--- name: "Leland Orser" canonical: "https://film.one/person/leland-orser" fi1m_id: "leland-orser" imdb_id: "nm0650702" tmdb_id: 2221 wikidata_id: "Q1320006" roles: ["Actor"] born: "6 August 1960" reviewed_on_fi1m: 6 average_fi1m_score: 63 average_as: "actor" average_over: 6 updated: "2026-10-20T04:06:07.705306+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." --- # Leland Orser ## Identity Leland Orser - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/leland-orser - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** leland-orser - **IMDb ID:** nm0650702 - **TMDB ID:** 2221 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1320006 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leland_Orser, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1320006, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0650702/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2221 Actor. Born 6 August 1960 in San Francisco, California, USA. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 6 August 1960, San Francisco, California, USA - **Active:** 1996–present - **Also known as:** Leland Jones Orser, Lee Orser - **Frequently works with:** [Famke Janssen](https://film.one/person/famke-janssen.md), [Liam Neeson](https://film.one/person/liam-neeson.md), [Luc Besson](https://film.one/person/luc-besson.md), [Maggie Grace](https://film.one/person/maggie-grace.md), [Robert Mark Kamen](https://film.one/person/robert-mark-kamen.md) - **Average Fi1m score:** 63, as actor, over 6 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 68 (2), 2000s 60 (2), 2010s 77 (1), 2020s 47 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 63 to 58 across 6 titles - **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 2 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 4 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Action 4, Mystery 3, Thriller 3, Drama 2, Science Fiction 2, Adventure 1 - **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $1,246m across 6 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leland_Orser, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1320006, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0650702/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2221 ## Streaming the US now - **AMC+:** [*The Guest*](https://film.one/film/the-guest.md) (77) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Leland Orser > Leland Orser has spent three decades playing the man in the corner who is not as harmless as he looks, and he is good at it. The open question is what he would do with a part that let him stay calm. Leland Orser looks like someone you would trust with your coat, and that is the trick. He has a boyish, anxious face, and for thirty years directors have used it to hide something worse behind it. His men are nervous, then unstable, then dangerous, and the surprise is always the same: you were watching the wrong person. He set the pattern early, as a crazed man in a massage parlour in *Se7en* (1995), followed it as Purvis in *Alien Resurrection* (1997), and confirmed it as Richard Thompson in *The Bone Collector* (1999), where the boyishness had curdled into something vengeful. He came from the stage. *The Secret Rapture* in 1991 was the play; the same year he made his television debut on *Gabriel's Fire*, and guest parts followed on *The X-Files* and *Law & Order: SVU*. Film arrived in small doses in the mid-1990s, with *Independence Day* alongside *Se7en*, and then a run of supporting parts in bigger pictures, including Lieutenant DeWindt in *Saving Private Ryan* (1998). Television gave him his longest job, as Dr Lucien Dubenko on *ER* from 2004 to 2009, and the *Taken* films gave him his most visible one, as Sam Gilroy across the trilogy from 2008 to 2014, three times at Liam Neeson's shoulder. Our one review of him does not do him many favours. In *The Good German* (2006), Steven Soderbergh's noir experiment, Orser plays Bernie Teitel, and Paul Attanasio's script gives him what it gives everyone: a room, and a speech in it, explaining to George Clooney's bystander hero which piece of paper matters. We will be honest. Somewhere in the second half we lost track of who wanted what, and by the end we could not have told you which room had been Teitel's. That is the film's fault more than his; we scored it 53 and the arm's-length feeling was general. But it is also what happens to an actor whose trade is a few unsettling minutes when the film around him is too cool to be unsettled. The criticism that follows him is the obvious one: he is typecast as the unstable or compromised man, and *The Bone Collector* is the usual exhibit. His answer has been to look for parts that ask for more than one temperature. *Faults* (2014) is the one people point to, a performance that shifts tone inside a scene without announcing it. He has said of that work, "There's no tricks. It's very open, it's very stripped down, it's playing with the truth and without emotional truth no scene works." He has also stepped behind the camera, writing and directing *Morning* (2010), expanded from a short he made in 2007. He is still working, in supporting parts in film and television into the 2020s, and still, mostly, the man you should have kept an eye on. We would like someone to cast him as the one sane person at the table and see whether the audience can stop waiting for him to crack. ## Biography Leland Jones Orser (born 6 August 1960) is an American actor. He was born in San Francisco, California, graduated from Connecticut College in 1982 and studied acting at Drama Studio London. He began his career as a stage actor and received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Secret Rapture (1991). Orser made his television debut in 1991 and has appeared in numerous film and television roles. He is known for playing Dr Lucien Dubenko on the series ER (2004–09), Sam Gilroy in the Taken film trilogy (2008–14), and Bernie Teitel in The Good German (2006). Other film credits include Se7en (1995), Independence Day (1996), Alien Resurrection (1997), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001) and Daredevil (2003). He has also directed and written the film Morning (2010). Orser married actress Jeanne Tripplehorn in 2000; they have one son. He was previously married to actress Roma Downey from 1987 to 1989. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, encyclopedia.com.* ## On Fi1m (6) - *Amsterdam* (2022), Fi1m 47, as Mr. Nevins — [page](https://film.one/film/amsterdam.md) - *The Guest* (2014), Fi1m 77, as Spencer Peterson — [page](https://film.one/film/the-guest.md) - *Taken* (2008), Fi1m 66, as Sam Gilroy — [page](https://film.one/film/taken.md) - *The Good German* (2006), Fi1m 53, as Bernie Teitel — [page](https://film.one/film/the-good-german.md) - *Alien Resurrection* (1997), Fi1m 60, as Purvis — [page](https://film.one/film/alien-resurrection.md) - *Independence Day* (1996), Fi1m 75, as Techy / Med Asst #1 — [page](https://film.one/film/independence-day.md) ## Complete filmography (75) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Amsterdam* (2022), as Mr. Nevins — Fi1m 47, [page](https://film.one/film/amsterdam.md) - *American Gigolo* (2022), series, as Richard Stratton - *Corporate Animals* (2019), as Rescue Team Leader - *The Art of Self-Defense* (2019), as Detective McCallister - *I Am the Night* (2019), series, as Peter Sullivan - *Blindspotting* (2018), as Judge - *The Devil's Candy* (2016), as TV Preacher - *Berlin Station* (2016), series, as Robert Kirsch - *The Gambler* (2014), as Larry Jones - *Taken 3* (2014), as Sam Gilroy - *The Guest* (2014), as Spencer Peterson — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/the-guest.md) - *Faults* (2014), as Ansel - *Morning* (2013), as Mark · Writer, Director - *Ray Donovan* (2013), series, as Father Romero - *Taken 2* (2012), as Sam Gilroy - *Revolution* (2012), series, as John Sanborn - *Scandal* (2012), series, as Sanders Black - *Magic City* (2012), series, as Mike Strauss - *Touch* (2012), series, as Dr. Linus - *Pleading Guilty* (2010), as Bert Kamin - *NCIS: Los Angeles* (2009), series, as Professor Gareth Carlyle - *Give 'em Hell, Malone* (2009), as Murphy - *Taken* (2008), as Sam Gilroy — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/taken.md) - *The Good German* (2006), as Bernie Teitel — Fi1m 53, [page](https://film.one/film/the-good-german.md) - *Shark* (2006), series, as Brent Gilroy — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/tv/shark.md) - *Homeland Security* (2004), as Sol Binder - *Homeland Security* (2004), series, as Sol Binder - *Twisted* (2004), as Edmund Cutler - *Runaway Jury* (2003), as Lamb - *Confidence* (2003), as Lionel Dolby - *Daredevil* (2003), as Wesley - *Brother's Keeper* (2002), as Travis Adler - *24* (2001), series, as Martin Collier — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/24.md) - *Law & Order: Criminal Intent* (2001), series, as Dan Wyler - *Star Trek: Enterprise* (2001), series, as Loomis - *Pearl Harbor* (2001), as Major Jackson - *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), series, as Morris Pearson - *Wonderland* (2000), series, as Wendall Rickle - *The Bone Collector* (1999), as Richard Thompson - *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Kevin James Walker, Harris Vernon - *Resurrection* (1999), as Det. Andrew Hollinsworth - *Very Bad Things* (1998), as Charles Moore - *Saving Private Ryan* (1998), as Lieutenant DeWindt — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/saving-private-ryan.md) - *Alien Resurrection* (1997), as Purvis — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/alien-resurrection.md) - *Brooklyn South* (1997), series, as ER Intern - *Excess Baggage* (1997), as Detective Barnaby - *To Love, Honor and Deceive* (1996), as FBI Special Agent Kyle Lassiter - *Lifeform* (1996), as Michael Perkett, NASA - *The Pretender* (1996), series, as Argyle - *Back to Back* (1996), as Wheelchair Guy - *Escape from L.A.* (1996), as Test Tube - *Independence Day* (1996), as Techy / Med Asst #1 — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/independence-day.md) - *Boston Common* (1996), series, as Leon - *Girl in the Cadillac* (1995), as Used Car Salesman - *Piranha* (1995), as Terry Wechsler - *Se7en* (1995), as Crazed Man in Massage Parlor — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/se7en.md) - *Murder One* (1995), series, as Myron Elkins — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/murder-one.md) - *Ned & Stacey* (1995), series, as Phil - *Red Ribbon Blues* (1995), as James - *Dead Badge* (1995), as Pellman - *The Outer Limits* (1995), series, as Dr. Arthur Zeller - *Star Trek: Voyager* (1995), series, as Dejaren - *Phoenix* (1995), as Doctor Riley - *ER* (1994), series, as Lucien Dubenko — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md) - *NYPD Blue* (1993), series, as Zeppo — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/nypd-blue.md) - *Cover Story* (1993), as Julian - *The X-Files* (1993), series, as Jason Ludwig — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md) - *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine* (1993), series, as Gai, Lovok — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-deep-space-nine.md) - *Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman* (1993), series, as Clerk - *Mad About You* (1992), series, as Professor Gittleson - *Eerie, Indiana* (1991), series, as Assistant Director - *Married... with Children* (1987), series, as Mark · Director - *The Golden Girls* (1985), series, as Waiter — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-golden-girls.md) - *Cheers* (1982), series, as Mark — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/cheers.md) - *Safe Houses*, series, as Sen. Douglas Patterson ## Gallery - ![Leland Orser](https://film.one/media/person/9688/gallery-f94d407f03be.jpg) Leland Orser — usbotschaftberlin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Leland_Orser_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![U.S. Embassy Berlin salutes the Berlinale 15.2.2016](https://film.one/media/person/9688/gallery-446349c9ecc9.jpg) U.S. Embassy Berlin salutes the Berlinale 15.2.2016 — usbotschaftberlin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/The_arrival_of_Leland_Orser_from_the_movie_%22Berlin_Station%22_%2824766940470%29.jpg/1280px-The_arrival_of_Leland_Orser_from_the_movie_%22Berlin_Station%22_%2824766940470%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Leland Orser](https://film.one/media/person/9688/gallery-2c9c91b7fc7c.jpg) Leland Orser — Image via TMDB --- © 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/leland-orser