Neal Bledsoe

Neal Bledsoe (born March 26, 1981) is a Canadian and American actor, writer, and filmmaker.

Neal Bledsoe
Born (1981-03-26) March 26, 1981
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
EducationUniversity of North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA)
OccupationActor, writer, filmmaker
Years active2005–present

Early life

Bledsoe was born in Toronto, but grew up in Seattle, Washington. Both of his grandfathers served in the Air Force during World War II and his maternal grandfather was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his part in the bombing of the Nazi oil refinery at Ploiești. He is the second cousin of former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe. His mother was a life insurance underwriter and estate planner before becoming an executive for a company that worked all over the world. His father has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Toronto where he studied under the philosopher Marshall McLuhan.[1]

He moved fourteen times around Seattle area growing up, living in Magnolia, Ballard, Fremont, Edmonds, Magnolia again, Ravenna, Downtown, Queen Anne, West Seattle, Queen Anne again, Fremont again, Queen Anne a third time, Bainbridge Island and Capitol Hill. He attended Roosevelt High School (Seattle) and Garfield High School (Seattle) in Seattle, including a brief stint at Ascent within the CEDU system of schools, before finally graduating from the Shawnigan Lake School and then spending a post-graduate year at the Idyllwild Arts Academy,[2] to grow as an actor and a writer. It was at the last of these two schools where he began to first publish his writing.

He went on to study at the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts where he was mentored by the renowned theater director, Gerald Freedman, earning a BFA in 2005.[3]

Career

Actor

Bledsoe got a quick start out of school, booking a pilot opposite Kelly Lynch less than a month after leaving school. He worked steadily for the next few years, until he had his breakthrough in 2009 on Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty. He then went on to star on the shows Law and Order: SVU, Smash, Ironside, The Man in the High Castle, The Mysteries of Laura, Timeless, Code Black and most recently, Shameless.

He has won several awards for his work in independent films such as Junction, West End and After the Sun Fell. He also has appeared in both Revolutionary Road and Sex and the City 2 in blink-and-you'll-miss-him types of roles. Recently, he starred opposite Val Kilmer in the western Soldier's Heart.

On the stage, he worked on the Broadway production of Impressionism, the world premiere of Stephen Wadsworth's Figaro Plays at the McCarter Theatre and Michael Arden's award-winning production of The Pride at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.[4]

He appeared in several campaigns for Tiffany and Co, opposite Dutch model, Doutzen Kroes.[5]

He also was an Old Spice Man.[6]

Writer

As a writer, he has written films, poems, short stories, cartoons, essays and articles . In 2014, he became a contributor to Sports Illustrated's MMQB. His long-form series, The Delicate Moron, chronicled his attempt to play for the Los Angeles Kiss of the Arena Football League.[7] Recently, he published a profile in Men's Health magazine on former NFL running back and Ballers writer, Rashard Mendenhall.[8]

Filmmaker

In 2015, he received a commission to write and direct and star in the short film Primary. The film examines the subject of open relationships and was heavily influenced by the work of John Cassavetes, Esther Perel and Helen Fisher, as well as months of extensive interviews with a diverse range of people from across the relationship spectrum.[9]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2005 The Ridge Noah Direct-to-video
2008 Revolutionary Road Party Guest
2009 Winked Out Satan Short film
Under New Management FBI Agent #1
2010 Sex and the City 2 Kevin
2011 The Walken Dead The Walkens Short film
Highrise Rory Short film
A Kiss for Jed Jed Wood
2012 Junction Donald
2013 You There? Lance Short film
2014 Grand Street Hewitt Devoe
West End Vic Trevi
2016 After the Sun Fell Brandon
2017 Police State John
Primary Mike Short film
2020 A Soldier's Revenge Frank
The Christmas Carousel Prince Whitaker Hallmark Movie
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2005 Guiding Light Quinn 2 episodes
2006 The Hunters Troy Hunter Pilot
2007 CSI: NY Sam Friar Episode: "...Comes Around"
Six Degrees Roger Episode: "Objects in the Mirror"
I'm Paige Wilson Birdy McGinty Pliot
As the World Turns Gary Bradshaw 3 episodes
2008 Lipstick Jungle Leading man Episode: "Pilot"
Law & Order: Criminal Intent Kevyn Episode: "Please Note We Are No Longer Accepting Letters of Recommendation from Henry Kissinger"
2009 The Beautiful Life: TBL Dmitiri Kane Episode: "The Beautiful Aftermath"
Gossip Girl Josh Elis Episode: "Enough About Eve"
2009–10 Ugly Betty Tyler Meade-Hartley Recurring role
2010–11 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit CSU Clifton Montgomery 3 episodes
2011 Body of Proof Stephen Burnett Episode: "Society Hill"
Blue Bloods Cassidy Episode: "Silver Star"
Danni Lowinski Oliver Sachs Pilot
2012 Smash John Goodwin Recurring role
2013 Ironside Teddy Main cast
2015–16 The Mysteries of Laura Tony Abbott Recurring role
2015 The Man in the High Castle Captain Connolly 4 episodes
2016 Timeless Robert Todd Lincoln Episode: "The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln"
Mars Project David Lewis Pilot
2017 The Last Tycoon Axel Episode: "A Brady-American Christmas"
Coming Home for Christmas Robert Marley Television film (Hallmark)
2018 Chiefs Enrizio Pilot
2018–19 Shameless Max Whitford 4 episodes
2020 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Wilfred "Freddy" Malick 2 episodes

References

  1. Bledsoe, James Barry (1979). The Autobiography of Inquiry Reflexive Comparisons Between Children's Culture and the Culture of Science. [S.N.]
  2. "Neal Bledsoe – Alumni of Idyllwild Arts". Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  3. Journal, Ken Keuffel, Winston-Salem. "Gerald Freedman to step down as drama dean at UNCSA". Winston-Salem Journal. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  4. Vankin, Deborah. "Neal Bledsoe on the love triangle of 'The Pride' and finding home onstage — and in downtown L.A." latimes.com. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  5. Melody (2010-11-25). "Magically yours, Tiffany & Co". ♡ Pretty Fashion Forward. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  6. "Old Spice keeping Danger Zone pitchman Neal Bledsoe abroad (for now?)". EW.com. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  7. https://www.si.com/mmqb/author/neal-bledsoe
  8. Bledsoe, Neal (2018-09-06). "What Happens to NFL Stars When They Retire at 26?". Men's Health. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
  9. "Primary". MONROWE Magazine. 2017-10-27. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
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