Peter Sarsgaard
A specialist in ambiguous, double-edged characters, Peter Sarsgaard is one of the finest character actors of his generation. Born in Belleville, Illinois, he debuted in 'Dead Man Walking' and drew critical attention as one of the aggressors in 'Boys Don't Cry'. His breakthrough came with the unscrupulous journalist of 'Shattered Glass', which earned him recognition, and he consolidated his prestige in 'Kinsey', 'Jarhead' and the acclaimed 'An Education'. With an unsettling presence and a soft voice that can turn menacing, he has moved with ease between independent cinema and big productions, in addition to standing out in theater and on television with series like 'The Killing' and 'Dopesick'.
Peter Sarsgaard
54 Movies
11 Series
A specialist in ambiguous, double-edged characters, Peter Sarsgaard is one of the finest character actors of his generation. Born in Belleville, Illinois, he debuted in 'Dead Man Walking' and drew critical attention as one of the aggressors in 'Boys Don't Cry'. His breakthrough came with the unscrupulous journalist of 'Shattered Glass', which earned him recognition, and he consolidated his prestige in 'Kinsey', 'Jarhead' and the acclaimed 'An Education'. With an unsettling presence and a soft voice that can turn menacing, he has moved with ease between independent cinema and big productions, in addition to standing out in theater and on television with series like 'The Killing' and 'Dopesick'.
Movies
Plays District Attorney Gil Colson
The Batman
2022
Plays Jake Wiles
The Bride!
2026
Plays Hector Hammond
Green Lantern
2011
Plays Bartholomew Bogue
The Magnificent Seven
2016
Plays John
Orphan
2009
Plays Brian Halloran
Black Mass
2015
Plays Fitzgerald
Knight and Day
2010
Plays Henry Fisher (voice)
The Guilty
2021
Plays Raoul
The Man in the Iron Mask
1998
Plays Alan Troy
Jarhead
2005
Plays Luke Marshall
The Skeleton Key
2005
Producer
Plays Chuck Traynor
Lovelace
2013
Plays Carson
Flightplan
2005
Plays Walter Duranty
Mr. Jones
2019
Plays Dwight
Blue Jasmine
2013
Plays Vadim Radtchinko
K-19: The Widowmaker
2002
Plays Shepard
Loving Pablo
2017
Plays Jay Logan
The Lie
2018
Plays Mark
Garden State
2004
Plays David Goldman
An Education
2009
Plays Professor Hardy
The Lost Daughter
2021
Plays Walter Delacroix
Dead Man Walking
1995
Plays Alan Smith
Rendition
2007
Plays Robert Kennedy
Jackie
2016
Plays John Lotter
Boys Don't Cry
1999
Plays Father Bill Lombardy
Pawn Sacrifice
2015
Plays Robot (voice)
Robot & Frank
2012
Plays Charles 'Chuck' Lane
Shattered Glass
2003
Plays Harmon
Night Moves
2014
Plays Roone Arledge
September 5
2024
Plays Jimmy the Finn
The Salton Sea
2002
Plays Clyde Martin
Kinsey
2004
Plays Elrod Sykes
In the Electric Mist
2009
Plays Kenneth Kepesh
Elegy
2008
Plays Quint Manning
Human Capital
2020
Plays Stanley Milgram
Experimenter
2015
Plays Saul
Memory
2023
Plays Fitzsimmons
Very Good Girls
2013
Plays Jack
Empire
2002
Plays Ty
Another Day in Paradise
1998
Plays Newt
Year of the Dog
2007
Plays Window Washer
Unconditional Love
2002
Plays Peter Lucian
The Sound of Silence
2019
Plays Richard Longman
The Center of the World
2001
Plays Robert Sandrich
The Dying Gaul
2005
Plays Cleveland Arning
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
2008
Producer
Plays Floyd Monk
Coup!
2024
Plays Samuel
Ladygrey
2015
Plays Billy Baxter
Desert Blue
1999
Plays Brendon III
Death of a Dynasty
2003
TV Shows
Plays Ray Seward
The Killing
2011
Plays Martin Schmidt
The Looming Tower
2018
Plays David Russell
Interrogation
2020
Plays John Ashpool
Neuromancer
2027
Plays Hector
The Slap
2015
Plays Tommasino 'Tommy' Molto
Presumed Innocent
2024
Plays Rick Mountcastle
Dopesick
2021
Plays Frank Olson
Wormwood
2017
Plays 'Modern Love' / Christopher Spurce
DTF St. Louis
2026
Plays Josh Strand
Law & Order
1990
Plays Frank
Homemade
2020
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
The Bride!
Full Filmography
Neuromancer
John Ashpool · 10 episodes
2027
TV
DTF St. Louis
'Modern Love' / Christopher Spurce · 4 episodes
2026
TV
The Bride!
Jake Wiles
2026
Film
Presumed Innocent
Tommasino 'Tommy' Molto · 8 episodes
2024
TV
September 5
Roone Arledge
2024
Film
Coup!
Floyd Monk
2024
Film
Memory
Saul
2023
Film
The Batman
District Attorney Gil Colson
2022
Film
Dopesick
Rick Mountcastle · 8 episodes
2021
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Peter Sarsgaard and where are they from?
Peter Sarsgaard is 55 years old, born on March 7, 1971 in Belleville, Illinois, USA.
What are the most famous roles of Peter Sarsgaard?
Peter Sarsgaard is best known for roles in The Batman, Green Lantern, The Magnificent Seven.
How many movies has Peter Sarsgaard been in?
Over a 31-year career (since 1995), Peter Sarsgaard has appeared in 54 movies and 9 TV shows.
What was Peter Sarsgaard's first movie?
The career of Peter Sarsgaard began with Dead Man Walking (1995).
What is Peter Sarsgaard's most recent movie or series?
Peter Sarsgaard's most recent release is The Bride!, which premiered on March 4, 2026.
What TV shows has Peter Sarsgaard appeared in?
On television, Peter Sarsgaard has appeared in The Killing, Law & Order, The Daily Show, Presumed Innocent.
Does Peter Sarsgaard have any upcoming projects?
Yes, Peter Sarsgaard's upcoming work includes: Flesh Impact (2026).
Peter Sarsgaard
1971-03-07 · Belleville, Illinois, USA
John Peter Sarsgaard (born March 7, 1971) is an American actor. His first feature role was in Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), playing Raoul, the ill-fated son of Athos. Sarsgaard later achieved critical recognition when he was cast in Boys Don't Cry (1999) as John Lotter. He landed his first leading role in the 2001 film The Center of the World. The following year, he played supporting roles in Empire, The Salton Sea, and K-19: The Widowmaker.
For his portrayal of Charles Lane in Shattered Glass, Sarsgaard won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the 2004 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. Sarsgaard has appeared in an eclectic range of films, including the 2004 comedy-drama Garden State, the biographical film Kinsey (2004), the drama The Dying Gaul (2005), and big-budget films such as Flightplan (2005), Jarhead (2005), The Skeleton Key (2005), Orphan (2009), An Education (2009), Knight and Day (2010), Green Lantern (2011), Lovelace (2013), Kelly Reichardt's Night Moves (2013), Blue Jasmine (2013), Black Mass (2015), and The Magnificent Seven (2016). Sarsgaard also appeared in the American TV series The Killing (2013) as a man on death row perhaps wrongfully convicted for the brutal murder of his wife—a performance which he says included "some of the best acting I have ever done in my life." In 2021, he had a recurring role on the Hulu miniseries Dopesick.
Sarsgaard has appeared in Off-Broadway productions including Kingdom of Earth, Laura Dennis, Burn This, and Uncle Vanya. In September 2008, he made his Broadway debut as Boris Alexeyevich Trigorin in The Seagull. He is married to actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.