Keith Gordon Biography

Date of Birth: February 3, 1961

As the son of actors Mark and Barbara Gordon, Keith Gordon began his professional life following in his parents' footsteps. He made his television debut at the age of 14 in an episode of Medical Center, then at 17 made his feature film debut in Jaws 2 (1978). Gordon appeared in leading roles in John Carpenter's Christine, Brian De Palma's Dressed to Kill and Home Movies, the comedy Back to School, as well as supporting roles in numerous films including Bob Fosse's All That Jazz. He simultaneously worked extensively in New York theater both on and off-Broadway. As a stepping stone behind the camera, Gordon starred in, but also co-wrote and co-produced the independent feature Static, which earned him the Best Actor award at the 1987 Madrid Film Festival.

In 1989 Gordon wrote and directed The Chocolate War, based on Robert Cormier's classic young adult novel. The film won critical acclaim, and Gordon received an IFP/Spirit Award nomination for best first feature. Next, he adapted and directed A Midnight Clear from William Wharton's novel, starring Ethan Hawke and Gary Sinise and earned a second IFP Spirit Award nomination, this time for Best Screenplay. In 1997 Gordon produced and directed Mother Night, starring Nick Nolte, which was named one of the best 10 films of the decade by critic David Sterrit of the Christian Science Monitor. In 2000, Gordon's feature adaptation of Scott Spencer's novel Waking the Dead was released. Starring Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly, it was executive produced by Jodie Foster. Gordon has also directed for television, including two segments of Oliver Stone's Wild Palms ABC-TV mini-series, an episode of the NBC-TV drama series Homicide, two episodes of ABC-TV's hour long weekly drama Gideon's Crossing, an episode of Showtime's award-winning anthology series Fallen Angels and two episodes of the Fox series Night Vision.

Gordon has taught and mentored for the American Film Institute, the Sundance Film Institute and the University of Southern California. He has written articles for magazines such as Details and Reel and once hosted a film show for National Public Radio.

Filmography (director):

The Singing Detective (2003)
Waking the Dead (2000)
Mother Night (1996)
A Midnight Clear (1992)
The Chocolate War (1988)