Max Minghella

Last updated

Max Minghella
Max Minghella (cropped).jpg
Minghella in 2017
Born
Max Giorgio Choa Minghella

(1985-09-16) 16 September 1985 (age 39)
Hampstead, London, England
Education Columbia University (BA)
OccupationActor
Years active1999–present
Parents
Relatives

Max Giorgio Choa Minghella (born 16 September 1985) [1] is an English actor. He is known for his roles in the films Syriana (2005), Art School Confidential (2006), Elvis and Anabelle (2007), The Social Network (2010), The Darkest Hour (2011), The Ides of March (2011), The Internship (2013), Horns (2013), and Spiral (2021), as well as his role as Nick Blaine in the television series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–present), which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 2021.

Contents

Early life and education

Minghella was born in Hampstead, London, the son of director Anthony Minghella (1954–2008) and dancer and choreographer Carolyn Jane Choa. [2] His father was born in Ryde, Isle of Wight, and was of Italian descent, and his mother was born in Hong Kong.

While Minghella was growing up he spent time on his father's film sets. He has said that he has "fond memories" of them and that he felt "no pressure" from his father to succeed in the entertainment industry. [3] He was educated at St Anthony's Preparatory School and University College School in Hampstead. He then attended Columbia University, which he considered his "first priority", and studied history, [4] graduating in 2009. He was a resident of John Jay Hall during his studies at Columbia. [5] He typically worked on films only during his summer breaks. He has said that he felt like "an English boy at an American school", that he kept to himself, and that most of his fellow students did not know that he was an actor. [6] [7]

Heritage

Minghella's father was born on the Isle of Wight, and was of Italian descent. His mother, who was from Hong Kong, is from a family of multiple heritage. His maternal grandfather George Choa was of three-quarters Chinese and one-quarter Jewish descent, and his maternal grandmother Maisie Nora (née Kotewall) [8] [6] was of Indian Parsi, English, Irish, Swedish and Chinese ancestry.

Sir Robert Kotewall is his great-grandfather. [α] Olympic swimmer Robyn Lamsam is his second cousin through the Kotewalls.

Career

Minghella was inspired to become an actor during his young years, after seeing a production of the play This Is Our Youth in London's West End; he subsequently dropped out of the University College School to pursue an acting career, and attended the National Youth Theatre. [4] He did not always want to become an actor. He said, "I thought it was sort of embarrassing to say you wanted to be an actor – it was, like, uncool. And growing up, I was massively concerned with seeming cool. I thought up until about age 16 that I was going to be a music video director." [14]

Minghella had an uncredited appearance as an extra in his father's film Cold Mountain . [15] His first professional role was in Bee Season , playing the son of a dysfunctional Jewish American family. The film was released in November 2005 to mostly mixed reviews and low box office, grossing only $1 million in its limited release. [16] [17] One critic who rated the film "7 out of 10" remarked that Minghella was "a talented young actor to watch, delivering a strong performance". [18]

Minghella's other November 2005 role was the political thriller Syriana , in which he played the son of George Clooney's CIA agent character. In 2006, he starred in the Daniel Clowes adaptation Art School Confidential , a comedy directed by Terry Zwigoff. He got the part after meeting Zwigoff when he visited the set of Bee Season. [6] His film Elvis and Anabelle , a dark romantic drama in which he plays an undertaker's son, premiered at the South by Southwest film festival in 2007. He described it as "a really sweet film". [6] He was to play Art Bechstein in the film version of writer Michael Chabon's novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh , but dropped out of the project due to his university schedule. [19]

The press reported in 2007 that Minghella was cast in Beeban Kidron's Hippie Hippie Shake , a film about writer Richard Neville set in 1960s London. [20] In March 2008, it was announced that he would star in Alejandro Amenábar's second English language film, Agora . [21] The film is set in 4th century Egypt and revolves around Hypatia of Alexandria. Later in 2008, Minghella played a pompous film director in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People , and was seen in a segment of the dark comedy Brief Interviews with Hideous Men . [22]

In David Fincher's The Social Network , the 2010 film about the origins of Facebook, [23] he plays Divya Narendra, one of the Harvard upperclassmen who sues Mark Zuckerberg for stealing the idea behind Facebook. In June 2010, Minghella was cast in the Russian science-fiction film The Darkest Hour , released in December 2011. [24] He appeared in the ensemble dramedy 10 Years (2012). The following year, he had a supporting role as Graham Hawtrey in the comedy The Internship .

In November 2013, it was announced that Minghella would be playing Richie Castellano in the second season of the Fox sitcom The Mindy Project . [25] In 2013, he appeared in the music video for "Shot at the Night" by The Killers. [26]

Minghella has been playing the role of Nick Blaine, an Eye in the Republic of Gilead and the love interest of June Osborne, in the Hulu dystopian series The Handmaid's Tale since 2017. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role in 2021. [27]

Minghella made his directorial debut with 2018's Teen Spirit , a musical, from his own screenplay. [28]

Minghella starred in the 2022 film Babylon . [29] He currently lives in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Film

List of films and roles
YearTitleRoleNotes
1999Toy BoysDannyShort film
Let the Good Times RollBoy with dogShort film
2005 Bee Season Aaron Naumann
Syriana Robby Barnes
2006 Art School Confidential Jerome Platz
2007 Elvis and Anabelle Elvis
2008 How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Vincent Lepak
2009 Brief Interviews with Hideous Men Kevin (Subject No. 28)
Agora Davus
2010 The Social Network Divya Narendra Hollywood Film Festival for Ensemble of the Year
Palm Springs International Film Festival Ensemble Cast Award
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Nominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association for Best Ensemble
Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
2011 The Ides of March Ben HarpenNominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association for Best Ensemble
10 Years AJ
The Darkest Hour Ben
2013 The Internship Graham Hawtrey
Horns Lee Tourneau
2014 About Alex Isaac
Not Safe for Work Thomas Miller
2015 Into the Forest Eli
Just a MinuteThe VoiceShort film
2016 The 9th Life of Louis Drax NurseUncredited; also screenwriter and producer
FluffyMark MasonShort film
2018 Teen Spirit Director and screenwriter
2021 Spiral William Schenk / William Emmerson
2022 Babylon Irving Thalberg Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2023Maximum TruthAntonio Kelly-Zhang
TBA Shell Post-production; Director

Television

List of television appearances and roles
YearTitleRoleNotes
2013–
2017		 The Mindy Project Richie Castellano8 episodes
2017–
present		 The Handmaid's Tale Nick Blaine Main role
Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (2021)
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2018–19, 2022)

Notes

  1. ↑ Minghella's maternal great-grandfather and great-grandmother were Hong Kong legislator Sir Robert Kotewall (half-Indian Parsi and half-Chinese) and Edith Kotewall (née Lowcock) [9] (her father George Lowcock was half-English and half-Irish, and her mother, née Jönsson/Johnsford, was half-Swedish), [10] [11] and his maternal great-great-grandfather was Calcutta-born Italian Jewish businessman Emanuel Raphael Belilios (through Belilios' daughter Maria Felicie, mother of George Choa). [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Fiennes</span> English actor (born 1970)

Joseph Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, known as Joseph Fiennes, is an English actor of film, stage, and television. Fiennes is particularly known for his versatility and period pieces. Journalist Zoe Williams observed that "he seemed to be the go-to actor for English cultural history". His numerous accolades include one Screen Actors Guild Award and nomination for a British Academy Film Award.

<i>The English Patient</i> (film) 1996 drama film directed by Anthony Minghella

The English Patient is a 1996 epic romantic war drama directed by Anthony Minghella from his own script based on the 1992 novel by Michael Ondaatje, and produced by Saul Zaentz. The film starred Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas alongside Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe and Colin Firth in supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Oldman</span> English actor (born 1958)

Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three British Academy Film Awards, and nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards. His films have grossed over $11 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jude Law</span> English actor (born 1972)

David Jude Heyworth Law is an English actor. He began his career in theatre before landing small roles in various British television productions and feature films. Law gained recognition for his role in Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and was nominated for an Academy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter MacNicol</span> American actor (born 1954)

Peter MacNicol is an American actor. He received a Theatre World Award for his 1981 Broadway debut in the play Crimes of the Heart. His film roles include Galen in Dragonslayer (1981), Stingo in Sophie's Choice (1982), Janosz Poha in Ghostbusters II (1989), Gary Granger in Addams Family Values (1993), Renfield in Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995), and David Langley in Bean (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Minghella</span> British film director and writer (1954–2008)

Anthony Minghella, was a British film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He was chairman of the board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007. He directed Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990), The English Patient (1996), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), and Cold Mountain (2003), and produced Iris (2001).

<i>The Talented Mr. Ripley</i> (film) 1999 film by Anthony Minghella

The Talented Mr. Ripley is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Anthony Minghella, based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel. Set in the 1950s, it stars Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, a con artist who is sent from New York City to Italy to convince Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled playboy, to return home – however, after failing, Ripley takes extreme measures. Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman also appear in supporting roles. This film was released forty years after the adaptation that had been made in 1960, Purple Noon by René Clément with Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet and Marie Laforêt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Crudup</span> American actor (born 1968)

William Gaither Crudup is an American actor. He was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his performance in Jesus' Son (1999). He went on to star in numerous high-profile films, including Almost Famous (2000), Big Fish (2003), Mission: Impossible III (2006), Watchmen (2009), Public Enemies (2009), The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015), Jackie (2016), and Alien: Covenant (2017), in both lead and supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradley Whitford</span> American actor (born 1959)

Bradley Whitford is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman in the NBC television political drama The West Wing (1999–2006), for which he was nominated for three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards from 2001 to 2003, winning in 2001. The role earned him three consecutive Golden Globe Award nominations.

Rupert Evans is a British actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Brühl</span> German and Spanish actor (born 1978)

Daniel César Martín Brühl González is a German-Spanish actor. He has received various accolades, including three European Film Awards and three German Film Awards, along with nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA Award. He received his first German Film Award for Best Actor for his roles in Das Weisse Rauschen (2001), Nichts Bereuen (2001), and Vaya con Dios (2002). His starring role in the German film Good Bye, Lenin! (2003) received widespread recognition and critical acclaim, and garnered him the European Film Award for Best Actor and another German Film Award for Best Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toby Jones</span> British actor (born 1966)

Toby Edward Heslewood Jones is an English actor. He is known for his extensive character actor roles on stage and screen. From 1989 to 1991, Jones trained at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. He made his stage debut in 2001 in the comedy play The Play What I Wrote, which played in the West End and on Broadway, earning him a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In 2020, he was nominated for his second Olivier Award, for Best Actor for his performance in a revival of Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O-T Fagbenle</span> English actor (born 1981)

Olatunde Olateju Olaolorun "O-T" Fagbenle is an English actor, writer, and director. He has appeared in several films, stage, and television productions. He is best known for his role as Lucas Bankole in The Handmaid’s Tale (2017–2025), for which he received an Emmy nomination, and his portrayal of Barack Obama in The First Lady (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christoph Waltz</span> Austrian and German actor (born 1956)

Christoph Waltz is an Austrian and German actor. Primarily active in the United States, he gained international recognition for his portrayal of villainous and supporting roles in English-language films. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

<i>Hippie Hippie Shake</i> British drama film

Hippie Hippie Shake is an unreleased British drama film produced by Working Title Films. It is based on a memoir by Richard Neville, editor of the Australian satirical magazine Oz, and chronicles his relationship with girlfriend Louise Ferrier, the launch of the London edition of Oz amidst the 1960s counterculture, and the staff's trial for distributing an obscene issue. Hippie Hippie Shake stars Cillian Murphy as Richard Neville, with Sienna Miller as Louise.

<i>The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency</i> (TV series) Television series

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a television comedy-drama series, produced by the BBC in conjunction with HBO, and based on the novels of the same name by Alexander McCall Smith. The novels focus on the story of a detective agency opened by Mma Ramotswe and her courtship with the mechanic Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni. The series was filmed on location in Botswana and was seen as one of the first major film or television productions to be undertaken in Botswana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Kotewall</span>

Sir Robert Hormus Kotewall was a British Hong Kong businessman, civil servant and legislator.

<i>The Handmaids Tale</i> (TV series) American dystopian television series

The Handmaid's Tale is an American dystopian television series created by Bruce Miller, based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. The series was ordered by the streaming service Hulu as a straight-to-series order of ten episodes, for which production began in late 2016. The plot features a dystopia following a Second American Civil War wherein a theonomic, totalitarian society subjects fertile women, called "Handmaids", to child-bearing slavery.

"Offred" is the series premiere of the American television drama series The Handmaid's Tale. It was directed by Reed Morano, and written by Bruce Miller, adapting material from the 1985 Margaret Atwood novel The Handmaid's Tale. The episode debuted on the streaming service Hulu on April 26, 2017.

References

  1. ↑ "Max Minghella". TVGuide.com . Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  2. ↑ Roy, Donald (27 November 2015). "Minghella, Anthony (1954–2008), playwright, screenwriter, and film director". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/100058. ISBN   978-0-19-861411-1.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)(subscription required)
  3. ↑ Pearlman, Cindy. "Film director's son makes his own busy career". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 30 April 2006.[ dead link ]
  4. 1 2 Ghorbani, Liza (14 May 2006). "The Talented History Student". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  5. ↑ Ghorbani, Liza (14 May 2006). "The Talented History Student". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 29 April 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Roman, Julian (8 May 2006). "Max Minghella Talks Art School Confidential". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on 9 December 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  7. ↑ Day, Elizabeth (23 October 2011). "Max Minghella: "At first it was difficult to be taken seriously"". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "Webb-site Who's Who: Choa, Maisie Nora 羅璇基". Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "Edith Kotewall". 22 November 1889. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  10. ↑ "Johnsford". 25 October 1838. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  11. ↑ "Lowcock". 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  12. ↑ "Webb-site Who's Who: Belilios, Emanuel Raphael". Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  13. ↑ "Maria Felicie (Felicie) Choa". 17 March 1885. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  14. ↑ Cerula, Erica. "The Social Network's Max Minghella". Details (October 2010). United States. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  15. ↑ Petruzzi, Elissa (20 November 2005). "The Max Factor". USA Weekend . Archived from the original on 27 November 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  16. ↑ "Bee Season". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  17. ↑ "Bee Season (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on 25 January 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  18. ↑ Douglas, Edward. "Bee Season Movie Review". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  19. ↑ "Interview with Rawson Marshall Thurber". Pajiba. 5 July 2006. Archived from the original on 19 January 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  20. ↑ Dawtrey, Adam (2 May 2007). "'Hippie' grooves for Universal". Variety. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  21. ↑ Max Minghella Prepares for Earth's 'Darkest Hour' Archived 24 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ↑ McLovin/Red Mist Becomes Evil Ed in 'Fright Night' Redo!! Archived 24 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ Rich, Katey (20 October 2009). "New Social Network Cast Announced on Facebook, Of Course". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on 17 November 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  24. ↑ Home Max Minghella Set for The Darkest Hour Archived 10 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ↑ "Mindy Project Scoop: Social Network Actor Max Minghella to Play Danny's Bro". TVLine . 28 October 2013. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  26. ↑ Coulehan, Erin (27 September 2013). "The Killers Give Lovers a Chance in 'Shot at the Night'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  27. ↑ Barlow, Eve. "Interview: Max Minghella, who plays Nick in the Handmaid's Tale, is the enigmatic Brit in LA about to make his directorial debut". Archived from the original on 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  28. ↑ Lodderhose, Diana (30 January 2017). "Max Minghella Teams With 'La La Land' Producer For Directorial Debut 'Teen Spirit' – Berlin". Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  29. ↑ Kit, Borys (2 June 2021). "Max Minghella, Flea, Samara Weaving Join Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie in 'Babylon'". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 18 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.