Chris Messina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Messina
Messina in 2014
Born	(1974-08-11) August 11, 1974 (age 50) Northport, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor director writer producer
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Rosemarie DeWitt ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 2006)​ Jennifer Todd
Children	2

Chris Messina (born August 11, 1974) is an American actor. He is well-known for playing Danny Castellano in the TV series The Mindy Project from 2012 to 2017. For this role, he was nominated twice for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series.

Chris Messina has appeared in many movies. Some of his famous films include Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Julie & Julia (2009), Argo (2012), and Birds of Prey (2020). He also wrote, helped produce, and starred in the comedy movie Fairhaven (2012). He even directed and starred in the drama film Alex of Venice (2014).

On television, Messina has been in several popular shows. He played Ted Fairwell in the HBO series Six Feet Under (2005). He also appeared as Chris Sanchez in Damages (2011–2012) and Reese Lansing in The Newsroom (2012–2014). More recently, he was Richard Willis in Sharp Objects (2018) and Nick Haas in The Sinner (2020). In 2023, he starred as Nathan Bartlett in the comedy thriller Based on a True Story.

Early Life and How He Started

Chris Messina grew up in Northport, New York, which is on Long Island. When he was in high school, he studied theater. After high school, he went to Marymount Manhattan College, but he left after just one semester.

Becoming an Actor

Instead of staying in college, Chris studied acting with private teachers in Manhattan. He began his acting career performing in plays that were not on Broadway. These are called off-Broadway plays.

He also started getting small roles on TV. He appeared in episodes of shows like Law & Order, Third Watch, and Medium. He had a role in the last season of the HBO show Six Feet Under. Some of his early movie roles include Rounders, The Siege, and You've Got Mail.

In 2007, Daily Variety magazine named him one of the "ten actors to watch." He starred in the movie Devil in 2010. In 2010, his movie Monogamy, which he starred in with Rashida Jones, won an award at the Tribeca Film Festival.

His Big Roles

Chris Messina joined the cast of the TV show Damages for its fourth and fifth seasons. He also had a regular role on HBO's The Newsroom.

One of his most famous roles was Dr. Danny Castellano in the sitcom The Mindy Project. He was a main character for the first four seasons. He later returned for a few episodes in the final season.

In 2014, Chris Messina appeared in the music video for Sam Smith's song "I'm Not the Only One." That same year, he directed an independent movie called Alex of Venice. He also acted in the crime drama Live by Night in 2016, alongside Ben Affleck. In 2018, he starred with Amy Adams in the HBO series Sharp Objects.

In 2020, Chris Messina played the villain Victor Zsasz in the movie Birds of Prey. He said he had a lot of fun playing a "twisted character" because he had played "too many nice guys" before. In 2021, he played a lawyer named Dean Ericson in the movie I Care a Lot.

Personal Life

Chris Messina was married to actress Rosemarie DeWitt for 12 years. They divorced in 2006. He is now married to Jennifer Todd, and they have two sons together.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Awards and Nominations

Chris Messina has won and been nominated for several awards for his acting.

See also

In Spanish: Chris Messina para niños