David Dorfman
About
Biography
Biography
Appearing in film and on television since at least the age of five, actor David Dorfman has had the luxury of being in several high profiles series and features at a very young age. Born in Los Angeles in February 1993, Dorfman got his first role in 1999, playing the youngest child in the Lifetime movie, "Invisible Child" (1999), starring Rita Wilson and Victor Garber as parents forced to deal with their children's slip into a fantasy world that becomes emotionally taxing for everyone. He next landed a recurring role on "Family Law" (CBS, 1999-2002) as the son of a successful family attorney (Kathleen Quinlan) who loses her husband and law firm after a divorce. Though landing a guest role on the popular Fox series, "Ally McBeal" (1997-2002), it was his exposure on "Family Law" the led Dorfman to be cast in features.
Dorfman made his film debut in the dark comedy-drama "Panic" (2000), starring William H. Macy as dotting father and unhappy husband who visits a psychiatrist for the stress built up from years of being an assassin. In "Bounce" (2000), he played the son of Aby (Gwyneth Paltrow), who meets the man (Ben Affleck) her dead husband exchanged airplane tickets with prior to its fatal crash. By far, Dorfman's biggest role was in "The Ring" (2002), an unexpected hit remade from the Japanese "Ringu" (1998) by Hideo Nakata. Playing the son of a Seattle journalist (Naomi Watts) who is haunted and hunted by the spirit of a murdered girl and fearing she will die after watching a surreal sepia-toned videotape, Dorfman more than held his own with star Watts, emitting a cool and sometimes eerie maturity.
Next, Dorfman played another creepy kid in "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003), a rehash of the 1974 cult classic. In "The Singing Detective" (2003), Dorfman portrayed pulp writer Dan Dark (Robert Downey, Jr.) as a child in this musical-mystery based on the BBC miniseries of the same name. After guest starring in a couple episodes of "Joan of Arcadia" (CBS, 2003-05), he played one of two children who travel through space on a quest to find their father who suddenly disappeared in the Wonderful World of Disney children's fantasy, "A Wrinkle in Time" (ABC, 2004). Dorfman later revived his role as the spooky son of Naomi Watts in the inevitable sequel, "The Ring 2" (2005). Reviews were tepid at beast, with some critics calling the movie boring, derivative and uninspiring, but Dorfman's acting skills continued to show increased subtlety and maturity.
Life Events
1999
Cast in the recurring role of Kathleen Quinlan's son on the series "Family Law" (CBS)
1999
Made acting debut opposite Rita Wilson and Victor Garber in the Lifetime movie "The Invisible Child"
2000
Cast as Gwyneth Paltrow's son in the romantic drama "Bounce"
2000
Made feature film debut playing William H. Macy's son in the acclaimed drama "Panic"
2001
Guest-starred on "Ally McBeal" (Fox) as Robert Downey, Jr.'s son
2002
Played Naomi Watts' son Aidan in "The Ring," a remake of the Japaneese film "Ringu"
2003
Played a young Robert Downey, Jr. in the musical comedy "The Singing Detective"
2003
Played Jedidiah in the horror remake "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
2003
Seen in the recurring role of Rocky Tardio on the hit series "Joan of Arcadia" (CBS)
2004
Starred in the central role of Charles Wallace Murry in the ABC miniseries "A Wrinkle in Time," based on the beloved children's book by Madeleine L'Engle
2005
Reprised the role of Aidan Keller in "The Ring Two"
