Brad Dourif
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
"Dourif has shown himself to be one of the most intense, most interesting young film actors of his generation. One possible problem: He'll be typecast as a lunatic." --critic Vincent Canby writing in The New York Times in 1980.
"Sudden fame scared the shit out of me! I didn't feel I deserved it and indulged in drugs."--Brad Dourif to The Hollywood Kids in Movieline.
Biography
This thin-approaching-gaunt actor with a receding hairline rose to prominence as the stuttering, frail Billy Bibbit in Milos Forman's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975), and has gone on to play a variety of both tormented characters and spine-chilling evil ones. Brad Dourif arrived in NYC after dropping out of college at age 19 and joined the Circle Repertory Company where he won his first notice as Stephen in the original company of "When You Comin' Back Red Ryder?" in 1972. Although he had appeared in a bit part in "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings" (1974), Dourif had his first role of consequence with "Cuckoo's Nest," for which he was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor. By the end of the 1970s, after turning down roles in "The Deer Hunter" (1978) and "Hair" (1979), he had settled into playing characters that were edgy and often mentally unbalanced like the chauffeur Tommy Ludlow in "The Eyes of Laura Mars" (1978) and the deranged preacher Hazel Motes in "Wise Blood" (1979).
Dourif began the 80s with a supporting role in Michael Cimino's notorious "Heaven's Gate" (1980), but had better luck reteaming with Milos Forman as the Evelyn Nesbitt-obsessed character (simply known as Younger Brother) in "Ragtime" (1981). The actor played featured roles in two David Lynch films, the overblown "Dune" (1984) and the highly praised "Blue Velvet" (1985). Under Tom Holland direction , Dourif played a nasty drug dealer in "Fatal Beauty" (1987) and developed a cult following as psycho Charles Lee Ray, whose spirit possesses a doll named Chucky, in Holland's "Child's Play" (1988). For the inevitable sequels ("Child's Play 2" 1990, "Child's Play 3" 1991 and "Bride of Chucky" 1998), Dourif provided the chilling voice of the demonic. The performer also offered a chilling turn as the villainously abusive Detective Pell in "Mississippi Burning" (1988) and was shown to good effect as a mental patient in "William Peter Blatty's The Exorcist III" (1990).
For much of the 90s, Dourif was trapped playing his patented oddballs and psychos in genre fare (e.g., "Critters 4" 1992), parts he has readily admitted he accepted to pay the bills. On occasion, there would be an interesting role, like the TV executive seduced by visual reality in "Wild Palms" (ABC, 1993), his memorable guest spot as a death row inmate claiming psychic powers in a 1994 episode of Fox's "The X-Files," and the 1996 recurring role of the crew member aiding in saving the titular spaceship from aliens in "Star Trek: Voyager" (UPN).
Dourif kicked off the new millennium playing a regular role as a local townsman in the PAX-TV prequel "Ponderosa" (2001). But perhaps his biggest chance came when he accepted the part of the spy Grima Wormtongue in Peter Jackson's anticipated tripartite adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings" (filmed 1999-2000) which opened over three years: "The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), "The Two Towers" (2002) and "The Return of the King" (2003). Dourif first appeared in the second instalment, bringing characteristic oddball menace to his role. He was next nominated for an Emmy as best supporting actor in a TV drama for his impressive turn as Doc Cochran in HBO's hard-as-nails Western series "Deadwood" (2004-06).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1970
Moved to NYC; roomed with actress Conchata Ferrell
1970
Acted with Circle Repertory Company
1972
First major theatrical role in "When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?" at Circle Rep
1974
Feature acting debut in "W. W. and the Dixie Dancekings"
1975
Breakthrough feature role, Billy Bibbit in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", directed by Milos Forman; earned Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor
1976
TV debut in "Great Performances" production of Lanford Wilson's "The Mound Builders" (PBS)
1978
Had title role in the NBC movie "Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force"
1979
Appeared in NBC miniseries "Studs Lonigan"
1979
Starred in John Huston's "Wise Blood" as an obsessed preacher
1980
Portrayed a doctor who follows cult leader Jim Jones to South America in "Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones" (CBS)
1981
Had featured role as the man obsessed with explosives and Evelyn Nesbitt in Milos Forman's "Ragtime"
1982
Cast as a vampire in the ABC movie "I, Desire"
1985
First collaboration with director David Lynch, "Dune"
1986
Had featured role in Lynch's "Blue Velvet"
1988
Co-starred as a killer whose soul possesses a doll in "Child's Play"; also voiced the doll Chucky in the same film
1990
Reprised the voice of Chucky in "Child's Play 2"
1991
Again voiced Chucky in "Child's Play 3"
1993
Co-starred in ABC TV miniseries "Wild Palms"
1994
Made memorable guest appearance on "The X-Files" (Fox)
1997
Was featured in "Alien Resurrection"
1998
Made uncredited appearance in "Urban Legend" as a gas station attendant
1998
Once again voiced the murderous doll in "Bride of Chucky"
2000
Co-starred in "Shadow Hours" as a gas station owner
2001
Had regular role of a town resident named Frenchy in the PAX-TV prequel series "Ponderosa"
2002
Played Grima Wormtounge in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings" (filmed 1999-2000), released in three parts over three years: "The Fellowship of the Rings" (2001), "The Two Towers" (2002) and "The Return of the King" (2003)
2003
Reprised role of Wormtongue in the "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
2004
Reprised his role as the voice of Chucky in "Seed of Chucky"
2004
Featured as Doc Cochran in the HBO drama "Deadwood"; earned an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for 2004
2007
Played Sheriff Lee Brackett in the "Halloween" revival feature
2009
Returned for "Halloween II"
2009
Played uncle Ted in "My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done"
2012
Played Zoso on "Once Upon a Time"
2017
Reprised role of killer doll Chucky yet again in "Cult of Chucky"
2019
Returned as Doc Cochran in HBO's long-gestating "Deadwood" revival film
Photo Collections
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
"Dourif has shown himself to be one of the most intense, most interesting young film actors of his generation. One possible problem: He'll be typecast as a lunatic." --critic Vincent Canby writing in The New York Times in 1980.
"Sudden fame scared the shit out of me! I didn't feel I deserved it and indulged in drugs."--Brad Dourif to The Hollywood Kids in Movieline.
"Chucky is a lot of fun, like doing primal scream therapy. For a few days, I rip my throat out looping the movie, pick up my check, and go home."--Dourif to The Hollywood Kids in Movieline
"It's a little intimidating to work with a great actor like Jack Nicholson, but in the end it always helps you. He would tell me little tips that were a huge help in my learning to adjust to film." --Brad Dourif
