Sean MacKenzie Bridgers (born March 15, 1968) is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer, known for his role as Johnny Burns on the HBO series Deadwood and as Trey Willis on the SundanceTV original series Rectify. In addition to many roles in television and film since 1991, Bridgers received acclaim and awards for the independent film Carolina Low, which he wrote and produced.
He received praise for his lead role in Lucky McKee's horror film The Woman and another Modernciné film, Jug Face, as well as notable roles in Sweet Home Alabama and Nell. He played Old Nick in the 2015 film Room.
Early and personal life Bridgers was born in 1968 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to Ben and Sue Ellen Bridgers. Ben was the tribal attorney for the Cherokee Indian tribe and published a memoir and books of poetry. Sue Ellen Bridgers is a novelist with seven published novels.
He graduated from St. Andrew's-Sewanee School and Western Carolina University. In interviews, Bridgers has mentioned that as a screenwriter he is influenced by his favorite author Mark Twain and developed an interest in acting after seeing Robert Duvall in Tender Mercies at age 14. Bridgers started watching everything by Tender Mercies screenwriter Horton Foote, and Duvall and Foote became his biggest creative influences.
Sean Bridgers's children are also actors. His son, Jackson, has acted in roles on Justified and Deadwood, and his daughter, Kate, starred in Bridgers' 2012 short, The Birthday Present.
Career Acting Bridgers has received praise for a diversity of roles in both film and television, including his role as Johnny Burns on HBO's Deadwood, and his role as the father in Lucky McKee's feature film The Woman. His co-starring role in the southern-horror film Jug Face, from writer/director Chad Crawford Kinkle's Slamdance award-winning screenplay, released by the studio Modernciné, was another performance in the horror genre. Bridgers received praise for his performance from FEARnet, Dread Central, Birth.Movies.Death, and Starburst Magazine, among others.
Bridgers has also received acclaim for his role as Trey Willis on Rectify, particularly in one of the series' most notable episodes in Season 3. Reviewer Nick Hogan wrote, "this was one of the most gut-wrenching episodes of Rectify in some time. Mostly because Sean Bridgers does a masterful job portraying Trey..." Mark Walker wrote in The Copenhagen Post that Bridgers's performance as Old Nick in Room was "brilliantly restrained". Bridgers also starred in the critically acclaimed Epix show Get Shorty.
Writing/directing Bridgers, along with his producing and directing partner, Michael "Ffish" Hemschoot, have been developing a dark western, noted as a "Faustian western" that takes place in the South during the Civil War titled Arkansas Traveler. Bridgers wrote the original screenplay and is a principal in the production company Travelin' Productions with Hemschoot, producing and shooting a trailer of the film featuring a cast including Garret Dillahunt and Angela Bettis. The resulting production was also released online as a web series of the same name in June 2017.
Actor and filmmaker Ray McKinnon commented on Bridgers's screenplay: Arkansas Traveler is one of the best un-produced scripts I have read in the last decade, it's not just the complex, larger narrative of the end of the Civil War and the amazing backdrop of the protagonist's travels, but Arkansas Traveler offers the continual smaller surprises of behavior and plot – of man's inhumanity to man [and woman and child and beast] and his infinite humanity. It's universal and timeless and must get made.
Bridgers and Hemschoot, under their production companies Travelin' Productions and Colorado animation studio Worker Studio are also developing an animated documentary about decorated World War II pilot John H. Ross.
Filmography Film Film Year Film Role Notes1992Children of the Corn II: The Final SacrificeJedediah1993Road-Kill U.S.A.Josh1994Getting InDumpster HunterCredited as Sean BridgesNellMike Ibarra1995Once Upon a Time... When We Were ColoredMr. Bob1997 Carolina Low Henry BancroftAlso producer and co-writer with mother Sue Ellen BridgersAtlanta Film Festival Southeastern Media AwardHollywood Film Festival Award for Best Feature 2002Clover BendTylerLullabyDieselSweet Home AlabamaEldon2003 Apple Jack Les DanyouShort film2007Jake's ClosetPeter 2008A Night at the ZooDonny Short film; also producer, writer, and co-director with Michael "Ffish" HemschootWitless ProtectionNorm2009Cold StorageUnnamed 2011The WomanChris Cleek Blood on My NameThomas Short film2012The Birthday PresentDadShort film; also co-director with Michael Hemschoot. Bridgers' daughter Kate starred as JoeyThe Graveyard Feeder Burke SawyerShort film2013Jug FaceDawai2014The Best of MeTommy Cole2015Dark PlacesRunner DayRoomOld NickTrumboJeff KrandallBlueSheriff HawkesLegsFord2016Midnight SpecialFredrickFree State of JonesWill SumrallThe Magnificent SevenFanningThe Whole TruthArthur WestinElsie HooperRidley HooperShort filmSnake Heel LeonardShort film2017And Then I GoLittle Kid's DadThank You for Your ServiceSergeant Mozer2018The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the BigfootMr. Gardner2019DeathcemberUninjuredSegment: "They Once Had Horses"2022Bones and AllBarry Cook2023The Weird KidzSheriff (voice)2024Outlaw PosseMayor2026Primetime
Television Television Year Title Role Notes1991Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Wojas Smart Story Ralph WelchTV movie; credited as Sean Bridges 1995Death in Small DosesMr. CarterTV movieMurderous Intent DennisTV movie1995–1998American GothicPoliceman / Deputy2 episodes1996 Stolen Memories: Secrets from the Rose Garden Jeff (Teen #1) TV movie1997The Secret Aaron Clemens TV movieClose to Danger Donna's Date TV movie1998–1999LegacyWilliam Winters11 episodes1999A.T.F. Smitty TV movie2000After Diff'rent Strokes: When the Laughter StoppedRobert TV movieCover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI FamilyBrianEpisode: "Turtle Soup"; credited as Sean Bridges2004 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story Neil BonnettTV movie2004–2006DeadwoodJohnny Burns36 episodesNominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series2006Criminal MindsJames Charles Episode: "The Boogeyman"Cold CaseTy SugarEpisode: "The Red and the Blue"2007CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationArt Schuster Episode: "Living Doll"200812 Miles of Bad RoadLyle Hartsong6 episodes2008–2009Private PracticeFrank2 episodes2009 House Rules Cameron Drummer TV movieSaving GraceCarl Lafong Episode: "Do You Believe in Second Chances?"BonesJohn Collins Episode: "The Tough Man in the Tender Chicken"Lie to MeHarold Clark Episode: "Tractor Man"2010The MentalistRanger Tisdale Episode: "Aingavite Baa"JustifiedVirgil Corum Episode: "The Hammer"True BloodBig BobbyEpisode: "Hitting the Ground"2011Hart of DixieLeon Mercy Episode: "The Undead & The Unsaid"2011–2012Raising HopeJack2 episodes2013–2016RectifyTrey Willis 17 episodes; seasons 1–42017Arkansas TravelerJohn Bones3 episodes; also writer and co-director with Michael HemschootMidnight, TexasSheriff Livingstone2 episodes2017–2019Get ShortyLouis DarnellMain cast; 27 episodes2018The AlienistSheriff EarlyEpisode: "Psychopathia Sexualis"2019Deadwood: The MovieJohnny BurnsTelevision film2020The BlacklistNyle HatcherEpisode: "Nyle Hatcher (No. 149)"2021The Underground RailroadFletcherEpisode: "Chapter 1: Georgia"2022Women of the MovementSidney Carlton5 episodesThe Thing About PamMark Hupp6 episodes2023Your HonorDet. Walter BeckwithEpisode: "Part Seventeen"2025The Righteous GemstonesDoctor SturgisEpisode: "Prelude"TrackerFather AmmonEpisode: "The Mercy Seat"Government CheeseDetective Barfield2 episodes2026Chicago MedDetective Benjamin GonsiorekEpisode: "Triple Threat"
Video games Video games Year Title Role Notes2011L.A. NoireMotion captureRockstar Games
References
External links
Travelin' Productions Official Website, travelinproductions.com Interview with Sean Bridgers, bloody-disgusting.com