Sam Rockwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sam Rockwell
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Rockwell at the 2025 Tribeca Festival
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| Born | November 5, 1968 Daly City, California, U.S.
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| Education | William Esper Studio |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1988–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Partner(s) | Leslie Bibb (2007–present) |
| Awards | Full list |
Sam Rockwell is an American actor born on November 5, 1968. He is known for playing many different kinds of characters in movies and TV shows. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a police officer named Jason Dixon in the movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).
He was also nominated for an Academy Award for playing George W. Bush in the movie Vice (2018). Sam Rockwell also earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for playing Bob Fosse in the TV series Fosse/Verdon (2019). He was even nominated for a Tony Award for his acting in the play American Buffalo (2022) on Broadway.
Some of his other well-known films include The Green Mile (1999), Galaxy Quest (1999), Charlie's Angels (2000), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), Moon (2009), and Iron Man 2 (2010). In 2025, he appeared in the TV series The White Lotus.
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Early Life and Education
Sam Rockwell was born on November 5, 1968, in Daly City, California. His parents, Pete Rockwell and Penny Hess, were both actors. He was their only child.
When he was five, his parents divorced. He grew up with his father in San Francisco. He spent his summers with his mother in New York City.
When he was 10, he acted briefly on stage with his mother. It was an improv comedy show in the East Village.
He started high school at the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts. Other famous people like Margaret Cho and Aisha Tyler also went there. He later got his high school diploma from Urban Pioneers. This was an Outward Bound-style alternative school.
Rockwell said he wanted to have fun and go to parties during high school. The school helped him become interested in acting again. After acting in an independent film in his last year of high school, he moved to New York. He wanted to become a professional actor. He later studied acting at the William Esper Studio in New York.
Acting Career Highlights
Starting in Films and TV
Sam Rockwell's first movie role was in the film Clownhouse in 1989. After that, he moved to New York and trained at the William Esper Studios. His acting career slowly grew in the early 1990s.
He had small guest roles in TV shows like The Equalizer and Law & Order. He also had small parts in movies such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. During this time, Rockwell worked in restaurants to support himself. He also delivered burritos by bicycle.
A well-paying commercial for Miller beer in 1994 allowed him to act full-time. A big moment in his career was the film Box of Moonlight (1996). In this movie, he played a unique character who dressed like Davy Crockett. This role helped him get noticed by casting agents and fans.
He also received good reviews for the film Lawn Dogs (1997). In this movie, he played a lawn mower who became friends with a 10-year-old girl. Rockwell won Best Actor awards at film festivals for this role. In 1999, Rockwell played a difficult prisoner named William "Wild Bill" Wharton. This was in the Stephen King prison drama The Green Mile.
Becoming a Hollywood Star
After appearing in the science fiction comedy Galaxy Quest (1999), Sam Rockwell took on a big leading role. He played The Gong Show host Chuck Barris in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002). This was George Clooney's first movie as a director. Rockwell's acting was praised, and the movie was well-received.
Rockwell also got good reviews for his role with Nicolas Cage in Matchstick Men (2003). He played Zaphod Beeblebrox in the movie The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005). He then had an important supporting role as Charley Ford in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). Brad Pitt played the main character, Jesse James.
Director Jon Favreau thought about casting Rockwell as the main character in Iron Man. Rockwell later appeared in Iron Man 2 in 2010. He played Justin Hammer, a rival weapons developer to Tony Stark.
Rockwell has also acted in indie films. He played a unique Batman in a short called Robin's Big Date. He also starred in Snow Angels (2008). Rockwell played Victor Mancini in the film Choke (2008).
In 2009, he starred in the science fiction film Moon. He played a lonely astronaut on a long mission to the Moon. His acting was highly praised. In 2010, it was announced that Rockwell would work with Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau again. This was for the movie Cowboys & Aliens. He played a bar owner named Doc who helped chase aliens.
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Rockwell also had important roles in Seven Psychopaths (2012) and The Way, Way Back (2013). For his acting in The Way, Way Back, some critics thought he deserved another Academy Award nomination.
In 2015, Rockwell starred in two films: a remake of Poltergeist and Mr. Right. In Mr. Right, he played an ex-CIA agent who became a hitman. He was honest with his girlfriend, played by Anna Kendrick, about his job. In 2016, Rockwell voiced Mortimer Ramsey in the video game Dishonored 2.
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Rockwell worked again with director Martin McDonagh for the 2017 film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. His acting as a difficult police officer named Jason Dixon won him many awards. These included his first Academy Award. He also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
In 2017, Rockwell was chosen to play George W. Bush in Vice. This movie was about Dick Cheney. Rockwell received his second nomination for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for this role. In 2019, Rockwell played Bob Fosse in the TV series Fosse/Verdon. He received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance.
That same year, Rockwell appeared in two other popular films: Richard Jewell and Jojo Rabbit. In 2020, he voiced a character in Trolls World Tour. He also voiced Ivan the gorilla in the Disney+ movie The One and Only Ivan. Rockwell also voiced the main character, Mr. Wolf, in The Bad Guys.
In 2025, Rockwell was a guest star in the third season of The White Lotus. His long speech in one episode was highly praised.
Theatre Work
Since 1992, Sam Rockwell has been part of the LAByrinth Theater Company in New York. In 2005, Philip Seymour Hoffman directed him in the play The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.
Rockwell has performed in many other plays. These include Dumb Waiter (2001), Zoo Story (2001), and A Behanding in Spokane.
In 2022, he returned to the Broadway stage. He starred in a new version of David Mamet's play American Buffalo. He acted alongside Laurence Fishburne and Darren Criss. For his role in this play, Rockwell received his first nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.
Personal Life
Sam Rockwell has been in a relationship with actress Leslie Bibb since 2007. They met in Los Angeles while he was filming Frost/Nixon.
They have appeared together in several projects. These include Iron Man 2, Don Verdean, and The White Lotus.
Awards and Nominations
Sam Rockwell has won many awards for his acting. His role as a police officer in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also won a Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild Awards for this movie.
In 2018, he played George W. Bush in the movie Vice. This role earned him his second Academy Award nomination in the same category.
See also
In Spanish: Sam Rockwell para niños
