David Costabile Explained

David Costabile
Birth Date:9 January 1967
Birth Place:Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1997–present
Children:2

David Costabile (; born January 9, 1967)[1] is an American actor. He is best known for his television work, having appeared in supporting roles in several television series such as Billions, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Damages, Flight of the Conchords, Suits, and The Wire, as well as the film The Dirt. He has also acted on film and in Broadway theatre.

Early life and education

Costabile was born in Washington, D.C., and is of Italian descent.[2] [3] He graduated from Gonzaga College High School, a Jesuit institution, where he was active in the school’s musical theater program. He holds an undergraduate degree from Tufts University and an MFA from New York University.[4]

Career

Stage

Costabile has appeared on Broadway in Manhattan Theatre Club's revival of Translations in 2007, the musical Titanic in 1997, and The Tempest in 1995. In 2005, he appeared as Launce in The Two Gentlemen of Verona as part of the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park. For Caroline, or Change, the Drama Desk Award–winning musical by Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori (2003–2004), Costabile workshopped and performed in the original production and its Broadway transfer.

Television

Costabile is best known for his recurring television roles on The Wire (as Thomas Klebanow, managing editor of The Baltimore Sun), Flight of the Conchords (as Doug), Damages (as Detective Rick Messer), Suits (as Daniel Hardman, former senior partner of the law firm of Pearson Hardman), and Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul (as Gale Boetticher).[5] He is currently starring as Mike "Wags" Wagner in the Showtime production Billions.

Costabile also appeared in season six of The Office, as a banker sent from Sabre to evaluate Dunder Mifflin, and in the House episode "Changes" as a limousine driver. During the second series of Franklin & Bash, he guest-starred as a senior partner of the Infeld Daniels New York office, investigating Franklin and Bash because of a complaint filed against them by a former client. He had a minor guest star role in a season 3 episode of The Good Wife, playing the defendant's lawyer in a lawsuit against Lockhart and Gardner, and in a two episode story arc on BBC One's Ripper Street. Costabile also played Mr. Braddock, an attorney to the primary suspect in an episode of The Closer titled "Unknown Trouble", the first episode of season 7.

He has appeared in several television commercials, including ads for Microsoft and FedEx. In 2011, he appeared in Lie to Me as Dr. Mitch Grandon, the head doctor of a psychiatric institution in the Season 3 episode "Funhouse". In 2013, he appeared in Elementary as Danilo Gura, a custodian of a hospital in the Season 1 episode "Lesser Evils". Costabile appeared as Internal Affairs investigator Simon Boyd in the 2013 TV show Low Winter Sun. He appeared in Person of Interest in Season 1 as Samuel Gates.[5] He appeared in The Blacklist in Season 2 as Dr. Linus Creel. He starred in the television series Dig.

In an April 2013 article about television, Wired magazine called Costabile "a performer who inhabits his characters so perfectly as to consistently be a fan favorite" and "one of the best things about" every television show in which he has appeared.[6]

Film

Costabile appeared in 2009's Solitary Man as Gary, the husband of Jenna Fischer's character. He played Jennifer Aniston's attorney in the 2010 film The Bounty Hunter. In 2012, he appeared in the film Lincoln as Republican representative James Ashley.[5] In 2013, he appeared in Steven Soderbergh's film Side Effects as Carl Millbank and as Professor Horstein in Runner Runner. In 2016, he appeared as the Chief in .In 2019 he appeared in The Dirt as Doc McGhee.

Personal life

In 2012, Costabile married Eliza Baldi in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.[7] They have two children.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRole
1998The SiegeFingerprint Expert
1999Cradle Will RockFederal Theatre – Beaver Man
2000Isn't She GreatJunior editor
How the Grinch Stole ChristmasBiker Who
2002Stolen SummerDoctor
2005PrimeJason
2008AfterschoolMr. Anderson
2009NotoriousMr. Webber
Solitary ManGary
2010The Bounty HunterAttorney
Henry's CrimeArnold
2012LincolnJames Ashley
2013Side EffectsCarl Millbank
Somewhere SlowRobert Thompson
Runner RunnerProfessor Horstein
2014ForeclosureNeurologist
2016The Chief
2017The PostArt Buchwald
2019The DirtDoc McGhee
2024Snack ShackJudge

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2007–2009DamagesDetective Rick Messer16 episodes
2007–2009Flight of the ConchordsDougRecurring role
2008The WireManaging Editor Thomas KlebanowRecurring guest role (season 5)
2010The OfficeEric WardEpisode: "The Banker"
2010–2011Breaking BadGale Boetticher7 episodes
2011Lie to MeDr. Mitch GrandonEpisode: "Funhouse"
2011Law & Order: SVUBruce ClarksonEpisode: "Bully"
2011House, M.D.PhilEpisode: "Changes"
2011Person of InterestSamuel GatesEpisode: "Judgment"
2012–2019SuitsDaniel Hardman16 episodes
2012The Good WifeZachary HinesEpisode: "Gloves Come Off"
2013Ripper StreetDaniel Judge2 episodes
2013Low Winter SunSimon Boyd10 episodes
2013ElementaryDanilo GuraEpisode: "Lesser Evils"
2014The BlacklistDr. Linus CreelEpisode: "Dr. Linus Creel"
2015DigTad Billingham Main role
2016–2023BillionsMike "Wags" Wagner Main role
2018Better Call SaulGale BoetticherEpisodes: "Something Beautiful" and "Winner"
2018Murphy BrownEd Shannon1 episode
2019Robot ChickenItzhak Stern, Gandalf (voice)Episode: "Garfield Stockman in: A Voice Like Wet Ham"
2020SoulmatesDavidEpisode: "The Lovers"
2020Little BirdsGrant Savage5 episodes
2020Narrator2 episodes
2023Judge Walter Smith5 episodes
2023ObliteratedMaddox4 episodes
2024Last Week Tonight with John OliverBoeing employeeEpisode: Airplanes
2024Interview with the VampireLeonard MichaelEpisode: "And That's The End of It. There's Nothing Else"[8]

Notes and References

  1. News: . . 2018-01-09 . Birthdays . . 5B . Actor David Costabile is 51..
  2. News: Bobbin . Jay . 2019-03-17 . Checking in with David Costabile . 19 . . Birthplace: Washington, D.C..
  3. Web site: Coeli Carr: "Crapa Pelada" Defeats "Zou Bisou Bisou" in the Breaking Bad vs. Mad Men Song Wars. Coeli. Carr. March 29, 2012. The Huffington Post.
  4. News: Moore . Frazier . 2016-03-21 . David Costabile: Not a Household Name, But a 'Billions' Star . . . 4C.
  5. . A Conversation with Breaking Bad's David Costabile. Nate. Rawlings. September 25, 2013.
  6. TV's Power Has Shifted . April 2013 . Wired Magazine . Jordan . Crucchiola.
  7. Web site: David Costabile and Eliza Baldi's Wedding Website. 2013-09-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20131102143830/http://elizaanddavid.ourwedding.com/. 2013-11-02. dead.
  8. Web site: ‘Interview With the Vampire’ Season 2 Finally Has a Release Date. TheWrap. Haleigh. Foutch. February 6, 2024. July 1, 2024. July 1, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240701021857/https://www.thewrap.com/interview-with-the-vampire-season-2-release-date-cast/. live.