Martin Donovan Biography
Born: August 19, 1957
Most recognizable as a Hal_Hartley regular, tall, lanky Martin Donovan has made an indelible impression, gaining widespread respect as one of the more underrated figures in the film industry.
Born August 19, 1957, in Reseda, CA, Donovan attended the American Theater of Arts in Los Angeles before working for a number of theaters in Los Angeles and New York. Donovan's first starring role came in the 1984 drama Hard_Choices, which also starred John_Sayles and J.T. Walsh. 1991 marked his first collaboration with Hartley, as he starred in both Surviving_Desire (made for PBS' American Playhouse) and Trust. The latter became an art house favorite, helping to establish Hartley's reputation. The following year, Donovan made his next film with Hartley, 1992's Simple_Men.
Following his role in Hartley's critically acclaimed Amateur (1994), Donovan performed in a steady number of films throughout the rest of the decade. For Hartley, he appeared in Flirt (1995) and The Book of Life (1999), in which he played a modern-day Christ opposite PJ Harvey's Magdalena. Other notable work for the versatile actor included his role as Nicole_Kidman's consumptive confidant in The Portrait of a Lady (1996); a turn as a divorced gay father in the unsettling Hollow_Reed (1996); the part of Holly_Hunter's philandering husband in Living_Out_Loud (1998); and his triumphantly understated portrayal of Christina_Ricci's too-tolerant half-brother in Don_Roos' black comedy The Opposite of Sex (1998). It was this last role, in particular, that helped to thrust Donovan a little further into the spotlight, introducing him to an audience that was eager to learn more about this multi-talented, multifaceted actor. Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
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