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Keith Kupferer

Keith Kupferer

Actor · Born March 8, 1965 (61) · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Independent Spirit Award nominee

Keith Kupferer is an American actor born in March 1965 in Chicago, Illinois, who has been active in the entertainment industry since 1994. He is best known for his recurring role as Captain Robert Bishop in Season 13 of Chicago Fire and for portraying a Bomb Squad Lieutenant in the Chicago Fire episode "Viral". Kupferer has also appeared in multiple episodes of Chicago P.D., playing various characters including Gary Stevens, Joe Frank Amerson, and Frank Amerson. His film credits include notable roles in The Dark Knight (2008), Road to Perdition (2002), and Widows (2018). In 2024, he received critical acclaim for his leading role as Dan in the indie film Ghostlight, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and earned him nominations for a Gotham Award and an Independent Spirit Award. The film features Kupferer alongside his real-life wife, Tara Mallen, and their daughter, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, who play his on-screen wife and daughter, respectively. Kupferer has also performed extensively on Chicago stages, including at the Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and the Writers Theatre, where he received a Joseph Jefferson Equity Award nomination for his role in The Mystery of Love & Sex

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 8, 1965 (61)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
25 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 32% in 30 days

What are Keith Kupferer's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Thriller2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 16th percentile
: browse their Thriller 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
39%
Bonds
22%
Survival
18%
Power
9%
Morality
6%
Society
4%
Ideas
3%
Grief5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 4 · Charged 4 · Intense 2

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

A split, not a type: Steady 6 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

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

A split, not a type: Casual 5 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

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

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Bittersweet
5
Tense
4
Melancholic
5
Contemplative
5
Warm
4
Other
5

How their films linger

Hopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous3

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 Keith Kupferer's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 25 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Keith Kupferer'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

32 credits, 25 with a MovieCove page.

  • Night Nurse(2026)

    as Detective Murphy

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Crooks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    as The Fixer

  • Via Negativa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Actor

  • BRB(2026)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • They Rescue Horses, Don’t They? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as Ian

  • American Schemers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Reed

  • Ghostlight(2024)

    as Dan Mueller

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Bear(2022)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Levin

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Monuments(2020)

    as Grant

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Our Father(2021)

    as Keith

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Widows(2018)

    as Leadman

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • When Jeff Tried to Save the World(2018)

    as Aaron

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Not a Stranger(2018)

    as Will

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The Chi(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Lt. Neil Sokolow

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Princess Cyd(2017)

    as Cyd's Dad

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Resurrecting McGinn(s)(2016)

    as Liam McGinn

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Better Call Saul(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Businessman

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Empire(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Lead Cop

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Chicago P.D.(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Frank Amerson · as Gary Stevens · as Joe

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Chicago Fire(2012)

    Show 4 episodes · as Captain Robert Bishop

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Lake Dredge Appraisal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 19 episodes · as Cranst

  • The Dilemma(2011)

    as Bank Customer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Public Enemies(2009)

    as Agent Sopsic

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Express(2008)

    as Small Fry Coach

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Dark Knight(2008)

    as Heckler

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Meet the Browns(2008)

    as Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Fred Claus(2007)

    as Salvation Army Santa

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Stranger Than Fiction(2006)

    as Demolition Foreman

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Dirty Work(2006)

    as Victor

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Road to Perdition(2002)

    as Nitti's Henchman

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Early Edition (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · as Larry

  • Monkey Bread (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 88th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 31 titles, 30 of them dated from 1996 to 2026; peak year 2024.

Biggest box office

Ghostlight (2024)

$781K worldwide

Highest rated

Ghostlight (2024)

Midcredits 95th

Film career

19962026

Peak 2024 · their film career is on the way up. 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
Acting31 of 31: 31 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s8 · acting2010s12 · acting2020s9 · acting

Billing

usually 11th · top billed in 17% of 6 roles

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.

Awards

Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in 2025, Best Lead Performance.

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 Keith Kupferer's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 19; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 37th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

37thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

42ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

33rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 25 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 25 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Resurrecting McGinn(s) (2016)

95th percentile spread · 37% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Dark Knight (2008)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 47. 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.

Who does Keith Kupferer work with?

People who share at least 2 of Keith Kupferer's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Allison Torem shares the most, 2.

Actors

Producers

Mixed roles