David Costabile
A master character actor whose face became a familiar and welcome fixture across prestige television dramas and cult comedies alike.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American actor·Birthday: January 9·Generation X
Biography
With a weary, intelligent gaze and a knack for embodying quietly powerful men, David Costabile built one of the most respected 'that guy' careers in modern television. A Juilliard-trained stage actor, he first turned heads on Broadway before seamlessly transitioning to the screen. His breakthrough came as the shrewd, cynical political reporter Thomas 'Toad' Klebanow on HBO's 'The Wire,' a role that showcased his ability to convey vast authority with minimal fuss. This led to a remarkable run as the go-to actor for complex, often morally ambiguous professionals: the sinister lawyer Daniel Hardman on 'Suits,' the duplicitous chemist Gale Boetticher on 'Breaking Bad,' and the hilariously deadpan store owner in 'Flight of the Conchords.' His most sustained role, as the unflappably loyal Mike 'Wags' Wagner on 'Billions,' proved he could carry a series' emotional core while delivering razor-sharp wit.
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 1967, 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 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
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
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
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
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed the pivotal role of Gale Boetticher in 'Breaking Bad,' a character whose murder dramatically escalated the series' central conflict.
- Played a series regular, Mike 'Wags' Wagner, across all seven seasons of the hit finance drama 'Billions.'
- Delivered a critically acclaimed performance as the beleaguered newspaper editor Thomas Klebanow on HBO's landmark series 'The Wire.'
- Appeared on Broadway in significant productions, including 'The Merchant of Venice' with Al Pacino and 'The Tempest' with Patrick Stewart.
Did You Know?
He is a graduate of The Juilliard School's prestigious Drama Division.
He provided the voice for several characters in the popular video game 'The Last of Us Part II.'
He played two different characters in the 'Breaking Bad' universe: Gale Boetticher in 'Breaking Bad' and a completely different character, a law partner, in 'Better Call Saul.'
Before his acting career took off, he worked as a carpenter and a waiter in New York City.
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