David Alan Basche
A versatile character actor whose grounded performance as a real-life hero in 'United 93' brought solemn dignity to a national tragedy.
Born 1968 (age 58)·American actor·Birthday: August 25·Generation X
Biography
David Alan Basche built a career on being the reliable, often charmingly neurotic presence in countless living rooms and multiplexes. A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he honed his craft in theater before breaking into television. While he became a familiar face through series regular roles on shows like 'The Exes' and 'The Starter Wife,' his most defining moment came on film. His portrayal of Todd Beamer in Paul Greengrass's harrowing docudrama 'United 93' required a delicate balance of everyday humanity and profound courage, a task he handled with understated power. This role, alongside work with directors from Spielberg to Scorsese, underscores a career defined not by flashy leads, but by the ability to anchor an ensemble and bring authenticity to every part, whether in comedy or high-stakes drama.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
David was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Delivered a critically noted performance as Todd Beamer in the 2006 film 'United 93'.
- Starred as a series regular on the CBS sitcom 'The Exes' for its entire five-season run.
- Played a recurring role on the Emmy-winning drama 'The Good Wife' as Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Sweeney's lawyer.
- Appeared in major films directed by Steven Spielberg ('War of the Worlds') and Martin Scorsese ('The Wolf of Wall Street').
Did You Know?
He is married to actress Alysia Reiner, who played Fig on 'Orange Is the New Black'.
He provided the voice for the character of Mister Miracle in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
He performed in a Broadway production of 'The Boys from Syracuse' in 2002.
He and his wife are active supporters of charitable causes focused on women's rights and the environment.
“I'm the guy who gets the call when the lead is already attached to a movie.”
