Jonathan Tucker


Jonathan Moss Tucker is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the films The Virgin Suicides, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hostage, In the Valley of Elah, The Ruins, and Charlie's Angels. He has appeared in the television series The Black Donnellys, Parenthood, Kingdom, Justified, Snowfall, Westworld, City on a Hill, and Debris.

Early life

Tucker was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents Maggie Moss, a public relations and marketing analyst and executive, and Paul Hayes Tucker, a professor of art at the University of Massachusetts Boston and a leading expert on Claude Monet. His paternal great-grandfather was historian and ambassador Carlton J. H. Hayes. His aunt and uncle, Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, founded and co-direct the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology.
His father is Irish Catholic and his mother is Jewish and of Romanian Jewish descent.
Tucker was raised in Charlestown, Massachusetts, and attended The Park School in Brookline, Massachusetts. He attended the Boston Ballet and played Fritz in their production of The Nutcracker for 5 years starting when he was in the third grade. He was featured in a Boston Ballet calendar and attended The Thacher School in Ojai, California. Tucker said of his ballet experience, "Ballet is one of the more difficult rigors that I've ever done. The Ballet instructors are some of the most intimidating people I've met."

Career

Tucker first started off in film by appearing in the early 1990s films Botte di Natale, Two If by Sea and Sleepers before being cast in the 1999 film The Virgin Suicides as Tim Weiner.
He starred as Matthew in the 2000 comedy film 100 Girls. A year later, he co-starred in Sundance hit The Deep End with Tilda Swinton and Josh Lucas. In 2003, Tucker was cast in the much anticipated re-imagining of the 1974 horror film of the same name, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre produced by Michael Bay and directed by Marcus Nispel. In 2004, he appeared in the films Stateside and Criminal.
In the 2005 film Hostage, Tucker worked alongside Bruce Willis and Ben Foster. Tucker plays Dennis Cooper, one of the brothers that, along with their mysterious accomplice Mars, holds a family hostage. Tucker was directed by Paul Haggis twice in 2007: he starred as Tommy Lee Jones's son in the film In the Valley of Elah as a soldier who is permanently changed by war after returning from Iraq; he also played Tommy Donnelly in the NBC TV series The Black Donnellys.
File:Nick Jonas, Joanna Going, Matt Lauria, Frank Grillo, Jonathan Tucker - Kingdom Premiere Oct 2014.jpg|thumb|Nick Jonas, Joanna Going, Matt Lauria, Frank Grillo and Tucker at the premiere of the Kingdom in October 2014
In 2008, he was cast in The Ruins, a thriller based on the novel by Scott Smith and directed by Carter Smith.
He portrayed emerging artist Patrick Angus in the 2009 film An Englishman in New York, opposite John Hurt as Quentin Crisp. The biographical drama chronicles Crisp's later years spent in New York City. He then appeared in the 2010 film The Next Three Days with Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks, marking his third collaboration with Haggis.
It was announced in November 2011 that Tucker had signed on to the TV series Parenthood. He played the role of Mayor Bob Little from 2011 to 2014.
Tucker had a main role on the 2014 DirecTV drama series Kingdom. He played Jay, a mixed martial artist and son of trainer, Alvey Kulina, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor by Entertainment Weekly, which described his work as "one of the most electric performances on television."
In 2015, Tucker also appeared in the final five episodes of the TV series Justified on FX as the crazy-eyed Boon — a cross between Billy the Kid and Travis Bickle.
Continuing his collaboration with Bryan Fuller, having appeared in the second season of Hannibal, Tucker starred as Low-Key Lyesmith in Starz's American Gods, adapted from Neil Gaiman's 2001 novel.
Tucker co-wrote the song "Champagne Problems" on Nick Jonas' 2016 album Last Year Was Complicated.
Beginning in 2019, Tucker played Frankie Ryan, a Boston gangster, in the Showtime crime drama City on a Hill.
In 2021, Tucker played the lead role of CIA operative Bryan Beneventi in the short-lived NBC science fiction series Debris.

Personal life

On June 16, 2012, Tucker married Tara Ahamed, daughter of economic historian Liaquat Ahamed. They have twins, a son and daughter born May 15, 2019.
Tucker practices Transcendental Meditation to offset loneliness on film locations. He is the founder of the nonprofit organization Pegasus Fund.
In 2023, Tucker wrote a letter of support for actor Danny Masterson before he was due to be sentenced for two counts of rape.
In June 2024, he helped evacuate a neighboring family from their home during a home invasion.

Works

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994TroublemakersMoses Juniora.k.a. The Fight Before Christmas and Botte di Natale
1996Two If by SeaTodda.k.a. Stolen Hearts
1996SleepersYoung Tommy Marcano
1999'Tim Weiner
2000100 GirlsMatthew
2001'Beau Hall
2001Relative EvilJJAlso titled Ball in the House
2003'Morgan
2004StatesideMark Deloacha.k.a. Sinners
2004CriminalMichael
2005HostageDennis Kelly
2005Bee SeasonStudent
2006PulseJosh
2006Love Comes to the ExecutionerHeck Prigusivac
2007Cherry CrushJordan Wells
2007Day 73 with SarahDavidShort film
2007In the Valley of ElahMike Deerfield
2008'Jeff
2009'Patrick Angus
2009Veronika Decides to DieEdward
2010Flying LessonsBilly
2010MeskadaShane Loakin
2010'David
2018SkinJeffrey
2019Charlie's AngelsHodak
2022Palm Trees and Power LinesTom
2023God Is a BulletErrol Grey

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1997Early EditionTonyEpisode: "Frostbite"
1998Mr. MusicRob TennantTV film
2001'Chad Baldwin / "James Tucker"Episode: "Vanished: Part 1 & 2"
2002PhillyEli WexlerEpisode: "The Curse of the Klopman Diamonds"
2003CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationPeter ArnzEpisode: "Crash and Burn"
2003Law & Order: Special Victims UnitIan TateEpisode: "Abomination"
2004Six Feet UnderBruno Baskerville WalshEpisode: "Falling into Place"
2005Masters of HorrorJakEpisode: "Dance of the Dead"
2006Law & Order: Criminal IntentDrew RamseyEpisode: "Wrongful Life"
2007'Tommy DonnellyMain role
2010White CollarAvery PhillipsEpisode: "Hard Sell"
2011Criminal MindsRaymond DonovanEpisode: "The Thirteenth Step"
2011Royal PainsShaw Morgan2 episodes
2011–2013ParenthoodBob Little10 episodes
2012PerceptionBrady McGrawEpisode: "Nemesis"
2012Person of InterestRiley CavanaughEpisode: "Triggerman"
2012RoJordan5 episodes
2014HannibalMatthew Brown2 episodes
2014High MoonStanislav "Stan" StavinTV pilot
2014–2017KingdomJay KulinaMain role
2015JustifiedBoon5 episodes
2017American GodsLow Key LyesmithEpisode: "The Bone Orchard"
2018–2022WestworldMajor Craddock7 episodes
2018–2019SnowfallMatt McDonald10 episodes
2019City on a HillFrankie RyanRecurring role
2020MonsterlandAlexEpisode: "Port Fourchon, LA"
2021DebrisBryan BeneventiMain role
2022EchoesDylan JamesMain role
TBAI Will Find YouAdam MackenziePost-production