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Brad Dourif | |
|---|---|
 Dourif in 2002 | |
| Born | Bradford Claude Dourif (1950-03-18)March 18, 1950 (age 75) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2, includingFiona Dourif |
| Awards | See awards |
Bradford Claude Dourif[1] (/ˈdɔːrɪf/;[2] born March 18, 1950)[3] is an American actor. He is known for voicingChucky in theChild's Play franchise (1988–present), portrayingGríma Wormtongue inThe Lord of the Rings film series and hisOscar-nominated role asBilly Bibbit inOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
Brad Dourif's other film roles includeWise Blood (1979),Ragtime (1981),Dune (1984),Blue Velvet (1986),Mississippi Burning (1988),The Exorcist III (1990),Critters 4 (1992),Alien Resurrection (1997), and the 2007 remake ofHalloween andits sequel. He also appeared in many television series, notablyDeadwood (2004–2006,2019), for which he receivedPrimetime Emmy andSatellite Award nominations for his portrayal of Amos "Doc" Cochran.
Bradford Claude Dourif was born inHuntington, West Virginia, on March 18, 1950, to Joan Mavis Felton (née Bradford), an actress, and Jean Henri Dourif, an art collector who owned and operated a dye factory.[1][3][4]
His paternal grandparents emigrated fromFrance, and his paternal grandfather co-founded the Standard Ultramarine and Color Company in Huntington.[5] After Dourif's father died in 1953, his mother married champion golferWilliam C. Campbell, who helped raise Dourif and his five siblings (four sisters and one brother).[6] From 1963 to 1965, Dourif attended the privateAiken Preparatory School inAiken, South Carolina. There, he pursued his interests in art and acting. Although he briefly considered becoming a flower arranger,[citation needed] he was eventually inspired to become an actor by his mother's participation as an actress in a community theater called Give Me Shelter.
After Aiken, he attendedFountain Valley School inColorado Springs, Colorado, graduating in 1968. Dourif appeared as an amateur at the Fountain Valley Film Festival in 1969, taking second place in the 8 mm film category with his 10-minute entry "Blind Date."[7] Dourif attendedMarshall University for a time, before quitting college and moving toNew York City to study acting on the advice of actressConchata Ferrell.[8]
Starting in school productions, Dourif progressed to community theater, joining up with the Huntington Community Players while attending Marshall University. InNew York City, he studied withSanford Meisner, and worked with Marshall Mason andLanford Wilson at theCircle Repertory Company. During the early 1970s, Dourif appeared in a number of plays, off-Broadway and atWoodstock, New York, includingThe Ghost Sonata,The Doctor in Spite of Himself, andWhen You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?, in which he was spotted by directorMiloš Forman[8] who cast him inOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
In 2013, after a three-decade absence from the stage, Dourif chose to star alongsideAmanda Plummer in theOff-Broadway revival ofTennessee Williams'The Two-Character Play that played to critical acclaim at theNew World Stages.[9] He explained, in a filmed interview released by the producers, why he broke his 29-year hiatus from acting in live theater: "I hated the stage, did not want to do it. And then somebody said, 'Will you do a play? It's with Amanda Plummer', and I said, 'Oh shit! No. Oh God, I'm gonna have to do this...'".[10] It opened on June 19, 2013, and closed on September 29, 2013.[11] The play was subject to a number of performance cancellations, one relating to Dourif's absence due to a death in the family. Plummer refused to perform without Dourif, notwithstanding the presence of an understudy.[12]
Dourif had a small role in the filmW.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), but was omitted from the final cut of the film.[13] His portrayal of the vulnerable Billy Bibbit inCuckoo's Nest ended up being his big break, earning him aGolden Globe Award (Best Actor Debut) and aBritish Academy Award (Supporting Actor) as well as a nomination forAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[8]
In 1981,Vincent Canby listed Dourif as one of twelve actors to watch, calling Dourif "one of the most intense, most interesting young film actors of his generation."[14] Dourif returned to New York, where he continued in theater and taught acting and directing classes atColumbia University until 1988 (Don Mancini[15] was among his students).
He continued withEyes of Laura Mars (1978),John Huston'sWise Blood (1979),[16] Forman'sRagtime (1981),Marc Didden'sIstanbul (1985) andDavid Lynch'sDune (1984) andBlue Velvet (1986).
Dourif has appeared in a number of horror films, most notably as the voice ofChucky in theChild's Play franchise. He portrayed the Gemini Killer inThe Exorcist III (1990) and appeared inDeath Machine (1994),Sworn to Justice withCynthia Rothrock andAlien Resurrection (1997). He later appeared as Sheriff Lee Brackett inRob Zombie'sHalloween (2007) andHalloween II (2009). In 2013, Dourif reprised his role as Chucky in the sixth installment of theChild's Play franchise,Curse of Chucky, and then again in the 2017 sequel,Cult of Chucky. His daughter,Fiona Dourif, also starred with him in both films.
Other notable film roles includeGríma Wormtongue in theLord of the Rings trilogy and supporting roles inFatal Beauty (1987),Mississippi Burning (1988),Hidden Agenda (1990),London Kills Me (1991) andSinner (2007).
Dourif has worked with directorWerner Herzog on many occasions, appearing inScream of Stone (1991),The Wild Blue Yonder (2005),Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), andMy Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (2009).
In 1984, Dourif played a suspected serial killer in the episode "Number Eight" ofTales of the Unexpected. In 1994, he appeared inThe X-Files episode "Beyond the Sea" as the psychic serial killer Luther Lee Boggs. He also portrayedLon Suder in a three episode story arc onStar Trek: Voyager and guest starred as a troubled monk haunted by visions inBabylon 5. Dourif later won acclaim asDoc Cochran inDeadwood, receiving a 2004Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
In 2011, he guest-starred in thethird-season finale ofFringe[17] and, in 2014, appeared in theAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "End of the Beginning".
In 2021, Dourif reprised his role as Chucky in the television series adaptation of the Child's Play franchise titledChucky.[18]
In 2012, Dourif contributed spoken word vocals to three songs on the albumMisery Together by the Norwegian duo Thinguma*jigSaw.[19] Dourif also appears in the music videos for "Stranger in Town" (1984) byToto and "Drinking from the Bottle" (2012) byCalvin Harris.
On April 18, 2024, Dourif announced that he would be retiring from acting, with the exception of any Chucky-related projects involving the character.[20] The reason behind this was because of his daughter Fiona (who playsNica Pierce in the franchise), plus he consideredChucky creator Don Mancini to be "family".[20]
Dourif has been married twice;[21] first to Janet Stephanie, with whom he had daughter Kristina/Christina Dourif (b. 1976),[3][1] and then to Jonina Dourif,[1][22] with whom he had another daughter, actressFiona Dourif (b. 1981).[23][24]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Billy Bibbit | |
| 1977 | Group Portrait with a Lady | Boris Koltowski | |
| 1978 | Eyes of Laura Mars | Tommy Ludlow | |
| 1979 | Wise Blood | Hazel Motes | |
| 1980 | Heaven's Gate | Mr. Eggleston | |
| 1981 | Ragtime | Younger Brother | |
| 1984 | Dune | Piter De Vries | |
| 1985 | Istanbul | Martin Klamski | |
| 1986 | Blue Velvet | Raymond | |
| Impure Thoughts | Kevin Harrington | ||
| 1987 | Fatal Beauty | Leo Nova | |
| 1988 | Child's Play | Charles Lee Ray / Chucky | |
| Mississippi Burning | Deputy Clinton Pell | ||
| 1989 | Sonny Boy | Weasel | |
| Grim Prairie Tales | Farley | ||
| 1990 | Child's Play 2 | Chucky (voice) | |
| Spontaneous Combustion | Sam | ||
| Horseplayer | Bud Cowan | ||
| Graveyard Shift | Tucker Cleveland | ||
| The Exorcist III | James "Gemini" Venamun | ||
| Hidden Agenda | Paul Sullivan | ||
| Chaindance | Johnny Reynolds | ||
| 1991 | Murder Blues | John Barnes | |
| Child's Play 3 | Chucky (voice) | ||
| Jungle Fever | Leslie | ||
| Body Parts | Remo Lacey | ||
| Scream of Stone | Fingerless | ||
| London Kills Me | Hemingway | ||
| 1992 | Final Judgement | Father Tyrone | |
| Critters 4 | Al Bert | ||
| 1993 | Trauma | Dr. Lloyd | |
| Amos & Andrew | Officer Donnie Donaldson | ||
| 1994 | Color of Night | Clark | |
| Death Machine | Dante | ||
| 1995 | Murder in the First | Byron Stamphill | |
| Phoenix | Reiger | ||
| 1996 | Sworn to Justice | Teddy | |
| A Step Toward Tomorrow | Kirby | ||
| 1997 | Jamaica Beat | Tom Peterson | |
| Nightwatch | Duty Doctor | ||
| Best Men | John "Gonzo" Coleman | ||
| Alien Resurrection | Dr. Jonathan Gediman | ||
| 1998 | Brown's Requiem | Edwards | |
| Senseless | Dr. Wheedon | ||
| Progeny | Dr. Bert Clavell | ||
| Urban Legend | Michael McDonnell | Uncredited | |
| Bride of Chucky | Chucky (voice) | ||
| 1999 | The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man | Gabriel | |
| Cypress Edge | Colin McCammon | ||
| Interceptors | David M. Webber | ||
| Silicon Towers | Alton | ||
| 2000 | Shadow Hours | Roland Montague | |
| The Prophecy 3: The Ascent | Zealot | ||
| 2001 | The Ghost | Lt. Garland | |
| Soulkeeper | Mr. Pascal | ||
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Gríma Wormtongue | |
| 2003 | The Box | Stan | |
| Vlad | Radescu | ||
| The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Gríma Wormtongue | Extended cut only | |
| 2004 | Seed of Chucky | Chucky (voice) | |
| The Devil's Due at Midnight | The Dark One | ||
| The Hazing | Professor Kapps | ||
| El Padrino | Cyrus | ||
| 2005 | Drop Dead Sexy | Herman | |
| The Wild Blue Yonder | The Alien | ||
| Man of Faith | B. B. Gallen | ||
| 2006 | Pulse | Thin Bookish Guy | |
| 2007 | Sinner | Caddie | |
| The List | Johan Gabini | ||
| The Wizard of Gore | Dr. Chong | ||
| Halloween | Sheriff Leigh Brackett | ||
| 2008 | Touching Home | Clyde Winston | |
| Humboldt County | Jack | ||
| 2009 | Born of Earth | Mayor | |
| Lock and Roll Forever | Zee | ||
| Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans | Ned Schoenholtz | ||
| Halloween II | Sheriff Leigh Brackett | ||
| My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? | Uncle Ted | ||
| 2010 | Chain Letter | Mr. Smirker | |
| Junkyard Dog | Sheriff Holk | ||
| 2011 | Fading of the Cries | Mathias | |
| Priest | Salesman | ||
| Catch .44 | Sheriff Connors | ||
| Death and Cremation | Stan | ||
| 2012 | Last Kind Words | Wylon | |
| Black Box | Tom | ||
| 2013 | Santa Monica | Stan | Short film |
| Gingerclown | Worm Creature (voice) | ||
| Blood Shot | Bob | ||
| Curse of Chucky | Charles Lee Ray / Chucky | ||
| Malignant | The Man | ||
| 2014 | The Control Group | Dr. Broward | |
| 2015 | Rosemont | Abe | |
| 2017 | Cult of Chucky | Chucky (voice) | |
| Out to Lunch | Man | Short film | |
| Cut Off | Diggs | ||
| 2018 | Wildling | Daddy/Gabriel Hanson | |
| American Dream | George | ||
| Ready Player One | Chucky (voice) | Archival audio[25] | |
| 2019 | Obsession | George | |
| 2021 | The Shuroo Process | Dr. Feinstein | |
| 2022 | The Living | Vlad | Short film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | The Mound Builders | Chad Jasker | Television film |
| 1977 | The Gardener's Son | Robert McEvoy | |
| 1978 | Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force | Sgt.Leonard Matlovich | |
| 1979 | Studs Lonigan | Danny O'Neill | 3 episodes |
| 1980 | Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones | David Langtree | Television film |
| 1982 | I, Desire | Paul | |
| 1984 | Tales of the Unexpected | Hitchhiker | Episode: "Number Eight" |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Fenn | Episode: "Out of the Past" |
| Spenser: For Hire | Maxie Lyons | Episode: "Rage" | |
| Rage of Angels | Seymour Bourne | Television film | |
| Vengeance: The Story of Tony Cimo | Lamar Sands | ||
| 1987 | Moonlighting | Father McDonovan | Episode: "All Creatures Great...and Not So Great" |
| The Hitchhiker | Billy Baltimore Jr. | Episode: "The Legendary Billy B." | |
| Miami Vice | Joey Wyatt | Episode: "Theresa" | |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Dr. Warren Overman | Episode: "Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble" |
| Desperado: The Outlaw Wars | Camillus Fly | Television film | |
| Terror on Highway 91 | Keith Evans | ||
| 1993 | Wild Palms | Chickie Levitt | 3 episodes |
| Tales from the Crypt | Virgil | Episode: "People Who Live in Brass Hearses" | |
| 1994 | The X-Files | Luther Lee Boggs | Episode: "Beyond the Sea" |
| A Worn Path | Hunter | Television film | |
| 1995 | Babylon 5 | Charles Dexter/Brother Edward | Episode: "Passing Through Gethsemane" |
| Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story | Sheriff Bill Douglass | Television film | |
| Escape to Witch Mountain | Luther/Bruno | ||
| 1996 | Star Trek: Voyager | Lon Suder | 3 episodes |
| Blackout | Thomas Payne | Television film | |
| If Looks Could Kill | M. Eugene "Gene" Hanson | ||
| 1997 | Millennium | Dennis Hoffman | Episode: "Force Majeure" |
| 1999 | The Norm Show | The Devil | Episode: "Norm and Shelley" |
| The Magnificent Seven | Rupert Brauner | Episode: "Chinatown" | |
| The Hunger | Manno | Episode: "Sin Seer" | |
| 2001–02 | Ponderosa | Maurice Deveraux | 8 episodes |
| 2004–06 | Deadwood | Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran | Main cast |
| 2008 | Law & Order | Dr. David Lingard | Episode: "Called Home" |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Iggy Drexel | Episode: "Torch" |
| 2011 | Fringe | Moreau | Episode: "The Day We Died" |
| Psych | Bernie Bethel | Episode: "Shawn, Interrupted" | |
| Miami Magma | Jacob Capilla | Television film | |
| 2012 | Wilfred | P.T. | Episode: "Questions" |
| Criminal Minds | Adam Rain | Episode: "The Lesson" | |
| Swamp Volcano | Jacob Capilla | Television film | |
| 2012–14 | Once Upon a Time | Zoso | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | End of the World | Dr. Walter Brown | Television film |
| 2014 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Thomas Nash | Episode: "End of the Beginning" |
| 2016 | The Wilding | David Stearns | Television film |
| 2019 | Deadwood: The Movie | Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran | |
| 2021–2024 | Chucky | Charles Lee Ray / Chucky | Main cast |
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Myst III: Exile | Saavedro | |
| 2002 | Run Like Hell | Fred | Voice |
| 2005 | Gun | Reverend Josiah Reed | |
| 2012 | Dishonored | Piero Joplin | |
| 2023 | Dead by Daylight | The Good Guy (Chucky / Charles Lee Ray) | DLC, Voice |
his second wife — my mother, Joni
...Jonina Dourif (wife of actor Brad Dourif)...
"Also my mother was a psychic when she was alive...
