Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American semi-retired actor. He is known for his Academy Award-nominated role as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), and voicing Chucky in the Child's Play franchise (1988–present).
Brad Dourif's other film credits include Wise Blood (1979), Heaven's Gate (1980), Ragtime (1981), Dune (1984), Blue Velvet (1986), Mississippi Burning (1988), The Exorcist III (1990), Alien Resurrection (1997), Halloween (2007) and its 2009 sequel. He also appeared in many television series, notably Deadwood (2004–2006, 2019), for which he received Primetime Emmy Award and Satellite Award nominations for his portrayal of Amos "Doc" Cochran.
Early life Dourif was born in Huntington, West Virginia to Joan Mavis Felton (née Bradford), an actress, and Jean Henri Dourif, an art collector who owned and operated a dye factory.
His paternal grandparents emigrated from France, and his paternal grandfather co-founded the Standard Ultramarine and Color Company in Huntington. After Dourif's father died in 1953, his mother married champion golfer William C. Campbell, who helped raise Dourif and his five siblings (four sisters and one brother). From 1963 to 1965, Dourif attended the private Aiken Preparatory School in Aiken, South Carolina. There, he pursued his interests in art and acting. Although he briefly considered becoming a flower arranger, he was eventually inspired to become an actor by his mother's participation as an actress in a community theater called Give Me Shelter.
After Aiken, he attended Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, graduating in 1968. Dourif appeared as an amateur at the Fountain Valley Film Festival in 1969, taking second place in the 8 mm film category with his 10-minute entry "Blind Date." Dourif attended Marshall University for a time, before quitting college and moving to New York City to study acting on the advice of actress Conchata Ferrell.
Career Stage Starting in school productions, Dourif progressed to community theater, joining up with the Huntington Community Players while attending Marshall University. In New York City, he studied with Sanford Meisner, and worked with Marshall Mason and Lanford Wilson at the Circle Repertory Company. During the early 1970s, Dourif appeared in a number of plays, off-Broadway and at Woodstock, New York, including The Ghost Sonata, The Doctor in Spite of Himself, and When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?, in which he was spotted by director Miloš Forman who cast him in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
In 2013, after a three-decade absence from the stage, Dourif chose to star alongside Amanda Plummer in the Off-Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' The Two-Character Play that played to critical acclaim at the New World Stages. He explained, in a filmed interview released by the producers, why he broke his 29-year hiatus from acting in live theater: "I hated the stage, did not want to do it. And then somebody said, 'Will you do a play? It's with Amanda Plummer', and I said, 'Oh shit! No. Oh God, I'm gonna have to do this...'". It opened on June 19, 2013, and closed on September 29, 2013., Playbill, August 28, 2013, Andrew Gans. Retrieved October 13, 2013. The play was subject to a number of performance cancellations, one relating to Dourif's absence due to a death in the family. Plummer refused to perform without Dourif, notwithstanding the presence of an understudy.Michael Riedel, Diva Amanda Plummer ‘a nightmare’ backstage . New York Post, September 5, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
Film Dourif had a small role in the film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), but was omitted from the final cut of the film. His portrayal of the vulnerable Billy Bibbit in Cuckoo's Nest ended up being his big break, earning him a Golden Globe Award (Best Actor Debut) and a British Academy Award (Supporting Actor) as well as a nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1981, Vincent Canby listed Dourif as one of twelve actors to watch, calling Dourif "one of the most intense, most interesting young film actors of his generation." Dourif returned to New York, where he continued in theater and taught acting and directing classes at Columbia University until 1988 (Don Mancini was among his students).
He continued with Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), John Huston's Wise Blood (1979), Forman's Ragtime (1981), Marc Didden's Istanbul (1985) and David Lynch's Dune (1984) and Blue Velvet (1986).
Dourif has appeared in a number of horror films, most notably as the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play franchise. He portrayed the Gemini Killer in The Exorcist III (1990) and appeared in Death Machine (1994), Sworn to Justice with Cynthia Rothrock and Alien Resurrection (1997). He later appeared as Sheriff Lee Brackett in Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009). In 2013, Dourif reprised his role as Chucky in the sixth installment of the Child's Play franchise, Curse of Chucky, and then again in the 2017 sequel, Cult of Chucky. His daughter, Fiona Dourif, also starred with him in both films.
Other notable film roles include Gríma Wormtongue in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and supporting roles in Fatal Beauty (1987), Mississippi Burning (1988), Hidden Agenda (1990), London Kills Me (1991) and Sinner (2007).
Dourif has worked with director Werner Herzog on many occasions, appearing in Scream of Stone (1991), The Wild Blue Yonder (2005), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), and My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (2009).
Television In 1984, Dourif played a suspected serial killer in the episode "Number Eight" of Tales of the Unexpected. In 1994, he appeared in The X-Files episode "Beyond the Sea" as the psychic serial killer Luther Lee Boggs. He also portrayed sociopath Lon Suder in a three episode story arc on Star Trek: Voyager and guest starred as a troubled monk haunted by visions in Babylon 5. Dourif later won acclaim as Doc Cochran in Deadwood, receiving a 2004 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
In 2011, he guest-starred in the third-season finale of Fringe and, in 2014, appeared in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "End of the Beginning".
In 2021, Dourif reprised his role as Chucky in the television series adaptation of the Child's Play franchise titled Chucky.
In 2025, he made a cameo on The Pitt as Neil McKay, the father of Dr. Cassie McKay, who is portrayed by his real life daughter Fiona Dourif.
Music In 2012, Dourif contributed spoken word vocals to three songs on the album Misery Together by the Norwegian duo Thinguma*jigSaw.Profile , desertedvillage.bandcamp.com. Retrieved February 18, 2015. Dourif also appears in the music videos for "Stranger in Town" (1984) by Toto and "Drinking from the Bottle" (2012) by Calvin Harris.
Semi-retirement On April 18, 2024, Dourif announced that he would be retiring from acting, with the exception of any Chucky-related projects involving the character. The reason behind this was because of his daughter Fiona (who plays Nica Pierce in the franchise), plus he considered Chucky creator Don Mancini to be "family". He made another exception for the HBO Max series The Pitt, with a cameo appearance playing the father of his daughter Fiona's character.
Personal life Dourif has been married twice; first to Janet Stephanie Charmatz, and then to Jonina Bernice Dourif, with whom he had a daughter, actress Fiona Dourif. He also has two stepdaughters.
Filmography Film Year TitleRole Notes 1975 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Billy Bibbit 1977 Group Portrait with a Lady Boris Koltowski 1978 Eyes of Laura Mars Tommy Ludlow 1979 Wise Blood Hazel Motes 1980 Heaven's Gate Mr. Eggleston 1981 Ragtime Younger Brother 1984 Dune Piter De Vries 1985 Istanbul Martin Klamski 1986 Blue Velvet Raymond Impure Thoughts Kevin Harrington 1987 Fatal Beauty Leo Nova 1988 Child's Play Charles Lee Ray / Chucky Mississippi Burning Deputy Clinton Pell 1989 Sonny Boy Weasel 1990 Child's Play 2 Chucky (voice) Grim Prairie Tales Farley Spontaneous Combustion Sam Horseplayer Bud Cowan Graveyard Shift Tucker Cleveland The Exorcist III James "Gemini" Venamun Hidden Agenda Paul Sullivan 1991 Murder Blues John Barnes Chaindance Johnny Reynolds Child's Play 3 Chucky (voice) Jungle Fever Leslie Body Parts Remo Lacey Scream of Stone Fingerless London Kills Me Hemingway 1992 Final Judgement Father Tyrone Critters 4 Al Bert 1993 Trauma Dr. Lloyd Amos & Andrew Officer Donnie Donaldson 1994 Color of Night Clark Death Machine Dante 1995 Murder in the First Byron Stamphill Phoenix Reiger 1996 Sworn to Justice Teddy A Step Toward Tomorrow Kirby 1997 Jamaica Beat Tom Peterson Nightwatch Duty Doctor Best Men John "Gonzo" Coleman Alien Resurrection Dr. Jonathan Gediman 1998 Brown's Requiem Edwards Senseless Dr. Wheedon Progeny Dr. Bert Clavell Urban Legend Michael McDonnell Uncredited Bride of Chucky Chucky (voice) 1999 The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man Gabriel Cypress Edge Colin McCammon Interceptors David M. Webber Silicon Towers Alton 2000 Shadow Hours Roland Montague The Prophecy 3: The Ascent Zealot 2001 The Ghost Lt. Garland Soulkeeper Mr. Pascal 2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Gríma Wormtongue 2003 The Box Stan Vlad Radescu The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Gríma Wormtongue Extended cut only 2004 Seed of Chucky Chucky (voice) The Devil's Due at Midnight The Dark One The Hazing Professor Kapps El Padrino Cyrus 2005 Drop Dead Sexy Herman The Wild Blue Yonder The Alien Man of Faith B. B. Gallen 2006 Pulse Thin Bookish Guy 2007 Sinner Caddie The List Johan Gabini The Wizard of Gore Dr. Chong Halloween Sheriff Leigh Brackett 2008 Touching Home Clyde Winston Humboldt County Jack 2009 Born of Earth Mayor Lock and Roll Forever Zee Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Ned Schoenholtz Halloween II Sheriff Leigh Brackett My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? Uncle Ted 2010 Chain Letter Mr. Smirker Junkyard Dog Sheriff Holk 2011 Fading of the Cries Mathias Priest Salesman Catch .44 Sheriff Connors Death and Cremation Stan 2012 Last Kind Words Wylon Black Box Tom 2013 Santa Monica Stan Short film Gingerclown Worm Creature (voice) Blood Shot Bob Curse of Chucky Charles Lee Ray / Chucky Malignant The Man 2014 The Control Group Dr. Broward 2015 Rosemont Abe 2017 Cult of Chucky Chucky (voice) Out to Lunch Man Short film Cut Off Diggs 2018 Wildling Daddy / Gabriel Hanson 2019 Obsession George 2021 The Shuroo Process Dr. Feinstein 2022 The Living Vlad Short film
Television