Martin Donovan

Martin Donovan, born as Martin Paul Smith on August 19, 1957, is a distinguished American actor noted for his fruitful, long-standing collaboration with director Hal Hartley. Not only has Donovan appeared in numerous films by Hartley, such as Trust (1990), Surviving Desire (1991), Simple Men (1992), Amateur (1994), Flirt (1995), and The Book of Life (1998), he also strikingly portrayed Jesus Christ in the latter. In the popular Showtime's cable series Weeds, Donovan took on the role of Peter Scottson and furthermore made his writing/directorial debut with the film Collaborator (2011).

In addition, his performances in Christopher Nolan's films are noteworthy; he played Detective Hap Eckhart in the psychological thriller Insomnia (2002) and the Protagonist's CIA handler, Fay, in Nolan's high-paced science fiction action thriller film Tenet (2020). Donovan embarked on his acting journey after graduating from Crespi Carmelite High School and spending two years at Pierce College. He, later on, joined American Theater Arts, a blended conservatory and theater company in Los Angeles and appeared in several plays before moving to New York City in 1983.