet,...
(2003) – Writer-Director - The VisitorThe Visitor (2008 film)The Visitor is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Thomas McCarthy and produced by Michael London and Mary Jane Skalski. Executive producers were Jeff Skoll and Omar Amanat...
(2008) – Writer-Director - UpUp (2009 film)Up is a 2009 American computer-animated comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and presented in Disney Digital 3-D. The film premiered on May 29, 2009 in North America and opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated and 3D film...
(2009) – Writer only - Win WinWin Win (film)Win Win is a 2011 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Thomas McCarthy. Based on the story written by Joe Tiboni and Thomas McCarthy, it stars Paul Giamatti, Alex Shaffer and Amy Ryan.-Plot:...
(2011) – Writer-Director
Acting credits in film
- Crossing the BridgeCrossing the BridgeCrossing the Bridge is an American film starring Josh Charles, Stephen Baldwin and Jason Gedrick.Characters Mort Golden , Tim Reese and Danny Morgan are friends who embark on a dangerous drug-smuggling venture.The film was created by Mike Binder and loosely based on Binders' friends during the...
(1992)... Chris - Conspiracy TheoryConspiracy Theory (film)Conspiracy Theory is a 1997 American action thriller film directed by Richard Donner.The original screenplay by Brian Helgeland centers on an eccentric taxi driver who believes many world events are triggered by government conspiracies, and the U.S...
(1997)... Helicopter Spotter - 30 Days30 Days (1999 film)30 Days is a 1999 American independent film written and directed by Aaron Harnick. It stars Ben Shenkman and Arija Bareikis and premiered at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September...
(1999)... Brad Drazin - Certain Guys (2000)... Mitch
- Meet the ParentsMeet the ParentsMeet the Parents is a 2000 American comedy film written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg and directed by Jay Roach. Starring Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller, the film chronicles a series of unfortunate events that befall a good-hearted but hapless male nurse while visiting his girlfriend's parents...
(2000)... Dr. Bob Banks - The Guru (2002)... Lars
- The Last ShotThe Last ShotThe Last Shot is a 2004 comedy film starring Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Toni Collette, Tim Blake Nelson, an uncredited Joan Cusack, Tony Shalhoub, Buck Henry, Ray Liotta, Calista Flockhart and Ian Gomez...
(2004)... Agent Pike - Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)... Palmer Williams
- SyrianaSyrianaSyriana is a 2005 geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an ensemble cast. Gaghan's screenplay is loosely adapted from Robert Baer's memoir See No Evil...
(2005)... Fred Franks - All the King's MenAll the King's Men (2006 film)All the King's Men is a 2006 film adaptation of the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. It was directed by Steven Zaillian, who also produced and scripted....
(2006)... Editor - The SituationThe Situation (film)The Situation is 2006 film starring Connie Nielsen and directed by Philip Haas.The film plays out against the backdrop of the 2003 Iraq War, where an American journalist is collecting material to write a meaningful story.-Cast:* Connie Nielsen as Anna Molyneuz* Damian Lewis as Dan Murphy*...
(2006)... Major Hanks - Beautiful OhioBeautiful Ohio (film)Beautiful Ohio is a 2006 American film, directed by Chad Lowe and starring William Hurt, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Julianna Margulies. The film, based on the short story by Ethan Canin, is a coming of age drama/comedy set in the 1970s.-Cast:...
(2006)... Older William Messerman - Flags of Our FathersFlags of Our Fathers (film)is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles, Jr. and Paul Haggis. It is based on the book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy Corpsman who were involved...
(2006)... James BradleyJames Bradley (author)James Bradley is an American author, specializing in historical nonfiction chronicling the Pacific theatre of World War II. His father, John Bradley, was one of six men who became famous for being photographed raising the American flag on Mt. Suribachi... - Year of the DogYear of the Dog (film)Year of the Dog is a 2007 comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike White, and starring Molly Shannon, Laura Dern, Regina King, Tom McCarthy, Josh Pais, John C. Reilly and Peter Sarsgaard...
(2007)... Pier - Michael ClaytonMichael Clayton (film)Michael Clayton is a 2007 American drama film written and directed by Tony Gilroy, starring George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack...
(2007)... Walter (Voice Only) - Baby MamaBaby Mama (film)Baby Mama is a 2008 comedy film from Universal Pictures written and directed by Michael McCullers and starring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Sigourney Weaver, Greg Kinnear, and Dax Shepard.-Plot:...
(2008)... Kate's Date - Mammoth (2009)... Bob
- DuplicityDuplicity (film)Duplicity is a 2009 American romantic comedy spy film written and directed by Tony Gilroy, and starring Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. The plot follows two corporate spies with a romantic history who collaborate to carry out a complicated con...
(2009)... Jeff Bauer - The Lovely BonesThe Lovely BonesThe Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. The novel received much critical...
(2009)... Principal Caden - 20122012 (film)2012 is a 2009 American disaster film directed by Roland Emmerich. It stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson. It was produced by Emmerich's production company, Centropolis Entertainment and was distributed by Columbia Pictures...
(2009)... Gordon Silberman - Jack Goes BoatingJack Goes Boating (film)Jack Goes Boating is a 2010 romantic comedy film from Overture Films and Relativity Media. Philip Seymour Hoffman makes his directorial debut as he stars alongside Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, and Daphne Rubin-Vega. The film's script was adapted by Robert Glaudini from the 2007 play entitled Jack Goes...
(2010)... Dr. Bob - Fair GameFair Game (2010 film)Fair Game is a 2010 biographical film drama directed by Doug Liman and starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. It is based on Valerie Plame's memoir, Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House which details the scandalous events that took place in mid 2003, implicating senior White...
(2010)... Jeff - Little FockersLittle FockersLittle Fockers is a 2010 American comedy film and sequel to Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers . It stars Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand...
(2010)... Dr. Bob
Acting credits in television
- Saint MaybeSaint MaybeSaint Maybe is a 1991 novel by American author Anne Tyler.Tyler's plot explores the ways ordinary people react to disastrous events with quietly heroic behavior. When seventeen-year-old Ian Bedloe confronts his older brother Danny with his belief that the latter's wife, Lucy, is having an affair,...
(1998)... Ian Bedloe - Spin CitySpin CitySpin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike...
(1998, 1 Episode)... Priest - D.C.D.C. (TV series)D.C. is a short-lived American television series that premiered and ended in April 2000 on The WB Network.Mason Scott , a young man fresh out of college who has dreamed his entire life of coming to Washington, D.C.. He truly believes that he can make a difference in this world of questionable...
(2000, 1 Episode)... Joseph Scott - Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
(2000, 1 Episode)... Nick Ganzner - Ally McBealAlly McBealAlly McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
(2000, 1 Episode)... Peter Hanks - Boston PublicBoston PublicBoston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
(2000–2001, 14 Episodes)... Kevin Riley - The PracticeThe PracticeThe Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
(2001, 1 Episode)... Kevin Riley - Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
(2002–2008, 3 Episodes)... Donald Housman - The WireThe WIREthe WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
(2008, 10 Episodes)... Scott TempletonScott TempletonM. Scott Templeton is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Thomas McCarthy. The actor joined the starring cast as the series' fifth season began.-Biography:...