Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an American actor. He frequently takes roles as a supporting character actor, often playing villains of unstable nature. He has appeared in more than 80 feature films, and received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for the 1978 film Coming Home and Best Actor for the 2013 film Nebraska.

Dern was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Jean (née MacLeish) and John Dern, a utility chief and attorney. He grew up in Kenilworth, Illinois. His paternal grandfather was George Henry Dern, a former Utah governor and Secretary of War (he was serving in the latter position during the time of Bruce's birth). Dern's maternal grandfather was a chairman of the Carson, Pirie, and Scott stores, his maternal granduncle was poet Archibald MacLeish, and his maternal great-grandfather was Scottish-born businessman Andrew MacLeish. Dern's godfather was former Illinois governor and two-time presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson.

His ancestry includes Dutch, English, German, and Scottish. He attended The Choate School (now Choate Rosemary Hall) and the University of Pennsylvania.

Early in his career, Dern acted in the Philadelphia premiere of Waiting for Godot opposite Lyle Kessler, and first appeared onscreen in Alfred Hitchcock' North by Northwest (1959) followed by another uncredited role in the 1960 film Wild River. He then appeared as a guest star in several popular 1960s television shows, including Route 66, Naked City, Sea Hunt, Surfside 6, 77 Sunset Strip, The Outer Limits, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

In the 1962-63 season Dern played recurring role of E.J. Stocker in the ABC adventure/drama series about the rodeo circuit, Stoney Burke, starring Jack Lord in the title role and with Warren Oates.

In 1964,he appeared in a major Alfred Hitchcock film, the psychological thriller Marnie, in a short role as the sailor seen in flashbacks about Marnie's mother. Also in 1964 he had a small but crucial film role in Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte as the lover of the young Charlotte (Bette Davis).

During the next five years, Dern continued appearing in several popular television series, with multiple appearances as different characters, including: Wagon Train (3), The Virginian (3), Rawhide (1), 12 O'Clock High (4), The Fugitive (5), The F.B.I. (2), The Big Valley (5), Gunsmoke (4) and Bonanza (2), among others. During that period, he also appeared in several films, including The Wild Angels (1966), The War Wagon, The Trip (1967), Psych-Out, Will Penny (1968), and the early Clint Eastwood film, Hang 'Em High (1968) as a rustler/murderer.

Among Dern's first 20 film roles was a part in the Sydney Pollack picture They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, in 1969. That same year, he co-starred with James Garner and Walter Brennan in the classic film Support Your Local Sheriff! as gunfighter Joe Danby. In 1972, he appeared in four films: as the enemy and killer of John Wayne's character in The Cowboys notable for his character cold-bloodedly shooting Wayne in the back. Wayne warned Dern, "America will hate you for this." Dern wryly replied, "Yeah, but they'll love me in Berkeley." His best-known role may be that of Freeman Lowell, the caretaker of Earth's last forests in the dark sci-fi film Silent Running (1972). He then starred with Jack Nicholson in The King of Marvin Gardens; and also in Thumb Tripping, after having been seen in over 90 TV episodes or films.

Other memorable roles include Tom Buchanan in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby; or a psychotic Goodyear Blimp pilot who launches a terrorist attack at the Super Bowl in 1977's Black Sunday, and as Captain Bob Hyde in 1978's Coming Home, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

In 1976, he appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's final film Family Plot, playing the boyfriend of a medium played by Barbara Harris; Dern told an interviewer that, due to Hitchcock's failing health, the director often asked his assistance during the production. During the 1980s and 1990s, Dern kept working but was unable to hit the mark as he did before: after the films of the '70s, he often played roles in flops like Tattoo and All the Pretty Horses. Occasionally, he did land a few good films, including TV movies.

In 1983, he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival for his role in That Championship Season.

His most recent efforts include the independent movies The Astronaut Farmer and Monster, a recurring role on the HBO series Big Love, and the monster movie Swamp Devil for RHI Films New York and the Sci Fi Channel.

On November 1, 2010, he was presented the 2,419th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His daughter Laura Dern and his ex-wife Diane Ladd received stars on the same date. He was honored with a Legend Award at the inaugural Gold Coast International Film Festival on June 1, 2011.

On May 26, 2013 he won the Best Actor award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for his role in Alexander Payne's Nebraska. The role, which received significant critical acclaim, subsequently earned Dern Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor, along with other accolades.

Films

Wild River (1960) as Jack Roper (uncredited)

The Crimebusters (1961) as Joe Krajac

The Zanti Misfits (1963) (TV) as Ben

The Hunt (1963) (TV) as Maynard

Marnie (1964) as Sailor

Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) as John Mayhew

The Wild Angels (1966) as Loser

Waterhole #3 (1967) as Deputy Sam Tippen

The War Wagon (1967) as Hammond

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967) as John May

The Trip (1967) as John

Will Penny (1968) as Rafe Quint

Psych-Out (1968) as Steve Davis

Hang 'Em High (1968) as Miller, Cooper Hanging Party

Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969) as Joe Danby

Castle Keep (1969) as Lt. Billy Byron Bix

Number One (1969) as Richie Fowler

The Cycle Savages (1969) as. Keeg

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) as James

Bloody Mama (1970) as Dirkman

The Rebel Rousers (1970) as J.J. Weston

The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant (1971) as Roger

Drive, He Said (1971) as Coach Bullion

The Cowboys (1972) as Asa Watts ("Long Hair")

Silent Running (1972) as Freeman Lowell

The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) as Jason Staebler

Thumb Tripping (1972) as Smitty

The Laughing Policeman (1973) as Leo Larsen

The Great Gatsby (1974) as Tom Buchanan

Posse (1975) as Jack Strawhorn

Smile (1975) as Big Bob Freelander

Family Plot (1976) as George Lumley

Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) as Grayson Potchuck

Folies bourgeoises (1976) as William Brandels

Black Sunday (1977) as Michael Lander

Coming Home (1978) as Capt. Bob Hyde

The Driver (1978) as The Detective

Middle Age Crazy (1980) as Bobby Lee

Tattoo (1981) as Johnny

That Championship Season (1982) as George Sitkowski

Harry Tracy, Desperado (1982) as Harry Tracy

Space (1985) (TV) as Stanley Mott

Toughlove (1986) (TV) as Rob Charters

On the Edge (1986) as Wes Holman

Uncle Tom's Cabin (1987) (TV) as Augustine St. Claire

The Big Town (1987) as Mr. Edwards

World Gone Wild (1988) as Ethan

1969 (1988) as Cliff

The 'Burbs (1989) as Mark Rumsfield

After Dark, My Sweet (1990) as Uncle Bud

Into the Badlands (1991) as T.L. Barston

Diggstown (1992) as John Gillon

Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight (1994) (TV) as George Putnam

A Mother's Prayer (1995) as Grandpa

Mrs. Munck (1995) as Patrick Leary

Wild Bill (1995) as Will Plummer

Mulholland Falls (1996) (uncredited) as The Chief

Down Periscope (1996) as Admiral Yancy Graham

Last Man Standing (1996) as Sheriff Ed Galt

Small Soldiers (1998) (voice) as Link Static

The Haunting (1999) as Mr. Dudley

Ifas Dogas Rabbitas (1999) as McGurdy

All the Pretty Horses (2000) as The Judge

Madison (2001) as Harry Volpi

The Glass House (2001) as Begleiter

Masked and Anonymous (2003) as The Editor

Milwaukee, Minnesota (2003) as Sean McNally

Hard Ground (2003) (TV) as Nate Hutchinson

Monster (2003) as Thomas

The Hard Easy (2005) as Gene

Down in the Valley (2005) as Charlie

Believe in Me (2006) as Ellis Brawley

Big Love (2006–11)(TV) as Frank

Walker Payne (2006) as Unknown

The Astronaut Farmer (2007) as Hal

The Cake Eaters (2007) as Easy

The Golden Boys (2008) as Captain Perez

Swamp Devil (2008) as Howard Blaime

American Cowslip (2009) as Cliff

Choose (2009) as Dr. Ronald Pendleton

Trim (2009) as Dale Banks

The Lightkeepers (2009) as Bennie

The Hole 3D (2009) as Creepy Carl

Twixt (2011) as Bobby LaGrange

Inside Out (2011) as Vic Small

Django Unchained (2012) as Curtis Carrucan

From Up on Poppy Hill (2012) as Tokumaru

Fighting for Freedom (2013) as Christian Dobbe

Nebraska (2013) as Woody Grant

Cut Bank (2014)

The Hateful Eight (2015) as Sanford Smithers