Richard Jenkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard Jenkins
Jenkins in 2015
Born	Richard Dale Jenkins (1947-05-04) May 4, 1947 (age 78) DeKalb, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	Illinois Wesleyan University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1974–present
Spouse(s)	Sharon R. Friedrick ​ (m. 1969)​
Children	2

Richard Dale Jenkins (born May 4, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for playing Nathaniel Fisher in the TV show Six Feet Under (2001–2005). He started his acting journey in theater in 1974 and has been in many movies and TV shows since the 1980s. He often plays supporting roles, which means he helps tell the story but isn't always the main character.

Richard Jenkins has been in many different kinds of films. Some of these include The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Step Brothers (2008), and The Cabin in the Woods (2012). He was nominated for an Oscar for his main role in the movie The Visitor (2007). He also won an Emmy Award for his part in the TV series Olive Kitteridge (2014).

Later, he received another Oscar nomination for his supporting role in the fantasy film The Shape of Water (2017). More recently, he was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his role in the Netflix series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022).

Early life

Richard Jenkins was born and grew up in DeKalb, Illinois. His mom, Mary Elizabeth, was a housewife, and his dad, Dale Stevens Jenkins, was a dentist. Richard went to DeKalb High School. Before he became an actor, he drove a truck that delivered linens. He studied drama at Illinois Wesleyan University and then moved to Rhode Island.

Career highlights

Starting in theatre

Richard Jenkins began his acting career with the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. He got his first small part in a TV movie called Feasting with Panthers in 1974. He quickly joined the Screen Actors Guild, which is a union for actors. He continued to work with the Trinity Repertory Company and was even its artistic director for a few years.

Film roles

Since his first TV movie in 1974, Jenkins has been in many films. Some of his early movie roles include Silverado (1985), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), and The Witches of Eastwick (1987).

He has often worked with the directors known as the Farrelly brothers. He appeared in their movies like There's Something About Mary (1998) and Me, Myself & Irene (2000). He also worked with the Coen brothers in films such as The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) and Burn After Reading (2008).

Jenkins in April 2011

While he is mostly known for playing supporting characters, Richard Jenkins had a main role in the movie The Visitor (2007). For this role, he was nominated for an Oscar and won a Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture.

In 2010, he played the father of the main character in Dear John. He also appeared with famous actors Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem in Eat Pray Love. In 2012, he was in the horror film The Cabin in the Woods and the action movie Jack Reacher. He also had roles in action films like White House Down (2013) and Kong: Skull Island (2017).

In 2017, Jenkins co-starred in Guillermo del Toro's fantasy movie The Shape of Water. His performance in this film was highly praised. He received nominations for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Television roles

On television, Richard Jenkins is perhaps best known for his role as Nathaniel Fisher in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under. His character is the father of the Fisher family who has passed away, but he often appears to his family as a ghost or in their dreams. He played this role for the entire series. In 2002, he and his fellow cast members won a Screen Actors Guild Award for their acting as a group.

In 2015, Jenkins won an Emmy Award for his role as Henry Kitteridge in the HBO miniseries Olive Kitteridge.

More recently, he starred alongside Evan Peters and Molly Ringwald in the Netflix series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022). He appeared in all ten episodes of the show and was also one of its producers. His acting in the series was called "brilliant" by The New Yorker magazine, and he was nominated for a 2023 Emmy Award for his supporting role.

Personal life

Richard Jenkins is married to Sharon R. Friedrick, who is a choreographer. They have two children together.

Awards and honors

In 2014, Richard Jenkins and his wife Sharon received the Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence. This award recognized their long and important contributions to the theater.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Richard Jenkins para niños