Christopher Denham is an American actor and director. He is known for supporting roles in Oppenheimer, Shutter Island, Argo, Being the Ricardos, Charlie Wilson's War and Sound of My Voice. Television credits include For All Mankind, Billions, Shining Girls opposite Elisabeth Moss, and Amazon Prime's Utopia, created by Gillian Flynn. Denham has appeared on Broadway in Master Harold...and the Boys, Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore, and David Mamet's China Doll, opposite Al Pacino. In 2025, he co-starred opposite George Clooney in the Broadway adaptation of Good Night and Good Luck, directed by David Cromer.
Early life Denham grew up on the south side of Chicago. He attended theater school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for two years before finishing his degree in English literature and creative writing. Denham was a member of the Celebration Company at the Station Theatre in Urbana, IL during its existence from 1971 to 2021. While living in Urbana, he appeared at the Station Theatre in This Is Our Youth by Kenneth Lonergan (2000), American Buffalo by David Mamet (2001), and The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh (2002). In 2000, he co-directed and appeared in Sam Shepard's True West in a Penny Dreadful Players production at the historic Channing-Murray Foundation. He self-produced and directed his first play, In Film, in 2001 in a found space on the University of Illinois campus.
Career Professional theatrical career Denham made his Broadway debut opposite Danny Glover in the Roundabout Theatre revival of "Master Harold"...and the Boys. Denham originated the role of Matt in the Steppenwolf Theatre production of Adam Rapp's Red Light Winter. The production moved to New York City where Denham won Outstanding Lead Actor at the 2006 Lucille Lortel Awards. His other Broadway credits include the title role in Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore and David Mamet's China Doll, opposite Al Pacino. He co-starred opposite George Clooney in the Broadway production of Good Night and Good Luck, directed by David Cromer. Off-Broadway, Denham appeared at Playwright's Horizons in Adam Rapp's Kindness opposite Katherine Waterston, Charles Mee's Wintertime at Second Stage, and Steven Levenson's The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin, opposite David Morse at Roundabout Theatre Company. Regionally, Denham has worked with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, New York Stage and Film and the Sundance Lab for Directors and Screenwriters.
Film and television career Denham's first major film role was as CIA paramilitary operations officer Mike Vickers in Charlie Wilson's War, directed by Mike Nichols. He starred opposite Brit Marling in the acclaimed psychological thriller Sound of My Voice which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His breakout film role was as Mark Lijek, one of the six escaped hostages rescued by Tony Mendez in Argo. Denham later portrayed scientist Jim Meeks on the Emmy-nominated AMC show, Manhattan. In 2017, he joined the cast of Billions as attorney Oliver Dake. He appeared as Sheriff Peter Trask in Craig Zobel's One Dollar, which premiered on CBS All Access. In 2020, he was a series regular in Gillian Flynn's Utopia as Arby. Denham has collaborated with directors Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island), Mike Nichols (Charlie Wilson's War), Barry Levinson (The Bay), Tony Gilroy (Duplicity), Jodie Foster (Money Monster), and Aaron Sorkin (Being the Ricardos). Other TV credits include Rubicon, Person of Interest, The Good Wife, Prodigal Son, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Following, and The Hunting Party.
Denham wrote and directed the 2008 horror film Home Movie (IFC Films) which premiered at Toronto After Dark and for which he won the Citizen Kane Award for up-and-coming director at the Sitges Film Festival. He also wrote and directed the critically acclaimed thriller, Preservation, starring Wrenn Schmidt, Pablo Schreiber and Aaron Staton. which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and was distributed by The Orchard. In 2022, he directed the psychological thriller, Old Flame, which is distributed by Gravitas Ventures.
Denham plays the German spy Klaus Fuchs in Christopher Nolan’s film, Oppenheimer, for Universal Pictures, which was released in July 2023. In 2025, he joined the cast of Apple TV's For All Mankind. In 2027, he will appear in Tom McCarthy's The Statement, opposite Paul Rudd and Paul Giamatti.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes2005 Headspace Alex Borden 2007 Blackbird Clarke Charlie Wilson's War Mike Vickers The Key to Reserva Leonard Short film 2008 El camino Gray Home Movie Directorial debut 2009 Duplicity Ronny Partiz Alexander the Last Actor Bottleworld Fred 2010 Shutter Island Peter Breene Camp Hell Christian 2011 Sound of My Voice Peter Aitken Restive Lott Enter Nowhere Kevin 2012 Forgetting the Girl Kevin Wolfe Argo Mark Lijek Hollywood Film Awards for Ensemble of the YearPalm Springs International Film Festival Award for Ensemble Cast AwardScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureNominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best CastNominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast The Bay Sam 2014 Bad Country Tommy Weiland Preservation As director 2015 Area 51 As writer 2016 Money Monster Ron Sprecher 2017 Camera Obscura Jack Zeller 2018 Fast Color Bill The Amaranth Dr. Alan Campbell 2021 Being the Ricardos Donald Glass 2023 The Adults Scott Night Shift Walton Grey Maggie Moore(s) Andy Moore Oppenheimer Klaus Fuchs Dogman Ackerman 2026 A Statement Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 2003 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Joey Field Episode: "Damaged"2007 Law & Order Gerald Stockwell Episode: "Murder Book" Two Families Greg Television film 2010 Rubicon Evan Hadas Episode: "Keep the Ends Out" 2012 Person of Interest Kyle Morrison Episode: "Identity Crisis" 2013 Deception Remy Colville Episode: "Pilot" The Following Vince McKinley 3 episodes The Good Wife Trent Episode: "What's in the Box?" 2014–2015 Manhattan Jim Meeks 23 episodes 2017–2018 Billions Oliver Dake 17 episodes 2017 The Blacklist: Redemption Brian Mayhew Episode: "Operation Davenport" 2018 One Dollar Peter Trask 10 episodes 2020 Utopia Arby 8 episodes 2021 Prodigal Son Trevor Falvey Episode: "Bad Manners" 2022 Shining Girls Leo Jenkins 4 episodes 2023 The Gilded Age Robert McNeil 4 episodes 2024 American Rust Russell Wolfe 9 episodes 2026 For All Mankind Walt Griebel8 episodes 2026 The Hunting Party Byron May Season 2 Episode: "Byron May" Guest Star
Stage Year Title Role Notes 2003"Master Harold"...and the Boys Hally Roundabout Theatre Company 2004 Wintertime Jonathan Second Stage Theater 2005Red Light Winter Matt Steppenwolf Theatre 2006Red Light Winter Matt Barrow Street Theater 2006 Lucille Lortel Awards Outstanding Lead Actor (tie) cagelove Playwright, Director Rattlestick Playwrights Theater The Lieutenant of Inishmore Mad Padraic Lyceum Theatre 2008 Kindness Dennis Playwrights Horizons 2015 China Doll Carson Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre 2018 The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin James Durnin Roundabout Theatre Company 2025 Good Night, and Good Luck John Aaron Winter Garden Theatre
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2006 Lucille Lortel Awards Outstanding Lead Actor Red Light Winter (tied) 2008 Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival Citizen Kane Award for Best Directorial Revelation Home Movie 2012 Hollywood Film Awards Ensemble of the Year(with John Goodman, Scoot McNairy, Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Tate Donovan, Rory Cochrane, Bryan Cranston, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, Željko Ivanek, Titus Welliver, Bob Gunton, Philip Baker Hall, Richard Kind, Michael Parks, Christopher Stanley, Taylor Schilling) Argo 2013 Palm Springs International Film Festival Ensemble Cast Award(with Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina) Argo
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