Eric Bogosian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eric Bogosian
Bogosian in 2007
Born	(1953-04-24) April 24, 1953 (age 72) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Education	University of Chicago Oberlin College (BA)
Occupation	Actor playwright monologuist novelist historian
Years active	1983–present
Spouse(s)	Jo Anne Bonney ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	2

Eric Michael Bogosian (born April 24, 1953) is an American actor, playwright, and author. He is known for writing and starring in plays, as well as acting in many popular movies and TV shows.

As a descendant of Armenian-American immigrants, he grew up in Massachusetts. He later attended the University of Chicago and Oberlin College. His play Talk Radio was a finalist for the famous Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1987. He also wrote and starred in the movie version of Talk Radio in 1988, which won him an award at a major film festival.

You might recognize him from his television roles. He played Captain Danny Ross in Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Gil Eavis in Succession. He also plays the reporter Daniel Molloy in the series Interview with the Vampire. In movies, he appeared as Arno in the 2019 film Uncut Gems.

Bogosian has also written several novels and a history book called Operation Nemesis. This book tells the true story of a secret plan to bring justice to those responsible for the Armenian genocide.

Early Life and Education

Eric Bogosian was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother, Edwina, was a hairdresser, and his father, Henry, was an accountant. He spent his early years in Watertown, Massachusetts, a town with a large Armenian-American community. His grandparents were survivors of the Armenian genocide.

In 1960, his family moved to the nearby town of Woburn. He first became interested in acting and theater while he was a student at Woburn Memorial High School. He later used his experiences growing up in Woburn as inspiration for his play subUrbia. After high school, he studied at the University of Chicago and later graduated from Oberlin College.

Career in Entertainment

Bogosian is a talented author and actor. He is famous for his plays Talk Radio and subUrbia, as well as many shows he performed by himself. Over the years, he has also acted on Broadway, written three novels, and appeared in many TV shows and movies.

On the Stage

Between 1980 and 2000, Bogosian wrote and performed six major solo shows in Off-Broadway theaters. These shows earned him three Obie Awards, which are special awards for theater in New York City.

He has also written six plays that have been performed for audiences. His most famous play, Talk Radio, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 2007, a new version of Talk Radio was performed on Broadway starring actor Liev Schreiber. Another one of his well-known plays, subUrbia, was first performed at the famous Lincoln Center Theater in 1994.

Besides writing, Bogosian has also acted in plays written by others. He starred in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and Time Stands Still on Broadway.

In the Movies

Bogosian's play Talk Radio was turned into a movie in 1988 by the director Oliver Stone. For his work on the film, Bogosian won a "Silver Bear" award at the Berlin Film Festival. His play subUrbia was also made into a movie in 1996.

He has acted in many other films, including Under Siege 2: Dark Territory and Wonderland. He has also worked with famous directors like Woody Allen, Robert Altman, and Atom Egoyan.

On Television

On TV, Bogosian is best known for playing Captain Danny Ross in the crime show Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He has also appeared as a guest star on many other shows. In 1994, he even created a TV series called High Incident with director Steven Spielberg.

More recently, he played Lawrence Boyd in the show Billions and Senator Gil Eavis in Succession. Since 2022, he has played Daniel Molloy, a reporter, in the AMC series Interview with the Vampire.

Bogosian has been a fan of the vampire genre for a long time. He once said that when he was a young man in New York, he saw a production of Dracula on Broadway and was thrilled by the actor's powerful performance. He even tried to get a part in the 1992 movie Dracula but was not a big enough star at the time. He said, "It's just always on my mind. I think there's something about the power of a vampire."

Books and Other Work

Bogosian has written three novels: Mall, Wasted Beauty, and Perforated Heart. His plays have also been published in book form.

In 2015, he published a non-fiction book called Operation Nemesis: The Secret Plot that Avenged the Armenian Genocide. The book is a history of Operation Nemesis, a secret mission by a group of Armenians to find and punish the people responsible for the Armenian genocide.

Bogosian has also been involved in the world of dance. He helped produce a documentary about the New York City Ballet called Bringing Back Balanchine.

Personal Life

In 1980, Bogosian married director Jo Anne Bonney. They have two sons, Harry and Travis.

Reflecting on his early days as an artist in the 1970s, Bogosian said he was curious about all the different creative scenes happening around him. He stated, "There wasn’t a door I didn’t walk through. There was nothing that scared me. I was fascinated by whatever was going on."

Performances and Works

Film

Television

Written Works

• Drinking in America (1986) (Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show)
• Talk Radio (1987)
• ..., ..., Rock & Roll (1990)
• Notes from the Underground (1993)
• Pounding Nails in the Floor with My Forehead (1994)
• subUrbia (1994)
• Mall (2000) (novel)
• Wake Up and Smell the Coffee (2000)
• Wasted Beauty (2005) (novel)
• Perforated Heart (2009) (novel)
• Operation Nemesis (2015) (history book)

See also

In Spanish: Eric Bogosian para niños