Craig Bierko
A versatile stage and screen actor with a classic leading man's charm, known for his comedic timing and unexpected dramatic depth.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American actor·Birthday: August 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
Craig Bierko possesses the easygoing charisma of a classic Hollywood star, a quality he's deployed across a curiously varied career that zigzags between Broadway belting, sitcom silliness, and sinister supporting turns. He first gained wide attention as the charming, dim-witted fiancé in the hit romantic comedy 'The Long Kiss Goodnight', showcasing a knack for light comedy. He then surprised audiences by stepping into the daunting role of Professor Harold Hill in a Broadway revival of 'The Music Man', earning a Tony nomination for his confident, song-and-dance performance. Bierko has a talent for making difficult things look effortless, whether it's the physical comedy of 'Scary Movie 4' or the unsettling corporate villainy in 'The Thirteenth Floor'. His career path reflects an actor unafraid of genre whiplash, trusting in his own likability and skill to connect roles as disparate as a scheming lawyer on 'The Good Wife' and a hapless survivor in 'Fear the Walking Dead'.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Craig was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Craig Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Craig's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Harold Hill in the 2000 Broadway revival of 'The Music Man'.
- Starred as the lead in the CBS television series 'The Class', created by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik of 'Friends' fame.
- Played the pivotal role of Tucker Jones, the charismatic and manipulative lawyer, in the final season of 'The Good Wife'.
- Portrayed the iconic villainous boxer Ivan Drago's son in the 2018 film 'Creed II'.
Did You Know?
He was a frontrunner to play Superman in the mid-1990s before the project (eventually titled 'Superman Lives') fell apart.
He is an accomplished guitarist and singer.
He turned down the role of Chandler Bing on 'Friends' early in the casting process.
He attended the same high school as actor Matt Damon, though they were not classmates.
“I'm just a guy who shows up and tries to be truthful in imaginary circumstances.”
