David Dastmalchian
| David Dastmalchian | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 29, 1984 Wichita, Kansas, United States |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2005–present |
David Dastmalchian (pronounced dast-mol-chin; born February 29, 1984[1]) is an American actor known for film, television and theatre work. Originally from Kansas, he studied at The Theatre School at DePaul University.[2] In Chicago, he received acclaim for lead roles in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie and Sam Shepard's Buried Child.
Career
Dastmalchian's feature film debut came in the late 2000s, as the Joker’s deranged henchman, Thomas Schiff, in Christopher Nolan's movie The Dark Knight. His turn as Bob Taylor in Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners[3] received strong reviews. Richard Corliss of Time called Dastmalchian's performance "excellent - chatty, modest with some subtle telltale psychopathy" and The Guardian's Paul MacInnes likened his introduction as a new suspect to Kevin Spacey's entrance in Seven.[4]
In March 2014, Dastmalchian was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Courage in Storytelling at the South by Southwest Film Festival. He wrote and starred in the feature film Animals, directed by Collin Schiffli. Ashley Moreno of The Austin Chronicle credits Dastmalchian's screenplay with "present[ing] an authenticity often lacking in films about drug abuse."[5] Film Threat's Brian Tallerico similarly sings the praises of Dastmalchian's breakout performance, noting his ability to "capture that sense of self-loathing that comes through in the body language of an addict without overselling it." [6]
Other feature film appearances include starring roles in the psychological thriller The Employer,[7] the indie grindhouse hit Sushi Girl, the Detroit-based drama Cass (winner, San Diego Black Film Festival), Girls Will Be Girls 2012 (sequel to the cult hit, Girls Will Be Girls), Saving Lincoln, Virgin Alexander and the Peyton Reed-helmed Marvel Studios film, Ant Man.
Dastmalchian appeared in Michel Franco's Chronic alongside Tim Roth.
He has been on television as Simon on the Fox sci-fi series Almost Human episode "Simon Says", as a chess expert and murder suspect on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and as Oz Turner on the BBC series Intruders. Other television appearances include the FX comedy The League, the Showtime series Ray Donovan, and NBC's medical drama ER.
Personal life
Dastmalchian is from Wichita, Kansas. He is of Persian, Italian, Irish and English descent. Prior to beginning his career as an actor, he suffered from a heroin addiction for five years before getting clean. He wrote about his experience in his screenplay, Animals.[8]
Filmography
As actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Dark Knight | Thomas Schiff | |
| ER | Young Man | Episode: "Heal Thyself" | |
| 2009 | Horsemen | Terrence | |
| 2012 | Say When | Damon | |
| Cass | Joshua Whitmore | ||
| Virgin Alexander | Hank | ||
| Sushi Girl | Nelson | ||
| Singled Out | Luke | ||
| The League | Morgue Worker | Episode: "Judge MacArthur" | |
| 2013 | Saving Lincoln | Major Eckert | |
| The Employer | James Harris | ||
| Prisoners | Bob Taylor | ||
| Ray Donovan | English Teacher | Episode: "Black Cadillac" | |
| 2014 | Animals | Jude | Writer, Winner SXSW Film Festival - Special Jury Prize |
| Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie | Sergeant L. J. Ng | Cameo | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Lee Crosby | Episode: "Killer Moves" | |
| Almost Human | Simon | Episode: "Simon Says" | |
| Intruders | Oz Turner | Episode: "She Was Provisional" | |
| 2015 | Chronic | Bernard | |
| Ant-Man | Kurt | ||
| CSI: Cyber | Logan Reeves | Episode: "Family Secrets" | |
| 2016 | MacGyver | Murdoc | Episode: "Corkscrew" |
| 2017 | Blade Runner 2049 | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Constant Conversations" | Himself | Passion Pit video |
References
- ↑ Niccum, Jon (May 9, 2015). "David Dastmalchian goes from addiction to 'Ant-Man' and beyond". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- ↑ "The Theatre School News". Theatre.depaul.edu. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ↑ "Variety article: 'Prisoners' finds Dastmalchian". Variety.com. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ↑ Paul MacInnes. "Prisoners: Toronto 2013 – first look review". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-01-09.
- ↑ "SXSW Film Review: 'Animals'". Austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2016-01-09.
- ↑ "Animals - Review". Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
- ↑ "Quiet Earth article: Malcolm-McDowell-puts-applicants-through-hell-in-THE-EMPLOYER". Quietearth.us. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ↑ Niccum, Jon (May 9, 2015). "David Dastmalchian goes from addiction to 'Ant-Man' and beyond". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved October 17, 2016.