Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay, Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature, Sitges Film Festival Maria Award for Best Film
Movies
Christine, Dressed to Kill, Back to School, A Midnight Clear, Waking the Dead, The Singing Detective, Mother Night, Jaws 2, The Legend of Billie Jean, The Chocolate War, Combat Academy, Home Movies, Static, Winnebago Man, All That Jazz, My Palikari, Kent State
TV Shows
30 Even Scarier Movie Moments
Star Sign
Aquarius
#
Quote
1
[on working with director Brian De Palma on Home Movies (1979)] I was very impressed that Brian took the time to rehearse before shooting started. Especially on low budget film, like Home Movies, this was critical. It's much cheaper to resolve the 'What the hell is this scene really about?' questions when there isn't a crew of 30 or more people standing around waiting, with all the expenses of filmmaking on the clock. It also made the cast much more confident in ourselves, each other and Brian. At the same time, he was always encouraging experimentation and improvisation-- which wasn't what would have expected from someone known as a visual Hitchcockian filmmaker. But this was an antic comedy, that was going to rely more on performances than shots, and he was wise enough to know that and alter his style to fit the material. We did a surprising number of takes, given the limited budget, but this was my first exposure to the truism, 'film is the cheapest thing.' What's expensive is all the time getting ready to shoot; once it's set, make sure you get what you need. Brian would have us try the scene multiple ways, saying (for example), 'Good, we've got an angry version, we're printing that, now try one that's softer.' It gave us tremendous confidence to try things, knowing that there would be numerous takes, and he'd always print two or three. As an actor, you're terribly afraid of looking like an idiot, and this safety zone made a huge difference. It also gave Brian lots of choices in the editing room, when sometimes the thing that seemed best on the set didn't play as well when the whole film was put together.
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Fact
1
Appeared with Kevin Bacon in Off-Broadway theater when they were both starting out as actors.
2
Took a one-day role in I Love Trouble (1994) to personally ask Nick Nolte to read the script for Mother Night (1996), after being initially dismissed by Nolte's agent.
3
In 1986, his character in Back to School (1986) met Kurt Vonnegut Jr.. Ten years later, Gordon directed the motion picture Mother Night (1996), which is based on Vonnegut's book of the same name.
4
He quit acting to become a director.
5
Son of New York actors Mark & Barbara Gordon.
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Homeland
2013-2017
TV Series 5 episodes
Fargo
2015
TV Series 2 episodes
The Leftovers
2014-2015
TV Series 2 episodes
Nurse Jackie
2014-2015
TV Series 2 episodes
The Returned
2015
TV Series 1 episode
Masters of Sex
2014
TV Series 1 episode
The Strain
2014
TV Series 1 episode
The Bridge
2013-2014
TV Series 2 episodes
Dexter
2006-2013
TV Series 10 episodes
The Killing
2011-2013
TV Series 3 episodes
Rectify
2013
TV Series 1 episode
Rubicon
2010
TV Series 1 episode
House M.D.
2005
TV Series 1 episode
The Singing Detective
2003
Night Visions
2001-2002
TV Series 2 episodes
Shadow Realm
2002
TV Movie segment "Patterns"
Gideon's Crossing
2001
TV Series 2 episodes
Waking the Dead
2000
Mother Night
1996
Fallen Angels
1995
TV Series 1 episode
Homicide: Life on the Street
1994
TV Series 1 episode
Wild Palms
1993
TV Mini-Series 2 episodes
A Midnight Clear
1992
The Chocolate War
1988
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Bridge
2014
TV Series
Taxidermist
Dexter
2009
TV Series
Kyle Butler #2
Delivering Milo
2001
Dr. Baumgartner
The Player
1997
TV Movie
I Love Trouble
1994
Andy
Hoggs' Heaven
1994
TV Short
William Hogg
Wild Palms
1993
TV Mini-Series
Wilderzone Bum
Brooklyn Bridge
1993
TV Series
Cousin Herbie
WIOU
1990
TV Series
George Lewis
Miami Vice
1989
TV Series
Prof. Terrence 'Terry' Baines
Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment
1986
Video
Mugger
Combat High
1986
TV Movie
Max Mendelsson
Back to School
1986
Jason Melon
Static
1985
Ernie Blick
The Legend of Billie Jean
1985
Lloyd
Single Bars, Single Women
1984
TV Movie
Lionel
Christine
1983
Arnie Cunningham
American Playhouse
1982
TV Series
Kent State
1981
TV Movie
Jeff Miller
Dressed to Kill
1980
Peter Miller
Meeting Halfway
1979
TV Movie
All That Jazz
1979
Young Joe
Home Movies
1979
Denis Byrd
Studs Lonigan
1979
TV Mini-Series
Young Paulie
Jaws 2
1978
Doug Fetterman
Medical Center
1975
TV Series
Herbie
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Returned
2015
TV Series executive producer - 1 episode
Rectify
2013
TV Series co-executive producer - 6 episodes
Waking the Dead
2000
producer
Mother Night
1996
producer
Static
1985
co-producer
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
A Midnight Clear
1992
screenplay
The Chocolate War
1988
written by
Static
1985
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
All That Jazz
1979
performer: "Sweet Sue, Just You" 1928 - uncredited
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
You, Me and We
2010
Short special thanks
Eagle vs Shark
2007
special thanks
The Applicant
2006
Short special thanks
Sweet Land
2005
eternal thanks
Bad Reputation
2005
special thanks
Prey
2005
Short special thanks
Me and You and Everyone We Know
2005
special thanks
Ekho: Fall of an Empire
2004
special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lessons in Filmmaking: Keith Gordon on 'Dressed to Kill'
2012
Video documentary short
Himself
A Winter's War: Keith Gordon on 'A Midnight Clear'
2012
Video documentary
Himself
Kingdom Come
2011
Documentary
Himself
The Scarface Phenomenon
2011
Video documentary
Himself
Starz Inside: Sex and the Cinema
2009
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Sundance Directors Lab
2009
TV Series documentary
Himself
Interview-Director Keith Gordon Discusses 'The Chocolate War'