Tim Blake Nelson
Biography
Timothy Blake Nelson is an American actor and playwright born on May 11, 1964, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Described as a modern character actor, his film roles include Delmar O'Donnell in O Brother, Where Art Thou? from 2000, Gideon in Minority Report from 2002, Doctor Steve Pendanski in Holes from 2003, Doctor Jonathan Jacobo in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed from 2004, and Danny Dalton Jr. in Syriana from 2005. He has also played Samuel Sterns in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Richard Schell in Lincoln in 2012, the titular character of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs in 2018, and Henry McCarty in Old Henry in 2021. On television, he portrayed Wade Tillman, also known as Looking Glass, in the HBO limited series Watchmen in 2019.
Career overview
Timothy Blake Nelson is an American actor and playwright born on May 11, 1964, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Known as a modern character actor, his extensive acting career spans numerous films and television productions, totaling 116 known credits on the Movie Database platform.
His notable film roles include Delmar O'Donnell in O Brother, Where Art Thou? in 2000, Gideon in Minority Report in 2002, and Doctor Steve Pendanski in Holes in 2003. He subsequently appeared as Doctor Jonathan Jacobo in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed in 2004 and Danny Dalton Jr. in Syriana in 2005. Nelson also joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Samuel Sterns and portrayed Richard Schell in Lincoln in 2012. Later film credits include the titular character in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs in 2018 and Henry McCarty in Old Henry in 2021.
In television, Nelson portrayed Wade Tillman, also known as Looking Glass, in the HBO limited series Watchmen in 2019. His performance in the series earned him a Critics' Choice Television Awards nomination. Throughout his career, Nelson has established a prominent presence across both film and television through a diverse range of character portrayals.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Rescue (2027)
- The Leader (2026) as Marshall Applewhite
- The Leader (2026) Executive Producer
- Captain America: Brave New World (2025) as Samuel Sterns
- Eddington (2025) Thanks
- The Lowdown (2025) as Dale Washberg
- The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) as Pastor Reuben Wight
- Bang Bang (2025) as Bernard 'Bang Bang' Rozyski
- The Coen Brothers - An American Story (2025) as Self
- Atropia (2025) as Mr. Speaker (voice)
- On the End (2025) as Tom Ferreira
- Greedy People (2024) as Wallace
- Asleep in My Palm (2024) as Tom
- Asleep in My Palm (2024) Producer
- The Invisibles (2024) as Charlie
- Poker Face (2023) as Kyle Owens
- Ghosted (2023) as Borislov
- The Bricklayer (2023) as O'Malley
- Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022) as Nick Appleton
- George & Tammy (2022) as Roy Acuff
- Lost Ollie (2022) as Zozo (voice)
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) as Black Rabbits (voice)
- Ghosts of the Ozarks (2022) as Torb
- Ninety-Five Senses (2022) as Coy (voice)
- Old Henry (2021) as Henry
- Nightmare Alley (2021) as Carny Boss
- Slugfest (2021) as Steve Englehart
- Naked Singularity (2021) as Angus
- Monster (2021) as Leroy Sawicki
- National Champions (2021) as Rodger Cummings
- Watchmen (2019) as Wade Tillman / Looking Glass
- Angel Has Fallen (2019) as VP Kirby
- Just Mercy (2019) as Ralph Myers
- The Report (2019) as Raymond Nathan
- The Jesus Rolls (2019) as Doctor
- The True Don Quixote (2019) as Don Quixote
- Sequestrada (2019) as Thomas
- Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People (2019) as Teddy Roosevelt (voice)
- The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) as Buster Scruggs (segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")
- The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2018) as Johan
- Dallas & Robo (2018) as The Woodsman
- Colossal (2017) as Garth
- The Institute (2017) as Dr. Lemelle
- Wormwood (2017) as Sidney Gottlieb
- Deidra & Laney Rob a Train (2017) as Truman
- Wormwood (2017) as Sidney Gottlieb
- Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016) as Wayne Foster
- Anesthesia (2016) as Adam Zarrow
- Anesthesia (2016) Director
- Anesthesia (2016) Writer
- Anesthesia (2016) Producer
- The Confirmation (2016) as Vaughn
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015) as Randy
- Fantastic Four (2015) as Dr. Allen
- The Sound and the Fury (2015) as Father
- Black Dog, Red Dog (2015) as Bob
- Klondike (2014) as Joe Meeker
- Kill the Messenger (2014) as Alan Fenster
- The Homesman (2014) as The Freighter
- Child of God (2014) as Sheriff Fate
- Rickover: The Birth of Nuclear Power (2014) as Admiral Rickover
- As I Lay Dying (2013) as Anse
- Blue Caprice (2013) as Ray
- Snake & Mongoose (2013) as Mike McAllister
- Misfire: The Rise and Fall of the Shooting Gallery (2013) as Self
- Lincoln (2012) as Richard Schell
- Big Miracle (2012) as Pat Lafaytette
- Adventures in the Sin Bin (2012) as Officer Totsch
- Detachment (2011) as Mr. Wiatt
- CHAOS (2011) as Casey Malick
- Flypaper (2011) as Peanut Butter
- The Big Year (2011) as Fuchs
- Yelling To The Sky (2011) as Coleman
- Saint John of Las Vegas (2010) as Ned
- Modern Family (2009) as Hank
- Leaves of Grass (2009) as Bolger
- Leaves of Grass (2009) Director
- Leaves of Grass (2009) Writer
- Leaves of Grass (2009) Producer
- The Incredible Hulk (2008) as Samuel Sterns
- American Violet (2008) as David Cohen
- The Astronaut Farmer (2007) as Kevin Munchak
- The Darwin Awards (2007) as Perp
- Come Early Morning (2006) as Uncle Tim
- Fido (2006) as Mr. Theopolis
- The Amateurs (2006) as Barney
- Hoot (2006) as Curly
- Haskett's Chance (2006) Director
- The Big White (2005) as Gary
- Syriana (2005) as Danny Dalton
- Crazy for Love (2005) as Doctor, Chief Nakahoma, Minister, Roger Bob
- Warm Springs (2005) as Tom Loyless
- Meet the Fockers (2004) as Officer LeFlore
- Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004) as Jacobo
- The Last Shot (2004) as Marshal Paris
- Bereft (2004) as Dennis
- A Foreign Affair (2004) as Jake Adams
- Holes (2003) as Dr. Pendanski
- Wonderland (2003) as Billy Deverell
- Minority Report (2002) as Gideon
- The Good Girl (2002) as Bubba
- Cherish (2002) as Daly
- The Grey Zone (2001) Director
- The Grey Zone (2001) Writer
- The Grey Zone (2001) Editor
- The Grey Zone (2001) Producer
- O (2001) Director
- Down from the Mountain (2001) as Self
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) as Paulie Krill
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) as Delmar O'Donnell
- The Coen Brothers (2000) as Self
- Hamlet (2000) as Flight Captain
- The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (1999) as Self - Guest
- The Thin Red Line (1998) as Pvt. Brian Tills
- Donnie Brasco (1997) as FBI Technician
- Eye of God (1997) Director
- Eye of God (1997) Screenplay
- Prix Fixe (1997) as Busboy
- The Daily Show (1996) as Self - Guest
- Joe's Apartment (1996) as Cockroach (voice)
- Heavyweights (1995) as Camp Hope Salesman
- Amateur (1994) as Young Detective
- Hardcore TV (1992) Writer
- Hardcore TV (1992) Creator
- This Is My Life (1992) as Dennis
- The Long Home
- The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd
- The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd Director
- The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd Writer
- The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd Producer
- Michael Zero Director