Kyle Chandler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kyle Chandler
Chandler in 2009
Born	Kyle Martin Chandler (1965-09-17) September 17, 1965 (age 59) Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Education	George Walton Academy, University of Georgia
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 show Friday Night Lights (2006–2011). For this role, he won an Emmy Award in 2011.

Kyle Chandler started acting in a TV movie in 1988 called Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story. His first regular TV role was in the drama Homefront (1991–1993). Later, he played the main character, Gary Hobson, in the CBS series Early Edition (1996–2000). He also got an Emmy nomination for his guest role in the medical drama Grey's Anatomy (2006–2007).

Chandler has also appeared in many popular movies. These include King Kong (2005), Super 8 (2011), Argo (2012), Zero Dark Thirty (2012), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). More recently, he was in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). He also starred in the Netflix series Bloodline (2015–2017), which earned him more Emmy nominations.

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 he was 11, his family moved to a small farm in Loganville, Georgia. His mother raised Great Danes for dog shows, and Kyle often traveled with his parents to these events. He also helped at their dog boarding kennel.

Chandler went to George Walton Academy in Monroe, Georgia, and graduated in 1983. In his first year, he was part of the school's championship football team. However, he left the team at age 14 after his father passed away. After that, he joined the theatre program at his school.

After high school, Chandler attended the University of Georgia. He studied drama there. In 1988, he left college just before finishing his degree to start his acting career in television.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out: 1988–2006

In 1988, Kyle Chandler moved to Hollywood. He was part of a new talent program by the ABC network. That same year, he made his TV movie debut in Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story. He also 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, starring George Strait. From 1991 to 1993, he played Jeff Metcalf in the ABC series Homefront. This show was set after World War II in Ohio. Chandler appeared in all 42 episodes of the show.

In 1994, he acted on Broadway for the first time in a play called 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, which allowed him to prevent disasters. He was in all 90 episodes of this show. In 1996, he won the Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television for his role.

In 2005, Chandler played a 1930s movie star named Bruce Baxter in the film King Kong. In February 2006, he guest-starred in two episodes of the ABC series Grey's Anatomy as a bomb squad leader named Dylan Young. His performance was highly praised, and he was nominated for an Emmy Award for this role.

Friday Night Lights: 2006–2011

While working on Grey's Anatomy, Chandler met Peter Berg, who was creating a new drama series called Friday Night Lights. This show was about a high school football coach, his family, and players in a small Texas town. The series was based on a book and a movie of the same name. Chandler found out he got the role of Coach Eric Taylor during his Christmas vacation in 2005.

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

The first episode aired on NBC in 2006. Even though critics loved the show, it was almost canceled each year. The series ended in 2011. Chandler won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role in the final season of Friday Night Lights.

During the show, Chandler also acted in some movies. In 2007, he was in The Kingdom, directed by Peter Berg. In 2008, he appeared in The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Movies and Bloodline: 2011–Present

After Friday Night Lights finished, Kyle 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 was in Argo and Zero Dark Thirty.

Chandler and Mark Wahlberg filming Broken City in November 2011

In 2013, he had a supporting role in Broken City with Mark Wahlberg. He also appeared in The Wolf of Wall Street, playing FBI agent Patrick Denham. This movie was nominated for five Academy Awards. That same year, he played a father in The Spectacular Now.

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

Chandler played an investigator in The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2017). He also starred with Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman in the comedy film Game Night (2018).

In 2019, he starred in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. He played the same role again in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). In 2022, he appeared in the Netflix movie Slumberland with Jason Momoa. In September 2024, it was announced that Chandler would play Hal Jordan / Green Lantern in the new TV series Lanterns.

Personal Life

For almost 20 years, Kyle Chandler lived in Los Angeles. 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 in his community. He also takes part in a yearly charity golf tournament. This event raises money for football players who have spinal cord injuries.

Kyle Chandler has been married to Kathryn Macquarrie since 1995. They met at a dog park. They have two daughters, Sydney, who is also an actress, and Sawyer. Chandler and his daughter Sawyer have worked to help stop 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