| Chris Messina | |
| Birth Date: | 11 August 1974 |
| Birth Place: | Northport, New York, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 1995–present |
| Spouse: | |
| Children: | 2 |
Chris Messina (born August 11, 1974)[1] is an American actor, director, writer, and producer. He is best known for starring as Danny Castellano in the series The Mindy Project (2012–2017), which earned him two nominations for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.
Messina's film appearances include Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Julie & Julia (2009), Devil (2010), Argo (2012), Ruby Sparks (2012), Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012), Cake (2014), Birds of Prey (2020), I Care a Lot (2020), Call Jane (2022), Air (2023) and The Boogeyman (2023). Messina wrote, executive produced, and starred in the comedy film Fairhaven (2012). He also directed and starred in the drama film Alex of Venice (2014).
On television, Messina appeared as Ted Fairwell in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2005), Chris Sanchez in the Audience Network legal thriller series Damages (2011–2012), Reese Lansing in the HBO political drama series The Newsroom (2012–2014), Richard Willis in the HBO miniseries Sharp Objects (2018), Nick Haas in the USA Network crime drama series The Sinner (2020), Angelo Lano in the Starz political miniseries Gaslit (2022), and as Nathan Bartlett in the Peacock comedy thriller Based on a True Story (2023).
Messina was raised in Northport, New York, on Long Island, where he studied theater in high school. He attended Marymount Manhattan College, but dropped out after one semester.[2]
He studied acting privately with teachers around Manhattan, and started his career as an off-Broadway actor. He has appeared in episodes of the television series Law & Order, Third Watch, and Medium. He had a recurring role in the fifth and final season of the HBO drama series Six Feet Under as Ted Fairwell. His film credits include Rounders, The Siege, You've Got Mail, and Towelhead.
He starred in an HBO pilot Anatomy of Hope, directed by J. J. Abrams. Simon Callow also starred, but the pilot was not picked up to series. In October 2007, Daily Variety named him as one of ten actors to watch.[3] He starred in Devil, under the direction of John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle, for producer M. Night Shyamalan and Universal Pictures.[4] In April 2010, Monogamy, directed by Dana Adam Shapiro and starring Messina and Rashida Jones, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, where the film won the jury prize for Best New York Narrative.[5]
Messina joined the cast of Damages for its fourth and fifth seasons.[6] He played a recurring character on HBO's The Newsroom.[7] Messina was a series regular on the Fox/Hulu sitcom The Mindy Project, playing Dr. Danny Castellano, until his character was eventually phased out in seasons 4 and 5. He made his return in three episodes, including the season and series finale, in season 6.
In 2014, Messina played the role of a cheating spouse in the music video for Sam Smith's "I'm Not the Only One". That same year, he directed the independent drama, Alex of Venice, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Don Johnson and Matthew Del Negro. He co-starred in Ben Affleck's crime drama Live by Night, which was released in December 2016. In 2018, Messina starred in a leading role alongside Amy Adams in the HBO series Sharp Objects.
In 2020, Chris Messina starred as mob killer Victor Zsasz in Birds of Prey. When asked how he felt about playing a twisted character, Messina replied, "I've played too many nice guys in my career. So it was like just really a lot of fun to let loose."[8]
In 2021, Messina portrayed attorney Dean Ericson in the black comedy thriller I Care a Lot.[9]
He was married to actress Rosemarie DeWitt for 12 years, divorcing in 2006.
Messina and his second wife Jennifer Todd have two sons, Milo and Giovanni, born in 2008 and in 2009.[10] [11] [12] [13]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | When Dating Turns Dangerous | Zach | Educational film | |
| 1998 | Rounders | Higgins | ||
| Corporal | ||||
| You've Got Mail | Fox Salesperson | |||
| 2000 | Turn It Up | Baz | ||
| 2001 | Ordinary Sinner | Silvio | ||
| 2005 | Road | Larry | ||
| Bittersweet Place | Seymour | |||
| Nephew | ||||
| 2006 | Ira & Abby | Ira Black | ||
| 2007 | Security | Zelly | Short film | |
| Towelhead | Barry | |||
| 2008 | Humboldt County | Max | ||
| Made of Honor | Dennis | |||
| Vicky Cristina Barcelona | Doug | |||
| 2009 | Brief Interviews with Hideous Men | Subject #19 | ||
| Away We Go | Tom Garnett | |||
| Julie & Julia | Eric Powell | |||
| 2010 | Greenberg | Philip Greenberg | ||
| Monogamy | Theo | |||
| Devil | Detective Bowden | |||
| Ben Smith | ||||
| 2011 | Like Crazy | Mike Appletree | ||
| NJ | ||||
| 2012 | Celeste and Jesse Forever | Paul | ||
| 28 Hotel Rooms | Man | Also executive producer | ||
| Tim | ||||
| Fairhaven | Dave | Also writer and executive producer | ||
| Denise | Brad | Short film | ||
| Ruby Sparks | Harry Weir-Fields | |||
| Argo | Malinov | |||
| 2013 | Palo Alto | Mitch | ||
| 2014 | Narrator | Short film | ||
| Showing Up | Himself | Documentary | ||
| Alex of Venice | George | Also director | ||
| Manglehorn | Jacob | |||
| Cake | Jason | |||
| 2015 | Digging for Fire | Billy T | ||
| 2016 | Ordinary World | Jake | ||
| Live by Night | Dion Bartolo | |||
| The Sweet Life | Kenny | |||
| 2017 | Blame | Jeremy Woods | ||
| 2019 | The True Adventures of Wolfboy | Denny | ||
| 2020 | Birds of Prey | Victor Zsasz | ||
| She Dies Tomorrow | Jason | |||
| Love Is Love Is Love | Jack | |||
| I Care A Lot | Dean Ericson | |||
| The Secrets We Keep | Lewis Reid | |||
| 2022 | Call Jane | Will | ||
| Seth | ||||
| Dreamin' Wild | Matt Sullivan | |||
| 2023 | Air | David Falk | ||
| The Boogeyman | Will Harper | |||
| I.S.S. | Gordon Barrett | |||
| TBA | Juror No. 2 | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Law & Order | Tommy Bell | Episode: "Rebels" |
| 1996 | Law & Order | Kevin Turner | Episode: "Homesick" |
| 2000 | Third Watch | Charlie | Episode: "History" |
| 2001 | Big Apple | Ricky | Episode: "A Ministering Angel" |
| 2003 | Law & Order | Don Cushman | Episode: "Suicide Box" |
| 2005 | Six Feet Under | Ted Fairwell | 6 episodes |
| 2007 | Medium | Casey Edward Frank | Episode: "The Whole Truth" |
| 2011–2012 | Damages | Chris Sanchez | 16 episodes |
| 2012–2014 | Reese Lansing | 12 episodes | |
| 2012–2017 | Dr. Daniel Castellano | Main role (season 1–4) Recurring (season 5–6): 90 episodes | |
| 2018 | Sharp Objects | Detective Richard Willis | Main role: 8 episodes |
| 2019 | Robot Chicken | Various voices | Episode: "Boogie Bardstown in: No Need, I Have Coupons" |
| 2020 | The Sinner | Nick Haas | Main role (season 3): 5 episodes |
| 2022 | Gaslit | Agent Angelo Lano | Recurring role: 4 episodes |
| 2023 | Based on a True Story | Nathan Bartlett | Main role |
| Year | Title | Role | Run | Theater and production | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Sidney Margolies/ Charley/Ralph/ Walter | October 19, 1997 – unknown | Signature Theatre Company at The Peter Norton Space | [14] [15] [16] [17] | ||
| 1999 | Director | August 9–20, 1999 | All Seasons Theatre Group at The Ensemble Studio Theatre | [18] | ||
| 1999 | Refuge | Nat | November 18 – December 12, 1999 | Playwright's Horizon Studio Theater | [19] | |
| 2000 | Joe Buck | March 27 – April 9, 2000 | McGinn/Cazale Theater | [20] [21] [22] | ||
| 2000 | Frankie | November 5 – December 16, 2000 | The Flea Theater | [23] [24] | ||
| 2001 | Tamicanfly | C.J. | January 17 – February 4, 2001 | McGinn/Cazale Theater | [25] | |
| 2001 | Blur | Joey D'Amico | May 17 – June 24, 2001 | Manhattan Theater Club at New York City Center Stage II | [26] [27] | |
| 2001–02 | Good Thing | Bobby | December 16, 2001 – January 6, 2002 | The New Group at The Theater at St. Clements Church | [28] [29] [30] | |
| 2002 | This Thing of Darkness | Abbey/Reef | May 30 – June 16, 2002 | Atlantic Theater Company at Linda Gross Theater | [31] | |
| 2002 | Faster | Skram | September 8 – October 13, 2002 | Rattlestick Theater | [32] [33] | |
| 2002–03 | Far Away | Todd | November 11, 2002 – January 18, 2003 | New York Theatre Workshop | [34] | |
| 2003 | Salome by Oscar Wilde: The Reading | The Young Syrian (Captain of the Guard) | April 30 – June 12, 2003 | Ethel Barrymore Theater | Broadway debut for Messina[35] [36] | |
| 2003 | St. Scarlet | Director | June 13 – July 12, 2003 | Ontological Theater at St. Mark's Church | [37] [38] | |
| 2004 | Motel Blues: Management | Mike | March 25 – April 11, 2004 | Apartment 929 at Greenwich Street Theatre | [39] [40] | |
| 2004 | Treplev | May 24–29, 2004 | White Heron Theater company at Second Stage Theatre | [41] | ||
| 2004 | Trofimov | August 11–22, 2004 | Williamstown Theatre Festival at Adams Memorial Theater | [42] [43] [44] | ||
| 2004 | Late Night, Early Morning | October 21–31, 2004 | 2004 Tribeca Theatre Festival | [45] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | CinEuphoria Award | Best Supporting Actor - International Competition | Away We Go | ||
| 2012 | Awards Circuit Community Award | Best Cast Ensemble | Argo | ||
| Detroit Film Critics Society Award | Best Ensemble | ||||
| San Diego Film Critics Society Award | Best Ensemble Performance | ||||
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Award | Best Ensemble Acting | ||||
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award | Best Ensemble[46] | ||||
| 2013 | Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award | Best Ensemble | |||
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | Best Ensemble | ||||
| Critics' Choice Movie Award | Best Acting Ensemble | ||||
| Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | ||||
| 2014 | Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Actor in a Comedy Series | The Mindy Project | ||
| Seattle International Film Festival | New American Cinema Award | Alex of Venice | |||
| 2015 | Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Actor in a Comedy Series | The Mindy Project |