Christopher Denham

Christopher Denham is an American actor and director who grew up on the south side of Chicago and began his theatrical career at the Steppenwolf Theatre. His Broadway work spans from 2003 to 2025 and includes four productions, while his screen career encompasses major studio films, prestige television, and work behind the camera as a writer and director.

Denham made his Broadway debut in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of "MASTER HAROLD"...and the boys, performing opposite Danny Glover. He subsequently took on the title role in Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore and appeared in David Mamet's China Doll alongside Al Pacino. In 2025, he co-starred with George Clooney in the Broadway adaptation of Good Night, and Good Luck, directed by David Cromer. His off-Broadway work includes Adam Rapp's Kindness at Playwrights Horizons opposite Katherine Waterston, Charles Mee's Wintertime at Second Stage, and Steven Levenson's The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin at Roundabout Theatre Company opposite David Morse. Earlier in his career, Denham originated the role of Matt in the Steppenwolf Theater production of Adam Rapp's Red Light Winter, a role he reprised when the production transferred to New York, earning him the Outstanding Lead Actor prize at the 2006 Lucille Lortel Awards. His regional stage work includes productions with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, New York Stage and Film, and the Sundance Lab for Directors and Screenwriters.

On screen, Denham's first major film role came in Mike Nichols's Charlie Wilson's War, in which he played CIA paramilitary operations officer Mike Vickers. He starred opposite Brit Marling in the psychological thriller Sound of My Voice, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and later appeared as Mark Lijek, one of six escaped hostages rescued by Tony Mendez, in Ben Affleck's Argo. Additional film collaborations include work with Martin Scorsese on Shutter Island, Barry Levinson on The Bay, Tony Gilroy on Duplicity, Jodie Foster on Money Monster, and Aaron Sorkin on Being the Ricardos. In 2023, he portrayed German spy Klaus Fuchs in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer for Universal Pictures.

Denham's television credits include a recurring role as attorney Oliver Dake on Billions beginning in 2017, a series regular role as Arby in Gillian Flynn's Amazon Prime series Utopia in 2020, and a starring role opposite Elisabeth Moss in Shining Girls. He portrayed scientist Jim Meeks on the Emmy-nominated Manhattan and Sheriff Peter Trask in Craig Zobel's One Dollar. Additional television appearances span Rubicon, Person of Interest, The Good Wife, Prodigal Son, Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Following, and Prodigal Son. In 2025, he joined the cast of Apple TV+'s For All Mankind, and he is set to appear in A24's Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake.

As a filmmaker, Denham wrote and directed the 2008 horror film Home Movie for IFC Films, which premiered at the Toronto After Dark festival and won the Citizen Kane Award for up-and-coming director at the Sitges Film Festival. He also wrote and directed the thriller Preservation, starring Wrenn Schmidt, Pablo Schreiber, and Aaron Staton, which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and was distributed by The Orchard, as well as the psychological thriller Old Flame, distributed by Gravitas Ventures.