Hamish Linklater Bio
Hamish Linklater (born July 7, 1976) is an American actor and playwright whose career spans stage, film, and television. He first drew wide notice as Matthew Kimble on the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine and has since built a reputation for thoughtful, character-driven performances in projects including Legion, Midnight Mass, and Batman: Caped Crusader. In addition to acting, Linklater works as a screenwriter and producer, and he continues to be an active presence in American theater.
He is the son of dramatic vocal trainer Kristin Linklater, a Scottish-born theater professor who shaped his early exposure to the craft. Over more than two decades in the industry, Linklater has balanced leading roles in major television series with work in independent film, Broadway productions, and voice acting. His performance as Father Paul Hill in the Netflix miniseries Midnight Mass earned him widespread critical acclaim.
Early Life and Background
Hamish Linklater was born in New York City, New York, and raised in part by his single mother in the Berkshires region of Massachusetts. His mother, Kristin Linklater, was a Scottish-born Professor of Theatre and Chair of the Acting Division at Columbia University, as well as a respected teacher of vocal technique. She was also a founder of the Shakespeare & Company drama troupe, an environment that introduced her son to the stage at a young age. Linklater has recalled being eight years old when he began performing small Shakespearean roles.
Through his mother, Linklater comes from a notable creative family. His maternal grandparents were Marjorie Linklater, an arts campaigner, and Eric Linklater, a Scottish novelist of partly Swedish origin. His maternal uncles include journalist Magnus Linklater and writer Andro Linklater, both well known in literary and journalistic circles. Linklater graduated in 1994 from Commonwealth School in Boston and went on to attend Amherst College.
His upbringing in a household steeped in vocal training and classical theater gave him an unusually deep foundation for a performer. The combination of his mother’s academic work and the rural Shakespeare & Company community helped shape his early interest in acting and playwriting, pursuits that would later define his professional life.
Path to Celebrity
Coming from a theatrical family, Linklater first established himself on the stage before transitioning to screen work. He made his big-screen debut in 2000 in the film Groove, followed by a role as CNN correspondent Richard Roth in the HBO film Live from Baghdad. He went on to appear in films including Fantastic Four (2005) and took on recurring television roles on American Dreams and Gideon’s Crossing. During this period he was also considered for the role of Logan on Dark Angel, though the part ultimately went to Michael Weatherly.
Linklater built his stage reputation with performances including the title role in Hamlet at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California, and at the Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Connecticut. In 2006, he appeared off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in Keith Bunin’s The Busy World Is Hushed opposite Jill Clayburgh. He later joined the Public Theater’s 2009 production of Twelfth Night at Shakespeare in the Park, playing Sir Andrew Aguecheek alongside Anne Hathaway, Audra McDonald, and Raul Esparza.
These early theater and screen credits established Linklater as a versatile performer capable of moving between classical roles and contemporary television. By the time he was cast as a series regular on The New Adventures of Old Christine in 2006, he had already accumulated a varied resume that combined indie film, network television, and classical theater work.
Hamish Linklater Career
Early Career (1996–2005)
Linklater began his professional career in 1996 and spent his first decade developing a foundation in theater and small-screen projects. His early screen appearances included supporting roles in independent film and recurring parts on network television. He appeared in HBO’s Live from Baghdad and the 2005 superhero film Fantastic Four, projects that introduced him to larger audiences and major studio sets.
During this same period, he cultivated his stage credentials with classical roles in Shakespeare productions and contemporary plays. These performances helped him refine the vocal technique passed down from his mother and positioned him as a serious stage actor before he became widely known on television.
Breakthrough (2006–2021)
Linklater’s breakthrough arrived with his casting as Matthew Kimble on the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, a role he held from 2006 to 2010 alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The series brought him steady mainstream exposure and remains one of his most recognized television credits. He followed this with a Broadway debut in October 2011 in Theresa Rebeck’s Seminar, co-starring Alan Rickman and Lily Rabe.
In 2013, Linklater played Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca in the Jackie Robinson biopic 42 and joined the cast of Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom in a recurring role as senior producer Jerry Dantana. That same year, he was cast as Andrew Keanelly on the CBS series The Crazy Ones, which premiered in September 2013. In 2017, he joined the FX series Legion in a recurring role and was promoted to the main cast for the show’s second season, and he also appeared in a small role in the third season of Fargo.
In 2021, Linklater took on what many critics consider his defining role: Father Paul Hill in Mike Flanagan’s Netflix horror miniseries Midnight Mass. The dual performance, in which he also portrays the elderly Monsignor John Pruitt, earned him high critical acclaim and a Critics’ Choice nomination. The role cemented his reputation as a dramatic actor capable of carrying complex, emotionally layered material.
Notable Works and Milestones
Among Linklater’s signature projects are The New Adventures of Old Christine, Legion, Midnight Mass, and Batman: Caped Crusader. He is also a screenwriter, producer, and director, expanding his creative reach beyond acting. His dual-role performance in Midnight Mass stands as a career milestone, drawing some of the strongest reviews of his career and a Critics’ Choice nomination.
Hamish Linklater Award Nominations
Hamish Linklater received a Critics’ Choice nomination for his dual performance as Father Paul Hill and Monsignor John Pruitt in the Netflix horror miniseries Midnight Mass (2021). The nomination recognized his work in one of the most acclaimed limited series of that year and placed him alongside other notable performers recognized by the Critics’ Choice Association.
Hamish Linklater Awards Won
No major award wins for Hamish Linklater are currently verified through available sources. Any specific honors received during his theater or screen career have not been confirmed in the materials reviewed, and additional claims cannot be supported at this time.
Hamish Linklater Family
Hamish Linklater is the son of Kristin Linklater, a Scottish-born Professor of Theatre and Chair of the Acting Division at Columbia University, and a renowned teacher of vocal technique. Kristin Linklater is also a founder of the Shakespeare & Company drama troupe in the Berkshires. His maternal grandparents were Marjorie Linklater, an arts campaigner, and Eric Linklater, a Scottish novelist of partly Swedish origin. His maternal uncles include journalist Magnus Linklater and writer Andro Linklater.
Personal Life
Hamish Linklater married playwright Jessica Goldberg in January 2002, and the couple divorced in 2012. They have one daughter together. Shortly after the divorce, Linklater went public with his relationship with actress Lily Rabe, with whom he has been in a relationship since 2013. The couple have two daughters, born in March 2017 and June 2020, and a son born in 2022.