Tracy S. Letts(born July 4, 1965) is an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He started his career at theSteppenwolf Theatrebefore making his Broadway debut as a playwright forAugust: Osage County(2007), for which he received thePulitzer Prize for Dramaand theTony Award for Best Play.As an actor, he won theTony Award for Best Actor in a Playfor theBroadwayrevival ofWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(2013).[1]
Tracy Letts | |
|---|---|
 Letts in 2022 | |
| Born | July 4, 1965 Tulsa, Oklahoma,U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Billie Letts Dennis Letts |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for Drama Tony Award for Best Play Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play |
As a playwright, Letts is known for having written for theSteppenwolf Theatre,Off-Broadway andBroadwaytheatre. His works includeKiller Joe,Bug,Man from Nebraska,August: Osage County,Superior Donuts,Linda Vista,andThe Minutes.Letts adapted three of his plays into films,BugandKiller Joe,both directed byWilliam Friedkin,andAugust: Osage County,directed byJohn Wells.His 2009 playSuperior Donutswas adapted into atelevision series of the same name.As a stage actor, Letts has performed in various classic plays with the Steppenwolf Theatre since 1988. He made his acting Broadway debut as George in the revival ofEdward Albee's playWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,which earned him aTony Award for Best Actor in a Play.He continued acting on the Broadway stage inThe Realistic Joneses,All My Sons,andThe Minutes.
In film and television, he is known for his portrayal ofAndrew Lockhartin seasons 3 and 4 ofShowtime'sHomeland,andpyramid-scheme con-artistNick on theHBOcomedyDivorce.In 2017, Letts starred in three critically acclaimed films:Azazel Jacobs'The Lovers,Greta Gerwig'sLady Bird,andSteven Spielberg'sThe Post.Lady Birdearned Letts a nomination for theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.In 2019, he portrayedHenry Ford IIinJames Mangold'sFord v Ferrariand Mr. Dashwood in Gerwig'sLittle Women,the two also receivingBest Picturenominations.
Early life
editLetts was born inTulsa, Oklahoma,to authorBillie Letts(néeGipson) and college professor and actorDennis Letts.[2][3]He has two brothers, Shawn, a musician, and Dana. Letts was raised inDurant, Oklahoma,and graduated fromDurant High Schoolin the early 1980s. He moved toDallas,where he waited tables and worked in telemarketing while beginning his acting career. He appeared in Jerry Flemmons'O Dammit!,which was part of a new playwrights' series sponsored bySouthern Methodist University.
Letts moved toChicagoat the age of 20, working for the next 11 years atSteppenwolf Theatre Companyand Famous Door. He is still an active member of Steppenwolf. He was a founding member of Bang Bang Spontaneous Theatre, whose members includedGreg Kotis,Michael Shannon,Paul Dillon, andAmy Pietz.[4]In 1991, Letts wrote the playKiller Joe.Two years later, the play premiered at the Next Lab Theater inEvanston, Illinois,followed by the 29th Street Rep inNew York City.Since then,Killer Joehas been performed in a number of countries in 12 languages.[5]
His mother, Billie Letts, has said of his work, "I try to be upbeat and funny. Everybody in Tracy's stories gets naked or dead."[5]Letts's plays have depicted people struggling with moral and spiritual questions. He says he was inspired by the plays ofTennessee Williamsand the novels ofWilliam FaulknerandJim Thompson.Letts states that he considers sounds to be effective "storytelling tools" for theater.[6]
Career
editTheatre
editDuring the late 1980s through the late 2000s, Letts acted in many of theSteppenwolf Theatre Company's productions, starring inSteve Martin'sPicasso at the Lapin Agile(1994).
In 2012, Letts gained attention for his Broadway debut performance in the revival ofEdward Albee'sWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?at theBooth Theatre.[7]He received positive reviews and won theTony Award for Best Actor in a Play.[8]
In 2019, Letts appeared in the Broadway revival ofArthur Miller'sAll My SonswithAnnette BeningatRoundabout Theatre Company'sAmerican Airlines Theatre.The show officially opened on April 22, 2019 and closed on June 23, 2019.[9]
Letts has written over ten plays.[citation needed]His most famous,August: Osage County,premiered at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago on June 28, 2007. It had its Broadway debut at theImperial Theatreon December 4, 2007; the production transferred toBroadway'sMusic Box Theatreon April 29, 2008. The Broadway show closed on June 28, 2009, after 648 performances and 18 previews. The show went on to receive sevenTony Awardnominations, winning six, includingBest Play.[10]The play won Letts thePulitzer Prize for Dramain 2008. Letts has also been a finalist for the Pulitzer drama prize for his playsMan from NebraskaandThe Minutes;the Pulitzer committee describedThe Minutesas a "shocking drama set in a seemingly mundane city council meeting that acidly articulates a uniquely American toxicity that feels both historic and contemporary."[11][12]Letts starred in the Broadway production ofThe Minutes,his first time acting in one of his own plays.[13]
Television
editEarly in his acting career, in the 1990s through the mid 2000s, Letts acted in TV shows includingPrison Break,The District,Strong Medicine,Profiler,Judging Amy,The Drew Carey Show,Seinfeld,Early Edition,andHome Improvement.
In 2013–14, Letts joined the cast ofShowtime'sHomelandas US Senator Andrew Lockhart. He was nominated with the rest of the cast for theScreen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble.
In 2016, Letts joinedHBO's marital comedy-dramaDivorce.[14]
In 2018, Letts was cast in the second season ofUSA Network's anthology crime drama seriesThe Sinner,oppositeBill PullmanandCarrie Coon.[15]He playedJack McKinneyin HBO's 2022 seriesWinning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
Film
editLetts has starred inAdam McKay's 2015 ensemble piece,The Big Short,[16]2016'sWiener-Dog,Christine,andElvis & Nixon;andJames Schamus's film adaptation of thePhilip Rothnovel,Indignation,[17][18]as well as the true-story crime thriller adaptationImperium.[19]
Letts then appeared in the 2017 filmsThe Lovers,The Post,[20]andLady Bird.[21][22]
In 2019, Letts portrayedHenry Ford IIinJames Mangold's sports drama filmFord v Ferrari,and played Mr. Dashwood inLittle Women,a film adaptation ofLouisa May Alcott'snovel of the same name.[23]
Letts has written screenplays for three feature films based on his plays:Bug(directed byWilliam Friedkin),Killer Joe(also directed by Friedkin); andAugust: Osage County(directed byJohn Wells). He also wrote the screenplay for the 2021Netflixfeature filmThe Woman in the Window,starringAmy Adams,based on theeponymous psychological thrillerbyA.J. Finn.
Personal life
edit
He married actressCarrie Coonin September 2013.[24]They have two children, born in 2018[25][26]and 2021.[27][28]He has been sober since 1993.[29]He was in a relationship with actor Holly Wantuch until her sudden death in 1998.[30]Letts was once engaged to actressSarah Paulson.[31]
Work as an author
editTheatre
edit| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Killer Joe | ||
| 1996 | Bug | ||
| 2003 | Man from Nebraska | ||
| 2007 | August: Osage County | ||
| 2008 | Superior Donuts | ||
| 2009 | Three Sisters | Adaptation | [32] |
| 2015 | The Stretch | [33] | |
| 2016 | Mary Page Marlowe | [34] | |
| 2017 | Linda Vista | [35] | |
| 2017 | The Minutes | [36] |
Screenwriter
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Bug | Adaptation of his play |
| 2007 | Cop Show | Short film |
| 2011 | Killer Joe | Adaptation of his play |
| 2013 | August: Osage County | Adaptation of his play |
| 2021 | The Woman in the Window |
Work as an actor
editTheatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Glass Menagerie | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre | |
| 1991–1995 | Bang Bang Spontaneous Theatre | Various characters | Chicago, No Exit Cafe |
| 1994 | Picasso At The Lapin Agile | Freddy | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre |
| 1999 | Three Days of Rain | Walker | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre |
| 2001 | Glengarry Glen Ross | John Williamson | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre |
| 2002 | The Dazzle | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre | |
| 2002 | Miracle on 34th Street | Lawyer | Chicago Center for Performing Arts |
| 2003 | Homebody/Kabul | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre | |
| 2004 | The Dresser | Norman | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre |
| 2005 | Last of the Boys | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre | |
| 2005 | Orson's Shadow | Kenneth Tynan | Off-Broadway,Barrow Street Theatre |
| 2005 | The Pain and the Itch | Cash | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre |
| 2006 | The Pillowman | Tupolski | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre |
| 2006 | The Well-Appointed Room | Stewart | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre |
| 2007 | Betrayal | Robert | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre |
| 2009 | American Buffalo | Walter "Teach" Cole | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre |
| 2010 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | George | Chicago,Steppenwolf Theatre |
| 2012 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | George | Broadway,Booth Theatre |
| 2014 | The Realistic Joneses | Bob Jones | Broadway,Lyceum Theatre |
| 2019 | All My Sons | Joe Keller | Broadway,American Airlines Theatre |
| 2020 | The Minutes | Mayor Superba | Broadway,Cort Theatre |
| 2022 | The Minutes | Mayor Superba | Broadway,Studio 54[37] |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Paramedics | Van Owner | |
| 1992 | Straight Talk | Sean | |
| 1998 | Chicago Cab | Sports Fan | |
| U.S. Marshals | Sheriff Poe | ||
| 1999 | Guinevere | Zack | |
| 2007 | Cop Show | Michael Cooke | Short film |
| 2015 | The Big Short | Lawrence Fields | |
| 2016 | Wiener-Dog | Danny | |
| Christine | Michael Nelson | ||
| Elvis & Nixon | John Finlator | ||
| Indignation | Hawes D. Caudwell | ||
| Imperium | Dallas Wolf | ||
| 2017 | The Lovers | Michael | |
| Lady Bird | Larry McPherson | ||
| The Post | Fritz Beebe | ||
| 2019 | Ford v Ferrari | Henry Ford II | |
| Little Women | Mr. Dashwood | ||
| 2020 | French Exit | Franklin "Small Frank" Price (voice) | |
| 2021 | The Woman in the Window | Dr. Landy | Uncredited |
| Ghostbusters: Afterlife | Jack | Uncredited | |
| 2022 | Deep Water | Don Wilson | |
| 2023 | Eric Larue | Bill Verne | |
| 2024 | McVeigh | Richard Snell | [38] |
| Saturday Night | Herb Sargent | [39] | |
| TBA | Rosebush Pruning | Post-production | |
| Untitled Kathryn Bigelow film | Post-production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Home Improvement | Henry | Episode: "Jill's Surprise Party" |
| 1996–1997 | Early Edition | Jonathan / Marksman | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Seinfeld | Counterguy | Episode: "The Strike" |
| 1998 | The Drew Carey Show | Lomax | Episode: "Drew and the Conspiracy" |
| 1999 | Judging Amy | Mr. Kleinman | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2000 | Profiler | Mr. Adams | Episode: "Train Man" |
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Ken | Episode: "Wednesday Night Fever" |
| 2001 | The District | Brad Gilroy | Episode: "Melt Down" |
| 2006 | Prison Break | Peter Tucci | 2 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Homeland | Senator/Director Andrew Lockhart | 17 episodes |
| 2016–2019 | Divorce | Nick | 17 episodes |
| 2017 | Comrade Detective | Vasile (voice) | Episode: "No Exit" |
| 2018 | The Sinner | Jack Novack | 7 episodes |
| 2022–2023 | Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty | Jack McKinney | 9 episodes |
| 2024 | Mr. Throwback | Mitch Grossman | 5 episodes |
| 2024 | The Simpsons | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Desperately Seeking Lisa" |
| TBA | East of Eden | Cyrus Trask | Upcoming series |
| TBA | The Sensitive Kind | Upcoming series |
Awards and nominations
editTheatre awards
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Pulitzer Prize | Drama | Man from Nebraska | Nominated | [40] |
| 2008 | August: Osage County | Won | [41] | ||
| 2008 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Won | [42] | |
| 2008 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | Won | [43] | |
| 2013 | Tony Awards | Best Leading Actor in a Play | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Won | [44] |
| 2013 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Play | Won | ||
| 2018 | Pulitzer Prize | Drama | The Minutes | Nominated | [45] |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Nominated |
Film and television awards
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series | Homeland | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Nominated | ||||
| 2014 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | August: Osage County | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Phoenix Film Critics Society | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Seattle Film Critics Awards | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | Lady Bird | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Screenplay | The Woman in the Window | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty | Nominated | [46] |
References
edit- ^"The 2008 Pulitzer Prize Winners – Drama".pulitzer.org.
- ^"Interview with Billie Letts".readersread.org.
- ^"Dennis Letts, 73, a Professor Who Became Broadway Actor, Dies".The New York Times.Associated Press. 2008-02-25.Retrieved2008-07-03.
- ^"Tracy Letts's Productions at Steppenwolf".Steppenwolf Theatre Company.2008.Retrieved2008-07-03.
- ^abCarlton Stowers (27 November 2003)."Sweet Revenge".The Dallas Observer.Retrieved2008-07-03.
- ^Aifen Wang (2008)."In-your-face Theatre with In Your Face Sound Design".Stage Research. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-06-12.Retrieved2008-07-03.
- ^Gans, Andrew (May 17, 2012)."Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, with Tracy Letts and Amy Morton, Will Arrive On Broadway in September".Playbill.Retrieved2019-03-17.
- ^Schuessler, Jennifer (2013-06-06)."'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' at the Tonys ".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2019-03-17.
- ^"All My Sons".Broadway.com.Retrieved2019-03-17.
- ^"Tony Winners: 'In the Heights,' 'August: Osage County'".www.vulture.com.16 June 2008.Retrieved2019-03-17.
- ^"Finalists Tracy Letts"pulitzer.org, retrieved April 16, 2018
- ^"2018 Pulitzer Prize Winners: Full List".The New York Times.16 April 2018.Retrieved2018-04-16.
- ^McKinley, Jesse (26 February 2020)."Tracy Letts Can't Fight With His Playwright".The New York Times.Retrieved31 July2024.
- ^Otterson, Joe (2018-11-02)."'Divorce' Renewed for Season 3 at HBO With New Showrunner, Smaller Episode Count ".Variety.Retrieved2019-03-17.
- ^Nguyen, Hanh (2018-05-18)."'The Sinner' Season 2 Reveals First-Look Photos and Who's Joining Carrie Coon in the Mystery Crime Series ".IndieWire.Retrieved2019-03-17.
- ^"The Big Short Gets 5 Oscar Nominations Including Best Picture".oscar.go.com.Retrieved2019-03-17.
- ^Debruge, Peter (2016-01-25)."Sundance Film Review: 'Indignation'".Variety.Retrieved2019-03-17.
- ^"Indignation (2016)",Rotten Tomatoes,retrieved2019-03-17
- ^"Imperium (2016)",Rotten Tomatoes,retrieved2019-03-17
- ^"Fritz Beebe, portrayed by Tracy Letts - 'The Post': 16 of the Film's Stars and Their Real-Life Inspirations".The Hollywood Reporter.22 December 2017.Retrieved2019-03-17.
- ^"Lady Bird (2017)",Rotten Tomatoes,retrieved2019-03-17
- ^Surrey, Miles (2017-12-13)."SAG Awards Nominations: 'Lady Bird' Cleans Up, 'Phantom Thread' Flops".The Ringer.Retrieved2019-03-17.
- ^"Oscar Nominations 2020: The Complete List".Variety.2020-01-13.Archivedfrom the original on January 13, 2020.Retrieved2020-01-13.
- ^Fierberg, Ruthie (August 18, 2017)."Why Tony Nominee Carrie Coon and Pulitzer Prize Winner Tracy Letts Got Married in a Hospital".RetrievedMarch 16,2024.
- ^"Carrie Coon and Husband Tracy Letts Expecting Their First Child".Peoplemag.Retrieved2024-03-16.
- ^"It's a Boy! The Post Stars Carrie Coon and Tracy Letts Welcome Son Haskell".Peoplemag.Retrieved2024-03-16.
- ^Hogan, Michael (2021-08-15)."Actor Carrie Coon: 'My husband says I have ice-water in my veins'".The Observer.ISSN0029-7712.Retrieved2024-03-16.
- ^"How Carrie Coon Hid Her Pregnancy on 'The Gilded Age' (Exclusive)".Entertainment Tonight.Retrieved2024-03-16.
- ^"The Interview Show | Tracy Letts".26 January 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-11-17.RetrievedOct 17,2021– via www.youtube.com.
- ^Weber, Bruce (2004-04-14)."For an Okie Playwright and Actor, A Life With Drama of Its Own".The New York Times.Retrieved2024-12-11.
- ^Schulman, Michael (March 2, 2016)."Sarah Paulson Opens Up About Acting, Marcia Clark and Dating Older Women".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on August 21, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 9,2018.
- ^"Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Tracy Letts".Artists Repertory Theatre.RetrievedOctober 26,2009.
This adaptation of the Russian masterpiece was commissioned by Artists Rep as part three of its four-part Chekhov project. Letts offers a fresh, new look at the decay of the privileged class and the search for meaning in the modern world, through the eyes of three dissatisfied sisters who desperately long for their treasured past.
- ^""TEN" earns its rating at The Gift Theatre - Chicago Sun-Times ".
- ^"Carrie Coon Among Cast Of 19 For Steppenwolf's World Premiere Of Tracy Letts Play".Chicago Sun-Times.RetrievedDecember 7,2015.
- ^"Linda Vista | Steppenwolf Theatre".www.steppenwolf.org.Retrieved2017-03-02.
- ^"The Minutes | Steppenwolf Theatre".www.steppenwolf.org.Retrieved2017-03-02.
- ^"Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Finalist 'The Minutes' Sets Post-COVID 2022 Broadway Reopening, Plans Venue Switch".www.msn.com.Retrieved2021-01-11.
- ^Wise, Damon (2024-06-08)."'McVeigh' Review: Alfie Allen Impresses In This Chilling Account Of The Radicalization Of The Oklahoma Bomber – Tribeca Festival ".Deadline.Retrieved2024-12-14.
- ^Debruge, Peter (2024-09-01)."'Saturday Night' Review: Jason Reitman Finds the Right Ensemble to Capture the Lunacy From Which 'SNL' Was Born ".Variety.Retrieved2024-10-02.
- ^"Man from Nebraska, by Tracy Letts".pulitzer.org.RetrievedApril 21,2020.
- ^"August: Osage County, by Tracy Letts".pulitzer.org.RetrievedApril 21,2020.
- ^"August: Osage County".americantheatrewing.org.RetrievedApril 21,2020.
- ^"August: Osage County".marintheatre.org.RetrievedApril 21,2020.
- ^"Steppenwolf's Tracy Letts Wins Best Actor in a Play Tony Award".nbcchicago.org.10 June 2013.RetrievedApril 21,2020.
- ^"Finalist: The Minutes, by Tracy Letts".pulitzer.org.RetrievedApril 21,2020.
- ^"Married Duo Carrie Coon and Tracy Letts on Landing Emmy Noms Together for 'Gilded Age' and 'Winning Time'".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 11,2025.
External links
edit
