---
name: "Hamish Linklater"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/hamish-linklater"
fi1m_id: "hamish-linklater"
imdb_id: "nm0512934"
tmdb_id: 184581
wikidata_id: "Q558301"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "7 July 1976"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-23T21:14:52.888260+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Hamish Linklater

## Identity

Hamish Linklater

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/hamish-linklater
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** hamish-linklater
- **IMDb ID:** nm0512934
- **TMDB ID:** 184581
- **Wikidata ID:** Q558301
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamish_Linklater, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q558301, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0512934/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/184581

Actor. Born 7 July 1976 in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 7 July 1976, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA
- **Active:** 2005–present
- **Also known as:** 漢米許·林克萊特
- **Frequently works with:** [Dede Gardner](https://film.one/person/dede-gardner.md), [Jeremy Kleiner](https://film.one/person/jeremy-kleiner.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as actor, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 65 (2), 2010s 78 (2), 2020s 75 (4)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 73 across 8 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 5 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 7, Comedy 2, Fantasy 2, Mystery 2, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 2, Action 1
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $490m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamish_Linklater, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q558301, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0512934/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/184581

## Coming up

- *The Exorcist: Martyrs* (2027-03-10)

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*Legion*](https://film.one/tv/legion.md) (77), [*Fantastic Four*](https://film.one/film/fantastic-four-2005.md) (48)
- **MUBI:** [*Nickel Boys*](https://film.one/film/nickel-boys.md) (85)
- **Pluto TV:** [*The Big Short*](https://film.one/film/the-big-short.md) (80)
- **Netflix:** [*Midnight Mass*](https://film.one/tv/midnight-mass.md) (72)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Hamish Linklater

> Hamish Linklater can make a man frightening simply by keeping his voice down. We value his patient, precise acting, but the succession of priests and officials risks making his presence a warning before he has spoken.

Spencer never raises his voice in *Nickel Boys* (2024), and Hamish Linklater makes that restraint frightening. RaMell Ross films the reform school through the boys’ eyes, so the man running it has no need to announce his authority. We felt uneasy listening to him precisely because he sounded so calm. Linklater does not compete with the camera’s restricted view or insist on a larger performance to compensate for it. He lets the position Spencer holds do much of the work.

There is comedy in his background, too: he played Matthew Kimble in the television series *The New Adventures of Old Christine* (2006–2010). In *The Big Short* (2015), his Porter Collins is part of Adam McKay’s ensemble, where supporting precision matters amid the financial explanations and interruptions. We recommend the film for its anger and humour, while finding some of those interruptions unnecessary. It is a useful example of Linklater fitting into a busy cast, though we would not use this part alone to explain his appeal.

*Legion* (2017), in which he played Clark Debussy, preceded the greater attention drawn by Father Paul Hill in Mike Flanagan’s *Midnight Mass* (2021). Flanagan gives his ability with extended speeches room to work. His Shakespeare experience matters here: sustained language is something he can handle without losing the person speaking it. The attraction is the same one we find in Spencer, even with much more dialogue: he can hold our attention without continually demanding it.

The reservation is about repetition. Priests, deans and superintendents have become a familiar part of his work, and casting him as another authority figure risks telling us what to expect before he has done anything. In *Nickel Boys*, the quiet delivery is specific to a man secure in his position; it need not become the instruction for every subsequent role. Start there for the concentrated version of his skill, but we would be glad to see a casting director remember the comedy.

## Biography

Hamish Linklater is an American actor, playwright, screenwriter and director. He trained at Amherst College after graduating from Commonwealth School in Boston. He began his career in theatre, appearing in productions including Shakespeare in the Park, and made his film debut in Groove (2000).

Linklater is known for his television roles as Matthew Kimble in The New Adventures of Old Christine (2006–2010), Clark Debussy in Legion (2017–2019) and Father Paul Hill in Midnight Mass (2021). His film credits include Fantastic Four (2005), Battleship (2012), 42 (2013), The Big Short (2015) and Nickel Boys (2024), in which he played Spencer. He has also written plays including The Vandal (2013) and co-directed the film Downtown Owl (2023).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (8)

- *Widow's Bay* (2026), Fi1m 80, as Richard Warren — [page](https://film.one/tv/widows-bay.md)
- *The Life of Chuck* (2025), Fi1m 63, as American Reporter (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-life-of-chuck.md)
- *Nickel Boys* (2024), Fi1m 85, as Spencer — [page](https://film.one/film/nickel-boys.md)
- *Midnight Mass* (2021), Fi1m 72, as Father Paul Hill — [page](https://film.one/tv/midnight-mass.md)
- *Legion* (2017), Fi1m 77, as Clark Debussy — [page](https://film.one/tv/legion.md)
- *The Big Short* (2015), Fi1m 80, as Porter Collins — [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-short.md)
- *Pushing Daisies* (2007), Fi1m 82, as John Joseph Jacobs — [page](https://film.one/tv/pushing-daisies.md)
- *Fantastic Four* (2005), Fi1m 48, as Leonard — [page](https://film.one/film/fantastic-four-2005.md)

## Complete filmography (60)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Exorcist: Martyrs* (2027), Actor
- *The Whisper Man* (2026), as Norman Collins
- *Widow's Bay* (2026), series, as Richard Warren — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/widows-bay.md)
- *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey* (2025), as David's Father
- *Barron's Cove* (2025), as Lyle Chambers
- *The Life of Chuck* (2025), as American Reporter (voice) — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/the-life-of-chuck.md)
- *Cattywampus* (2025), as Max
- *Nickel Boys* (2024), as Spencer — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/nickel-boys.md)
- *Batman: Caped Crusader* (2024), series, as Batman / Bruce Wayne (voice)
- *Manhunt* (2024), series, as Abraham Lincoln
- *Elsbeth* (2024), series, as Archer Kopunek
- *Gen V* (2023), series, as Cipher
- *Downtown Owl* (2023), as Principal Valentine · Director, Screenplay, Producer
- *Dead for a Dollar* (2022), as Martin Kidd
- *Angelyne* (2022), series, as Rick Krause
- *Gaslit* (2022), series, as Jeb Magruder
- *Midnight Mass* (2021), series, as Father Paul Hill — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/midnight-mass.md)
- *Cinema Toast* (2021), series, Actor
- *Tell Me Your Secrets* (2021), series, as John
- *The Stand* (2020), series, as Dr. Jim Ellis
- *Monsterland* (2020), series, as Joe Keller
- *10 Things We Should Do Before We Break Up* (2020), as Ben
- *Paper Year* (2018), as Noah Bearinger
- *You Can't Say No* (2018), as Miles
- *Unicorn Store* (2017), as Gary
- *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (2017), as Lysander
- *Legion* (2017), series, as Clark Debussy — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/legion.md)
- *One More Time* (2016), as Tim
- *The Big Short* (2015), as Porter Collins — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-short.md)
- *Ithaca* (2015), as Tom Spangler
- *Magic in the Moonlight* (2014), as Brice
- *The Angriest Man in Brooklyn* (2014), as Tommy Altmann
- *Fargo* (2014), series, as Larue Dollard — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/fargo-2014.md)
- *Redemption Trail* (2013), as David
- *The Crazy Ones* (2013), series, as Andrew
- *42* (2013), as Ralph Branca
- *The Newsroom* (2012), series, as Jerry Dantana
- *Lola Versus* (2012), as Henry
- *Battleship* (2012), as Cal Zapata
- *I'm Coming Over* (2011), as Buffalo
- *The Future* (2011), as Jason
- *The Good Wife* (2009), series, as David LaGuardia — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-wife.md)
- *The Prince of Motor City* (2008), Writer
- *The Violent Kind* (2008), as Frank
- *Pushing Daisies* (2007), series, as John Joseph Jacobs — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/pushing-daisies.md)
- *Ugly Betty* (2006), series, as Evan Grant
- *The New Adventures of Old Christine* (2006), series, as Matthew Kimble
- *Fantastic Four* (2005), as Leonard — Fi1m 48, [page](https://film.one/film/fantastic-four-2005.md)
- *Everything's Gone Green* (2005), as William
- *The Sailor's Girl* (2005), Actor
- *5ive Days to Midnight* (2004), series, as Carl Axelrod
- *Final Draft* (2003), as Marty
- *Live from Baghdad* (2002), as Richard Roth
- *American Dreams* (2002), series, as Pvt. Stan Silver
- *Gideon's Crossing* (2000), series, as Dr. Bruce Cherry
- *Groove* (2000), as David Turner
- *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as David Morris
- *Callback*, Actor
- *She's Fine*, series, as Evan
- *Chop Shop*, series, as David Sconce

## Gallery

- ![Hamish Linklater](https://film.one/media/person/10149/gallery-bc5cae9a4475.jpg) Hamish Linklater — Marie-Lan Nguyen, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Hamish_Linklater_Seminar.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Hamish Linklater posing for pictures at the stage door of the John Golden Theater, after the matinee performance of Seminar on Saturday 12 November 2011. Being ](https://film.one/media/person/10149/gallery-36b814562812.jpg) Hamish Linklater posing for pictures at the stage door of the John Golden Theater, after the matinee performance of Seminar on Saturday 12 November 2011. Being  — Marie-Lan Nguyen from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Seminar_stage_door_12_November_2011_n10_%286345264924%29.jpg/1280px-Seminar_stage_door_12_November_2011_n10_%286345264924%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Hamish Linklater signing autographs at the stage door of the John Golden Theater, after the matinee performance of Seminar on Saturday 12 November 2011. Being v](https://film.one/media/person/10149/gallery-519757865220.jpg) Hamish Linklater signing autographs at the stage door of the John Golden Theater, after the matinee performance of Seminar on Saturday 12 November 2011. Being v — Marie-Lan Nguyen from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Seminar_stage_door_12_November_2011_n4_%286344507567%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Hamish Linklater](https://film.one/media/person/10149/gallery-fc8baffeed80.jpg) Hamish Linklater — Image via TMDB
- ![Hamish Linklater](https://film.one/media/person/10149/gallery-b273d3999463.jpg) Hamish Linklater — Image via TMDB
- ![Hamish Linklater](https://film.one/media/person/10149/gallery-6153b7783ced.jpg) Hamish Linklater — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 0 won, 2 nominated

- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play 2014: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play (nominated)
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play 2010: Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/hamish-linklater