Sam Waterston

Acting • 1940-11-15 • Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston (born November 15, 1940) is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy on the NBC television series Law & Order. He has been nominated for multiple Golden Globe-, Screen Actors Guild-, BAFTA- and Emmy Awards, having starred in over eighty film and television productions during his forty-five year career. Allmovie has characterised Waterston as having "cultivated a loyal following with his quietly charismatic, unfailingly solid performances." Description above from the Wikipedia article Sam Waterston, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

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Filmography

2026
Line of FireTV
Thomas Barnes • 2 episodes
★ 8.1
2026
CarouselFilm
Sam
2024
The Six Triple EightFilm
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
★ 7.6
2024
Merchant IvoryFilm
Self
★ 7.7
2024
A Case for LoveFilm
Self
2024
Rain Falls from Earth: Surviving Cambodia's Darkest HourFilm
Self (voice)
2023
Liv Ullmann: A Road Less TravelledTV
Self • 3 episodes
★ 8.0
2022
The DropoutTV
George Shultz • 5 episodes
★ 7.4
2021
Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in TimeFilm
Self (voice)
★ 6.8
2020
The Man in the WoodsFilm
Headmaster Waldorf
★ 4.6
2020
Gatsby in Connecticut: The Untold StoryFilm
Self
2018
On the Basis of SexFilm
Erwin Griswold
★ 7.3
2018
Jane Fonda in Five ActsFilm
Self - Actor (archive footage)
★ 7.1
2018
The Mayo ClinicFilm
Charlie Mayo (voice)
★ 7.0
2017
GodlessTV
Marshall John Cook • 7 episodes
★ 7.7
2017
Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's CreatorsFilm
Narrator (voice)
★ 7.3
2017
Dateline: SaigonFilm
Narrator (voice)
★ 8.0
2016
Miss SloaneFilm
George Dupont
★ 7.4
2016
AnesthesiaFilm
Prof. Walter Zarrow
★ 5.7
2015
The Late Show with Stephen ColbertTV
Self - Guest • 3 episodes
★ 6.1
2015
Grace and FrankieTV
Sol Bergstein • 94 episodes
★ 7.7
2015
Please Be NormalFilm
Dad
★ 3.3
2015
Dean SmithFilm
Narrator
★ 6.0
2015
And It Was GoodFilm
Judge Alexander Baas / Doctor / Gravedigger
2013
JoTV
★ 6.3
2012
The NewsroomTV
Charlie Skinner • 25 episodes
★ 8.1
2011
ProhibitionTV
Reader (voice) • 3 episodes
★ 7.9
2010
The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or FearFilm
Self
★ 5.9
2007
Masters of Science FictionTV
★ 6.2
2006
The Best of The Tony Awards: The PlaysFilm
John Honeyman (segment "A Walk in the Woods")
2005
The Colbert ReportTV
★ 7.0
2005
The Colbert ReportTV
Self (uncredited) • 1 episodes
★ 7.0
2005
Law & Order: Trial by JuryTV
Jack McCoy • 2 episodes
★ 8.1
2004
Hammer and CycleFilm
Self - Narrator
★ 8.0
2003
Le DivorceFilm
Chester Walker
★ 4.9
2003
The CommissionFilm
J. Lee Rankin
★ 4.5
2002
The Matthew Shepard StoryFilm
Dennis Shepard
★ 5.6
2000
A House DividedFilm
David Dickson
★ 6.5
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims UnitTV
Jack McCoy • 4 episodes
★ 8.0
1999
Family GuyTV
Bruce Kaplan (voice) • 2 episodes
★ 7.4
1999
In Bad TasteFilm
Self
★ 8.0
1999
The Unfinished JourneyFilm
Narrator (voice)
★ 6.5
1999
Moment of Impact: Stories of the Pulitzer Prize PhotographsFilm
Self / Host / Narrator
★ 10.0
1999
Here Am I, Send Me: The Story of Jonathan DanielsFilm
Narrator
1998
ExiledFilm
Jack McCoy
★ 5.9
1998
Miracle at MidnightFilm
Dr. Karl Koster
★ 7.5
1997
The ViewTV
Self • 1 episodes
★ 4.3
1997
The ViewTV
Self - Guest • 1 episodes
★ 4.3
1997
Shadow ConspiracyFilm
The President
★ 4.9
1997
Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of DiscoveryTV
Thomas Jefferson (voice) • 2 episodes
★ 7.8
1997
Thomas JeffersonTV
Thomas Jefferson (voice) • 2 episodes
★ 7.7
1996
The ProprietorFilm
Harry Bancroft
★ 6.3
1995
NixonFilm
Richard Helms
★ 6.8
1995
The Journey of August KingFilm
Mooney Wright
★ 6.9
1995
Time Life's Lost CivilizationsTV
Narrator • 10 episodes
★ 6.8
1995
Amazing Stories: The Movie IVFilm
Jordan Manmouth (archive footage)
1994
Serial MomFilm
Eugene Sutphin
★ 6.7
1994
The Enemy WithinFilm
President William Foster
★ 5.8
1994
Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson WhittakerFilm
Daniel Chamberlain
★ 6.3
1994
David's MotherFilm
John Nils
★ 8.3
1994
Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American StageFilm
Tom Wingfield (archive footage)
★ 9.0
1993
Homicide: Life on the StreetTV
Jack McCoy • 2 episodes
★ 8.1
1993
I'll Fly Away: Then and NowFilm
Forrest Bedford
★ 8.5
1992
HBO First LookTV
★ 5.5
1992
Earth and the American DreamFilm
Reader (voice)
★ 6.7
1991
The Man in the MoonFilm
Matthew Trant
★ 7.4
1991
MindwalkFilm
Jack Edwards
★ 6.9
1991
I'll Fly AwayTV
Forrest Bedford • 39 episodes
★ 7.5
1990
Law & OrderTV
Jack McCoy • 405 episodes
★ 7.3
1990
The Civil WarTV
Abraham Lincoln (voice) • 9 episodes
★ 8.0
1990
A Captive in the LandFilm
Royce
★ 5.6
1990
Night of 100 Stars IIIFilm
Self
★ 4.3
1989
Tales from the CryptTV
G.G. Devoe (segment "As Ye Sow") • 1 episodes
★ 8.0
1989
Crimes and MisdemeanorsFilm
Ben
★ 7.4
1989
Welcome HomeFilm
Woody
★ 6.6
1989
The Nightmare YearsTV
Bill Shirer • 4 episodes
★ 6.5
1989
Lantern HillFilm
Andrew Stuart
★ 8.0
1988
LincolnTV
Abraham Lincoln • 2 episodes
★ 7.5
1988
Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim AjamiFilm
Jim Delmore
★ 7.0
1988
A Walk in the WoodsFilm
John Honeyman
★ 8.5
1987
SeptemberFilm
Peter
★ 6.2
1987
Swimming to CambodiaFilm
Additional Cast from 'The Killing Fields' (archive footage)
★ 7.1
1987
The Room UpstairsFilm
Travis Coles
★ 4.8
1987
Devil's ParadiseFilm
Jones
★ 5.7
1986
Hannah and Her SistersFilm
David (uncredited)
★ 7.5
1986
Just Between FriendsFilm
Harry Crandall
★ 5.2
1986
Flagrant désirFilm
Inspecteur Gerry Morrison
★ 5.3
1986
The Fifth MissileFilm
Capt. Allard Renslow
★ 5.5
1985
Amazing StoriesTV
Jordan Manmouth • 1 episodes
★ 7.5
1985
Warning SignFilm
Cal Morse
★ 6.0
1985
Finnegan Begin AgainFilm
Paul Broadbent
★ 6.5
1985
Love Lives OnFilm
Bernie
★ 8.0
1984
Jeopardy!TV
Self • 1 episodes
★ 6.9
1984
The Killing FieldsFilm
Sydney Schanberg
★ 7.5
1984
The Boy Who Loved TrollsFilm
Ofoeti
★ 4.5
1983
DempseyFilm
Doc Kearns
★ 6.2
1983
In Defense of KidsFilm
Paul Wilcox
★ 7.0
1982
American PlayhouseTV
Robert Oppenheimer • 7 episodes
★ 6.6
1982
American PlayhouseTV
John Honeyman • 1 episodes
★ 6.6
1982
Q.E.D.TV
Professor Quentin Everett Deverill • 6 episodes
★ 7.1
1982
Games Mother Never Taught YouFilm
David Bentells
★ 8.0
1980
Heaven's GateFilm
Frank Canton
★ 6.7
1980
HopscotchFilm
Jack Cutter
★ 7.0
1980
OppenheimerTV
Robert Oppenheimer • 7 episodes
★ 6.7
1980
Friendly FireFilm
C.D.B. Bryan
★ 7.0
1980
Sweet WilliamFilm
William McClusky
★ 4.2
1979
Eagle's WingFilm
White Bull
★ 5.4
1978
InteriorsFilm
Mike
★ 6.8
1977
Capricorn OneFilm
Lt. Col. Peter Willis
★ 6.8
1976
Sweet RevengeFilm
Le Clerq
★ 5.7
1975
Saturday Night LiveTV
Self (uncredited) • 2 episodes
★ 6.9
1975
People's Choice AwardsTV
Self - Presenter • 1 episodes
★ 8.2
1975
Rancho DeluxeFilm
Cecil Colson
★ 5.3
1975
Journey into FearFilm
Mr. Graham
★ 6.0
1974
The Great GatsbyFilm
Nick Carraway
★ 6.3
1974
Reflections of MurderFilm
Michael Elliott
★ 6.8
1973
The Glass MenagerieFilm
Tom
★ 7.7
1973
Much Ado About NothingFilm
Benedick
★ 6.0
1972
SavagesFilm
James, the Limping Man
★ 5.3
1972
Mahoney's Last StandFilm
Felix
★ 5.7
1971
Film '72TV
Self • 1 episodes
★ 5.1
1971
Who Killed Mary Whats'ername?Film
Alex Monte
★ 4.9
1970
Cover Me BabeFilm
Cameraman
★ 4.7
1969
ThreeFilm
Taylor
★ 5.2
1969
GenerationFilm
Desmond
★ 5.5
1967
FitzwillyFilm
Oliver
★ 6.3
1966
The Plastic Dome of Norma JeanFilm
Andy
★ 8.2
1961
Dr. KildareTV
Mark • 2 episodes
★ 5.7
1951
Hallmark Hall of FameTV
Travis Coles • 1 episodes
★ 8.8

Known For

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Law & Order

Grace and Frankie

The Newsroom

The Killing Fields

The Six Triple Eight

Fan Club

From Nerdspin

Filmography