David Dastmalchian(/dəstˈmɑːltʃən/dəst-MAHL-chən;[1]born July 21, 1975) is an American actor, writer, and producer. He has had supporting roles in a number ofsuperhero franchises:he portrayed Thomas Schiff inThe Dark Knight(2008),Kurtand Veb in theAnt-Manfranchise,Abra Kadabrainthe CW'sThe Flash,andPolka-Dot ManinThe Suicide Squad(2021).[2][3]
David Dastmalchian | |
|---|---|
 Dastmalchian in 2023 | |
| Born | July 21, 1975 |
| Education | DePaul University(BFA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Spouse |
Eve Leigh (m.2014) |
| Children | 2 |
Dastmalchian has appeared in three films directed byDenis Villeneuve:Prisoners(2013),Blade Runner 2049(2017), andDune(2021). Although he is best known for his work as acharacter actor,Dastmalchian had leading roles in the 2014 semi-autobiographical filmAnimals,which he wrote, and the 2023 horror filmLate Night with the Devil,which he produced. He is also set to portrayMr. 3in theNetflix seriesOne Piece.
Early life
editDavid Dastmalchian was born on July 21, 1975,[4][5]inAllentown, Pennsylvania,[5]to Priscilla and Hossein Dastmalchian. His father was anIranian-Americanengineer who worked at the engineering firmBlack & Veatch.[6][7][8]He has two sisters and a brother. His parents divorced, which he described as "tumultuous", and both later remarried. He was raised inOverland Park,Kansas,where he attendedShawnee Mission South High Schoolfrom which he graduated in 1994, having been part of the drama club.[9][10]He described growing up in the Kansas City metropolitan area as "very traditional in one sense, and a conservative community that also had a rad, fringe, artistic, progressive tribe of people who were finding connectivity through the arts and the culture of KC and the surrounding suburbs."[11]
In his childhood, Dastmalchian developedvitiligo,for which he suffered ridicule from his peers.[12]Consequently, he experienced depression throughout his childhood. Growing up, he enjoyed football, theater, and comics. He would mow lawns, saving money to buy comics.[2][13][14]He studied atThe Theatre School at DePaul Universityand graduated in 1999.[15][16][17][18]Prior to beginning his career as an actor, he dealt with a heroin addiction for five years. He wrote about his experiences in his screenplay,Animals,[10]and continues to advocate for mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.[19]Shortly after becoming sober, he worked at a seafood restaurant in Kansas City.[13]He was also briefly a fisherman inAlaska.[20]
Career
editDastmalchian began his professional career in the mid-2000s in Chicago, working on stage and in commercials.[2]He has received acclaim for lead roles inTennessee Williams'sThe Glass MenagerieandSam Shepard'sBuried Childat Chicago's Shattered Globe Theatre.[21]He was involved with a number of Chicago theater companies and was an artistic associate at Caffeine Theatre.[22]
His feature film debut came in the late 2000s, as theJoker's deranged henchman, Thomas Schiff, inChristopher Nolan'sThe Dark Knight.His portrayal of Bob Taylor in Denis Villeneuve'sPrisoners[23]received strong reviews. Richard Corliss ofTimecalled Dastmalchian's performance "excellent – chatty, modest with some subtle telltale psychopathy" andThe Guardian's Paul MacInnes likened his introduction as a new suspect toKevin Spacey's entrance inSeven.[24]
In March 2014, Dastmalchian was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Courage in Storytelling at theSouth by SouthwestFilm Festival. He wrote and starred in the feature filmAnimals,directed by Collin Schiffli. Ashley Moreno ofThe Austin Chroniclecredits Dastmalchian's screenplay with "present[ing] an authenticity often lacking in films about drug abuse."[25]Film Threat's Brian Tallerico similarly sings the praises of Dastmalchian's breakout performance, noting his ability to "capture that sense of self-loathing that comes through in the body language of an addict without overselling it."[26]
Other feature film appearances include starring roles in the psychological thrillerThe Employer,[27]the indie grindhouse hitSushi Girl,the dramaCass(winner,San Diego Black Film Festival),Girls Will Be Girls 2012(a sequel to the 2003 cult hitGirls Will Be Girls),Saving Lincoln,Virgin Alexander,Ant-Man,and Michel Franco'sChronic.
He has also appeared on television: in an eleven-episode arc as Murdoc, the nemesis of the title character inMacGyver;as Simon on theFoxsci-fi seriesAlmost Human,in the episode "Simon Says"; as a chess expert and murder suspect on theCBSforensics procedural drama seriesCSI: Crime Scene Investigation;and as Oz Turner on theBBCdrama seriesIntruders.Other television appearances include theFXsitcomThe League,theShowtimecrime drama seriesRay Donovan,andNBC's medical dramaER.
Dastmalchian has appeared in severalDC Studiostelevision shows; he portrayed DC Comics villainAbra Kadabrain seasons 3 and 7 ofThe Flash[28]and Dwight Pollard in the second season of the TV seriesGotham.
In 2017, Dastmalchian had a small role inBlade Runner 2049,also directed by Denis Villeneuve. The following year, Dastmalchian once again portrayedKurtinAnt-Man and the Wasp,the sequel toAnt-Man.[29]In 2021, he portrayedPolka-Dot ManinThe Suicide Squad,[30]a character with whom he said he connected on a personal level due to the childhood bullying he suffered as a result of his vitiligo.[12]Later that same year, he appeared in his third collaboration with Villeneuve when he portrayedPiter De VriesinDune.[31]In 2023, Dastmalchian starred in the horror filmsLate Night with the DevilandThe Boogeyman,as well asThe Last Voyage of the Demeter.Also in 2023, he had a minor role asWilliam L. BordeninChristopher Nolan's biopic epicOppenheimer.He is set to appear asMr. 3in the second season of theNetflix seriesOne Piece,alive-actionadaptation of theanime series of the same name.[32]
In addition to his acting career, Dastmalchian is a comic book writer. In 2019, he debuted hisDark Horse ComicsseriesCount Crowley,illustrated by Lukas Ketner.[33]
Personal life
editDastmalchian married artist Evelyn "Eve" Leigh[34]in 2014. They live inLos Angeles[35]with their two children.[2][22][36]
Filmography
edit| † | Denotes productions that have not yet been released |
Film
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | ER | Young Man | Episode: "Heal Thyself" |
| 2012 | The League | Morgue Worker | Episode: "Judge MacArthur" |
| 2013 | Ray Donovan | English Teacher | Episode: "Black Cadillac" |
| 2014 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Lee Crosby | Episode: "Killer Moves" |
| Almost Human | Simon | Episode: "Simon Says" | |
| Intruders | Oz Turner | Episode: "She Was Provisional" | |
| 2015 | CSI: Cyber | Logan Reeves | Episode: "Family Secrets" |
| 2016 | 12 Monkeys | Kyle Slade | 2 episodes |
| 2016–2021 | MacGyver | Murdoc | 11 episodes |
| 2017 | Gotham | Dwight Pollard | 2 episodes, "Ghosts"and"Smile Like You Mean It" |
| Twin Peaks | Pit Boss Warrick | 3 episodes[45] | |
| Svengoolie | Himself | 2 episodes | |
| 2017, 2021 | The Flash | Abra Kadabra | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Reprisal | Johnson | Main role, 9 episodes |
| 2021 | What If...? | Kurt (voice) | Episode: "What If... Zombies?!" |
| 2022 | The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans | Himself | Guest judge, episode: "Science-Fiction (Horror) Double Feature" |
| 2023 | Miracle Workers | Ugulus Sleeze | Episode: "H.O.A" |
| The Boulet Brothers' Dragula | Himself | Guest judge, episode: "Pleasure Planet X" | |
| 2024 | The Rookie | Ray Watkins | Episodes: "The Vow"and"Secrets and Lies" |
| 2025 | One Piece | Mr. 3 | Season 2; filming |
| TBA | Murderbot | Gurathin | Filming |
Music videos
edit| Year | Title | Role | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Constant Conversations" | Passion Pit | |
| 2015 | "Everyone's Summer of '95" | Iron & Wine | |
| 2018 | "Catch It" | Iceage | |
| "Dark Speed" | Failure | ||
| "GALAKTIKON: Nightmare" | Triton | Brendon Small | |
| 2019 | "Steve Jobs" | Xia Xia Technique | |
| 2020 | "Obsession" | Puddles Pity Party | |
| "Sword and Shield" | Ken Andrews |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | To Live As Variously As Possible | Larry Rivers | TimeLine Theatre | Chicago production |
| 2005 | Salome | The Side Project Theatre | ||
| 2007 | Bach at Leipzig | Johann Martin Steindorff, Georg Lenck (u/s) | Writers' Theatre | |
| Othello | Montano | |||
| Suddenly, Last Summer | George Holly | Shattered Globe Theatre | ||
| 2008 | As You Like It | Le Beau | Writers' Theatre | |
| The Glass Menagerie | Tom Wingfield | Shattered Globe Theatre | ||
| 2009 | Buried Child | Vince | ||
| 2010 | Hamlet, Prince of Puddles | Claudius | Bootleg Theater | Los Angeles production |
References
edit- ^"2017 Planet Comicon Kansas City interview with actor David Dastmalchian".YouTube.May 9, 2017.RetrievedNovember 8,2017.
- ^abcdCouch, Aaron (July 17, 2018)."How 'The Dark Knight' Gave an Actor a Brighter Life".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedAugust 20,2021.
- ^Jones, Nate (August 19, 2021)."The Suicide Squad's David Dastmalchian Has Won the Character-Actor Lottery".Vulture.RetrievedAugust 31,2021.
- ^"How 'Ant-Man' Actor David Dastmalchian Overcame Drug Addiction".The Knightly Scroll.
- ^ab"David Dastmalchian:" I have battled depression the majority of my life "".NME.August 26, 2021.
- ^"Obituary for Hossein Dastmalchian | Johnson County Funeral Chapel & Memorial Gardens".
- ^Hadadi, Roxana (October 29, 2021)."Dune Has a Desert Problem".Vulture.RetrievedNovember 16,2021.
- ^"David Dastmalchian Talks about his New Thriller, 'Teacher'".July 26, 2019.
- ^"How 'The Dark Knight' Gave an Actor a Brighter Life".The Hollywood Reporter.July 17, 2018.
- ^abNiccum, Jon (May 9, 2015)."David Dastmalchian goes from addiction to 'Ant-Man' and beyond".The Kansas City Star.RetrievedOctober 17,2016.
- ^"Overland Park's David Dastmalchian is savoring the fruits of his twisted labor".October 18, 2021.
- ^abHolland, Patrick (August 13, 2021)."Suicide Squad's David Dastmalchian and Polka-Dot Man share it a personal connection".CNET.RetrievedNovember 10,2021.
- ^ab"How David Dastmalchian went from 'The Dark Knight' to hanging with Stan Lee".March 23, 2022.
- ^"How David Dastmalchian Landed 'Suicide Squad' with Help from 'Prisoners' and David Lynch".August 4, 2021.
- ^"The Theatre School News".Theatre.depaul.edu.RetrievedApril 4,2013.
- ^"David Dastmalchian | Theatre School News".blogs.depaul.edu.RetrievedAugust 21,2021.
- ^Samo, R. C. (July 2, 2019)."David Dastmalchian Talks about his New Thriller, 'Teacher'".FanboyNation Magazine.RetrievedMarch 8,2020.
- ^Dastmalchian, David [@Dastmalchian](January 8, 2017)."@BrettDAnthony92 you name it! i have irish, english, iranian, italian, and on and on and on... imho we're all pretty much distant cousins"(Tweet).Archivedfrom the original on November 26, 2020.RetrievedJuly 12,2021– viaTwitter.
- ^Marson, Andy (September 25, 2015)."From heroin to Hollywood: Kansas native shares story of addiction and recovery".Kansas Health Institute.Archivedfrom the original on November 4, 2015.RetrievedAugust 18,2021.
- ^"A face you won't forget, in movies big and small".Chicago Tribune.September 12, 2013.
- ^"David Dastmalchian Theatre Credits and Profile".abouttheartists.com.RetrievedJuly 19,2017.
- ^ab"David Dastmalchian biography".Writers Theatre.February 2008.RetrievedNovember 10,2021.
- ^McNary, Dave (January 15, 2013)."'Prisoners' finds Dastmalchian ".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on August 21, 2013.RetrievedApril 8,2013.
- ^Paul MacInnes."Prisoners: Toronto 2013 – first look review".The Guardian.RetrievedJanuary 9,2016.
- ^Moreno, Ashley (March 10, 2014)."SXSW Film Review: 'Animals'".The Austin Chronicle.Archivedfrom the original on March 15, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 9,2016.
- ^Tallerico, Brian (March 10, 2014)."Animals – Review".Film Threat.Archived fromthe originalon February 4, 2015.RetrievedMay 11,2015.
- ^Webster, Christopher (January 9, 2012)."Malcolm McDowell puts applicants through hell in The Employer".Quietearth.us.Archivedfrom the original on January 20, 2012.RetrievedApril 8,2013.
- ^Bryant, Jacob (March 28, 2017)."'The Flash': David Dastmalchian Teases Abra Kadabra's Plans to 'Wreak Havoc'".Variety.
- ^Moore, Rose (April 21, 2017)."Ant-Man & The Wasp: David Dastmalchian Confirmed to Return".Screen Rant.
- ^Goldberg, Matt (April 29, 2019)."'The Suicide Squad' Casts David Dastmalchian as Outlandish Villain ".Collider.RetrievedApril 29,2019.
- ^Couch, Aaron (October 26, 2021)."'Dune' Actor David Dastmalchian Reflects on His Life-Changing Year ".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedFebruary 27,2022.
- ^Maas, Jennifer (June 25, 2024)."Netflix's 'One Piece' Season 2 Casts Baroque Works Villains Mr. 9, Mr. 5, Miss Valentine and Mr. 3 (Exclusive)".Variety.RetrievedJune 25,2024.
- ^"David Dastmalchian's 'Count Crowley' Will Continue at Dark Horse Comics Following COVID Hiatus".Forbes.
- ^"About".evelynleigh.RetrievedAugust 20,2021.
- ^Murphy, Mekado (May 13, 2015)."With 'Animals,' David Dastmalchian Uses His Past to Rewrite His Future".The New York Times.
- ^Metz, Nina (May 8, 2014)."Actor, screenwriter David Dastmalchian on his new film 'Animals'".chicagotribune.com.RetrievedAugust 20,2021.
- ^"1,000 Times More Brutal".AllMovie.RetrievedApril 13,2024.
- ^Couch, Aaron (March 31, 2021)."'Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One' Sets Voice Cast (Exclusive) ".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedMarch 31,2021.
- ^Lane, Carly (May 19, 2021)."'Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two' Trailer Reveals Release Date for R-Rated Conclusion ".Collider.RetrievedMay 20,2021.
- ^Vivarelli, David (June 24, 2022)."'Dune' Actor David Dastmalchian to Star in 'Late Night With the Devil' (Exclusive) ".Variety.RetrievedJuly 11,2022.
- ^Harvey, Dennis (March 23, 2023)."'Late Night With the Devil' Review: A '70s Chat Show Becomes Must-Unsee TV ".Variety.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
- ^"Justice League x RWBY Part 2 4K & Blu-ray Release Date, Special Features".August 24, 2023.
- ^Nemiroff, Perri (December 1, 2023)."David Dastmalchian JoinsDust Bunnywith Mads Mikkelsen & Sigourney Weaver ".Collider.Valnet Inc. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023.RetrievedDecember 1,2023.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^David Dastmalchian, Ashley Greene & Samantha Cochran To Topline Horror Thriller ‘The Cure’
- ^Andreeva, Nellie (March 4, 2016)."'Twin Peaks' Reboot Adds Patrick Fischler & David Dastmalchian ".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedMarch 8,2016.
External links
edit
Media related toDavid Dastmalchianat Wikimedia Commons- David DastmalchianatIMDb
