Clark Gregg
Robert Clark Gregg Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing the original character Phil Coulson in films and television series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from 2008 to 2021. Gregg also voiced Coulson in the animated television series Ultimate Spider-Man (2012–2017) and the video games Lego Marvel Super Heroes (2013), Marvel Heroes (2013), and Lego Marvel's Avengers (2016).
Clark Gregg | |
|---|---|
Gregg in 2019 | |
| Born | Robert Clark Gregg Jr. April 2, 1962 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Gregg is also known for his role as FBI Special Agent Mike Casper on the NBC political drama series The West Wing (2001–2004) and as Richard, the ex-husband of Christine Campbell, in the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006–2010).
He wrote the horror film What Lies Beneath (2000), and wrote and directed the black comedy Choke (2008) and the comedy-drama Trust Me (2013). He appeared in the films The Adventures of Sebastian Cole (1998), One Hour Photo (2002), We Were Soldiers (2002), In Good Company (2004), When a Stranger Calls (2006), 500 Days of Summer (2009), Much Ado About Nothing (2012), The To Do List (2013), Labor Day (2013), and Live by Night (2016).
Early life Edit
Gregg was born April 2, 1962, in Boston, Massachusetts,[1] the son of Mary Layne (née Shine) and Robert Clark Gregg Sr., an Episcopal priest and Stanford University professor.[2] Because his family relocated frequently, he had lived in seven cities by the time he was 17. He attended high school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where his father was a professor at nearby Duke University.[3][4]
He attended Ohio Wesleyan University for two years before dropping out and moving to Manhattan. He worked various jobs, such as being a bar back, a security guard at the Guggenheim Museum, and a parking valet at a restaurant.[5] He later enrolled at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied drama and English, and graduated in 1986.[6]
Career Edit
Gregg was a founding member, and later artistic director, of the off-Broadway Atlantic Theater Company, which formed in 1983. Gregg has been featured in a number of supporting roles in films, such as Lovely & Amazing, The Human Stain, and In Good Company, and a number of guest spots on TV series, such as Will & Grace, Sports Night, Sex and the City and The West Wing. He also wrote the screenplay for the 2000 thriller What Lies Beneath.[6]
He is the director and screenwriter of the 2008 film Choke, based on the Chuck Palahniuk novel of the same name, starring Sam Rockwell.[7] Gregg consulted his father, a retired religion professor at Stanford, for the quotation from Saint Paul's letter to the Galatians which Gregg used in Choke.[8] Gregg's father is also the former chaplain at Stanford Memorial Church.
In 2008, Gregg appeared in the film Iron Man as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson.[9] In 2010, Gregg reprised his role as Agent Coulson for Iron Man 2. Gregg had since signed up for a multiple film deal as the character with Marvel Studios. In 2011, he returned again as Coulson for Thor.[10] Gregg noted his being a part of the expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe as being very exciting; "Agent Coulson was one of the guys who wasn't really in the comic books, and he was a very kind of small role in Iron Man," he said, "and I was just very lucky that they chose to expand that character and chose to put him more into the universe of it. It's really a blast!"[11] Following on from his appearance in Thor, he again reprised his role in The Avengers. Gregg also stars in a series of Marvel short films that center around his character and can be seen on the Blu-ray releases of the films.
In October 2010, Gregg was part of the cast of a staged reading of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart alongside Dylan Walsh, Lisa Kudrow, and Tate Donovan, presented in Los Angeles on the occasion of the play's 25th anniversary (and preceding the play's 2011 Broadway premiere, which retained elements of this staged reading); the reading was directed by his then-father-in-law, Joel Grey.[12]
From 2013 to 2020, Gregg portrayed Agent Phil Coulson in the ABC television superhero drama series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., set within the MCU, alongside Ming-Na Wen and Chloe Bennet.[13] He also went on to direct episodes in seasons five[14] and six.[15]
On April 20, 2013, Trust Me, a film written, produced, and directed by Gregg, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.[16] The film found limited release in the United States in June 2014.
Gregg reprised his role as Agent Coulson in the 2019 superhero film Captain Marvel and the animated series What If...?, episodes "What If... the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?" and "What If... Thor Were an Only Child?", released in 2021.[17]
In 2022, he joined the TNT series Snowpiercer for its fourth and final season.[18] However, the series was dumped by the network before it could air there and is in the process of moving elsewhere.[19]
Personal life Edit
Gregg married actress Jennifer Grey on July 21, 2001; the couple co-starred in the Lifetime TV movie Road to Christmas. They have a daughter Stella, born December 3, 2001.[20] Gregg and Grey were two of the demonstrators at the 2017 Women's March held on January 21, 2017 in Washington, D.C.[21] On July 3, 2020, Grey and Gregg announced they had separated amicably on January 18, 2020, and were in the process of divorcing.[22] Their divorce ruling was issued in November and that became official finalized on February 16, 2021.[23]
Gregg is a sober alcoholic and describes himself as a member of a Jewish family (his former wife's faith).[24][25]
He has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[26][27]
Gregg is a cousin of New York City government official and former mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia.[28]
Filmography Edit
Film Edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Things Change | Stage Manager | |
| 1989 | Fat Man and Little Boy | Douglas Panton | |
| 1992 | Lana in Love | Marty | |
| 1994 | Ride Me | Jake Shank | |
| I Love Trouble | Darryl Beekman, Jr. | ||
| Clear and Present Danger | Staff Sergeant | ||
| 1995 | The Usual Suspects | Dr. Walters | |
| Above Suspicion | Randy | ||
| Tyson | Kevin Rooney | ||
| 1997 | The Spanish Prisoner | FBI Sniper | |
| The Last Time I Committed Suicide | Cop No. 1 | ||
| Six Ways to Sunday | Benjamin Taft | ||
| 1998 | The Adventures of Sebastian Cole | Hank / Henrietta Rossi | |
| 1999 | Magnolia | WDKK Floor Director | |
| 2000 | State and Main | Doug Mackenzie | |
| What Lies Beneath | None | Screenwriter | |
| 2001 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Supernerd | |
| Lovely & Amazing | Bill | ||
| 2002 | One Hour Photo | Det. Paul Outerbridge | |
| We Were Soldiers | Capt. Tom Metsker | ||
| 2003 | Northfork | Mr. Hadfield | Uncredited |
| 11:14 | Officer Hanna | ||
| The Human Stain | Nelson Primus | ||
| 2004 | Spartan | Miller | |
| In Enemy Hands | Executive Officer Teddy Goodman | ||
| In Good Company | Mark Steckle | ||
| 2006 | When a Stranger Calls | Ben Johnson | |
| Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas | Publisher | ||
| Hoot | Chuck Muckle | ||
| 2007 | In the Land of Women | Nelson Hardwicke | |
| The Air I Breathe | Henry | ||
| 2008 | Choke | Lord High Charlie | Also screenwriter and director |
| Iron Man | Agent Phil Coulson | ||
| 2009 | 500 Days of Summer | Vance | |
| 2010 | Iron Man 2 | Agent Phil Coulson | |
| 2011 | Thor | ||
| Mr. Popper's Penguins | Nat Jones | ||
| The Consultant | Agent Phil Coulson | Short film | |
| A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer | |||
| 2012 | The Avengers | ||
| Much Ado About Nothing | Leonato | ||
| Brightest Star | Mr. Markovic | ||
| 2013 | The To Do List | Judge George Klark | |
| Labor Day | Gerald Wheeler | ||
| Trust Me | Howard Holloway | Also screenwriter, producer, and director | |
| 2014 | Very Good Girls | Edward Berger | |
| 2015 | Thrilling Adventure Hour Live | Mason Grantz | |
| 2016 | Live by Night | Chief Inspector Calvin Bordurant | |
| 2018 | Spinning Man | Paul | |
| 2019 | Captain Marvel | Agent Phil Coulson | |
| 2020 | Run Sweetheart Run | James R. Fuller | |
| 2021 | Moxie | John | |
| Being the Ricardos | Howard Wenke | ||
| 2022 | The Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow of 9/11 | Bruce Edwards Ivins | Documentary |
Television Edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Lip Service | Stage Manager | Television film |
| 1991 | Law & Order | Patrick Dunne | Episode: "Life Choice" |
| Shannon's Deal | Mercer | 2 episodes | |
| A Woman Named Jackie | Ken O'Donnell | Miniseries | |
| 1993 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Dickinson | Episode: "Princeton, February 1916" |
| 1994 | The George Carlin Show | Dad | Episode: "George Does A Bad Thing" |
| 1995 | Tyson | Kevin Rooney | Television film |
| The Commish | Tom Cannon | 2 episodes | |
| Central Park West | Manager | Episode: "Behind Your Back" | |
| 1996 | Touched by an Angel | Don Dudley | Episode: "Lost and Found" |
| 2000 | Sports Night | The Stranger / Calvin Trager | 2 episodes |
| Sex and the City | Harris Bragen | Episode: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" | |
| The Practice | Julie McGrath's Brother | Episode: "Brother's Keepers" | |
| 2001–2004 | The West Wing | FBI Special Agent Michael Casper | 8 episodes |
| 2002 | My Sister's Keeper | Harvey | Television film |
| Live from Baghdad | Eason Jordan | Television film | |
| 2003 | Will & Grace | Cam | Episode: "May Divorce Be with You" |
| 2004 | The Shield | William Faulks | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | CSI: NY | D.A. Allen McShane | Episode: "The Fall" |
| 2006 | The Road to Christmas | Tom Pullman | Television film |
| 2006–2010 | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Richard Campbell | Main role |
| 2012–2017 | Ultimate Spider-Man | Phil Coulson (voice) | Main role |
| 2013 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Himself | Episode: "Clark Gregg Wears a Navy Blazer & White Collared Shirt" |
| 2013–2020 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Phil Coulson / Pachakutiq / Sarge[29] | Main role; 136 episodes Also directed episodes: "Fun & Games" & "Missing Pieces" |
| 2016 | Lip Sync Battle | Himself | Episode: "Clark Gregg vs. Hayley Atwell" |
| BattleBots | Episode: "The Gears Awaken" | ||
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot | Phil Coulson | Episode: "Vendetta" | |
| 2019 | SMILF | Mr. Daddy | Episode: "Single Mom is Losing Faith" |
| 2020 | The Conners | Ron | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | What If...? | Phil Coulson (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | Florida Man | Deputy Sheriff Ketcher | 7 episodes |
| 2023 | How I Met Your Father | Nick Foster | 3 episodes |
| 2023 | Painkiller | Arthur Sackler | 6 episodes |
Video games Edit
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Lego Marvel Super Heroes | Phil Coulson | |
| Marvel Heroes | |||
| 2016 | Lego Marvel's Avengers |
Awards and nominations Edit
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Film Independent Spirit Award | Best Supporting Male | The Adventures of Sebastian Cole | Nominated |
| National Board of Review Award | Best Acting by an Ensemble | State and Main | Won | |
| 2001 | Online Film Critics Society Award | Best Ensemble Cast Performance | Won | |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Award | Best Ensemble Cast | Won | ||
| 2006 | Women's Image Network Award | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Won |
| 2008 | Sundance Film Festival Award | Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic | Choke | Nominated |
| Special Jury Prize: Dramatic, Work by an Ensemble Cast | Won | |||
| 2013 | Saturn Award | Best Supporting Actor | The Avengers | Won |
References Edit
- ^ "Clark Gregg". Hollywood.com; retrieved January 13, 2012.
- ^ "Priestly passions: Dean Robert Gregg talks about what's dear to his heart". Stanford University. November 5, 1997. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ Dickson, Robert (December 1, 2011). "CAUGHT ON FILM". Carrborocitizen.com. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
- ^ Ryan, Mike (May 1, 2012). "Clark Gregg, 'Avengers' Star, On Agent Coulson And Why He Hates The Los Angeles Lakers". HuffPost. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ "Park City '08 Interview - "Choke" Director Clark Gregg". Indie Wire. January 3, 2008. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Alfuso, Renee (Spring 2014). "No Cape? No Problem". NYU Alumni Magazine. New York University (22). Retrieved May 13, 2014.
- ^ lovebomb (January 27, 2010). . Chuckpalahniuk.net. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
- ^ DVD commentary for Choke, 2008; and Robert C. Gregg January 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Stanford Department of Classics bio page. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- ^ Bloom, Julie (2010). . Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on December 23, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
- ^ Marc Graser (January 18, 2010). "Gregg pulls double duty". Variety. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
- ^ Edward Douglas (April 27, 2010). "Exclusive: Clark Gregg on His Marvel Universe Future". Superhero Hype!. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (May 6, 2010). . Playbill. Archived from the original on May 9, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ . Comic Book Resources. October 13, 2012. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ Avila, Mike (January 4, 2018). "Director Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Clark Gregg Goes Behind The Camera On Marvel's Flagship Series". Syfy Wire. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
- ^ Nolfi, Joey (July 21, 2018). "Clark Gregg returning to Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to direct season 6 opener". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
- ^ "Trust Me First Clip". Filmofilia. April 17, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
- ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (August 24, 2021). "Clark Gregg talks returning to Marvel in 'What If...?' — and Phil Coulson's new crush on Thor". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt (March 28, 2022). "Snowpiercer Adds Clark Gregg to Cast for Season 4, Names New Showrunner". TVLine. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (January 13, 2023). "'Snowpiercer' Season 4 Won't Air On TNT, Final Season Shopped By Tomorrow Studios Along With Potential Offshoots". Deadline. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ "Briefly". USA Today. December 6, 2001, p. LIFE, 5D
- ^ Friedman, Megan; Matthews, Lyndsey (January 21, 2017). "Celebrities Hit the Streets for Women's Marches Around the World". Elle. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ Merrett, Robyn (July 3, 2020). . People. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Fernandez, Alexia (November 18, 2020). . People. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Reddit AMA (June 5, 2014). "I Am Clark Gregg", reddit.com; accessed June 6, 2014.
- ^ "Interfaith Celebrities: Jennifer Grey Dances Again, Stuff His Dad Says". InterfaithFamily. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ "Instagram". Archived from the original on December 26, 2021.
- ^ Martin, Damon (December 18, 2013). "'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' star Clark Gregg earns his brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" June 11, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Fox Sports. Accessed May 9, 2022
- ^ Dorman, Caitlin (April 22, 2021). "Who are celebrities endorsing for New York City mayor?". City & State NY. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ "Clark Gregg Teases New Mysterious Role For 'S.H.I.E.L.D.' Season 6". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
External links Edit
- Clark Gregg at IMDb
- Clark Gregg at the Internet Broadway Database
- Clark Gregg on Twitter