David Strathairn
A master of quiet intensity, he brings a palpable moral weight and lived-in authenticity to every role, from newscasters to scientists.
Born 1949 (age 77)·American actor·Birthday: January 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Strathairn built a career on the power of understatement. Emerging from the New York theater scene, he became a favorite of independent filmmakers, his face a canvas of intelligent restraint. While he could vanish into complex character parts, his breakthrough came when he stepped into the spotlight as Edward R. Murrow in 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' earning an Oscar nomination for his riveting, ethically anchored performance. He has since specialized in embodying historical figures—Oppenheimer, Seward, Dos Passos—not with impersonation, but with a deep internalization of their conflicts. Strathairn’s work, whether on prestigious film sets or humble stages, is defined by a rare integrity; he listens as powerfully as he speaks, making him one of the most trusted and subtly commanding actors of his generation.
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.
David was born in 1949, 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 David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
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
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
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
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 70
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 77 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Edward R. Murrow in 'Good Night, and Good Luck.'
- Won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role in the television film 'Temple Grandin.'
- Awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in 'Good Night, and Good Luck.'
- Has a long-standing collaborative relationship with director John Sayles, appearing in multiple of his films including 'Matewan' and 'Eight Men Out.'
Did You Know?
He worked as a clown and a carnival performer before his acting career took off.
He is a graduate of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.
Strathairn and his wife, nurse Logan Goodman, have been married since 1980.
“The more specific you are, the more universal you become.”
