Martin DonovanFilmography

Born:: August 19, 1957 in Reseda, CA
Occupation:: Actor
Biography:: Most recognizable as a Hal Hartley regular, tall, lanky Martin Donovan has made an indelible impression, gaining widespread respect as one of the more underrated figures in the film industry. Born August 19, 1957, in Reseda, CA, Donovan attended the American Theater of Arts in Los Angeles before...Read More

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The Haunting in Connecticut

Actors: Virginia Madsen, Martin Donovan, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas, Amanda Crew

Synopsis: Inspired by the frightening true-life tale of a family that moved into a converted funeral home and subsequently fell under supernatural attack, director Peter Cornwell's The Haunting in Connecticut follows the quest of a desperate mother to free her family from the grip of an evil beyond human Read More

3/27/09
Remember Back, Remember When

Actors: Dylan Bluestone, Martin Donovan, Peyton List, Alex Auder

2008
Wind Chill

Actors: Emily Blunt, Ashton Holmes, Martin Donovan

Synopsis: Two college students heading home for the holidays break down on a lonesome stretch of highway, only to find themselves targeted by the malevolent spirits of other travelers who met their end on the same road in a supernatural road movie directed by Greg Jacobs, and produced by Steven Soderbergh Read More

4/27/07
Masters of Horror: Right to Die

Actors: Martin Donovan, Robin Sydney, Corbin Bernsen

Synopsis: The husband of a woman whose flesh has been so horribly charred that she is completely comatose but technically still alive is haunted by her violent apparition as he attempts to make the difficult decision whether or not to end her suffering in Wrong Turn director Rob Schmidt's contribution to season two Read More

2007
The Quiet

Actors: Elisha Cuthbert, Camilla Belle

Synopsis: A withdrawn, deaf, and mute teen adopted by her godparents following the death of her single father finds that life in her dysfunctional new home can be quite deadly in But I'm a Cheerleader director Jamie Babbit's slick and tense teen thriller. The last word Dot (Camilla Belle) ever spoke was Read More

8/25/06
The Sentinel

Actors: Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria, Martin Donovan, Ritchie Coster

Synopsis: A man who has devoted himself to serving the leader of the free world is accused of plotting against him in this thriller. Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) is a veteran Secret Service agent who has had a long and distinguished career helping protect the president of the United States. David Read More

4/21/06
Day on Fire

Actors: Olympia Dukakis, Martin Donovan, Carmen Chaplin, Judy Kuhn, Alyssa Sutherland

Synopsis: Five people cross paths in New York City over the course of a day marked by violence in this independent drama from writer and director Jay Anania. Judy (Judy Kuhn) is a singer who is busy in a recording studio working on an album of British folk songs with jazz keyboardist John Medeski. Shira (Alyssa Sutherland Read More

2006
The Garage

Actors: Gabriel Marantz, Corby Griesenbeck, Tania Raymonde, Marilyn Dodds Frank, Martin Donovan

Synopsis: In this gentle coming-of-age drama, an adult man reflects nostalgically on his youth, when he spent countless hours working at his father's garage and buddied around with a fast friend. Eighteen-year-old Matt was intelligent, sweet-natured, and a recent high school graduate, his pal Schultz three Read More

2006
At Last

Actors: Martin Donovan, Kelly Lynch, M.C. Gainey, Jessica Hecht, Brooke Adams

Synopsis: Thirty years after realizing that they had they had both found that rare once in a lifetime love, a man and a woman separated by fate decide to take a second shot at romance despite the fact that both had moved on with their lives a long time ago. As children growing up together in Grosse Pointe Read More

2005
The Visitation

Synopsis: A mysterious stranger with a magic touch descends upon the small town of Antioch and the town is slowly divided by his seemingly supernatural presence in director Robby Henson's adaptation of Frank Peretti's best-selling novel. Despite the fact that he may have the power to heal, the charismatic Read More

2005
Weeds: Season 01

Actors: Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Kevin Nealon, Justin Kirk, Tonye Patano

2005
Saved!

Actors: Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Heather Matarazzo, Eva Amurri

Synopsis: Mary (Jena Malone) is entering her senior year at American Eagle Christian High School. She seems to be in an ideal social position as one of the "Christian Jewels," the most devout and popular clique of girls in the school, led by the aggressively cheerful Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore). But things Read More

5/28/04
The United States of Leland

Actors: Ryan Gosling, Don Cheadle, Chris Klein, Jena Malone, Lena Olin

Synopsis: Produced by Kevin Spacey, The United States of Leland is a psychological drama concerning the aftereffects of a brutal murder. It's also the first big-studio theatrical release for writer/director Matthew Ryan Hoge, whose previous work consists of the independent comedy Self Storage. Ryan Gosling Read More

4/2/04
Traffic: The Miniseries

Actors: Cliff Curtis, Martin Donovan, Balthazar Getty, Elias Koteas, Mary McCormack

Synopsis: Inspired by the themes of Steven Soderbergh's Academy Award winning 2000 film of the same name, Traffic: The Miniseries focuses on a group of people involved in the highest levels of illegal trafficking; dealing with the sale and trade of chemicals, weapons, and even people. DEA agent Mike McKay (Elias Koteas Read More

2004
Agent Cody Banks

Actors: Frankie Muniz, Hilary Duff, Keith David, Cynthia Stevenson

Synopsis: A teen learns that all the gadgets in the world can't help him overcome his awkwardness around the opposite sex in this big-budget family entertainment. In Agent Cody Banks, Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz plays a young man plucked from suburban obscurity to be trained as a CIA Read More

3/14/03
Pipe Dream

Actors: Martin Donovan, Mary-Louise Parker, Kevin Carroll, Rebecca Gayheart, Peter Jacobson

Synopsis: A plumber looking for love hopes to find romance by impersonating a movie director in this offbeat independent comedy. David Kulovic (Martin Donovan) is a single guy who doesn't have much luck impressing the ladies, a dilemma he attributes to the poor opinion most people have of his trade Read More

10/4/02
Insomnia

Actors: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney, Martin Donovan

Synopsis: Director Christopher Nolan follows up his breakthrough sophomore film Memento with this remake of a stylish Norwegian thriller. Al Pacino stars as Detective Will Dormer, a Los Angeles Police Department legend who temporarily escapes an internal affairs investigation that may ruin his career by Read More

5/24/02
RFK

Actors: Linus Roache, James Cromwell, David Paymer, Martin Donovan, Ving Rhames

Synopsis: The first biographical film produced by the FX cable channel, RFK covers the last five years in the life of Robert F. Kennedy, here played by British actor Linus Roache. The narrative begins in 1963, with the assassination of Bobby's brother, president John F. Kennedy (Martin Donovan). His Read More

2002
Pasadena [TV Series]

Actors: Alison Lohman, Martin Donovan, Dana Delany, Philip Baker Hall, Barbara Babcock

Synopsis: Having spent virtually all of her 15 years enwrapped in a sheltered, pampered existence, Lily Greeley McAllister (Alison Lohman) was not quite prepared for the emotional jolt attending the suicide of a strange man in the dining room of the Greeley family's luxurious Pasadena home. Lily was equally Read More

2001
Oprah Winfrey Presents: Amy and Isabelle

Actors: Elisabeth Shue, Hanna R. Hall, Martin Donovan, James Rebhorn, Conchata Ferrell

Synopsis: Executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, the made-for-TV Oprah Winfrey Presents: Amy & Isabelle was based on the bestselling 1999 novel by Elizabeth Strout. The scene is the mining town of Shirley Falls, ME; the year is 1971. Seeking escape from the iron rule of her domineering, social-climbing single Read More

2001
The Great Gatsby

Actors: Toby Stephens, Mira Sorvino, Paul Rudd, Martin Donovan, Francie Swift

Synopsis: F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, often regarded as one of the greatest American novels of the 20th century, is brought to the screen in this made-for-TV feature, produced in collaboration with the A&E Cable Network in the United States, and Granada Entertainment in Great Britain. Nick Carraway Read More

2000
Wonderland [TV Series]

Actors: Billy Burke, Joelle Carter, Patricia Clarkson, Martin Donovan, Michelle Forbes, Ted Levine

Synopsis: This series is a gritty hard-driving look at an insane asylum. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide Read More

2000
Desire

Actors: Katja Riemann, Zachary Bennett, Elizabeth Shepherd, Alberta Watson

Synopsis: In this offbeat thriller, Halley Fischer (Katja Riemann) is a schoolteacher at an elementary school in Winnipeg where children have been disappearing under mysterious circumstances. Francis (Zachary Bennett) is a single father and classical pianist who supplements his income playing in cocktail Read More

2000
Custody of the Heart

Actors: Lorraine Bracco, Martin Donovan, Dennis Boutsikaris, Michael Cera, Charlotte Arnold

Synopsis: Superachiever Claire Raphael (Lorraine Bracco) expertly divides what little time she has between her job, her family, and her invalid mother. As a result, Claire's stay-at-home husband Dennis (Martin Donovan) suffers from a profound inferiority complex. As a means of reclaiming his "manhood," Read More

2000
The Pornographer (a love story)

Synopsis: The border between professional and personal relationships comes under fire in this independent drama. Michael (Martin Donovan) is a filmmaker whose last project featured a beautiful actress named Anna (Irène Jacob). While Michael is trying to work on his next screenplay, he can't get Anna out of Read More

2000
Onegin

Actors: Ralph Fiennes, Liv Tyler, Toby Stephens, Lena Headey, Martin Donovan

Synopsis: Another member of the Fiennes family leaves a mark in the film business, as Martha Fiennes makes her big-screen directorial debut with a screen adaptation of the verse novel by Aleksander Pushkin, with her big brother Ralph Fiennes in the leading role. Onegin (Fiennes) is a blase man who has grown Read More

12/17/99
Spanish Fly

Actors: Daphna Kastner, Toni Canto, Martin Donovan, Danny Huston, Marianne Sägebrecht

Synopsis: Daphna Kastner directed this romantic comedy-drama, set in Spain. Interviewing Madrid men, journalist Zoe (Kastner) intends to expand her magazine article into a book. Her own experiences with men, however, haven't exactly made her an expert, but possibilities arise when she meets straight-talking Read More

12/1/99
Heaven

Actors: Martin Donovan, Danny Edwards, Richard Schiff, Joanna Going, Patrick Malahide

Synopsis: Scott Reynolds directed this New Zealand thriller about a transsexual stripper. Architect Robert Marling (Martin Donovan) has mounting problems that include drinking, gambling, and alimony payments to his ex, Jennifer (Joanna Going), who's attempting to gain custody of their son. Redesigning a Read More

4/30/99
In a Savage Land

Actors: Martin Donovan, Rufus Sewell, Max Cullen, John Howard

Synopsis: Australian director Bill Bennett sets this exploration of sexual politics and cultural differences against the stunning vistas of the Trobriand Islands. In it, two anthropologists travel to a remote island in the South Pacific to study its culture in the 1930s. Evelyn (Maya Stange) is an Read More

1999
The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer

Actors: Kevin Anderson, Tom Skerritt, Naomi Watts, Brian Kerwin, Martin Donovan

Synopsis: Based on a true story, The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer concerns the notorious Ira Einhorn, a political activist turned murder suspect who eluded Philadelphia police for nearly 20 years. In 1968, Texas-born Holly Maddux (Naomi Watts) left home to attend Bryn Mawr College, and two years later she Read More

1999
Living Out Loud

Actors: Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, Queen Latifah, Martin Donovan, Richard Schiff

Synopsis: Noted screenwriter Richard LaGravenese made his directorial debut with this dramatic comedy about two unlikely people who find each other while looking for love. Judith Nelson (Holly Hunter) is suddenly single after discovering her husband of fifteen years, a successful doctor (Martin Donovan) Read More

10/30/98
Rescuers: Stories of Courage - Two Couples

Actors: Elizabeth Perkins, Martin Donovan, Dana Delany, Sela Ward, Alfred Molina, Al Waxman, Linda Hamilton, Jan Rubes

Synopsis: Two inspiring true tales comprise this feature. Both center on ordinary people who risked everything during WW II to save Jewish people from the Holocaust. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide Read More

1998
The Opposite of Sex

Actors: Christina Ricci, Martin Donovan, Lisa Kudrow, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Galecki, William Lee Scott, Ivan Sergei

Synopsis: Screenwriter Don Roos made his directorial debut with this oddball sex comedy. The tale is narrated by 16-year-old Louisiana tramp Dedee Truitt (Christina Ricci), who buries her stepfather and then heads for Indiana to visit her homosexual half-brother Bill (Martin Donovan). Recovering from the Read More

1998
The Book of Life

Actors: Martin Donovan, PJ Harvey, Thomas Jay Ryan, David Simonds, Miho Nikaido

Synopsis: Hal Hartley directed this French-produced comedy about the Second Coming of Christ (Martin Donovan), with Thomas Jay Ryan in the role of Satan. While a gambler (David Simonds) and a waitress (Miho Nikaido) talk with Satan in a hotel bar, Jesus arrives at JFK airport with Magdalena (PJ Harvey). Read More

1998
When Trumpets Fade

Actors: Ron Eldard, Zak Orth, Frank Whaley, Dylan Bruno, Martin Donovan

Synopsis: John Irvin directed this gripping and effective WWII drama set amid the carnage and slaughter of the Hurtgen Forest battle when the Allies moved on toward Germany in the fall of 1944. Private Manning (Ron Eldard) hopes for a Section 8 switch away from the frontline combat, but when he's the only Read More

1998
Night Sins

Synopsis: Reminiscent of the "best" of David Lynch, the two-part TV movie Night Sins uses a mysterious abduction as catalyst for a progressively bizarre and disturbing expose of small-town corruption, hypocrisy and perversion. When the 8-year-old son of a doctor is kidnapped from his home in the rural Read More

1997
Hollow Reed

Actors: Martin Donovan, Joely Richardson, Ian Hart, Jason Flemyng, Sam Bould

Synopsis: Violence and anti-gay prejudice combine to make a heated custody battle all the more ugly in this tense domestic drama. Hannah Wyatt (Joely Richardson) is a single mother who lives with her nine-year-old son Oliver (Sam Bould) and her boyfriend Frank Donally (Jason Flemyng). Hannah was married to Read More

1996
The Portrait of a Lady

Actors: Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, Barbara Hershey, Mary-Louise Parker, Martin Donovan

Synopsis: Jane Campion directed this expressive adaptation of the classic novel by Henry James. Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman) is a young American woman who, after the death of her parents, has been sent to England to visit relatives. While her family's tragedy has left her penniless, Isabel's beauty has Read More

1996
Flirt

Actors: Bill Sage, Martin Donovan, Parker Posey, Dwight Ewell, Geno Lechner, Dominik Bender, Miho Nikaido

Synopsis: A lover, an ultimatum, a phone call, and a gun: these elements are found in each segment of Hal Hartley's Flirt, an experimental comedy-drama that essentially repeats the same story three times. But while the basic narrative remains the same -- a congenital flirt must decide whether or not to Read More

1995
The Rook

Actors: Martin Donovan, John A. MacKay, Michael Finesilver, Fritz Fox, David P. Dawson

Synopsis: In Eran Palatnik's The Rook, Martin Donovan plays John Abbott, a religious detective investigating the murder of a young woman named Wain Shepard. He travels to the village of Sutheridge in a horse-drawn carriage and meets Police Chief Bob Brice (John A. MacKay), who shows him the body. There is Read More

1994
Nadja

Actors: Elina Löwensohn, Suzy Amis, Galaxy Craze, Martin Donovan, Peter Fonda, Karl Geary

Synopsis: This stylish combination of expressionistic horror and deadpan black comedy centers on the activities of a beautiful female vampire on the streets of New York City. Playing fast and loose with the Dracula legend, the film examines the legendary count's children, particularly the alluring and Read More

1994
Amateur

Actors: Isabelle Huppert, Martin Donovan, Elina Löwensohn, Damian Young, Chuck Montgomery

Synopsis: Hal Hartley's fourth feature is a significant break from the quirky romantic comedy territory of his previous work -- though all of the deadpan idiosyncracies which make him such a singular filmmaker remain intact, here he tries his hand at the thriller genre, a move yielding typically Read More

1994
Scam

Actors: Christopher Walken, Lorraine Bracco, Miguel Ferrer, Martin Donovan, Maxi Priest

Synopsis: In this erotic thriller, two bunco artists ply their trade in Miami Beach. They prey upon wealthy marks; the female grifter uses all her wiles to seduce men out of their cash. It works fine until she tries to con ex-G-man Jack Shanks. He catches on and ends up blackmailing her into helping him get Read More

1993
Quick

Actors: Jeff Fahey, Teri Polo, Robert Davi, Martin Donovan, Tia Carrere

Synopsis: Quick is based on a series of adventure novels featuring a gorgeous hitwoman. When the title character, played by Teri Polo, is set up by her boss, she takes -- well -- quick action. Abducting the mob witness (Martin Donovan) whom she'd been hired to kill, Quick runs off to parts unknown. As the Read More

1993
Malcolm X

Actors: Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Angela Bassett, Al Freeman, Jr., Delroy Lindo, Albert Hall

Synopsis: Writer-director Spike Lee's epic portrayal of the life and times of the slain civil rights leader Malcolm X begins with the cross-cut imagery of the police beating of black motorist Rodney King juxtaposed with an American flag burning into the shape of the letter X. When the film's narrative Read More

11/18/92
Simple Men

Actors: Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Karen Sillas, Elina Löwensohn, Mark Chandler Bailey, Martin Donovan

Synopsis: A pair of brothers dodge the law while trying to locate their long-lost father in this third feature from independent New York filmmaker Hal Hartley. Robert John Burke stars as Bill McCabe, a failed computer thief who's just been doublecrossed by his girlfriend and partner. Vowing revenge on the Read More

10/14/92
Trust

Actors: Adrienne Shelly, Martin Donovan, Merritt Nelson, John A. MacKay, Edie Falco

Synopsis: The unlikely relationship between a pregnant high school student and a brooding electronics repairman lies at the center of this droll comedy from writer-director Hal Hartley. Intelligent but unconventional, Maria (Adrienne Shelly) has more to worry about than her pregnancy, as her expectant state Read More

7/26/91
Julia Has Two Lovers

Actors: Daphna Kastner, David Duchovny, David Charles, Tim Ray, Clare Bancroft

Synopsis: Most people hang up on wrong numbers, but a woman finds herself falling in love with one caller in this offbeat independent comedy. Julia (Daphna Kastner) is a writer specializing in books for children who shares an apartment with her boyfriend Jack (David Charles). Jack wants to get married, but Read More

3/22/91
Surviving Desire

Actors: Martin Donovan, Mary Ward

Synopsis: Made for PBS' American Playhouse, Surviving Desire is a very short romantic comedy starring Martin Donovan and Mary Ward. He's an uninspired college literature professor. She's a kooky student, and the only member of Donovan's class who doesn't doze off during his lectures. The comedy Read More

1991
Hard Choices

Actors: Gary McCleery, John Seitz, John Sayles, John Snyder, Martin Donovan

Synopsis: In this odd mix of social commentary, forbidden romance, police action thriller, and teenage delinquency, a well-meaning social worker slowly careens off the charts when a 15-year-old teen is about to receive a stiff sentence as an accessory to a crime. Bobby (Gary McCleery) is driving the getaway Read More

5/16/86
State of Wonder

Actors: Nigel Court, David Meyer, Tony Meyer, James Telfer

Synopsis: In a strange mix of the sacred and the profane, the leader of a group of pro-peace activists (Tony Meyer) is mistaken for Jesus Christ by the village simpleton and has to lead his "flock" against their nemesis, Captain Benson (David Meyer, Tony Meyer's twin brother). The Captain is in town with Read More

1984

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