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Austin Pendleton

Acting Born Mar 27, 1940 Warren, Ohio, USA 137 credits

Biography

Austin Campbell Pendleton was born on March 27, 1940, in Warren, Ohio. He is an American actor, playwright, theatre director, and instructor known as a prolific character actor on stage and screen during a career spanning six decades. His film credits include Catch-22 from 1970, What's Up, Doc? from 1972, The Front Page from 1974, The Muppet Movie from 1979, Short Circuit from 1986, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge from 1990, My Cousin Vinny from 1992, Amistad from 1997, A Beautiful Mind from 2001, and Finding Nemo from 2003. His role in A Beautiful Mind earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Pendleton also received a Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Play for a Broadway revival.

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Career

Career overview

Austin Campbell Pendleton was born on March 27, 1940, in Warren, Ohio. He is an American actor, playwright, theatre director, and instructor known as a prolific character actor on both the stage and screen during a six-decade career.

His extensive filmography includes appearances in Catch-22 in 1970, What's Up, Doc? in 1972, The Front Page in 1974, The Muppet Movie in 1979, and Short Circuit in 1986. Pendleton also appeared in Mr. and Mrs. Bridge in 1990, My Cousin Vinny in 1992, Amistad in 1997, A Beautiful Mind in 2001, and Finding Nemo in 2003. For his work in A Beautiful Mind, he earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Additionally, Pendleton received a Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Play for a Broadway revival. Across his career, he has accumulated numerous known acting credits on stage and screen, establishing a long-standing presence in the entertainment industry as a performer, director, playwright, and instructor.

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Frequent co-stars

Career timeline

The Belt
The Pitchfork RetreatMagic Hour
Between Riverside and Crazy · Director
EssentialsThe Reunion
The MimicOur Father
Paint
The Sound of SilenceAlan Pakula: Going for TruthFiddler: A Miracle of Miracles
New AmsterdamAlex, Inc.OlympiaSunset7 Splinters in Time
The Good Fight
BillionsFinding DoryStarring Austin Pendleton
Difficult PeopleShe's Funny That Way
The Mend
Black BoxHairbrained
Game Change
Person of Interest
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Cupid
Life on Mars5-25-77Theater of War
The Notorious Bettie PageEdge of OutsideRaising FlaggDirty Work
The Civilization of Maxwell Bright
Christmas with the KranksStrip SearchPiccadilly Jim
Finding NemoJoan of ArcadiaUptown GirlsSick in the Head
Manna from HeavenAngelaWishcraft
Law & Order: Criminal IntentA Beautiful MindThe Concert for New York CityQueenie in LoveSounds from a Town I Love
Broke EvenFast Food Fast WomenThe Acting ClassHomicide: The Movie
Law & Order: Special Victims UnitThe West WingJoe the KingThe 4th FloorMen of Means
Sue
OzThe PracticeFired UpLiberty!Trial and Error
2 Days in the ValleyThe Mirror Has Two FacesSgt. BilkoThe AssociateThe Proprietor
New York NewsHome for the HolidaysTwo MuchThe Fifteen Minute Hamlet

Full filmography

  • The Belt (2026)
  • The Pitchfork Retreat (2025) as Dr. Nacht
  • Magic Hour (2025) as Joseph
  • Between Riverside and Crazy (2023) Director
  • Essentials (2022) as Max
  • The Reunion (2022)
  • The Mimic (2021) as The Driver
  • Our Father (2021) as Jerry
  • Paint (2020) as Professor Jacob Winston
  • The Sound of Silence (2019) as Robert Feinway
  • Alan Pakula: Going for Truth (2019) as Self
  • Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles (2019) as Self
  • New Amsterdam (2018) as Eli Pembroke
  • Alex, Inc. (2018) as Wesley Harman
  • Olympia (2018) as Self
  • Sunset (2018) as Julian
  • 7 Splinters in Time (2018) as Fyodor Wax
  • Wanderland (2018) as Raphael
  • The Good Fight (2017) as Dr. Goat
  • Billions (2016) as Goose Quill
  • Finding Dory (2016) as Gurgle (voice)
  • Starring Austin Pendleton (2016) as Self
  • Difficult People (2015) as Director
  • She's Funny That Way (2015) as Judge Pendergast
  • The Mend (2014) as Earl
  • Black Box (2013) as William Peters
  • Hairbrained (2013) as Dapper Man
  • Game Change (2012) as Senator Joe Lieberman
  • Person of Interest (2011) as Pilcher
  • Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) as Dr. Masters
  • Cupid (2009) as Dr. Boyd
  • Life on Mars (2008) as Dr. Goldman
  • 5-25-77 (2008) as Herb Lightman
  • Theater of War (2008) as Self
  • The Notorious Bettie Page (2006) as Teacher
  • Edge of Outside (2006) as Self
  • Raising Flagg (2006) as Gus Falk
  • Dirty Work (2006) as Julian
  • The Civilization of Maxwell Bright (2005) as Jaurice
  • Christmas with the Kranks (2004) as Umbrella Santa / Marty
  • Strip Search (2004) as James Perley
  • Piccadilly Jim (2004) as Peter Pett
  • Finding Nemo (2003) as Gurgle (voice)
  • Joan of Arcadia (2003) as Dietrich Steinholz
  • Uptown Girls (2003) as Mr. McConkey
  • Sick in the Head (2003)
  • Manna from Heaven (2002) as Two-Digit Doyle
  • Angela (2002)
  • Wishcraft (2002) as Mr. Turner
  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) as John Manotti
  • A Beautiful Mind (2001) as Thomas King
  • The Concert for New York City (2001) as Austin Pendleton film buff
  • Queenie in Love (2001) as Alvin
  • Sounds from a Town I Love (2001) as film buff
  • Broke Even (2000) as Archie
  • Fast Food Fast Women (2000) as George
  • The Acting Class (2000) as Bobby Austin
  • Homicide: The Movie (2000) as George Griscom
  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) as Horace Gorman
  • The West Wing (1999) as Barry Haskell
  • Joe the King (1999) as Winston
  • The 4th Floor (1999) as Albert Collins
  • Men of Means (1999) as Jerry Trask
  • Sue (1998) as Bob
  • Oz (1997) as William Giles
  • The Practice (1997) as Sam Feldberg
  • Fired Up (1997) as Bobby H.
  • Liberty! (1997) as Benjamin Rush
  • Trial and Error (1997) as Judge Paul Z. Graff
  • River Made to Drown In (1997) as Billy
  • Amistad (1997) as Professor Gibbs
  • The Fumbleheads (1997) as Eugene Cleft
  • 2 Days in the Valley (1996) as Ralph Crupi
  • The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) as Barry
  • Sgt. Bilko (1996) as Major Ebersole
  • The Associate (1996) as Aesop Franklin
  • The Proprietor (1996) as Willy Kunst
  • New York News (1995)
  • Home for the Holidays (1995) as Peter Arnold
  • Two Much (1995) as Dr. Huffeyer
  • The Fifteen Minute Hamlet (1995) as Hamlet
  • Touched by an Angel (1994) as Mr. Piltdown
  • Guarding Tess (1994) as Earl
  • Greedy (1994) as Hotel Clerk
  • The World of Jim Henson (1994) as Max (archive footage)
  • Don't Drink the Water (1994) as Chef Oscar
  • Frasier (1993) as Dr. Dorfman
  • Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) as Dr. George Griscom
  • Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) as Asa Hoffman
  • Mr. Nanny (1993) as Alex Mason, Sr.
  • My Boyfriend's Back (1993) as Dr. Bronson
  • Rain Without Thunder (1993) as Catholic Priest
  • My Cousin Vinny (1992) as John Gibbons
  • Four Eyes and Six-Guns (1992) as Moustached Passenger
  • Charlie's Ear (1992) as Harold Blodgett
  • True Identity (1991) as Director of Othello
  • The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991) as Lawyer Taylor
  • American Dreamer (1990)
  • Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990) as Mr. Gadbury
  • Tales from the Crypt (1989) as Orloff
  • 21 Jump Street (1987) as Mr. Trysla
  • Hello Again (1987) as Junior Lacey
  • Leg Work (1987) as Harold Rodman
  • Short Circuit (1986) as Howard Marner
  • Off Beat (1986) as Gun Shop Salesman
  • The Equalizer (1985) as Jonah
  • My Man Adam (1985) as Mr. Greenhut
  • Murder, She Wrote (1984) as Barney Gunderson
  • The Cosby Show (1984) as Mr. Kensington
  • Miami Vice (1984) as Max Rogo
  • Talk to Me (1984) as Richard Patterson
  • Masquerade (1983) as Actor
  • Say Goodnight, Gracie (1983) Director
  • Alice in Wonderland (1983) as White Rabbit
  • St. Elsewhere (1982) as Mr. Entertainment
  • First Family (1980) as Dr. Alexander Grade
  • Simon (1980) as Dr. Carl Becker
  • Starting Over (1979) as Paul
  • The Muppet Movie (1979) as Max
  • The Great Smokey Roadblock (1978) as Guido
  • Diary of the Dead (1976) as Dr. Klein
  • The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976) as Fancy Car Man (uncredited)
  • Good Times (1974)
  • The Front Page (1974) as Earl Williams
  • June Moon (1974) as Bennie
  • The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973) as Zukovsky
  • What's Up, Doc? (1972) as Frederick Larrabee
  • Every Little Crook and Nanny (1972) as Luther
  • Great Performances (1971) as Bennie
  • Great Performances (1971) as White Rabbit
  • Catch-22 (1970) as Lt. Col. Moodus
  • Love, American Style (1969)
  • The Dick Cavett Show (1968) as Self - Guest
  • Petulia (1968) as Intern (uncredited)
  • Skidoo (1968) as Fred the Professor
  • Tony Awards (1956) as Self - Nominee
  • When Robert Met Judith as Robert