Actor david morse biography of george

Actor David Morse didn’t realize he was a dead ringer for George Washington until he saw a portrait hanging on the set of the HBO miniseries "John Adams.''

"I thought, ‘That’s a great picture of Washington.’ Then I realized it was me. It was really mind-blowing,'' said Morse, who was nominated for a Supporting Actor Emmy for his role as the country’s first president. Also nominated in that category were Morse’s co-stars, Stephen Dillane (Thomas Jefferson) and Tom Wilkinson, who won the Emmy Sunday night for his portrayal of Benjamin Franklin.

HBO’s historical drama "John Adams," based on the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning Adams biographer David McCullough, won a miniseries record 13 Emmys Sunday night.

Morse, who is from Hamilton, found out he was nominated for an Emmy while in Bangkok, Thailand.

"It’s a very pleasing thing. It’s great company to be in with those other guys from ‘John Adams.’ I’m mostly happy for everybody that gets nominated, like Paul and Laura. That makes me happier than anything.''

Morse walked the red carpet Sunday at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles with his wife, Susan, but he was not be dressed in Armani or Versace like many other celebrities.

"Wouldn’t that be nice? My manager was trying to swing that kind of stuff, but I have a good old standby tux that I’ll wear,'' Morse said.

Transforming into Washington happened in stages, Morse said. First it was the wig, then the clothes, but the look couldn’t be completed without one distinct feature – the nose.

"That’s what I kept seeing when I looked at his face was that great commander’s nose... And then when it was all put together it was pretty remarkable.''

Morse said playing Washington was a challenge.

"He’s the original myth in this country, but he’s also a human being,'' Morse said. "So it’s balancing that, the man who’s the myth with the human being.''

Washington’s discomfort over public speaking wa

American actor (born 1953)

For other people named David Morse, see David Morse (disambiguation).

David Bowditch Morse (born October 11, 1953) is an American actor. Morse became widely known for his role as Dr. Jack "Boomer" Morrison in the medical drama series St. Elsewhere (1982–88), and he has had roles in The Negotiator, The Good Son, Horns, Contact, The Green Mile, Dancer in the Dark, Disturbia, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Rock and 12 Monkeys.

In 2006, Morse had a recurring role as Detective Michael Tritter on the medical drama series House, for which he received an Emmy Award nomination. He portrayed George Washington in the 2008 HBO miniseries John Adams, which garnered him a second Emmy nomination. He received acclaim for his portrayal of Uncle Peck on the Off-Broadway play How I Learned to Drive, earning a Drama Desk Award and Obie Award. He has had success on Broadway, portraying James "Sharky" Harkin in The Seafarer. From 2010 to 2013, he portrayed Terry Colson, an honest police officer in a corrupt New Orleans police department, on the HBO series Treme. Morse appeared in the WGN America series Outsiders (2016–17), the Showtime miniseries Escape at Dannemora (2018), and the Netflix comedy drama series The Chair (2021).

Early life

Morse was born October 11, 1953, in Beverly, Massachusetts, the son of Jacquelyn Morse, a teacher, and Charles Morse, a salesman. He was raised in Essex, Massachusetts and Hamilton, Massachusetts. As a teenager, he was confirmed in the Episcopal Church, and he has said that he continues to pray daily into adulthood. H

A reliable and versatile character actor, and occasional lead in television and film for almost two decades, David Morse rose to fame in the early 1980s as a tragedy-plagued doctor on "St. Elsewhere" (NBC, 1982-88). The sympathetic role led to a string of similar performances on television and features, including Michael Cimino's "The Desperate Hours" (1990) and Sean Penn's "The Indian Runner" (1991). After several celebrated runs in off-Broadway productions in the late 1990s, Morse settled into a string of impressive performances in features and television.

Tall and stoic in delivery and demeanor, Morse was best used as an imposing authority figure like his prison guard in "The Green Mile" (1999), a kidnapped husband in "Proof of Life" (2000), a tough football coach in "The Slaughter Rule" (2001) and a detective with an axe to grind in several episodes of "House" (Fox, 2004-12), which earned him an Emmy nomination. He netted a second Emmy nod with his portrayal of George Washington in the HBO miniseries "John Adams" (2008), marking Morse as one of the more a formidable performers working in Hollywood.

Born Oct. 11, 1953 in Hamilton, MA, Morse was the eldest of four children born to his parents Charles, a sales manager, and Jacquelyn, a teacher. He gained his first exposure to acting after high school, when he began studying at the William Esper Studio. He was a fixture in theater productions with the Boston Repertory Company during the 1970s before moving to New York to pursue work with the Circle Repertory. His feature film debut came with Richard Donner's "Inside Moves" (1980), which cast him as a likable basketball player turned bartender. Though nominated for an Oscar, the film's relatively low profile at the box office kept Morse from becoming a household name. After playing the bit part of shoe store cop in "Max Dugan Returns" (1982), Morse landed the role that soon brought him his first taste of national attention.

As Dr. Jack Morrison on