Hamish Linklater


Hamish Linklater is an American actor and playwright. He is known for playing Matthew Kimble in The New Adventures of Old Christine, Andrew Keanelly in The Crazy Ones, and Clark Debussy in Legion. He is the son of dramatic vocal trainer Kristin Linklater.
In 2021, he starred as Father Paul in the horror miniseries Midnight Mass, for which he received high critical acclaim. He voices Bruce Wayne/Batman in the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader.

Early life

Linklater was born in New York City, New York. His mother, Kristin Linklater, was a Scottish-born Professor of Theatre and Chair of the Acting Division at Columbia University and a teacher of vocal technique while his father, James Lincoln Cormeny, was an actor and stage builder. Linklater's single mother raised him partly in the Berkshires, where she was a founder of the Shakespeare & Company drama troupe. Linklater was eight years old when he began doing small Shakespearean roles.
His maternal grandparents were Marjorie Linklater, an arts campaigner, and Eric Linklater, who was a Scottish novelist of partly Swedish origin. His uncles are journalist Magnus Linklater and writer Andro Linklater.
Linklater graduated in 1994 from Commonwealth School in Boston and attended Amherst College.

Career

Given his pedigree in the theater, he first established himself on the stage and made his big-screen debut in 2000's Groove. That was followed by his role as CNN correspondent Richard Roth in the HBO film Live from Baghdad. He has since appeared in numerous films, including Fantastic Four. He had a recurring role on the television show American Dreams as well as Gideon's Crossing. He was second-in-line to play Logan on Dark Angel, but the role went to Michael Weatherly.
From 2006 until 2010 he was a main cast member in the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, as the brother of Christine Campbell, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. In July 2006, Linklater appeared in Keith Bunin's The Busy World Is Hushed opposite Jill Clayburgh off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons. He played the title character in Hamlet at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California and the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut.
On Halloween 2007, Linklater appeared in an episode of Pushing Daisies on ABC, titled "Girth". He also completed the film The Violent Kind. He appeared in The Public Theater's 2009 production of Twelfth Night at Shakespeare in the Park as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, opposite Anne Hathaway, Audra McDonald and Raul Esparza.
In 2011, he starred with Miranda July in The Future. He made his Broadway debut in October 2011 in Theresa Rebeck's new play Seminar opposite Alan Rickman, Jerry O'Connell, Lily Rabe, and Hettienne Park. In 2013, he played Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca in the Jackie Robinson biopic film 42. Linklater also joined the cast of Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom in a recurring role, playing senior producer Jerry Dantana. He remained for six episodes, until earning the role of Andrew Keanelly on the CBS series The Crazy Ones, which premiered in September 2013. In 2017, Linklater was cast in a recurring role in the FX original series Legion, based on the Marvel Comics character, and was promoted to the main cast for its second season. Also in 2017, he had a small role in the third season of the FX black comedy crime drama series Fargo, created by Legion showrunner Noah Hawley.
In 2020, Linklater was cast in the Amazon Prime series Tell Me Your Secrets as John Tyler, a convicted rapist seeking redemption by trying to find a missing girl. The series premiered on February 19, 2021. Also in 2021, Linklater starred in Mike Flanagan's Netflix horror miniseries, Midnight Mass, playing a dual role, as a young priest, Father Paul Hill, replacing an elderly, infirm Monsignor John Pruitt. It premiered September 24, 2021. He received high critical acclaim and a Critic's Choice nomination for the role. Additionally in 2021, he began filming Gaslit as Jeb Magruder, which premiered in 2022 on Starz. In 2022, Walter Hill's western Dead for a Dollar premiered at Venice Film Festival and in the United States, with Linklater playing wealthy villain Martin Kidd. In 2022, Linklater began filming Downtown Owl. Linklater is the screenwriter as well as a producer and director for the film.
Since 2024, Linklater has voiced the title character in the Prime Video animated series Batman: Caped Crusader.

Personal life

Linklater married playwright Jessica Goldberg in January 2002; they divorced in 2012 and have one daughter.
Shortly thereafter, Linklater went public with his relationship with actress Lily Rabe. They have two daughters, born in March 2017 and June 2020. In 2022, they had a son.

Filmography

Theater

Selected credits.
YearTitleRoleVenueNotes
1996Adventures of Huckleberry FinnTom Sawyer / Buck GrangerfordActors Theatre of Louisville
1998Love's FireThe Public Theater
1999The Chemistry of ChangeShepWomen's Project Theatre
1999HamletLaertesThe Public Theater
2001Good ThingDeanSusan Stein Shiva TheaterWorkshop
2001Good ThingDeanThe Theater at St. Clements
2003Recent Tragic EventsAndrewPlaywrights Horizon
2004HamletHamletLong Wharf Theatre
2005The Singing ForestYoung Walter / Gray KorankyiLong Wharf Theatre
2006The Busy World is HushedBrandtPlaywrights Horizon
2007HamletHamletSouth Coast Repertory
2009Twelfth NightSir Andrew AguecheekDelacorte TheaterShakespeare in the Park
2010The Winter's TaleLord AutolycusDelacorte TheaterShakespeare in the Park
2010The Merchant of VeniceBassanioDelacorte TheaterShakespeare in the Park
2011The School for LiesFrankClassic Stage CompanyWorld premiere
2011–2012SeminarMartinJohn Golden TheatreWorld Broadway premiere
2013The Comedy of ErrorsAntipholusDelacorte TheaterShakespeare in the Park
2014Much Ado About NothingBenedickDelacorte TheaterShakespeare in the Park
2015PosterityGustav VigelandAtlantic Theater CompanyWorld premiere
2015CymbelineLeonatus / ClotenDelacorte TheaterShakespeare in the Park
2017Mamma Mia!Harry BrightHollywood Bowl-
2017 The WhirligigCrew, WriterSignature Theatre CenterOpened May 21, 2017
2018Henry IVPrince HalThe Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles
2019The Pain of My BelligerenceGuyPlaywrights HorizonWorld premiere