Richard Jenkins Bio
Richard Dale Jenkins (born May 4, 1947) is an American actor known for his extensive work across film and television. He began his career in theater, initially at the Trinity Repertory Company, before making his film debut in 1974. Over the decades, Jenkins has established a reputation for his diverse roles in acclaimed films and series, including his notable role in Six Feet Under and in films like The Shape of Water and The Visitor, for which he garnered multiple award nominations.
Often described as a character actor of remarkable range, Jenkins has appeared in more than one hundred films and television productions. His career spans dramatic independents, major studio releases, and prestige television, earning him recognition as one of the most dependable performers in modern American cinema.
Early Life and Background
Richard Dale Jenkins was born and raised in DeKalb, Illinois. His mother, Mary Elizabeth Wheeler, was a housewife, and his father, Dale Stevens Jenkins, was a dentist. Jenkins attended DeKalb High School before pursuing higher education. Before he became a professional actor, Jenkins drove a linen truck; his boss was the father of actor John C. Reilly, an early connection that reflected his Midwestern roots.
Jenkins earned a degree in drama from Illinois Wesleyan University, where he developed his passion for the stage. After completing his studies, he relocated to Rhode Island to pursue acting opportunities. This move laid the foundation for his long association with the Trinity Repertory Company and the broader New England theater community.
Path to Acting
Jenkins worked with the Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island, while breaking into film with a small part in Feasting with Panthers (1974), a television film about Oscar Wilde. When he was given the option of joining the Screen Actors Guild, he accepted immediately, marking his formal entry into the professional film and television industry.
He continued as a member of Trinity’s resident acting company and served as its artistic director from 1990 to 1994. His years on stage sharpened his craft and prepared him for the steady stream of screen roles that followed throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Richard Jenkins Career
Early Career (1974-2000)
Since his debut in Feasting with Panthers (1974), Jenkins worked steadily in film. His earlier film credits include Silverado (1985), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Sea of Love (1989), Blue Steel (1990), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), Flirting with Disaster (1996), and Snow Falling on Cedars (1999). He collaborated repeatedly with the Farrelly brothers, appearing in There’s Something About Mary (1998), Outside Providence (1999), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Say It Isn’t So (2001), and Hall Pass (2011).
He also appeared in three Coen Brothers movies: The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), and Burn After Reading (2008). On television, he took on guest roles including a DEA agent on Miami Vice and played the deceased patriarch Nathaniel Fisher in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2001-2005). He and his Six Feet Under castmates received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2002.
Breakthrough (2007-2017)
Although primarily known for supporting parts, Jenkins had a lead role in The Visitor (2007), for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award and the Academy Award for Best Actor. He also won the International Press Academy’s Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture for the role. In 2010, he co-starred in Dear John as the father of John Tyree, played by Channing Tatum, and appeared alongside Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem in Eat Pray Love. In 2012, he took roles in the Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard horror film The Cabin in the Woods and the action film Jack Reacher, followed by White House Down (2013) and Kong: Skull Island (2017).
Jenkins co-starred in Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy romance drama The Shape of Water (2017), earning critical acclaim. For his performance, he garnered Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in films including North Country (2005), The Kingdom (2007), Step Brothers (2008), Let Me In (2010), Bone Tomahawk (2015), The Last Shift (2020), The Humans (2021), and Nightmare Alley (2021).
In 2014, Jenkins won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his performance as Henry Kitteridge in the HBO miniseries Olive Kitteridge. In 2022, he portrayed Lionel Dahmer, father of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, in Netflix’s limited series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, appearing in all ten episodes of the series created by Ryan Murphy. His performance was described in The New Yorker as brilliant, and he received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor, plus an additional Emmy nomination for producing the series.
Notable Works and Milestones
Jenkins’s signature works include his Emmy-winning turn in Olive Kitteridge, his Oscar-nominated lead performance in The Visitor, and his Oscar-nominated supporting role in The Shape of Water. His long-running portrayal of Nathaniel Fisher on Six Feet Under remains a defining television moment, while his collaborations with the Coen Brothers and the Farrelly brothers highlight his versatility across genres.
Richard Jenkins Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Richard Jenkins has received several major award nominations recognizing his performances in film and television. He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for The Visitor (2008), an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for The Shape of Water (2018), and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2023). He also received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for The Shape of Water, and Independent Spirit Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for The Visitor.
Richard Jenkins Awards Won
Richard Jenkins has won major awards across both film and television. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Olive Kitteridge in 2015, the International Press Academy’s Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture for The Visitor, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series as part of the Six Feet Under cast in 2002. In 2014, Jenkins and his wife Sharon received the Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement from Trinity Repertory Company in Providence.
Richard Jenkins Family
Richard Dale Jenkins was born to Dale Stevens Jenkins, a dentist, and Mary Elizabeth Wheeler, a housewife. He was raised in DeKalb, Illinois, where he attended DeKalb High School before earning a drama degree from Illinois Wesleyan University.
Personal Life
Jenkins is married to choreographer Sharon R. Friedrick, with whom he has two children. The couple has maintained a relatively private family life away from the spotlight. In 2014, Jenkins and his wife received the Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement from Trinity Repertory Company, honoring their long connection to the theater community in Providence, Rhode Island.
