David Strathairn
David Strathairn
David Russell Strathairnis an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for portraying journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck. He is recognized for his role as CIA Deputy Director Noah Vosen in the 2007 film The Bourne Ultimatum, a role he reprised in 2012's The Bourne Legacy. He played a prominent role as Dr. Lee Rosen on the Syfy series Alphas from 2011 to 2012 and played Secretary of State William Henry...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth26 January 1949
CitySan Francisco, CA
CountryUnited States of America
David Strathairn quotes about
I feel kind of like a deer in the headlights. It's quite a big dance and it's my first time on the floor.
It was like another finger, just this finger he always kept lit, ... It was always there, it seems; they said they never saw him without it.
It was a process of listening, listening, watching, listening, reading, more and more.
But I find it's usually a collaboration. Very rarely does a lead exist without someone else holding on to the leash, so to speak.
It's really a presentation of life, as it was at that moment, in a really artistic way. Everything was double-sourced. George was determined to do this as a journalist.
I think they were being kind saying that. Murrow read his stuff, so I had that ace in the hole. If I froze in front of the camera, I could always just look down. But George said, 'We want you looking at the camera a little bit more than reading, OK?' ... And it was scary.
Apart from stark fear, I was taken aback quite a bit. It was a huge responsibility to try and depict such a great man - such a great American.
When I first saw a rough cut of it, I knew it was going to have some kind of bells and whistles.
You kind of get pigeonholed for various reasons. One thing I didn't do in this movie (that) I regret not doing was taking a pratfall. I think, as great as Edward R. Murrow was, in terms of cinema, you've gotta honor those great clowns.
When people and animals die, they stay with us in our minds.
In order to crash the party and be a clown with your own skit, you had to be there for quite a while.
If anyone was talking about journalism in the '50s - it was Edward R.Murrow.
Film, television and to a certain extent, theater are modern day libraries.
I don't think I could've carried the weight that Murrow carried.