Victor Garber | |
|---|---|
 Garber in 2025 | |
| Born | Victor Jay Garber (1949-03-16)March 16, 1949 (age 76) London, Ontario, Canada |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1972–present |
| Spouse | |
| Mother | Bessie Hope Wolf |
Victor Garber,OC[1] (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian stage and film actor, and a singer.[2] Known for his work on stage and screen, he has been nominated for threeGemini Awards, fourTony Awards and sixPrimetime Emmy Awards. In 2022 he was made anOfficer of the Order of Canada.[3]
Garber originated roles in theBroadway productions ofSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 1979 (as Anthony Hope),Noises Off in 1983 (as Garry LeJeune),Lend Me a Tenor in 1989 (as Max),Arcadia in 1995 (as Bernard Nightingale), andArt in 1998 (as Serge). He has received fourTony Award nominations for his performances in the playDeathtrap in 1978 (as Clifford Anderson), theNeil Simon musicalLittle Me in 1982 (as The Men in Belle's Life),Lend Me a Tenor in 1989, and the musical comedy revival ofDamn Yankees in 1994 (as Applegate). He created the role ofJohn Wilkes Booth in the original cast of the 1990Off-Broadway run ofAssassins. In 2018, he returned to Broadway in the revival ofHello, Dolly! as Horace Vandergelder oppositeBernadette Peters andGavin Creel.
He made his film debut asJesus Christ in the musicalGodspell (1973). He has also been nominated for threeScreen Actors Guild Awards along with the casts of the critically acclaimed filmsTitanic (1997),Milk (2008), andArgo (2012), winning forArgo. Other notable films includeSleepless in Seattle (1993),The First Wives Club (1996),Cinderella (1997),Annie (1999),Legally Blonde (2001),Sicario (2015),Dark Waters (2019), andHappiest Season (2020).
On television, Garber is best known asJack Bristow in theABC seriesAlias (2001 to 2006) for which he received three consecutivePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series nominations. He received further Emmy nominations for his portrayal ofSidney Luft inLife with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001) and for his guest roles in thesitcomsFrasier in 2001 andWill & Grace in 2005. Garber portrayedMartin Stein / Firestorm in the superhero seriesThe Flash (2015–2017) andLegends of Tomorrow (2016–2017, 2021), which are part of theArrowverse.
Victor Garber was born inLondon, Ontario, Canada, and is ofRussian-Jewish descent. His father was Joseph Garber (died 1995), and his mother,Bessie Hope Wolf (died 2005), was an actress and singer and the host ofAt Home with Hope Garber.[4] He has a brother, Nathan, and a sister, Alisa.
Garber attended Ryerson Elementary School andLondon Central Secondary School. He began acting at the age of nine in 1958. Garber enrolled in the children's program of theGrand Theatre, and, at age 16, he was accepted at a six-week summer theatre training program at theUniversity of Toronto taught by Robert Gill.[5] In New York, he studied acting atHB Studio.[6]
In 1967, after a period working as a solofolk singer, Garber formed afolk group calledThe Sugar Shoppe with Peter Mann, Laurie Hood and Lee Harris. The group enjoyed moderate success, breaking into the CanadianTop 40 with a version ofBobby Gimby's song "Canada" (1967).[7] Three other Sugar Shoppe songs made the lower reaches of the Canadian Top 100 in 1967 and 1968. The band had performed onThe Ed Sullivan Show andThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson before breaking up.[8]
Garber playedJesus in Toronto's 1972 production ofGodspell, alongsideEugene Levy,Andrea Martin,Gilda Radner,Dave Thomas,Paul Shaffer andMartin Short.[9][10] In 1985, he appeared inNoises Off at theAhmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.[11]
He appeared onBroadway in the original productions ofDeathtrap,Sweeney Todd andNoises Off (1983), and in the originalOff-Broadway cast ofAssassins, as well as the 1990s revival ofDamn Yankees. In 1986, Garber appeared atCircle in the Square oppositeUta Hagen inYou Never Can Tell.[12] He was nominated for fourTony Awards and opened the48th Tony Awards program in 1994 (the year he was nominated for theTony Award for Best Actor in a Musical forDamn Yankees).[13] In 1998, he co-starred on Broadway in theTony Award-winning playArt withAlan Alda andAlfred Molina. In 2005, he played the role of Fredrik Egerman in theLos Angeles Opera production ofA Little Night Music. He played Ben Stone in a critically praisedEncores! staged concert production ofFollies (2007) oppositeDonna Murphy.[14] In mid-2007, he played Garry Essendine in a production ofNoël Coward'sPresent Laughter at Boston'sHuntington Theatre.[15] He reprised the role on Broadway in theRoundabout Theatre production, which opened in January 2010.[16]
In January 2018, Garber replacedDavid Hyde Pierce as Horace Vandergelder in the Tony-winning Broadway revival ofHello, Dolly! at theShubert Theatre oppositeBernadette Peters. Garber began performances on January 20, prior to the press opening on February 22.[17][18]
Garber received the 2018Theatre World John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement.[19]
His earlier film work includesGodspell (1973) as Jesus Christ (the part he played originally in the 1972 Canadian stage production) andSleepless in Seattle (1993). He starred oppositeGoldie Hawn,Diane Keaton, andBette Midler inThe First Wives Club as film producer Bill Atchison, husband of Hawn's character Elise Eliot, in 1996. InJames Cameron'sTitanic (1997), he essayed aMid-Ulster accent to play the shipbuilderThomas Andrews.
In 2009, Garber voicedDC ComicssupervillainSinestro in thedirect-to-videoanimated filmGreen Lantern: First Flight. That same year, Garber played aKlingon interrogator inJ. J. Abrams'Star Trek film; however, his scenes were deleted from the finished film.[20]
In 2010, Garber had an uncredited cameo inThe Town, directed byBen Affleck, as David, a bank manager. Garber also appeared in the filmIce Quake. In late 2012, he appeared in Affleck's filmArgo,[21] about theIran hostage crisis; Garber portrayed Canadian Ambassador toIranKenneth D. Taylor.[22] He also co-starred in 2014 thrillerBig Game.[23][24]
Garber narrated the 2017 filmThey Shall Not Perish.[25] Other film appearances includeAnnie (1999),Legally Blonde (2001), andTuck Everlasting (2002).[5]
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On television, he has had roles on American andCanadian shows. Garber's first leading role on television show was inCBS's 1985 summer seriesI Had Three Wives.[26] He had a recurring guest role onCTV'sE.N.G. (1991–93). He portrayed Jack Bristow, the father of main characterSydney Bristow onABC'sAlias, earning threeEmmy nominations.[27][28] He next starred on the television seriesJustice (2006) onFox and ABC'sEli Stone. He appeared as Olivier Roth in four episodes of the Canadian science dramaReGenesis. He appeared in the Fox seriesGlee in the third episode titled "Acafellas", asWill Schuester (Matthew Morrison)'s father Mr. Schuester. He playedMartin Stein / Firestorm onThe Flash starting with the episode "Crazy for You" (2015),[29] before being spun off ontoLegends of Tomorrow, where he was a series regular for itsfirst andsecond seasons (2016–2017) and half of thethird season (2017).[30] Garber made his final appearance as a regular in the crossover event "Crisis on Earth-X" (2017), where Stein waskilled off.[31] However, he reprised his role in the series' 100th episode, "Wvrdr_error_100<oest-of-th3-gs.gid30n> not found" (2021), where Stein appears as part ofGideon's memories.[32] Additionally, Garber made an independent return toThe Flash in theseason three episode "Duet" (2017) as the unnamed husband of gangster Digsy Foss (Jesse L. Martin) in a dream world. Garber reprised his role as Stein for a final time in a vocal cameo in "A New World" (2023), the series finale ofThe Flash.[33] He also played the reoccurring character Admiral Halsey onThe Orville.[34]
Garber prefers to keep his personal life private and has largely stayed out of thetabloids.[4] In 2012, hereferred publicly to being gay.[35] In 2013, he said "I don't really talk about it but everybody knows."[36] Garber has been in a relationship with Canadian artist and model Rainer Andreesen since 2000.[35] On October 10, 2015, Andreesen announced on hisInstagram page that he and Garber had married in Canada.[37]
Garber hastype 1 diabetes. He was diagnosed in 1962 at the age of 12.[38]
Garber is good friends with hisAlias co-starJennifer Garner, and officiated her 2005 wedding toBen Affleck. Garber and his husband Rainer Andreesen were the only guests at the private wedding.[39]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Godspell | Jesus Christ | |
| 1974 | Monkeys in the Attic | Eric | |
| 1981 | In the Research of Path of Life | Benjamin Lonergan | |
| 1988 | The Legendary Life of Ernest Hemingway | Ernest Hemingway | |
| 1992 | Singles | Child's Father | Uncredited cameo |
| Light Sleeper | Tis Brooke | ||
| 1993 | Sleepless in Seattle | Greg | |
| Life with Mikey | Brian Spiro | ||
| I'll Never Get to Heaven | Eric Hoskins | ||
| 1994 | Exotica | Harold Brown | |
| Mixed Nuts | Irate Neighbour | Voice | |
| 1995 | Jeffrey | Tim | |
| Kleptomania | Morgan Allen | ||
| 1996 | The First Wives Club | Bill Atchison | |
| 1997 | Titanic | Thomas Andrews | |
| The Absolution of Anthony | Father Carson | Short | |
| 1998 | How Stella Got Her Groove Back | Isaac | Uncredited cameo |
| 2001 | Legally Blonde | Professor Aaron Callahan | |
| 2002 | Tuck Everlasting | Robert Foster | |
| Home Room | Det. Martin Van Zandt | ||
| 2008 | Milk | MayorGeorge Moscone | |
| 2009 | Green Lantern: First Flight | Sinestro | Voice[40] |
| Star Trek | Klingon Interrogator | Deleted scene | |
| 2010 | You Again | Mark Olsen | |
| The Town | David | Uncredited cameo | |
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Master Thundering Rhino | Voice[40] |
| The Entitled | Bob Vincent | ||
| Take Me Home | Arnold Colvin | ||
| 2012 | Argo | Ken Taylor | |
| Moving Day | Wilf Redmond | ||
| 2013 | I'll Follow You Down | Sal | |
| 2014 | Big Game | Vice President | |
| 2015 | Self/less | Martin O'Neill | |
| Consumed | Dan Conway | ||
| Sicario | Dave Jennings | ||
| 2017 | Rebel in the Rye | Sol Salinger | |
| 2019 | Dark Waters | Phil Donnelly | |
| 2020 | Funny Face | Developer's Father | |
| Happiest Season | Ted Caldwell | ||
| 2023 | Wish | Sabino | Voice[41] |
| 2024 | Fly Me to the Moon | Senator Hedges[42] | |
| Relay | |||
| TBA | The Gettysburg Address† | William L. Saunders | Voice;post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Jack: A Flash Fantasy | Jack of Hearts | Television film |
| ABC Afterschool Special | Christian de Neuvillette | Voice, episode: "Cyrano" | |
| 1975 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Marquis de Lafayette | Episode: "Valley Forge" |
| 1976 | Great Performances | Arthur Miller | Episode: "Ah, Wilderness" |
| 1977 | The Best of Families | Teddy Wheeler | Miniseries |
| 1978 | Tartuffe | Valère | Television film |
| 1983 | Charley's Aunt | Jack Chesney | |
| 1985 | I Had Three Wives | Jackson Beaudine | Main role (5 episodes) |
| Tales from the Darkside | Ambrose Cavender | Episode: "The Tear Collector" | |
| Private Sessions | Jerry Sharma | Television film | |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | Dr. Kevin Carlson | Episode: "A Day in Beaumont" |
| Roanoak | John White | Television film | |
| Guiding Light | Det. Frank Minnelli | Unknown episodes | |
| 1987–1991 | The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | Dennis Widmer | 10 episodes |
| 1988 | Liberace: Behind the Music | Liberace | Television film |
| 1991 | Grand Larceny | Judge Keeler | |
| 1991–1993 | E.N.G. | Adam Hirsch | 10 episodes |
| 1992 | The First Circle | Lew Rubin | Television film |
| I'll Fly Away | Warren | Episode: "Fragile Truths" | |
| The Powers That Be | Mack Novitz | Episode: "Oh, Mack" | |
| 1993 | Alex Haley's Queen | Digby | Miniseries |
| Dieppe | Lord Louis Mountbatten | Television film | |
| Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story | Frank Marrocco | ||
| Sesame Street | Charles | Episode: "Barkley Wants to Play" | |
| 1994 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Blackwell | Episode: "The Innocent" |
| 1995 | Law & Order | Paul Sandig | Episode: "Savages" |
| Almost Perfect | Howard Guthrie | Episode: "You Like Me, You Really Like Me" | |
| 1996 | Hostile Advances | Jack Gilcrest | Television film |
| F/X: The Series | Andrew Price | Episode: "The Brotherhood" | |
| The Outer Limits | Dr. Ben McCormick | Episode: "Out of Body" | |
| 1997 | Cinderella | King Maximilian | Television film |
| Let Me Call You Sweetheart | Geoff Dorso | ||
| Liberty! The American Revolution | John Dickinson | 6 episodes | |
| 1999 | Summer's End | Narrator | Voice, television film |
| Invisible Child | Tim Beeman | Television film | |
| Annie | Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks | ||
| External Affairs | Harry Raymond | ||
| 2000 | Love and Murder | Inspector Philip Millard | |
| Frasier | Ferguson | Episode: "Taking Liberties" | |
| The Outer Limits | Dr. Edward Normandy | Episode: "Glitch" | |
| 2001 | Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows | Sidney Luft | Miniseries |
| The Wandering Soul Murders | Inspector Philip Millard | Television film | |
| A Colder Kind of Death | |||
| Laughter on the 23rd Floor | Kenny Franks | ||
| Call Me Claus | Taylor | ||
| 2001–2006 | Alias | Jack Bristow | Main cast (105 episodes) |
| 2002 | Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story | J.J. Robinette | Television film |
| 2003 | The Music Man | Mayor George Shinn | |
| It's All Relative | Jerry / Joffrey | Episode: "The Doctor Is Out" | |
| 2004 | Will & Grace | Peter Bovington | Episode: "Saving Grace, Again: Part 2" |
| 2006 | Justice | Ron Trott | 13 episodes |
| 2007 | American Masters | Narrator | Episode: "Novel Reflections: The American Dream" |
| Ugly Betty | Professor Barrett | Episode: "Grin and Bear It" | |
| 2007–2008 | ReGenesis | Oliver Roth | 5 episodes |
| 2008–2009 | Eli Stone | Jordan Wethersby | 26 episodes |
| 2009 | The Last Templar | Monsignor De Angelis | Miniseries |
| Everything She Ever Wanted | Walter Allanson | ||
| Glee | Mr. Schuester | Episode: "Acafellas" | |
| Nurse Jackie | Neil Nutterman | 2 episodes | |
| Rex | Paul | Television film | |
| America Before Columbus | Narrator | Documentary | |
| 2009–2014 | Web Therapy | Kip Wallice | Web series, 8 episodes |
| 2010 | Ice Quake | Colonel Bill Hughes | Television film |
| 2010–2013 | Republic of Doyle | Garrison Steel | 4 episodes |
| 2011 | Stargate Universe | Ambassador Ovirda | Episode: "Seizure" |
| Suits | Phillip Hardman | Pilot (scenes cut in US release) | |
| Murdoch Mysteries | Detective Malcolm Lamb | Episode: "Tattered and Torn" | |
| Flashpoint | Dr. Larry Toth | 3 episodes | |
| 30 Rock | Eugene Gremby | Episode: "Respawn" | |
| Law & Order: LA | Walter Calvin | Episode: "Angel's Knoll" | |
| William & Catherine: A Royal Romance | Charles, Prince of Wales | Television film | |
| Charlie's Angels | Charles "Charlie" Townsend | Voice, 8 episodes | |
| 2011–2015 | Web Therapy | Kip Wallice | Main role (19 episodes) |
| 2012 | The Big C | Willie Wanker | Episode: "Family Matters" |
| Damages | Bennett Herreshoff | 3 episodes | |
| The Firm | Judge Walter A. Dominic | Episode: "Chapter 6" | |
| 2013 | Deception | Robert Bowers | Main role (11 episodes) |
| The Hunters | Mason Fuller | Television film | |
| 2014 | The Good Wife | Judge Loudon Spencer | Episode: "We, the Juries" |
| Sleepy Hollow | Mr. Crane | Episode: "Bad Blood" | |
| Louie | Louie's Lawyer | Episode: "Model" | |
| Working the Engels | Dr. Colin Shandy | Episode: "Family Therapy" | |
| Blue Bloods | Donald Stein | Episode: "Under the Gun" | |
| 2014–2020 | Power | Simon Stern | 16 episodes |
| 2015 | Motive | Neville Montgomery | 4 episodes |
| The Slap | Narrator | Miniseries | |
| Bob's Broken Sleigh | Fluffy | Voice; TV special[40] | |
| 2015–2017, 2023 | The Flash | Martin Stein / Firestorm | 12 episodes |
| Digsy Foss's husband | Episode: "Duet"[43] | ||
| 2016–2017, 2021 | Legends of Tomorrow | Martin Stein / Firestorm | Main role (42 episodes)[44] |
| Eobard Thawne | Episode: "The Chicago Way" | ||
| Sir Henry Stein | Episode: "Return of the Mack"[45] | ||
| 2016 | Vixen | Martin Stein / Firestorm | Voice, episode: "Episode #2.1"[46] |
| 2017–2022 | The Orville | Admiral Halsey | 13 episodes |
| 2017 | Modern Family | Charles Dumont | Episode: "Do It Yourself" |
| Difficult People | John Passias | Episode: "Cindarestylox" | |
| Supergirl | Martin Stein / Firestorm[47][48] | Episode: "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1" | |
| Arrow | Episode: "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 2" | ||
| 2018–2020 | Spirit Riding Free | James Prescott Sr. | Voice, 2 episodes[40] |
| 2019 | Tales of the City | Sam Garland | 7 episodes[49] |
| 2020 | Schitt's Creek | Clifton Sparks | Episode: "Sunrise, Sunset" |
| 2020–2021 | Power Book II: Ghost | Simon Stern | 4 episodes |
| 2021–present | Family Law | Harry Svensson | Main role (30 episodes)[50] |
| 2021 | The Simpsons | Michael de Graff | Voice, episode: "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire"[51] |
| Beebo Saves Christmas | Narrator | TV special[52] | |
| 2023 | The Last Thing He Told Me | Professor Tobias Cookman | Episode: "Witness to Your Life" |
| 2023–2025 | And Just Like That... | Mark Kasabian | 4 episodes |
| 2024 | American Horror Stories | David Woodrow Randolph | Episode: "Clone" |
Source:Playbill[53]
| Year | Production | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972–1975 | Godspell | Jesus Christ | Royal Alexandra Theatre Westbury Music Fair Paper Mill Playhouse |
| 1973 | Ghosts | Performer | Roundabout Theatre Company |
| 1975 | Joe's Opera | ||
| 1976 | Cracks | ||
| 1977 | The Shadow Box | Mark | Morosco Theatre,Broadway |
| Tartuffe | Valère | Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway | |
| 1978 | Deathtrap | Cliff Anderson | Biltmore Theatre, Broadway |
| 1979 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Anthony Hope | Uris Theatre, Broadway |
| 1979–1981 | They're Playing Our Song | Vernon Gersch | Imperial Theatre, Broadway |
| 1982 | Little Me | Various roles | Eugene O'Neill Theatre, Broadway |
| 1983 | Noises Off | Gary LeJuene | Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway |
| 1986–1987 | You Never Can Tell | Valentine | Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway |
| 1988 | The Devil's Disciple | Richard Dudgeon | |
| Wenceslas Square | Performer | ||
| 1989 | Love Letters | Andrew Makepeace Ladd III | Promenade Theatre |
| Lend Me a Tenor | Max | Royale Theatre, Broadway | |
| 1990 | Merrily We Roll Along | Franklin Shepard | Arena Stage |
| 1990–1991 | Assassins | John Wilkes Booth | Playwrights Horizons,Off-Broadway |
| 1992 | Two Shakespearean Actors | Edwin Forrest | Cort Theatre, Broadway |
| 1994–1995 | Damn Yankees | Mr. Applegate | Marquis Theatre, Broadway |
| 1995 | Arcadia | Bernard Nightingale | Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway |
| 1998 | 'Art' | Serge | Royale Theatre, Broadway |
| 2004 | A Little Night Music | Fredrik Egerman | Los Angeles Opera |
| 2007 | Follies | Benjamin Stone | New York City Center, Off-Broadway |
| 2009 | A Little Night Music | Fredrik Egerman | Studio 54, Broadway |
| 2010 | Present Laughter | Garry Essendine | American Airlines Theatre, Broadway |
| 2011 | She Loves Me | Zoltan Maraczek | Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Broadway |
| 2018 | Hello, Dolly! | Horace Vandergelder | Shubert Theatre, Broadway |
| 2023 | Love Letters | Andrew Makepeace Ladd III | Irish Repertory Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| Gutenberg! The Musical! | The Producer (One night cameo) | James Earl Jones Theatre, Broadway |
In addition to industry awards, Garber was appointed to theOrder of Canada in 2022, with the rank of Officer.[54]
He landed his first leading role in a series with "I Had Three Wives" (CBS, 1985), playing a private investigator who receives help from a trio of ex-wives (Shanna Reed, Teri Copley and Maggie Cooper).
