Justin Kirk

Justin Kirk (born May 28, 1969) is an American stage and film actor. He is known for playing Prior Walter in Mike Nichols's screen adaptation of Angels in America (for which he received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series) and for his portrayal of Andy Botwin in Showtime's Weeds.

Early years

Kirk was born in Salem, Oregon. His mother was of Russian Jewish descent and his father was of Danish and English ancestry.

Kirk grew up in Union, Washington, where he attended a grade school on a Native American reservation, until his family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota when he was 12 years old. He attended high school there and performed at Children's Theatre Company. He then moved to New York City after graduating. Kirk played guitar in several New York bands in the early 1990s, most notably The Dimestore Darlings. He completed a two-year conservatory acting program at Circle in the Square Theatre School.

Career

His first role on Broadway was a play called Any Given Day, which was performed at the Longacre Theatre. He also appeared in Love! Valour! Compassion!, both onstage, for which he received an Obie Award for Distinguished Performance in the Ensemble, and in the film version. He also appeared in Other Desert Cities with Stockard Channing, Judith Light, and Stacy Keach, He won a Backstage West Garland Award for Outstanding Performance on his role of a piano prodigy in Old Wicked Songs, staged at New York's Promenade Theater and Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse.