Xander Berkeley
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
This slim, blond journeyman character actor has been delivering good supporting performances in a staggering number of films since 1980, appearing in modern-day classics and other features of dubious distinction. The New Jersey native began acting at a local experimental theater as a child, then later studied with Uta Hagen and Lee Strasberg. His early stage work included "Days in a Can," "Early Dark" and "The Happy Hunter."
Berkeley made his big screen debut as the bitter, grown-up Christopher to Faye Dunaway's Joan Crawford in the camp classic "Mommie Dearest" (1981). By the mid-80s, the roles were coming fast and furious: he was Tom Hanks' roommate in "Volunteers" (1985), a drug dealer in Alex Cox's "Sid and Nancy" (1986) and a preacher in Cox's unwatchable "Straight to Hell" (1987). Berkeley has played supporting roles in scores of films since, the more notable of which include Cox's "Walker" (1987), "The Fabulous Baker Boys" (1989), "The Grifters" (1990), "For the Boys" (1991), James Cameron's smash hit "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (also 1991), and "The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag" (1992).
By this time, Berkeley had a reputation for usually playing cops, shifty neighbors or small-time hoods; lead roles rarely came his way. He was the heroine's professor husband in Clive Barker's "Candyman" (1992), appeared in Rob Reiner's "A Few Good Men" (also 1992) and Ron Howard's "Apollo 13" (1995), was a wise-ass cabbie in "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995) and a corrupt police chief in "Barb Wire" (1996). One of his few leads was as the frustrated husband of a woman (Julianne Moore) seeking New Age healing in Todd Haynes' "Safe" (1995). The busy actor has continued with supporting roles in "Air Force One," alongside Harrison Ford as the President, and "Gattaca" (both 1997), opposite Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.
On the small screen, Berkeley has appeared in a number of longforms, and has been a frequent guest performer on such series as "M*A*S*H*" "Moonlighting," and "The X-Files. He made his TV-movie debut in the comedy "Dr. Paradise" (CBS, 1988), and went on to appear in "Dillinger" (ABC, 1991), alongside Sissy Spacek in the HBO abortion dramas "A Private Matter" (1992) and "If These Walls Could Talk" (1996), "Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman" (HBO, 1993), the UFO drama "Roswell" (Showtime, 1994) and "Apollo 11" (The Family Channel, 1996), as astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1980
Film debut, "Mommie Dearest" playing the adult Christopher
1986
First screen collaboration with director Alex Cox, "Sid and Nancy"
1987
Had featured roles in two Cox-directed films, "Straight to Hell" and "Walker"
1988
Had featured role in the busted pilot "Dr. Paradise" (CBS)
1989
First role in a TV-movie "L.A. Takedown" (NBC), directed by Michael Mann
1990
Appeared in Mike Figgis' "Internal Affairs"
1995
First leading role in features, as Julianne Moore's husband in Todd Haynes' "Safe"
1995
Played small roles in Mike Figgis' "Leaving Las Vegas" and Michael Mann's "Heat"
1996
Portrayed astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the Family Channel TV-movie "Apollo 11"
2000
Cast as Van Cleef in "Shanghai Noon"
2001
Landed a recurring role on the Fox spy thriller series "24" opposite Kiefer Sutherland
2003
Appeared in several episodes of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS)
2006
Played Michael's long-absent junkie dad in "Standing Still"
2007
Cast in the dramatic thriller "Fracture" opposite Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling
2009
Cast in the comedy feature "Women in Trouble"
2009
Played the King opposite Jack Black and Michael Cera's hunter-gatherers in "Year One"
2010
Cast as Detective Gigante in the action comedy "Kick-Ass"
2010
Played the mastermind of a covert agency on The CW's "Nikita"
Companions
