# Brad Dourif

Bradford Claude Dourif (/ˈdɔːrɪf/; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Chucky in the Child's Play franchise (1988–present), portraying Gríma Wormtongue in The Lord of the Rings film series and his Oscar-nominated role as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
Brad Dourif's other film roles include Wise Blood (1979), Ragtime (1981), Dune (1984), Blue Velvet (1986), Mississippi Burning (1988), The Exorcist III (1990), Critters 4 (1992), Alien Resurrection (1997), and the 2007 remake of Halloween and its sequel. He also appeared in many television series, notably Deadwood (2004–2006, 2019), for which he received Primetime Emmy and Satellite Award nominations for his portrayal of Amos "Doc" Cochran.

## Early life

Bradford Claude Dourif was born in Huntington, West Virginia, on March 18, 1950, to Joan Mavis Felton (née Bradford), an actress, and Jean Henri Dourif, an art collector who owned and operated a dye factory.
His paternal grandparents emigrated from France, and his paternal grandfather co-founded the Standard Ultramarine and Color Company in Huntington. After Dourif's father died in 1953, his mother married champion golfer William C. Campbell, who helped raise Dourif and his five siblings (four sisters and one brother). From 1963 to 1965, Dourif attended the private Aiken Preparatory School in Aiken, South Carolina. There, he pursued his interests in art and acting. Although he briefly considered becoming a flower arranger, he was eventually inspired to become an actor by his mother's participation as an actress in a community theater called Give Me Shelter.
After Aiken, he attended Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, graduating in 1968. Dourif appeared as an amateur at the Fountain Valley Film Festival in 1969, taking second place in the 8 mm film category with his 10-minute entry "Blind Date." Dourif attended Marshall University for a time, before quitting college and moving to New York City to study acting on the advice of actress Conchata Ferrell.

## Career
### Stage

Starting in school productions, Dourif progressed to community theater, joining up with the Huntington Community Players while attending Marshall University. In New York City, he studied with Sanford Meisner, and worked with Marshall Mason and Lanford Wilson at the Circle Repertory Company. During the early 1970s, Dourif appeared in a number of plays, off-Broadway and at Woodstock, New York, including The Ghost Sonata, The Doctor in Spite of Himself, and When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?, in which he was spotted by director Miloš Forman who cast him in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
In 2013, after a three-decade absence from the stage, Dourif chose to star alongside Amanda Plummer in the Off-Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' The Two-Character Play that played to critical acclaim at the New World Stages. He explained, in a filmed interview released by the producers, why he broke his 29-year hiatus from acting in live theater: "I hated the stage, did not want to do it. And then somebody said, 'Will you do a play? It's with Amanda Plummer', and I said, 'Oh shit! No. Oh God, I'm gonna have to do this...'". It opened on June 19, 2013, and closed on September 29, 2013. The play was subject to a number of performance cancellations, one relating to Dourif's absence due to a death in the family. Plummer refused to perform without Dourif, notwithstanding the presence of an understudy.

### Film

Dourif had a small role in the film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), but was omitted from the final cut of the film. His portrayal of the vulnerable Billy Bibbit in Cuckoo's Nest ended up being his big break, earning him a Golden Globe Award (Best Actor Debut) and a British Academy Award (Supporting Actor) as well as a nomination for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1981, Vincent Canby listed Dourif as one of twelve actors to watch, calling Dourif "one of the most intense, most interesting young film actors of his generation." Dourif returned to New York, where he continued in theater and taught acting and directing classes at Columbia University until 1988 (Don Mancini was among his students).
He continued with Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), John Huston's Wise Blood (1979), Forman's Ragtime (1981), Marc Didden's Istanbul (1985) and David Lynch's Dune (1984) and Blue Velvet (1986).
Dourif has appeared in a number of horror films, most notably as the voice of Chucky in the Child's Play franchise. He portrayed the Gemini Killer in The Exorcist III (1990) and appeared in Death Machine (1994), Sworn to Justice with Cynthia Rothrock and Alien Resurrection (1997). He later appeared as Sheriff Lee Brackett in Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007) and Halloween II (2009). In 2013, Dourif reprised his role as Chucky in the sixth installment of the Child's Play franchise, Curse of Chucky, and then again in the 2017 sequel, Cult of Chucky. His daughter, Fiona Dourif, also starred with him in both films.
Other notable film roles include Gríma Wormtongue in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and supporting roles in Fatal Beauty (1987), Mississippi Burning (1988), Hidden Agenda (1990), London Kills Me (1991) and Sinner (2007).
Dourif has worked with director Werner Herzog on many occasions, appearing in Scream of Stone (1991), The Wild Blue Yonder (2005), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), and My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (2009).

### Television

In 1984, Dourif played a suspected serial killer in the episode "Number Eight" of Tales of the Unexpected. In 1994, he appeared in The X-Files episode "Beyond the Sea" as the psychic serial killer Luther Lee Boggs. He also portrayed Lon Suder in a three episode story arc on Star Trek: Voyager and guest starred as a troubled monk haunted by visions in Babylon 5. Dourif later won acclaim as Doc Cochran in Deadwood, receiving a 2004 Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
In 2011, he guest-starred in the third-season finale of Fringe and, in 2014, appeared in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "End of the Beginning".
In 2021, Dourif reprised his role as Chucky in the television series adaptation of the Child's Play franchise titled Chucky.

### Music

In 2012, Dourif contributed spoken word vocals to three songs on the album Misery Together by the Norwegian duo Thinguma*jigSaw. Dourif also appears in the music videos for "Stranger in Town" (1984) by Toto and "Drinking from the Bottle" (2012) by Calvin Harris.

### Semi-retirement

On April 18, 2024, Dourif announced that he would be retiring from acting, with the exception of any Chucky-related projects involving the character. The reason behind this was because of his daughter Fiona (who plays Nica Pierce in the franchise), plus he considered Chucky creator Don Mancini to be "family".

## Personal life

Dourif has been married twice; first to Janet Stephanie, with whom he had daughter Kristina/Christina Dourif (b. 1976), and then to Jonina Dourif, with whom he had another daughter, actress Fiona Dourif (b. 1981).

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Billy Bibbit | |
| 1977 | Group Portrait with a Lady | Boris Koltowski | |
| 1978 | Eyes of Laura Mars | Tommy Ludlow | |
| 1979 | Wise Blood | Hazel Motes | |
| 1980 | Heaven's Gate | Mr. Eggleston | |
| 1981 | Ragtime | Younger Brother | |
| 1984 | Dune | Piter De Vries | |
| 1985 | Istanbul | Martin Klamski | |
| 1986 | Blue Velvet | Raymond | |
| 1986 | Impure Thoughts | Kevin Harrington | |
| 1987 | Fatal Beauty | Leo Nova | |
| 1988 | Child's Play | Charles Lee Ray / Chucky | |
| 1988 | Mississippi Burning | Deputy Clinton Pell | |
| 1989 | Sonny Boy | Weasel | |
| 1989 | Grim Prairie Tales | Farley | |
| 1990 | Child's Play 2 | Chucky (voice) | |
| 1990 | Spontaneous Combustion | Sam | |
| 1990 | Horseplayer | Bud Cowan | |
| 1990 | Graveyard Shift | Tucker Cleveland | |
| 1990 | The Exorcist III | James "Gemini" Venamun | |
| 1990 | Hidden Agenda | Paul Sullivan | |
| 1990 | Chaindance | Johnny Reynolds | |
| 1991 | Murder Blues | John Barnes | |
| 1991 | Child's Play 3 | Chucky (voice) | |
| 1991 | Jungle Fever | Leslie | |
| 1991 | Body Parts | Remo Lacey | |
| 1991 | Scream of Stone | Fingerless | |
| 1991 | London Kills Me | Hemingway | |
| 1992 | Final Judgement | Father Tyrone | |
| 1992 | Critters 4 | Al Bert | |
| 1993 | Trauma | Dr. Lloyd | |
| 1993 | Amos & Andrew | Officer Donnie Donaldson | |
| 1994 | Color of Night | Clark | |
| 1994 | Death Machine | Dante | |
| 1995 | Murder in the First | Byron Stamphill | |
| 1995 | Phoenix | Reiger | |
| 1996 | Sworn to Justice | Teddy | |
| 1996 | A Step Toward Tomorrow | Kirby | |
| 1997 | Jamaica Beat | Tom Peterson | |
| 1997 | Nightwatch | Duty Doctor | |
| 1997 | Best Men | John "Gonzo" Coleman | |
| 1997 | Alien Resurrection | Dr. Jonathan Gediman | |
| 1998 | Brown's Requiem | Edwards | |
| 1998 | Senseless | Dr. Wheedon | |
| 1998 | Progeny | Dr. Bert Clavell | |
| 1998 | Urban Legend | Michael McDonnell | Uncredited |
| 1998 | Bride of Chucky | Chucky (voice) | |
| 1999 | The Diary of the Hurdy-Gurdy Man | Gabriel | |
| 1999 | Cypress Edge | Colin McCammon | |
| 1999 | Interceptors | David M. Webber | |
| 1999 | Silicon Towers | Alton | |
| 2000 | Shadow Hours | Roland Montague | |
| 2000 | The Prophecy 3: The Ascent | Zealot | |
| 2001 | The Ghost | Lt. Garland | |
| 2001 | Soulkeeper | Mr. Pascal | |
| 2002 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Gríma Wormtongue | |
| 2003 | The Box | Stan | |
| 2003 | Vlad | Radescu | |
| 2003 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Gríma Wormtongue | Extended cut only |
| 2004 | Seed of Chucky | Chucky (voice) | |
| 2004 | The Devil's Due at Midnight | The Dark One | |
| 2004 | The Hazing | Professor Kapps | |
| 2004 | El Padrino | Cyrus | |
| 2005 | Drop Dead Sexy | Herman | |
| 2005 | The Wild Blue Yonder | The Alien | |
| 2005 | Man of Faith | B. B. Gallen | |
| 2006 | Pulse | Thin Bookish Guy | |
| 2007 | Sinner | Caddie | |
| 2007 | The List | Johan Gabini | |
| 2007 | The Wizard of Gore | Dr. Chong | |
| 2007 | Halloween | Sheriff Leigh Brackett | |
| 2008 | Touching Home | Clyde Winston | |
| 2008 | Humboldt County | Jack | |
| 2009 | Born of Earth | Mayor | |
| 2009 | Lock and Roll Forever | Zee | |
| 2009 | Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans | Ned Schoenholtz | |
| 2009 | Halloween II | Sheriff Leigh Brackett | |
| 2009 | My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? | Uncle Ted | |
| 2010 | Chain Letter | Mr. Smirker | |
| 2010 | Junkyard Dog | Sheriff Holk | |
| 2011 | Fading of the Cries | Mathias | |
| 2011 | Priest | Salesman | |
| 2011 | Catch .44 | Sheriff Connors | |
| 2011 | Death and Cremation | Stan | |
| 2012 | Last Kind Words | Wylon | |
| 2012 | Black Box | Tom | |
| 2013 | Santa Monica | Stan | Short film |
| 2013 | Gingerclown | Worm Creature (voice) | |
| 2013 | Blood Shot | Bob | |
| 2013 | Curse of Chucky | Charles Lee Ray / Chucky | |
| 2013 | Malignant | The Man | |
| 2014 | The Control Group | Dr. Broward | |
| 2015 | Rosemont | Abe | |
| 2017 | Cult of Chucky | Chucky (voice) | |
| 2017 | Out to Lunch | Man | Short film |
| 2017 | Cut Off | Diggs | |
| 2018 | Wildling | Daddy/Gabriel Hanson | |
| 2018 | American Dream | George | |
| 2018 | Ready Player One | Chucky (voice) | Archival audio |
| 2019 | Obsession | George | |
| 2021 | The Shuroo Process | Dr. Feinstein | |
| 2022 | The Living | Vlad | Short film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | The Mound Builders | Chad Jasker | Television film |
| 1977 | The Gardener's Son | Robert McEvoy | Television film |
| 1978 | Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force | Sgt. Leonard Matlovich | Television film |
| 1979 | Studs Lonigan | Danny O'Neill | 3 episodes |
| 1980 | Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones | David Langtree | Television film |
| 1982 | I, Desire | Paul | Television film |
| 1984 | Tales of the Unexpected | Hitchhiker | Episode: "Number Eight" |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Fenn | Episode: "Out of the Past" |
| 1986 | Spenser: For Hire | Maxie Lyons | Episode: "Rage" |
| 1986 | Rage of Angels | Seymour Bourne | Television film |
| 1986 | Vengeance: The Story of Tony Cimo | Lamar Sands | Television film |
| 1987 | Moonlighting | Father McDonovan | Episode: "All Creatures Great...and Not So Great" |
| 1987 | The Hitchhiker | Billy Baltimore Jr. | Episode: "The Legendary Billy B." |
| 1987 | Miami Vice | Joey Wyatt | Episode: "Theresa" |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Dr. Warren Overman | Episode: "Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble" |
| 1989 | Desperado: The Outlaw Wars | Camillus Fly | Television film |
| 1989 | Terror on Highway 91 | Keith Evans | Television film |
| 1993 | Wild Palms | Chickie Levitt | 3 episodes |
| 1993 | Tales from the Crypt | Virgil | Episode: "People Who Live in Brass Hearses" |
| 1994 | The X-Files | Luther Lee Boggs | Episode: "Beyond the Sea" |
| 1994 | A Worn Path | Hunter | Television film |
| 1995 | Babylon 5 | Charles Dexter/Brother Edward | Episode: "Passing Through Gethsemane" |
| 1995 | Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story | Sheriff Bill Douglass | Television film |
| 1995 | Escape to Witch Mountain | Luther/Bruno | Television film |
| 1996 | Star Trek: Voyager | Lon Suder | 3 episodes |
| 1996 | Blackout | Thomas Payne | Television film |
| 1996 | If Looks Could Kill | M. Eugene "Gene" Hanson | Television film |
| 1997 | Millennium | Dennis Hoffman | Episode: "Force Majeure" |
| 1999 | The Norm Show | The Devil | Episode: "Norm and Shelley" |
| 1999 | The Magnificent Seven | Rupert Brauner | Episode: "Chinatown" |
| 1999 | The Hunger | Manno | Episode: "Sin Seer" |
| 2001–02 | Ponderosa | Maurice Deveraux | 8 episodes |
| 2004–06 | Deadwood | Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran | Main cast |
| 2008 | Law & Order | Dr. David Lingard | Episode: "Called Home" |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Iggy Drexel | Episode: "Torch" |
| 2011 | Fringe | Moreau | Episode: "The Day We Died" |
| 2011 | Psych | Bernie Bethel | Episode: "Shawn, Interrupted" |
| 2011 | Miami Magma | Jacob Capilla | Television film |
| 2012 | Wilfred | P.T. | Episode: "Questions" |
| 2012 | Criminal Minds | Adam Rain | Episode: "The Lesson" |
| 2012 | Swamp Volcano | Jacob Capilla | Television film |
| 2012–14 | Once Upon a Time | Zoso | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | End of the World | Dr. Walter Brown | Television film |
| 2014 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Thomas Nash | Episode: "End of the Beginning" |
| 2016 | The Wilding | David Stearns | Television film |
| 2019 | Deadwood: The Movie | Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran | Television film |
| 2021–2024 | Chucky | Charles Lee Ray / Chucky | Main cast |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Note |
| 2001 | Myst III: Exile | Saavedro | |
| 2002 | Run Like Hell | Fred | Voice |
| 2005 | Gun | Reverend Josiah Reed | Voice |
| 2012 | Dishonored | Piero Joplin | Voice |
| 2023 | Dead by Daylight | The Good Guy (Chucky / Charles Lee Ray) | DLC, Voice |

## Awards and honors

| Institution | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| Academy Awards | 1976 | Best Supporting Actor | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | 1977 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Won |
| Beverly Hills Film Festival | 2013 | Best Actor | Santa Monica | Won |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | 1989 | Best Supporting Actor | Mississippi Burning | Nominated |
| Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | 1991 | Best Supporting Actor | Body Parts | Won |
| Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | 1999 | Hall of Fame | — | Won |
| Genie Awards | 1991 | Best Supporting Actor | Chaindance | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 1976 | New Star of the Year – Actor | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | Won |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2004 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Deadwood | Nominated |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 1979 | Best Actor | Wise Blood | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | 2005 | Best Supporting Actor – Television Series | Deadwood | Nominated |
| Saturn Awards | 1991 | Best Supporting Actor | The Exorcist III | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2003 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Won |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2007 | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Deadwood | Nominated |