Robert Boyd Holbrook (born September 1, 1981) is an American actor. He made his acting debut in the 2008 Gus Van Sant film Milk and had his breakthrough portraying DEA agent Steve Murphy in the Netflix television series Narcos (2015–2016).
His acting credits include the television programs Hatfields & McCoys (2012), The Sandman (2022–2025), Justified: City Primeval (2023), The Morning Show, and the films Little Accidents (2014), The Skeleton Twins (2014), A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014), Logan (2017), The Predator (2018), O.G. (2019), Vengeance (2022), Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), The Bikeriders (2023), and A Complete Unknown (2024).
Early life Holbrook was born in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, the son of Ellen, a real estate agent, and Don Holbrook, a coal miner. Holbrook was raised in Harlan County, Kentucky. After graduating from high school, Holbrook worked at United Parcel Service and for a department store, with the latter changing his career focus towards acting after meeting fellow Kentuckian and actor Michael Shannon.
Career Holbrook was discovered while working part-time as a carpenter for Jenny Wiley Theatre in Kentucky. He signed with Elite Models in 2001. He has worked for other agencies such as Wilhelmina Models. Holbrook has been a model for such designers and labels as Dior, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Hugo Boss, Bill Blass, Calvin Klein, Moschino, Marc Jacobs and DSquared².
Holbrook and model Omahyra Mota were the subjects of photographer Ellen Von Unwerth Paris gallery exhibition "Omahyra & Boyd" and the 2005 book of that title from Exhibitions Internationales ().
He released a short series of poems through the website Model-Max.com, accompanied by illustrations by Jamie Strachan.
Holbrook studied acting with the William Esper Studio's two-year Meisner Acting Program and with Shane Ann Younts' two-year voice and speech program, and he received an SCPS Certificate in 16mm film from New York University.Boyd Holbrook Resume. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. He also has worked with acting coach Terry Knickerbocker.
His prior acting work includes a role in the "Allison" music video for Permanent Me alongside model Tiah Eckhardt.
Holbrook is a photographer who has done work for David Armstrong. He is also a sculptor and exhibited his work in his first art show, "Iscariot", at the Rare gallery in Chelsea, New York from April 19 to May 17, 2008.
In 2014, Holbrook appeared as Jeff in David Fincher's psychological thriller Gone Girl.
Holbrook portrayed DEA agent Steve Murphy in the Netflix series Narcos. In 2017, Holbrook played Donald Pierce, the antagonist in Logan, the third solo Wolverine film. In 2019, Holbrook starred as Thomas Lockhart in the Netflix thriller film, In the Shadow of the Moon.
In January 2021, Holbrook was cast as The Corinthian in the Netflix adaptation of The Sandman.
In May 2021, Holbrook was cast in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. He played Klaber, a Nazi operative and right-hand man to Mads Mikkelsen's Dr. Jürgen Voller. Holbrook stated that he learned several acting lessons from Harrison Ford while filming Dial of Destiny, including how "[he] definitely taught me that you do not walk away unless you know in your gut that you got it and there's not a false note." Dial of Destiny was also Holbrook's second collaboration with Logan director James Mangold; Holbrook defended the movie's conclusion, stating that "when I saw [the finale], I was surprised that it grabbed me by the throat. I was a little emotional, even though I'm so close to it."
Personal life Holbrook started dating actress Elizabeth Olsen in 2012 after meeting on the set of the movie Very Good Girls. They got engaged in March 2014 but, in October 2014, Olsen ended their engagement.
He married Danish artist Tatiana Pajkovic in 2018. On January 15, 2018, Pajkovic gave birth to a son. The couple had their second child, a daughter, in November 2024.
Filmography +Key Denotes works that have not yet been released
Film Year Film Role Notes 2008 Milk Denton Smith2011 Higher Ground Teenage Ethan Miller Also performed two songs which were featured on the film's soundtrack. The Reunion Douglas Cleary Moving Takahashi Craig Short film 2012 The Magic of Belle Isle Luke Ford2013 The Host Kyle O'Shea Out of the Furnace Tattooed Guy2014 The Skeleton Twins Billy Little Accidents Amos Jenkins Very Good Girls David Avery A Walk Among the Tombstones Peter Kristo Gone Girl Jeff 2015 Run All Night Daniel "Danny" Maguire2016 The Free World Mo Lundy Jane Got a Gun Vic Owen Morgan Skip Vronsky Cardboard Boxer Pinky2017Song to Song Scenes deleted Logan Donald Pierce Boomtown Dustin 2018 O.G. Pinkins The Predator Quinn McKenna Time of Day Himself Short film2019 In the Shadow of the Moon Thomas Lockhart Two/One Kaden 2020 We Can Be Heroes Miracle Guy2021 The Cursed John McBride Beckett Stephen Tynan 2022 Vengeance Ty Shaw2023Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Klaber The Bikeriders Cal 2024 A Complete Unknown Johnny Cash Also performed two songs which were featured on the film's soundtrack. 2026 AtonementLou D'Alessandro
Television Year Film Role Notes 2009 The Unusuals Punk Episode: "42" The Beautiful Life Gabriel Episode: "Pilot" 2010 Tough Trade Jackson Tucker TV movie 2011 The Big C Mykail Recurring role (season 2) 2012 Hatfields & McCoys William "Cap" Hatfield Main cast (miniseries) 2013 Behind the Candelabra Cary James TV movie 2015–2016 Narcos DEA agent Steve Murphy Main cast (seasons 1–2) 2020 Robot Chicken Deacon Frost Episode: "Buster Olive in: The Monkey Got Closer Overnight" (voice roles) The Fugitive Mike Ferro Title role 2021 The Premise Aaron Episode: "Moment of Silence" 2022–2025 The Sandman The Corinthian Main cast 2023 Justified: City Primeval Clement Mansell Main cast 2025 The Morning Show Brodie Hartman Main cast (season 4)
Video game Year Game Role Notes 2019 Narcos: Rise of the Cartels Steve Murphy Based on the TV series of the same name
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 2012 Hamptons International Film Festival Breakthrough Performer The Host 2014 Milano International Film Festival Awards Best Actor Little Accidents 2024Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion PictureIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny2025Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureA Complete Unknown
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