Oscar Isaac
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada (born March 9, 1979)[4][5][6] is an American actor. He has played lead film roles in the tragicomedy Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), for which he received a Golden Globe Award nomination, the crime drama A Most Violent Year (2014), and the science fiction thriller Ex Machina (2014). In 2006, he portrayed Saint Joseph, husband of Mary, in The Nativity Story. He also portrayed José Ramos-Horta, former president of East Timor and co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, in the Australian film Balibo, for which he won the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Oscar Isaac | |
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Isaac at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con | |
Born | March 9, 1979[3] Guatemala City, Guatemala |
Residence | Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
Education | |
Occupation |
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Years active | 1998–present |
Home town | Miami, Florida, U.S. |
Spouse(s) | Elvira Lind (m. 2017) |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Nicole Hernandez Hammer (sister) |
He has appeared in the Star Wars sequel trilogy as X-wing pilot Poe Dameron, and in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) as the titular mutant supervillain Apocalypse. He also headlined the 2015 HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero as politician Nick Wasicsko, which earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film. In 2016, Time named Isaac one of the 100 most influential people in the world on the annual Time 100 list.[7] In 2017 Isaac was described as the "best dang actor of his generation" by Vanity Fair.[8]
Early life
Óscar Isaac Hernández Estrada was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala to a Guatemalan mother, María Eugenia Estrada, and a Cuban father, Óscar Gonzalo Hernández-Cano, a pulmonologist.[9][10][11] His sister is climate scientist Nicole Hernandez Hammer.[12] Isaac's family settled in the U.S. when he was five months old, and he was raised in Miami, Florida.[13][14][15] He has described his evangelical Protestant upbringing as "very Christian."[16] He has also said that he has French and Jewish origins, describing himself as "definitely a big mix of many things."[17]
Isaac caused trouble at his private grade school, Westminster Christian, when growing up. "I set off a fire extinguisher in the gym, defaced a mural, just stupid stuff", he said in an interview.[18] He liked to make kids laugh. At one point, his teacher had to screen off his desk from the rest of the class with a piece of cardboard. Eventually, he was expelled.[19]
Isaac's entry into professional acting began at the Area Stage Company, Miami Beach, when Artistic Director John Rodaz cast him in a play.[20] He also acted in Miami-based City Theatre's Summer Shorts short play festival in 2000–2001. While in Miami, he played lead guitar and sang vocals for ska-punk band The Blinking Underdogs.[21] Other band members included Nick Speck (bass), Bill Sommer (drums), Alan Mills (trombone), Keith Cooper (saxophone), and Matt LaPlant (guitar).[22] The band enjoyed some success, opening for Green Day[23] and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.[22] Isaac spent his musical years living a "straight edge" lifestyle.[24][25][26] Isaac put music to the side after being accepted into the acting program of New York's prestigious Juilliard School in 2001. While a student there, he worked on one of his first films, All About the Benjamins (2002). He was part of the Drama Division's Group 34 (2001–2005).[27]
Career
Isaac made his acting debut in the 1996 crime drama Illtown, credited as "Pool Boy".[28] Next, he appeared briefly in 2002's All About the Benjamins and made an appearance on the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent four years later.[29][30] Isaac garnered recognition in his first major film role in 2006 as Joseph in the biblical epic The Nativity Story, opposite Keisha Castle-Hughes.[31] He appeared as Romeo in the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park performances of Romeo and Juliet and as Proteus in Two Gentlemen of Verona.[32]
Isaac was awarded the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actor of 2009, for his role as José Ramos-Horta in Balibo (2009).[33] He had a small role in Guerrilla, Part Two of the Che Guevara biopic Che (2008).[34] Isaac played King John in the 2010 film Robin Hood.[35] He portrayed a security guard in the Madonna-directed film W.E. and starred in the crime drama Drive, both of which were released in September 2011.[34] He had a role as a musician in 10 Years. He performed his own song "Never Had" in the film. "Never Had" and "You Ain't Goin Nowhere" were included in the movie's soundtrack.[36]
In 2013, Isaac starred in the dramatic comedy film Inside Llewyn Davis, written and directed by the Coen brothers, where he played a talented yet unsuccessful folk singer in Greenwich Village in 1961.[37] The film won the Grand Prix at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[38] For the role of Llewyn, Isaac was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy at the 2014 Golden Globes.[39]
He co-starred with Jessica Chastain in J. C. Chandor's film A Most Violent Year (2014), replacing actor Javier Bardem.[40] In 2015, Isaac portrayed Nathan Hamlet Bateman in the science fiction film Ex Machina and starred in the 6-episode HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero, receiving universal critical acclaim and winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for his performance as politician Nick Wasicsko.[41][42][43]
Isaac co-starred in the epic space opera film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, released on December 18, 2015,[44] playing Poe Dameron, an X-wing pilot. He reprised the role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, released on December 15, 2017.[45] He reprised his role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the 2019 film representing the final film in the sequel trilogy.[46]
Isaac played X-Men villain Apocalypse in the film X-Men: Apocalypse, which was released on May 27, 2016.[47] Also that year, he played the lead role in the historical drama The Promise, with co-star Christian Bale, in a story about the Armenian Genocide.[48]
In 2016, he was the narrator for the Nike ad "Unlimited You" created by Wieden+Kennedy. In November 2016, the first episode of the podcast series Homecoming was released. It is a six—episode psychological thriller from Gimlet Media, co-starring Catherine Keener and David Schwimmer; Isaac voices a soldier trying to rejoin civilian life.[49]
In July 2017, Isaac starred as Prince Hamlet in The Public Theater production of Hamlet alongside Keegan-Michael Key, Ritchie Coster, Gayle Rankin, Roberta Colindrez, and Anatol Yusef.[50] The production, directed by Sam Gold, ran until September 2017.[51] His performance received acclaim from critics and audiences alike.[8] Also that year, Isaac appeared in the black comedy Suburbicon, directed by George Clooney and written by the Coen Brothers.[52] It was his second role in a Coens-written film, after Inside Llewyn Davis.
Isaac co-starred with Natalie Portman in the film adaptation of the novel Annihilation, playing her character's husband.[53] Directed by Alex Garland, the role is Isaac's second collaboration with the director, after Ex Machina. In late-January 2019, Isaac was cast as Duke Leto Atreides in the upcoming Denis Villeneuve film Dune.[54] In 2019, Isaac was cast in the Paul Schrader film "The Card Counter".[55]
Personal life
Isaac is an accomplished singer and guitar player, having played since the age of twelve.[56] He has been dubbed a sex symbol[57][58] and "the internet's boyfriend" by multiple media outlets, most notably Rolling Stone magazine, though he has expressed skepticism about the label.[13]
Isaac married Danish film director Elvira Lind in February 2017.[59] They have two sons.[60][61]
Isaac resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.[62]
Filmography
Film
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Robbie Paulson | Episode: "The Healer" |
2015 | Show Me a Hero | Nick Wasicsko | 6 episodes |
2018–2019 | Star Wars Resistance | Poe Dameron | Voice; 4 episodes[64] |
Video games
Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Disney Infinity 3.0 | Poe Dameron | |
2016 | Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens |
Podcasts
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Homecoming | Walter Cruz |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | The Two Gentlemen of Verona | Proteus | Shakespeare in the Park |
2006 | Beauty of the Father | Federico García Lorca | Manhattan Theatre Club |
2007 | Romeo and Juliet | Romeo Montague | Shakespeare in the Park |
2008 | Grace | Tom | Manhattan Theatre Club |
2011 | We Live Here | Daniel | Manhattan Theatre Club |
2017 | Hamlet | Prince Hamlet | The Public Theater |
Awards and nominations
References
- Nepales, Ruben V. (January 3, 2013). "Some quotable quotes of 2013". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- Shoard, Catherine (May 23, 2013). "Oscar Isaac: 'The irony is not lost on me. Being celebrated for playing someone who wasn't'". The Guardian. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
- "Season 26, episode 92: Joel McHale/Oscar Isaac". Live with Kelly and Michael.
- "Oscar Isaac says he can relate to 'Llewyn Davis' character | abc7.com". Abclocal.go.com. December 5, 2013. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- Rosen, Christopher. "Oscar Isaac Had A Most Excellent Year". The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
- Howard, Pat. "Kelly + Michael: Inside Llewyn Davis Star Oscar Isaac Real Birthday". Recapo.
- Haggis, Paul (April 21, 2016). "Oscar Isaac".
- Lawson, Richard. "As Hamlet, Oscar Isaac Proves He's the Best Actor of His Generation". Vanity Fair. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
- "Oscar Buzz". Miami Herald. December 1, 2006.
- "Bustle". bustle.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
- "Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis)". Goldenglobes.com. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- Romm, Joe (January 20, 2015). "Latina Climate Scientist To Watch State Of The Union With Michelle Obama". Think Progress. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- "Oscar Isaac: The Internet's Boyfriend Becomes a Leading Man". Rolling Stone. May 18, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- Lopez, John (May 10, 2010). "How to Train Your Villain with Robin Hood's Oscar Isaac". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- Marr, Madeline (May 16, 2010). "Miami actor Oscar Isaac rule Robin Hood". Miami Herald. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- Shoard, Catherine (May 23, 2013). "Oscar Isaac: 'The irony is not lost on me. Being celebrated for playing someone who wasn't'" – via www.theguardian.com.
- Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) HFPA. 9 January 2014
- Bhattacharji, Alex (April 2015). "The Evolution of Oscar Isaac". Details. Conde Nast. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- "An actor's classroom punishment that led to Llewyn Davis". The Globe and Mail. Canada. December 27, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
- "Miami's Oscar Isaac soars to new heights in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens". Miami Herald. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
- Onofri, Adrienne (February 11, 2006). "Rookie of the Year: Q&A with actor Oscar Isaac". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
- Features / January 12, 2016 / by Simon Young (January 12, 2016). "Ska Wars: How Poe Dameron quit punk to fight The First Order - Metal Hammer". Teamrock.com. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
- McNulty, Bernadette. "Oscar Isaac interview for Inside Llewyn Davis: 'I had no interest in going off the rails'". The Telegraph. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
- Greydanus, Steven (November 22, 2006). "Joseph Gets His Due". National Catholic Register. Retrieved November 25, 2006.
- Mattingly, Terry (December 2, 2006). "Movie delves into Joseph, the man". Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania: William S. Flippin. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- Stars and Stories. "Oscar Isaac interview for Inside Llewyn Davis: 'I had no interest in going off the rails'". Telegraph. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
- "Alumni News: November 2011". Juilliard.edu. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012.
Oscar Isaac (Group 34)
- "Oscar Isaac's Break Through In Joel And Ethan Coen's "Inside Llewyn Davis"". Florida Film Critics. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Westbrook, Caroline. "Who is Oscar Isaac? Six notable facts about the newly appointed Star Wars Episode 7 actor". Metro. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Wloszczyna, Susan. "How Golden Globe Winner Oscar Isaac Assured His Post-'Star Wars' Ascension with 10 Smart Moves". Indiewire. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Murray, Rebecca. "Oscar Isaac Discusses "The Nativity Story"". About Entertainment. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Brantley, Ben (August 29, 2005). "Shakespeare in the Park Review; Enter 'Two Gentlemen' For a Sexy Sip of Sangría". The New York Times.
- Kay, Jeremy. "Oscar Isaac to star in Partisan". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- De Semlyen, Phil. "Five Impressive Oscar Isaac Roles You Didn't Realise Were Oscar Isaac". Empire. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Lopez, John. "How to Train Your Villain with Robin Hood's Oscar Isaac". Vanity Fair. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Aquino, Tara. "Interview: Oscar Isaac Talks "10 Years," the Coen Brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis," and Jamming with Justin Timberlake". Complex. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Roberts, Randall (November 9, 2013). "The Coens' 'Inside Llewyn Davis' aims to keep 1960s folk scene real". latimes.com. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
- Richford, Rhonda (May 26, 2013). "Cannes Film Festival Awards". The Hollywood Reporter.
- "Golden Globes Nominations: The Full List". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. January 11, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Feinberg, Scott; Siegel, Tatiana (December 3, 2013). "Oscar Isaac, J.C. Chandor Team Up for 'A Most Violent Year' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
- Feinberg, Scott; Siegel, Tatiana (December 3, 2013). "Ex Machina". The Hollywood Reporter.
- "James Belushi, Terry Kinney & Michael Stahl-David Join HBO's 'Show Me A Hero'". Deadline Hollywood. August 15, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Sepinwall, Alan (August 13, 2015). "Review: Oscar Isaac shines in David Simon's 'Show Me a Hero'". HitFix. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- "Star Wars: Episode VII Cast Announced". StarWars.com. April 29, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
- Ruby, Jennifer (December 17, 2015). "Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy confirms that entire cast will return for eighth film". London Evening Standard. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
- Hutchinson, Corey (December 18, 2017). "Star Wars: Every Confirmed Cast Member For Episode 9". Screen Rant. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- "'X-Men: Apocalypse': Oscar Isaac Nabs Villain Role". Variety. November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2014.
- Sneider, Jeff (June 15, 2015). "Christian Bale, Oscar Isaac to Star in The Promise". The Wrap. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- "Homecoming – Gimlet Media". Gimletmedia.com. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
- Stasio, Marilyn (July 14, 2017). "Off Broadway Review: Oscar Isaac in 'Hamlet'". Variety. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- "Hamlet". www.publictheater.org. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
- McNary, Dave. "Paramount Buys George Clooney-Matt Damon Comedy Suburbicon". Variety. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- Kroll, Justin. "Oscar Isaac Joins Natalie Portman's Annihilation". Variety. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (January 29, 2019). "Oscar Isaac Joining Denis Villeneuve's Dune". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- Kroll, Justin; Kroll, Justin (October 29, 2019). "Oscar Isaac to Star in Paul Schrader's Next Film 'The Card Counter' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
- "Oscar Isaac". interviewmagazine.com. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
- "'Star Wars' sex symbol Oscar Isaac performs Bill Murray's classic parody of the theme song". someecards.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- "Oscar Isaac, Please Don't Become A Heartthrob". decider.com. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
- "11 Things You Must Know About the Internet's New Boyfriend, Oscar Isaac". POPSUGAR.com. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
- Alexis Soloski. "After His Mother's Death, Oscar Isaac Turns to Shakespeare for Solace". nytimes.com. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- Mizoguchi, Karen (October 3, 2019). "Oscar Isaac Welcomes a Son with Wife Elvira Lind". People.
- Baron, Zach (February 20, 2018). "Oscar Isaac Talks Annihilation, Star Wars, and the Most Turbulent Year of His Life". GQ. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
- Hall, Jacob (February 15, 2019). "'Star Wars: Episode 9' Has Wrapped Filming – See a New Image From the Set". /Film. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
- "Star Wars Resistance, Anime-Inspired Series, Set for Fall Debut". StarWars. April 26, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oscar Isaac. |
- Oscar Isaac on IMDb
- "Oscar-Isaac.com".
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