Detachment Film TIM BLAKE NELSON

TIM BLAKE NELSON

Tim Blake Nelson has appeared in over thirty films including Louis Letterier’s THE INCREDIBLE HULK, Jay Roach’s MEET THE FOCKERS, Steve Gaghan’s SYRIANA, Andy Davis’ HOLES, Miguel Arteta’s THE GOOD GIRL, Steven Spielberg’s MINORITY REPORT, Terrence Malick’s THE THIN RED LINE, the Coen Brother’s O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?, and the Emmy-winning HBO movie WARM SPRINGS directed by Joe Sergeant.

In 2010, Nelson acted in five films. He most recently completed principal photography on Working Title’s EVERYBODY LOVES WHALES, directed by Ken Kwapis. Nelson plays a marine biologist opposite Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski and Ted Danson. Prior to this, Nelson worked on David Frankel’s Fox 2000 comedy THE BIG YEAR with Owen Wilson, Steve Martin and Jack Black, the independent film SIN BIN with Michael Seater and Emily Mead, the independent film FLYPAPER opposite Ashley Judd and Patrick Dempsey and YELLING TO THE SKY, directed by Victoria Mahoney. YELLING TO THE SKY was recently accepted to the 2011 Berlin Film Festival.

Nelson’s most recent directing endeavor, LEAVES OF GRASS, stars Edward Norton, Susan Sarandon, and Richard Dreyfuss. In addition to playing a supporting role, Nelson also wrote and co-produced the dark comedy with Edward Norton and Class 5 Films. The film premiered at the 2010 South By Southwest film festival and was released in August 2010.

In addition to LEAVES OF GRASS, Nelson’s directorial credits include THE GREY ZONE, which he wrote and directed. The film stars Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Mira Sorvino, David Arquette, Allan Corduner and Natasha Lyonne. It premiered at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival and opened in October of the following year. Based on his award winning play, it is a dramatic story of the Sonderkommandos, special squads of Jews who processed corpses in the crematoria at Birkenau. The National Board of Review (2002) honored THE GREY ZONE with a Special Recognition of Films that Reflect the Freedom of Expression.

Nelson also directed O, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, which premiered at the 2001 Seattle Film Festival, where Nelson was awarded Best Director. The film stars Martin Sheen, Julia Stiles, Josh Hartnett and Mekhi Phifer. Nelson’s directorial debut was the film EYE OF GOD, based on a play that he wrote. The film, starring Martha Plimpton, Hal Holbrook and Kevin Anderson, appeared at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival and was released theatrically in the United States later that year. EYE OF GOD received the top award at the 1997 Seattle Film Festival, as well as the Tokyo Bronze Prize at the Tokyo Film Festival.

Nelson has also acted extensively in New York theatre. His most recent theater endeavor was the critically acclaimed play Beard of Avon, portraying William Shakespeare at the New York Theatre Workshop. Nelson’s other credits include Oedipus, with Frances McDormand and Billy Crudup, Troilus and Cressida, Les Bourgeois Avant-Garde, Mac Wellman’s Dracula, The Amazon’s Voice, An Imaginary Life, The Baltimore Waltz, Mad Forest, The Innocents Crusade, Richard III and Twelfth Night. As a playwright, his produced plays include the award-winning The Grey Zone, Eye of God and Anadarko.

Nelson was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is a graduate of Brown University and the Julliard Theater Center. He resides in New York City with his wife and three sons.