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 working for a number of theaters in Los Angeles and New York. Donovan's first starring role came in the 1984 drama
Hard Choices, which also starred
John Sayles and J.T. Walsh. 1991 marked his first collaboration with Hartley, as he starred in both
Surviving Desire (made for PBS'
American Playhouse) and
Trust. The latter became an art house favorite, helping to establish Hartley's reputation. The following year, Donovan made his next film with Hartley, 1992's
Simple Men.
Following his role in Hartley's critically acclaimed
Amateur (1994), Donovan performed in a steady number of films throughout the rest of the decade. For Hartley, he appeared in
Flirt (1995) and
The Book of Life (1999), in which he played a modern-day Christ opposite PJ Harvey's Magdalena. Other notable work for the versatile actor included his role as
Nicole Kidman's consumptive confidant in
The Portrait of a Lady (1996); a turn as a divorced gay father in the unsettling
Hollow Reed (1996); the part of
Holly Hunter's philandering husband in
Living Out Loud (1998); and his triumphantly understated portrayal of
Christina Ricci's too-tolerant half-brother in
Don Roos' black comedy
The Opposite of Sex (1998). It was this last role, in particular, that helped to thrust Donovan a little further into the spotlight, introducing him to an audience that was eager to learn more about this multi-talented, multifaceted actor. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide