Adam Goldberg
☼ Born on 25 December 1970, in Santa Monica, California, USA
Biography
An actor by trade but also a filmmaker, musician, and photographer, Adam Goldberg's career has spanned more than three decades comprising a vast resume of eclectic work both on off the screen. From mining the neuroses of characters for both dramatic and comedic effect, to producing work as a filmmaker with a superlative eye and keen wit, Goldberg has solidified his standing as a unique and prolific presence in the entertainment industry.
Goldberg is a co-star on the hit CBS series "The Equalizer." The show, a re imagining of the classic series and films, follows Robyn McCall (Queen Latifah), an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. Goldberg is a standout as whip smart, sardonic, and surprisingly fashion conscious computer hacker Harry Keshegian, who is like a brother to McCall and a fiercely supportive husband to his sniper wife Mel (Liza Lapira). "The Equalizer" had a massive debut to over 23 million viewers in 2021 and is currently airing its third season. Brand new episodes will return February 19, 2023, on CBS.
Also in television, Goldberg gained critical acclaim and fostered in a new generation of fans as Mr. Numbers in the award-winning crime drama "Fargo" (FX). He starred opposite Billy Bob Thornton and Colin Hanks on the show, which was inspired by the 1996 film of the same name. Goldberg is also known for his tour de force arcs as Crazy Eddie on "Friends" (NBC) and Nicky Rubinstein on "Entourage" (H
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BO), as well as starring roles on "The Jim Gaffigan Show," "Taken" (NBC),(NBC), "The Unusuals" (ABC), "NYC 22" (CBS), "The $treet" (FOX), and "God Friended Me" (CBS).
Often recognized for his impressive body of work in film, Goldberg has been hand-picked by Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard for memorable roles in their Academy Award winning projects. A career-changing moment for Goldberg was landing the role of tough, wise-cracking infantryman Private Mellish in Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" opposite Tom Hanks. The film went on to receive 5 Academy Awards while also being nominated for Best Picture. From there, he starred in major blockbusters including Academy Award winner "A Beautiful Mind" which marked his second collaboration with director Ron Howard. In 2003 he showcased his talent in comedy, appearing a third time opposite Matthew McConaughey, in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."
Other seminal performances include playing Christopher Walken's undead and unwitting assistant, Jerry, in Gregrory Widen's cult thriller "The Prophecy," Michael Rapaport's beleaguered roommate in John Singleton's "Higher Learning," appearing in Ron Howard's "EdTV," and portraying a speed freak opposite Val Kilmer and Peter Sarsgaard in DJ Caruso's debut "The Salton Sea." Additional recent work includes starring opposite Bruce Willis and John Goodman in "Once Upon a Time in Venice," and appearing alongside Nicholas Cage and Laurence Fishburne in "Running with the Devil." A filmmaker's actor, Goldberg also appeared, notably, in Tony Scott's "Déjà Vu" opposite Denzel Washington, and in David Fincher's "Zodiac."
Goldberg is known for effortlessly jumping back and forth between mainstream film and television roles with acclaimed passion projects. Namely, the titular role in Jonathan Kesselman's 'Jewxploitation' comedy, "The Hebrew Hammer," his hilarious collaboration with Julie Delpy in "2 Days in Paris," and his portrayal of a brilliant but eccentric musician in the art world satire "(Untitled)" opposite Marley Shelton. Other standouts include his turn as a performance artist opposite Olivia Thirlby in Rafael Palacio Illingworth's "Between Us," and a cult leader who indoctrinates Fran Kranz in the Netflix thriller "Rebirth," both of which premiered the same year at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Born in Santa Monica and raised in LA, Goldberg loved to perform and create from an early age, taking acting classes and studying film and photography since secondary school. His debut in the entertainment industry came with supporting film role in Billy Crystal's "Mr. Saturday Night," but it was his turn as Mike, an intellectual with a chip on his shoulder, in Richard Linklater's iconic, '70s coming of age classic "Dazed and Confused" that introduced Goldberg to an audience that continues to grow as the film captivates new audiences with each generation. Linklater would later make a cameo in Goldberg's directorial debut, "Scotch and Milk," and later host a screening at Austin's Alamo Draft House the same summer Goldberg appeared in Linklater's groundbreaking, psychedelic animation feature, "Waking Life."
Goldberg wrote, directed, starred in, and co-edited "Scotch and Milk" when he was just 24 years old. The stylized black and white film follows a group of young jazz obsessed hipsters trying to reconcile their machismo with their sensitivity. Additionally, Goldberg screened a rough cut for Spielberg during the making of "Saving Private Ryan," which led Spielberg to enlist his post production supervisor to help finish the film. "Scotch and Milk" debuted at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and earned critical acclaim on the festival circuit. This included a particular notable write up in American Cinematography Magazine and featured on the Sundance Channel series "10 Best Films You May Have Never Seen."
Goldberg would go on to co-write the psychological drama "I Love Your Work," starring frequent collaborator Giovanni Ribisi, and featuring Franka Potente, Christina Ricci, and Joshua Jackson. The film follows an actor whose life goes south after he forms an obsession with a young film student. Goldberg composed and arranged music for the film alongside The Flaming Lips' multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd, and it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival where the film was picked up for theatrical distribution. He also directed, co-edited, and produced the surreal documentary short "Running with the Bulls" for the Independent Film Channel, and most recently co-wrote, directed, edited, and starred in the Sony feature film "No Way Jose," in which he plays a washed-up indie rocker going through a midlife crisis.
While working in film and television has been a huge part of Goldberg's life, his passion for photography and music have garnered their own cult following over the years, establishing him something of a modern day renaissance man. As a musician, Goldberg has recorded four albums under his moniker The Goldberg Sisters - two of which he recorded with a an eclectic array of musicians, and the last two of which he recorded in his home studio playing every instrument. As part of his 2018, 14-track album entitled "HOME: A Nice Place to Visit" Goldberg released a limited edition vinyl set that included a stunning large-format photo book, marrying his love for soundscapes and photography. Goldberg also directed the accompanying videos. Show Gallery in Los Angeles hosted an exhibition of the work where Goldberg played some of the tracks from the record utilizing loop pedals and other effects. The Goldberg Sisters discography also includes: Stranger's Morning (2013), The Goldberg Sisters (2011), and Landy (2009). https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-goldberg-sisters/422885644
As a photographer Goldberg's signature dreamy, double exposures shot on film document and explore people, landscapes, and create cinematic scenes from which viewers can draw their own interpretations. Goldberg is also known for his style and passion for fashion, which he attributes to his mom with whom he used to go vintage clothes shopping on Melrose in the '80s. Any follower of his Instagram will take note of his extensive tagging of small brands, bespoke makers, and his support of slow fashion writ large. Everything he wears on "The Equalizer" - clothes and accessories - are either straight out of Goldberg's closet (a dedicated room in his house, he's not proud of this, nor is his wife thrilled) or handpicked by the actor.
Goldberg currently divides his time between Los Angeles and New York with his wife and two sons.
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In the role of actor
The Exorcism (21/06/2024)
An actor recovering from his addictions experiences disruptive behaviour as he shoots a demonic possession film in The Exorcism. Anthony Miller (Russell Crowe) is a down-on-his-luck actor recovering from a drug and alcohol addiction that has left him in an estranged relationship with his daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins). Anthony is hired by director Peter (Adam […]
Harmontown (23/04/2014)
From director Neil Berkeley (Beauty Is Embarrassing) comes this documentary about Community-creator Dan Harmon‘s 20-city comedy tour of the United States. Harmon has always been one to strive for perfection, which consequently made him quite hard a man to work with. When he found himself in-between jobs in 2013, after being fired from Community, Harmon […]
2 Days in Paris (25/08/2007)
A couple months ago I saw romantic films Before Sunrise and Before Sunset with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. In these films Hawke and Delpy had a seeming perfect connection with each other, with very little conflict. 2 Days in Paris, which was directed by Delpy, seems to be the complete opposite of that. In […]