John Carroll Lynch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Carroll Lynch
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Lynch in 2017
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| Born | August 1, 1963 Boulder, Colorado, U.S.
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| Education | Catholic University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor, director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Brenda Wehle
(m. 1997) |
John Carroll Lynch (born August 1, 1963) is an American character actor and film director. He is known for playing many different kinds of characters in movies and TV shows.
He first became well-known for his role as Norm Gunderson in the movie Fargo (1996). You might also know him from the TV show The Drew Carey Show (1997–2004), where he played Steve Carey. He also appeared in four seasons of American Horror Story (2014–2019), especially as the scary character Twisty the Clown.
Some of his other famous movies include Face/Off (1997), Zodiac (2007), Gran Torino (2008), and The Founder (2016), where he played Mac McDonald, one of the brothers who started McDonald's. In 2017, he also directed his first movie, called Lucky.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Carroll Lynch was born in Boulder, Colorado. He went to Regis Jesuit High School in Denver. Later, he studied theater at The Catholic University of America and earned a special degree in fine arts in 1986.
Acting Career Highlights
Before becoming a movie star, Lynch worked with the Guthrie Theater company for more than eight seasons. He acted in many plays and toured with the group.
His first big movie role was in Grumpy Old Men (1993). He then gained more attention in the movie Fargo (1996), which was directed by the famous Coen brothers.
He has played many interesting characters. For example, he played Arthur Leigh Allen in the movie Zodiac (2007). He also played Mac McDonald, one of the founders of McDonald's, in the movie The Founder (2016).
Lynch has also had a very busy career in television. He was a regular on the TV show The Drew Carey Show. He also appeared in other series like Carnivàle and Body of Proof. Fans of American Horror Story will remember him from several seasons, including his role as Twisty the Clown.
More recently, in 2020, Lynch starred in the ABC crime drama Big Sky. He played two different characters, Rick Legarski and his twin brother, Wolf Legarski. He also acted in the highly praised film The Trial of the Chicago 7, playing activist David Dellinger.
Personal Life
John Carroll Lynch has been married to actress Brenda Wehle since 1997. She also used to be a member of the Guthrie Theatre Company, just like him.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Grumpy Old Men | Moving Man | |
| 1995 | The Cure | Skipper #1 | Credited as John Lynch |
| 1996 | Beautiful Girls | Frank Womack | |
| Fargo | Norm Gunderson | ||
| Feeling Minnesota | Cop | ||
| 1997 | Volcano | Stan Olber | |
| Face/Off | Prison Guard Walton | ||
| A Thousand Acres | Ken LeSalle | ||
| 1998 | Mercury Rising | Martin Lynch | |
| Restaurant | John English | ||
| 1999 | Anywhere but Here | Jack Irwin | |
| The Minus Man | Bartender | Uncredited cameo | |
| Pushing Tin | Doctor Freeze | ||
| Freak Weather | Ed | ||
| 2000 | Waking the Dead | Father Mileski | |
| Gone in 60 Seconds | Impound Manager | Uncredited cameo | |
| 2001 | Bubble Boy | Mr. Livingston | |
| 2002 | The Good Girl | Jack Field | |
| Bug | Wallace Gregory | ||
| Three Days of Rain | Dinner Guest | ||
| 2003 | Gothika | Sheriff Ryan | |
| Confidence | Leon Ashby | ||
| 2004 | Catch That Kid | Mr. Hartmunn | |
| 2005 | Mozart and the Whale | Gregory | |
| Trust the Man | Doctor | Scene deleted | |
| Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World | Stewart | ||
| 2007 | Full of It | Mr. Leonard | |
| Zodiac | Arthur Leigh Allen | ||
| Things We Lost in the Fire | Howard Glassman | ||
| 2008 | Gran Torino | Barber Martin | |
| 2009 | Love Happens | Walter | |
| 2010 | Sympathy for Delicious | Evangelist Carroll | |
| Shutter Island | Deputy Warden McPherson | ||
| Hesher | Larry | ||
| 2011 | Paul | Moses Buggs | |
| Crazy, Stupid, Love | Bernie Riley | ||
| 2012 | Lay the Favorite | Dave Greenberg | |
| 2013 | The Pretty One | Frank | |
| 2014 | Camp X-Ray | Col. James Drummond | |
| 2015 | Hot Pursuit | Captain Emmett | |
| Ted 2 | Tom Jessup | ||
| The Invitation | Pruitt | ||
| 2016 | Miracles from Heaven | Pastor Scott | |
| Jackie | Lyndon B. Johnson | ||
| The Founder | Mac McDonald | ||
| Shangri-La Suite | Colonel Tom Parker | ||
| 2017 | Lucky | N/A | Directorial debut |
| Anything | Early Landry | ||
| 2018 | Private Life | Charlie | |
| White Orchid | Sheriff Mann | ||
| 2019 | The Highwaymen | Lee Simmons | |
| 2020 | Kiss Me Before It Blows Up | Ron Shalev | |
| The Trial of the Chicago 7 | David Dellinger | ||
| 2024 | Outlaw Posse | Carson | |
| Babes | Dr. Morris | ||
| 2025 | Sorry, Baby | Post-production | |
| TBA | She Rides Shotgun | TBA | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Frasier | Actor playing Franklin | Episode: "The Show Where Diane Comes Back" |
| Murder One | Officer Carl Bickley | Episode: "Chapter Thirteen" | |
| The Client | Frank | 1 episode | |
| Voice from the Grave | Prosecutor O'Gane | Television film | |
| A Friend's Betrayal | Mr. Franks | Television film | |
| 1996, 1997 | Life's Work | District Attorney Agee / Crazy Larry | 2 episodes |
| 1997–2004 | The Drew Carey Show | Steve Carey | Main role (seasons 6–8), recurring role (seasons 3–5), guest (season 9), 72 episodes |
| 1997 | The Practice | Dr. Robert Larson | Episode: "Search and Seizure" |
| The Visitor | Joe York | Episode: "Going Home" | |
| 1998 | From the Earth to the Moon | Robert R. Gilruth | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Star Trek: Voyager | Gerald Moss | Episode: "11:59" |
| Late Last Night | Sgt. Van Wyck | Television film | |
| Tuesdays with Morrie | Walter Moran | Television film | |
| 2000 | The Fugitive | Raynor | Episode: "Pilot" |
| The West Wing | Jack | Episode: "Galileo" | |
| 2001 | Gideon's Crossing | Sonny Green | Episode: "The Race" |
| 2002 | Live from Baghdad | John Holliman | Television film |
| 2003 | The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire | Mayor Garrett Shaw | 7 episodes |
| 2005 | Carnivàle | Varlyn Stroud | 12 episodes |
| American Dad! | Mr. Simms (voice) | Episode: "Stannie Get Your Gun" | |
| 2005–2006 | Close to Home | Steve Sharpe | Main role |
| 2007–2008 | K-Ville | Captain James Embry | Main role |
| 2007 | Big Love | Officer Chuck Tuttle | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Lie to Me | Mr. Reed | Episode: "Truth or Consequences" |
| Monk | Kurt Pressman | Episode: "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Buddy Arnold | Episode: "Bloodsport" | |
| 2010 | How to Make It in America | Larry | Episode: "Keep on Truck'n" |
| 2010–2012 | The Glades | Mike Ogletree | 2 episodes |
| 2011–2013 | Body of Proof | Bud Morris | Main role |
| 2013 | Do No Harm | Will Hayes | 10 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Ned Dooley | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | House of Lies | Gil Selby | 2 episodes |
| The Americans | Fred | 6 episodes | |
| Manhattan | Daniel Ellis | 2 episodes | |
| Us & Them | Ed | Episode: "Coeds & Carburetors" | |
| 2014–2015 | American Horror Story: Freak Show | Twisty the Clown | 5 episodes |
| 2015 | The Walking Dead | Eastman | Episode: "Here's Not Here" |
| 2015–2016 | American Horror Story: Hotel | John Wayne Gacy | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Billions | Mr. Gilbert | Episode: "The Punch" |
| 2016–2017 | Turn: Washington's Spies | James Rivington | 8 episodes |
| 2017 | American Horror Story: Cult | Twisty the Clown | 2 episodes |
| Channel Zero: The No-End House | John Sleator | 6 episodes | |
| 2018 | The Handmaid's Tale | Dan | Episode: "Unwomen" |
| Crawford | Owen | 12 episodes | |
| One Dollar | Bud Carl | Main role | |
| The Good Cop | Sherman Smalls | Episode: "Who Is the Ugly German Lady?" | |
| 2019 | Veep | Lloyd Hennick | 3 episodes |
| American Horror Story: 1984 | Benjamin Richter / Mr. Jingles | 9 episodes | |
| 2019–2020 | Perfect Harmony | Pastor Magnus | 3 episodes |
| 2020–2022 | Big Sky | Rick Legarski / Wolf Legarski | 22 episodes |
| 2021 | American Horror Stories | Larry Bitterman | Episode: "Drive In" |
| 2022 | Gaslit | L. Patrick Gray | 4 episodes |
| 2023 | White House Plumbers | John N. Mitchell | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Evil | Henry Stick | Episode: "Fear of the Future" |
Awards and Nominations
John Carroll Lynch has won and been nominated for several awards for his acting and directing work.
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Saturn Awards | Best Guest Starring Role on Television | The Walking Dead | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Actor | The Invitation | Nominated | |
| Camerimage | Directors' Debuts Competition | Lucky | Nominated | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association | Most Promising Filmmaker | Nominated | |||
| Haifa International Film Festival | Carmel Award for Best Film | Nominated | |||
| Fedeora Award - Directors of Tomorrow | Won | ||||
| Locarno Festival | Golden Leopard | Nominated | |||
| Prize of the Ecumenical Jury | Won | ||||
| Satellite Awards | Special Achievement Award for Best First Feature | Won | |||
| Los Angeles Film Festival | Special Mention for Acting | Anything | Won | ||
| 2021 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | The Trial of the Chicago 7 | Won |
See also
In Spanish: John Carroll Lynch para niños
