Elias Koteas

Elias Koteas was born on March 11, 1961, in Montreal, Canada. Both his parents are of Greek descent. Elias attended Vanier College in Montreal before leaving to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1981, of which he is a graduate. He also attended the Actors Studio in New York City, where he studied acting underEllen BurstynandPeter Masterson.His film debut was inOne Magic Christmas (1985).He has also appeared on stage in "Kiss of the Spider Woman," "Death of a Salesman," "Bent" and "The Cherry Orchard." In 1989 he was nominated for a Genie (Canada's Academy Award) for best actor inMalarek (1988),a true story in which he plays a troubled street-kid-turned reporter for a Canadian newspaper. A somewhat of a breakthrough role for Elias happened in 1990, when he got the role of vigilante Casey Jones inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)and its sequels. He is one of Canada's most popular actors and frequently appears in films by Canadian directorsAtom EgoyanandDavid Cronenberg.It was Cronenberg's controversial movieCrash (1996)that had Cannes all abuzz in 1996. Elias played Vaughan, a self-appointed "mad scientist" with an unusual fetish--sexual delight in car crashes! The past two years have been busy ones for Koteas, adding six more roles to his resume. As Capt. James Staros, the commanding officer of Charlie Company inThe Thin Red Line (1998),he brought sensitivity and compassion to his portrayal of a man who cared about the safety of his men--even at the risk of his own career. In 2000 he appeared inLost Souls (2000),a thriller starringWinona Ryder,and starred on Broadway withJosh Brolinin theSam Shepardplay "True West."