Kyle Chandler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kyle Chandler
Chandler in 2018
Born	Kyle Martin Chandler (1965-09-17) September 17, 1965 (age 59) Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Education	University of Georgia (dropped out)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1986–present
Spouse(s)	Kathryn Macquarrie ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	2, including Sydney

Kyle Martin Chandler (born September 17, 1965) is an American actor. He is well-known for playing Coach Eric Taylor in the TV series Friday Night Lights (2006–2011). For this role, he won an Emmy Award in 2011.

Chandler started acting on screen in 1988. His first regular TV role was in the drama Homefront (1991–1993). He then starred as Gary Hobson in the series Early Edition (1996–2000). He also received an Emmy nomination for his guest role in Grey's Anatomy (2006–2007).

Kyle Chandler has appeared in many popular movies. These include King Kong (2005), Super 8 (2011), Argo (2012), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). He also starred in the Netflix series Bloodline (2015–2017), which earned him more Emmy nominations. In October 2024, he was cast as Hal Jordan in the new DCU series Lanterns.

Early Life and Education

Kyle Chandler was born in Buffalo, New York. He is the fourth of four children. His father, Edward, was a sales representative, and his mother, Sally, bred Great Dane dogs.

When Kyle was 11, his family moved to a farm in Loganville, Georgia. His mother ran a dog kennel called Sheenwater Kennels. She was very involved with the Great Dane Club of America.

Chandler went to George Walton Academy in Monroe, Georgia. He graduated in 1983. As a freshman, he played on the state championship football team. After his father passed away when Kyle was 14, he left the football team. He then joined the school's theatre program.

After high school, Chandler studied drama at the University of Georgia. In 1988, he left college to start his acting career, just a few credits short of his degree.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Television and Film (1988–2006)

In 1988, Kyle Chandler moved to Hollywood. He was part of a new talent program by ABC. His first TV movie role was in Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story. He also studied acting with teacher Milton Katselas. He had a supporting role as Army Private William Griner in the TV series Tour of Duty, which was about the Vietnam War.

Chandler at an event in Beverly Hills, December 2008

Chandler's first movie role was in the 1992 film Pure Country. From 1991 to 1993, he played Jeff Metcalf in the ABC series Homefront. This show was set after World War II.

In 1994, he performed on Broadway in the play Picnic. From 1996 to 2000, Chandler starred in the CBS series Early Edition. He played Gary Hobson, a man who received tomorrow's newspaper today. This allowed him to prevent future disasters. In 1996, he won a Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television for this role.

In 2005, Chandler played film star Bruce Baxter in the movie King Kong. In 2006, he guest-starred in two episodes of Grey's Anatomy as bomb squad leader Dylan Young. His performance was highly praised, and he was nominated for an Emmy Award. He appeared on Grey's Anatomy again in 2007.

Becoming Coach Taylor (2006–2011)

While working on Grey's Anatomy, Chandler met Peter Berg. Berg was creating a new drama series called Friday Night Lights. The show was about a high school football coach and his family in a small Texas town. It was based on a book and a movie of the same name.

Chandler with his Friday Night Lights co-star Connie Britton in December 2008

Chandler was cast as Coach Eric Taylor. The show started on NBC in 2006. Even though critics loved it, the show was almost canceled each year. It aired its final season in 2011.

Chandler won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in the last season of Friday Night Lights. While filming the series, he also acted in movies like The Kingdom (2007) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008).

Movies and Bloodline (2011–Present)

After Friday Night Lights ended, Chandler focused more on movies. In 2011, he had a main role in J. J. Abrams' science fiction film Super 8. The next year, he appeared in Argo and Zero Dark Thirty.

Chandler and Mark Wahlberg filming Broken City in November 2011

In 2013, he was in Broken City with Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe. He also played FBI agent Patrick Denham in The Wolf of Wall Street. This movie was nominated for five Academy Awards.

In 2015, Chandler returned to TV in the Netflix drama series Bloodline. He was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for his role. The show received good reviews and finished after three seasons. In 2016, he played the main character's older brother in the drama Manchester by the Sea.

Chandler played an investigator in The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2017). He also starred in the comedy film Game Night (2018) and First Man (2018).

In 2019, he starred in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. He played the same role in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). In 2022, he played Peter in the Netflix movie Slumberland alongside Jason Momoa. As of September 2024, Chandler is filming for the new DC Universe TV series Lanterns, where he plays Hal Jordan / Green Lantern.

Personal Life

Kyle Chandler lived in Los Angeles for almost 20 years. Since 2007, he and his family have lived on a large property in Dripping Springs, Texas, near Austin. They have several dogs and donkeys.

Chandler is a volunteer firefighter. He also takes part in a yearly charity golf tournament. This event raises money for football players who have spinal cord injuries.

He has been married to Kathryn Macquarrie since 1995. They met at a dog park. They have two daughters, including Sydney, who is also an actress. Kyle Chandler and his daughter Sawyer work to help end the practice of shark finning.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Theater

• Picnic (1994) at Criterion Center Stage Right, as Hal Carter

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Kyle Chandler para niños