Craig Bierko

Craig Philip Bierko (born August 18, 1964) is an American actor.

Career

Bierko is perhaps best known for his role as Timothy in the 1996 action film The Long Kiss Goodnight, as Max Baer in the film Cinderella Man, as Tom Ryan in Scary Movie 4 (spoofing Tom Cruise throughout the film) and on the Broadway stage as Harold Hill in The Music Man. He was also the original choice for the character of Chandler Bing on the sitcom Friends but turned it down. He had a short role as Sarah Jessica Parker's jazz musician love interest in the fourth season of Sex and the City. He had another short role as attorney Jeffrey Coho during the third season of the ABC television series Boston Legal. He was also cast as Dave Lister in the pilot for the American version of Red Dwarf, which was not picked up as a series.

Bierko was slated to appear on Broadway in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of To Be Or Not To Be but withdrew from the production Aug. 29, 2008, for unspecified reasons.^[1] He recently starred as Sky Masterson in the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls which began performances at the Nederlander Theatre on Feb. 5, 2009, and officially opened on March 1, 2009.^[2] The production closed on June 14, 2009 after 113 performances.^[3]

Personal life

Bierko was born in Rye Brook, New York, the son of Pat and Rex Bierko, who ran a local community theater.^[4] Bierko studied journalism at Boston University and studied at the School of Speech at Northwestern University (graduating in 1986).

Bierko has been involved with a number of actresses, such as Charlize Theron, Gretchen Mol (with whom he co-starred in the film The 13th Floor), Janeane Garofalo, and Meg Ryan.

Bierko's mother was Jewish and a convert to Catholicism, raising Bierko Catholic, although Bierko has said that he is "very connected" to his Jewish heritage.^[5]

Filmography

• Wings (1990)
• Red Dwarf (1992) (TV pilot) (unaired US pilot)
• Danielle Steel's Star (1993) (with Jennie Garth)
• The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
• 'Til There Was You (1997)
• Sour Grapes (1998)
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
• The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
• The Suburbans (1999)
• Ally McBeal (2000) 1ep season 3
• Kate & Leopold (2001) (uncredited)
• Sex and the City: Season 4 (2002)
• Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003)
• Cinderella Man (2005)
• Scary Movie 4 (2006)
• Danika (2005)
• For Your Consideration (2006)
• Boston Legal: Season Three (2006)
• Unhitched (2008)
• Superhero Movie (2008)
• Meet Bill (2008) (uncredited)

Awards and recognition

• 100 Most Creative People in Entertainment "It" List, 2003 Entertainment Weekly
• Sexiest Broadway Star - People (2000)
• Theatre World Award (Winner) (2000)
• Broadway.com Audience Awards (Winner) (2000)
• Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for The Music Man (Nominee) (2000)
• Drama Desk Award for Best Actor in a Musical for The Music Man (Nominee) (2000)
• Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical for The Music Man (Nominee) (2000)

References

External links

• Craig Bierko at the Internet Movie Database
• Craig Bierko at the Internet Broadway Database
• Craig Bierko at Allmovie
• CraigBierko.com fansite
• CraigBierkoFans.net