Richard Schiff

Actor/director RICHARD SCHIFF has enjoyed a lengthy and acclaimed career in film, television and theatre. Born in Bethesda, Maryland, and raised in New York City, Schiff developed a passion for film and theatre at a very early age. He began his career in New York, where he founded the Manhattan Repertory Theatre and served as its artistic director, and directed off-Broadway productions including Antigone, starring Angela Bassett. During this time, Schiff also completed his bachelor of fine arts degree in theatre at City College of New York (CCNY). Soon afterward, he earned a role in the film Medium Straight and went to Los Angeles to attend its initial screening.

Schiff started to receive offers for work from casting directors who saw the film, and before long, he permanently moved to Los Angeles. He performed in several plays with Tim Robbins' The Actors' Gang, while landing roles in City Hall, with Al Pacino, and David Fincher's Se7en, with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.

Schiff's extensive film credits now number more than 40, including the Oscar® nominated biopic Ray, as well as a wide range of roles in such films as Made in Dagenham, I Am Sam, Malcolm X, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, People I Know, Forces of Nature, Lucky Numbers, Crazy in Alabama, Deep Impact, Hoffa, Living Out Loud, Dr. Dolittle, Heaven and The Hudsucker Proxy, among numerous others. His roles also include parts in independent films such as Civic Duty, one of the films that opened the esteemed Tribeca Film Festival, and Grace of My Heart. Schiff also appeared on the films Knife Fight and Fire With Fire.

His distinguished television career received recognition for his memorable role as dysfunctional father Barry Roth in Relativity, as well as many guest-starring roles on popular series including NYPD Blue, Ally McBeal, Murphy Brown, L.A. Law, The Practice, Chicago Hope, ER and Roswell.

Schiff's television roles also include his much celebrated portrayal of White House communications director Toby Ziegler in The West Wing, for which he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and garnered three Emmy nominations.

Schiff also has a long-standing career in the theatre, with many off-Broadway productions under his belt including Underneath the Lintel, which he performed at the George Street Playhouse in early 2006 and in London's Duchess Theatre in 2007. His other noteworthy stage performances include Blood! Love! Madness!, The Lower Depths, Tanking Minks, Plain Brown Wrapper, Dark Age and Blues for Mister Charlie. Schiff won a Drama-Logue Award for his starring role as Goose in David Rabe's Goose and Tomtom, and received an Ovation Award for his role in Urban Folk Tales. He also starred in a production of Lanford Wilson's Talley’s Folly, at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey.

In 2000, Schiff received the prestigious Townsend Harris Medal for outstanding post-graduate achievement from CCNY. Past recipients include author Upton Sinclair, actor Edward G. Robinson and Dr. Jonas Salk. In 2004, CCNY bestowed Schiff with an honourary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, along with President Bill Clinton and novelist Walter Mosley.

Schiff revisited his passion for directing, having helmed several episodes of The West Wing and HBO's In Treatment.

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