John Benjamin Hickey (born June 25, 1963) is an American actor and director with a career in stage, film and television. He won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Felix Turner in The Normal Heart.
Early life Hickey was born in Plano, Texas, and graduated from Plano Sr. High School in 1981. He attended Texas State University - San Marcos from 1981 to 1983, where he was active in the theater department. He earned his bachelor's degree in English at Fordham University in 1985.
Career On Broadway, he originated the role of Arthur in Terrence McNally's play Love! Valour! Compassion! in 1995, a role he recreated for the 1997 film version." 'Love! Valour! Compassion!' Film". TCM. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
He played supporting roles in a number of films including The Ice Storm (1997)"John Benjamin Hickey: Filmography". TCM. Retrieved October 20, 2016. and The Anniversary Party (2001)."The Anniversary Party". AllMovie. Retrieved October 20, 2016. He has also appeared in Flightplan, Flags of Our Fathers, Freedom Writers, Then She Found Me, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Bet and Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows."Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows". TCM. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
He played Clifford Bradshaw in the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret, which won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. In that same year, he played the lead in the independent film Finding North."Finding North". TCM. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
On Broadway, he played Reverend John Hale in the 2002 revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
Hickey played American novelist and playwright Jack Dunphy in the 2006 Truman Capote biographical film Infamous."Infamous". TCM. Retrieved October 18, 2016. Hickey played Philip Stoddard on the short-lived gay-themed sitcom It's All Relative. Since It's All Relative, Hickey has appeared on Alias, Law & Order, Brothers & Sisters, Stacked, Heartland, In Plain Sight, Law & Order: Los Angeles, and Modern Family.
He appeared in the 2011 Broadway revival of The Normal Heart, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play."John Benjamin Hickey Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved October 18, 2016. He was in the Broadway revival of Mary Stuart in 2009, as the Earl of Leicester." 'Mary Stuart' Broadway" ibdb.com. Retrieved October 20, 2016
From 2010 to 2013, he appeared on The Big C and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for the final season of the series,Wieselman, Jarett. "Emmy Hopeful: John Benjamin Hickey - 'The Big C'". Entertainment Tonight. June 15, 2012. subtitled Hereafter. Hickey starred as scientist Frank Winter on the TV series Manhattan, which concluded on December 15, 2015, after two seasons and 23 episodes.Goldberg, Leslie. "'The Big C's' John Benjamin Hickey to Star in WGN America's 'Manhattan'". The Hollywood Reporter. February 6, 2014.
In 2015, he appeared Off-Broadway at the Mitzi Newhouse Theatre in the play Dada Woof Papa Hot by Peter Parnell.Isherwood, Charles (November 9, 2015). "Review: 'Dada Woof Papa Hot,' About Gay Men and Parenthood". The New York Times.
In 2018, he appeared in the world premiere of Matthew Lopez's play The Inheritance, inspired by E.M. Forster's novel Howards End, creating the role Henry Wilcox at London's Young Vic and then transferring to the West End.
On September 30, 2021, Hickey was cast as Father Callahan in the adaptation of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot for Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.
He directed the 2022 Broadway revival of the Neil Simon play Plaza Suite starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, which had originally been slated to begin previews in March 2020 and was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The production transferred to the West End and played a limited engagement at the Savoy Theatre from January to April 2024.
Personal life Hickey is gay. Since 2003 his partner has been screenwriter and television producer Jeffrey Richman.
Filmography Film Source: TCM;"John Benjamin Hickey Filmography". TCM. Retrieved October 19, 2016. AllMovie"John Benjamin Hickey Filmography". AllMovie. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
Year Title Role Notes1994 The Ref Old Baybrook Policeman Only You Dwayne 1995 Comfortably Numb Priest 1996 Eddie Joe Nader 1997 Love! Valour! Compassion! Arthur Pape The Ice Storm Mark Boland 1998 Finding North Travis Furlong 1999 The General's Daughter Captain Goodson The Bone Collector Dr. Barry Lehman 2001 The Anniversary Party Jerry Adams 2002 Changing Lanes Carlyle 2005 Flightplan David 2006 Infamous Jack Dunphy Flags of Our Fathers Keyes Beech The Ex Wesley's dad 2007 Freedom Writers Brian Gelford Then She Found Me Alan The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising John Stanton 2009 The Taking of Pelham 123 Deputy Mayor LaSalle Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Theodore Galloway 2012 Pitch Perfect Dr. Mitchell 2014 Get On Up Richard Big Stone Gap Theodore Tipton My Eleventh 2015 Truth Mark Wrolstad 2016 Tallulah Stephen Mooney Barry Professor Gray 2017 Hostiles Captain Royce Tolan 2018 Forever My Girl Pastor Brian Page Mapplethorpe Sam Wagstaff 2020 Sublet Michael 2024 'Salem's Lot Father Callahan Lilly Charles Ledbetter
Television Year Title Role Notes 1990 The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Trent Episode: "Here's a Quick and Easy Recipe for Leftovers"1994 NYPD Blue Paul Gaines Episode: "Good Time Charlie" Normandy: The Great Crusade Louis Simpson (voice) Television film 1995 New York News Episode: "You Thought the Pope Was Something" 1997 Nothing Sacred Dr. Elliott Episode: "Speaking in Tongues"1998 Law & Order Charles Thatcher Episode: "Castoff" 3rd Rock from the Sun Rick Episode: "The Greatest Dickdater" Sex and the City Tom Episode: "Oh Come All Ye Faithful"1999 Homicide: Life on the Street Dennis Kohler Episode: "Zen and Art of Murder" The Lady in Question Paul Kessler Television film2000 Perfect Murder, Perfect Town Miniseries D.C. Various 4 episodes Hamlet Horatio Television film Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Mark Hickey 2 episodes2001 A Glimpse of Hell Television film Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows Roger Edens 2 episodes CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dr. Sidney Cornfeld Episode: "Slaves of Las Vegas" The Guardian The Hudson's Attorney Episode: "Loyalties" NYPD Blue Phillip Connor Episode: "Mom's Away" 2002 Hack Dr. Martin Shane Episode: "Obsession" 2002–2006 Law & Order Aaron Solomon 4 episodes 2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Randall Fuller Episode: "Con-Text" 2003–2004 It's All Relative Philip Stoddard 22 episodes2005 Alias Father Kampinski Episode: "In Dreams..." Silver Bells Lawrence Television film2006 Justice Lloyd Barrett Episode: "Wrongful Death" Brothers & Sisters Major Guinness Episode: "Light the Lights" Stacked Headmaster Keenan Episode: "The Headmaster" A House Divided President Russell Television film 2006–2007 Undercover History Narrator 6 episodes2007 The Hunt for the Boston Strangler Narrator Television film Heartland Bill Episode: "Pilot" Situation Critical US Narrator 13 episodes Secrets of the Moon Landings Narrator Television film2008 The Real George Washington Narrator Television film In Plain Sight Donald Fraser / Donald Ferguson Episode: "Don of the Dead" Living Proof Blake Rogers Television film2009 Timewatch Narrator Episode: "The Real Bonnie and Clyde" Lincoln: American Mastermind Narrator Television film2010 Past Life SidEpisode: "Running on Empty" Law & Order: LA Thomas Nelson Episode: "Pasadena" 2010–2013 The Big C Sean Tolkey 40 episodes 2011 A Gifted Man Ben Tucker Episode: "In Case of Exposure" 2011–2016 The Good Wife Neil Gross 8 episodes2012–2013 The Mob Doctor Mark Easton 3 episodes The New Normal Father Michael 3 episodes 2013 Hannibal Dr. Sutcliffe Episode: "Buffet Froid"2014 Modern Family Dr. Clark Episode: "Under Pressure" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Tom Moore Episode: "Wednesday's Child" 2014–2015 Manhattan Frank Winter 22 episodes 2015 Difficult People Fred Episode: "Pledge Week"2017 The Good Fight Neil Gross 2 episodes The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Bill Watson Television film Mom Dr. Sellers Episode: "A Few Thongs and a Hawaiian Funeral" 2019 Jessica Jones Peter Lyonne 3 episodes2021 In Treatment Colin 6 episodes HouseBroken Various voices 9 episodes Gossip Girl Roy Sachs 8 episodes 2025–2026 Daredevil: Born Again Benjamin Hochberg 6 episodes 2026 The Terror: Devil in Silver Dr. Walter 4 episodes
Theatre Source: IBDB,"John Benjamin Hickey Broadway" ibdb.com. Retrieved October 19, 2016 IOBDB"John Benjamin Hickey" lortel.org. Retrieved February 15, 2018
Year Title Role Notes1992 The End of the Day Jonathan Toffler/Young Graydon Off-Broadway On the Bum Oskar Off-Broadway 1994–1995 Love! Valour! Compassion! Arthur Pape Off-Broadway 1995 Broadway 1996 Blue Window Griever Off-Broadway 1997 God's Heart David Off-Broadway 1998–1999 Cabaret Clifford Bradshaw Broadway 2002 The Crucible Reverend John Hale Broadway 2009 Mary Stuart Earl of Leicester Broadway 2011 The Normal Heart Felix Turner Broadway 2015 Dada Woof Papa Hot Alan"John Benjamin Hickey" out.comListing lct.com Off-Broadway 2017 Six Degrees of Separation Flan Kittredge Broadway 2018 The Inheritance Henry Wilcox Young Vic & West End 2019–2020 Broadway
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2009 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Mary Stuart 2011 Tony Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a PlayThe Normal Heart Drama Desk Award Outstanding Ensemble Performance 2013 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie The Big C: Hereafter 2020 Tony Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play The Inheritance
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