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Peter Sarsgaard

Peter Sarsgaard

Actor, also producer · Born March 7, 1971 (55) · Belleville, Illinois, USA

Primetime Emmy nominee · Golden Globe nominee · Screen Actors Guild Award nominee · 3 other major award bodies

John Peter Sarsgaard (born March 7, 1971) is an American actor. His first feature role was in Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), playing Raoul, the ill-fated son of Athos. Sarsgaard later achieved critical recognition when he was cast in Boys Don't Cry (1999) as John Lotter. He landed his first leading role in the 2001 film The Center of the World. The following year, he played supporting roles in Empire, The Salton Sea, and K-19: The Widowmaker. For his portrayal of Charles Lane in Shattered Glass, Sarsgaard won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the 2004 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. Sarsgaard has appeared in an eclectic range of films, including the 2004 comedy-drama Garden State, the biographical film Kinsey (2004), the drama The Dying Gaul (2005), and big-budget films such as Flightplan (2005), Jarhead (2005), The Skeleton Key (2005), Orphan (2009), An Education (2009), Knight and Day (2010), Green Lantern (2011), Lovelace (2013), Kelly Reichardt's Night Moves (2013), Blue Jasmine (2013), Black Mass (2015), and The Magnificent Seven (2016). Sarsgaard also appeared in the American TV series The Killing (2013) as a man on death row perhaps wrongfully convicted for the brutal murder of his wife—a performance which he says included "some of the best acting I have ever done in my life." In 2021, he had a recurring role on the Hulu miniseries Dopesick. Sarsgaard has appeared in Off-Broadway productions including Kingdom of Earth, Laura Dennis, Burn This, and Uncle Vanya. In September 2008, he made his Broadway debut as Boris Alexeyevich Trigorin in The Seagull. He is married to actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 7, 1971 (55)
From
Belleville, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
65 on MovieCove · 79 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 19% in 30 days

What are Peter Sarsgaard's films like?

Across their 57 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Morality.

Genres

Drama19 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
23%
Morality
23%
Survival
16%
Power
14%
Bonds
14%
Society
5%
Ideas
4%
Justice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief9 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception8 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal9 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 51 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 8 · Serious 11 · Dark 32

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 29 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 5

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 18 · Intense 30

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 33 · Whiplash 9

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 33 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 31 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 30 · Full focus 13

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 6 · Affecting 15 · Heavy 30

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 20 · Open-ended 23 · Ambiguous 8

Roles they play

40 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 13 of 40 analyzed roles.

Shadow
13 of 40
Ally
7 of 40
Hero
6 of 40
Mentor
5 of 40
Shapeshifter
4 of 40
Trickster
3 of 40
Threshold guardian
2 of 40
Show the 40 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
47
Melancholic
37
Dread
24
Contemplative
15
Bittersweet
8
Other
39

How their films linger

Thought-provoking24 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 13 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet30
  • Tragic10
  • Ambiguous11

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Peter Sarsgaard's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 48 of their 65 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (21).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Peter Sarsgaard's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

79 credits, 65 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Neuromancer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Show 10 episodes · as John Ashpool

  • Flesh Impact (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Actor

  • The Bride!(2026)

    as Jake Wiles

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • DTF St. Louis(2026)

    Show 4 episodes · as 'Modern Love' / Christopher Spurce

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Pet Shop Days(2023)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • September 5(2024)

    as Roone Arledge

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Coup!(2023)

    Executive Producer · as Floyd Monk

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Presumed Innocent(2024)

    Show 8 episodes · as Tommasino 'Tommy' Molto

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Memory(2023)

    as Saul

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Survivor(2021)

    as Emory Anderson

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Batman(2022)

    as District Attorney Gil Colson

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Lost Daughter(2021)

    as Professor Hardy

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Dopesick(2021)

    Show 8 episodes · as Rick Mountcastle

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Guilty(2021)

    as Henry Fisher (voice)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Best Summer Ever(2020)

    Executive Producer · as Camera Man

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Human Capital(2019)

    as Quint Manning

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Homemade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Frank

  • Interrogation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 10 episodes · as David Russell

  • Mr. Jones(2019)

    as Walter Duranty

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Sound of Silence(2019)

    as Peter Lucian

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Lie(2018)

    as Jay Logan

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Looming Tower(2018)

    Show 10 episodes · as Martin Schmidt

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Wormwood(2017)

    Show 6 episodes · as Frank Olson

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Loving Pablo(2017)

    as Shepard

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Wormwood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Frank Olson

  • Jackie(2016)

    as Robert Kennedy

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Magnificent Seven(2016)

    as Bartholomew Bogue

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Experimenter(2015)

    as Stanley Milgram

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Black Mass(2015)

    as Brian Halloran

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Pawn Sacrifice(2014)

    as Father Bill Lombardy

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Ladygrey(2015)

    as Samuel

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Slap(2015)

    Show 8 episodes · as Hector

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • Night Moves(2013)

    as Harmon

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Lovelace(2013)

    Executive Producer · as Chuck Traynor

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Blue Jasmine(2013)

    as Dwight

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Very Good Girls(2013)

    as Fitzsimmons

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Robot & Frank(2012)

    as Robot (voice)

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Green Lantern(2011)

    as Hector Hammond

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Killing(2011)

    Show 12 episodes · as Ray Seward

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Knight and Day(2010)

    as Fitzgerald

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Jake Gyllenhaal Challenges the Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Alan Troy (archive footage)

  • An Education(2009)

    as David Goldman

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Orphan(2009)

    as John

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • In the Electric Mist(2009)

    as Elrod Sykes

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Elegy(2008)

    as Kenneth Kepesh

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Mysteries of Pittsburgh(2008)

    as Cleveland Arning

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Indie Sex: Teens(2007)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Rendition(2007)

    as Alan Smith

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Year of the Dog(2007)

    as Newt

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • High Falls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Pedro

  • Jarhead(2005)

    as Alan Troy

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Flightplan(2005)

    as Carson

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Skeleton Key(2005)

    as Luke Marshall

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Dying Gaul(2005)

    as Robert Sandrich

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Kinsey(2004)

    as Clyde Martin

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Garden State(2004)

    as Mark

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Shattered Glass(2003)

    as Charles 'Chuck' Lane

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Death of a Dynasty(2003)

    as Brendon III

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Empire(2002)

    as Jack

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Unconditional Love(2002)

    as Window Washer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • K-19: The Widowmaker(2002)

    as Vadim Radtchinko

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Salton Sea(2002)

    as Jimmy the Finn

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Center of the World(2001)

    as Richard Longman

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Housebound (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Mignon

  • The Cell(2000)

    as Julia Hickson's Fiancee (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Boys Don't Cry(1999)

    as John Lotter

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Desert Blue(1998)

    as Billy Baxter

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Freak City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Cal Jackson

  • Another Day in Paradise(1998)

    as Ty

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Man in the Iron Mask(1998)

    as Raoul

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Cracker: Mind Over Murder(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows

  • SubwayStories: Tales from the Underground(1997)

    as Boy No. 1 (segment "Underground")

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Dead Man Walking(1995)

    as Walter Delacroix

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Josh Strand

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • This Week (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Erosion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Christian Andersen

  • Road House 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • The Damning of a Country Merchant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • Zero K (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 79 titles, 74 of them dated from 1981 to 2026; peak year 2016.

Biggest box office

The Batman (2022)

$773M worldwide

Highest rated

Valley Uprising (2014)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Batman (2022)

Film career

MilestoneNomination
19812026

Peak 2016 · their film career is on the way up. Top draw in 34 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting79 of 79: 76 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thProducing3 of 79: 0 only producing, 3 with another role

79 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and producing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · acting1990s9 · acting2000s24 · acting2010s23 · 23 acting · 1 crew2020s17 · 17 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 14% of 51 roles
950005101520

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

1 major award from 9 major nominations, 2004–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
  2. 2023
    • Venice award, won · Best Actor
  3. 2022
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
  4. 2019
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Limited Series
  5. 2010
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
  6. 2005
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actor
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Supporting Male
  7. 2004
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Supporting Male

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Peter Sarsgaard's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 56; across their 51 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 51

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 51

Reach · how many have seen their films

92ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 51

Midcredits score across 65 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up20
  • 50th to 74th24
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

38 of their 65 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive3
  • Crowd Pleaser38
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed12

Most divisive · actor

Death of a Dynasty (2003)

94th percentile spread · 58% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Dopesick (2021)

Midcredits 98th · 96% liked

Reviewers score the acting 77/100 in their films, across 49 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Peter Sarsgaard's work okay for kids?

Across up to 45 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore36 titles5–87 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity45 titles10–70 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity39 titles35–88 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs36 titles26–70 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense36 titles21–80 · median 60 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Peter Sarsgaard work with?

People who share at least 2 of Peter Sarsgaard's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jake Gyllenhaal shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles