Samuel Atkinson Waterston first appeared in 1965 movie ‘The Plastic Dome of Norma Jean,’ and TV-series ‘Dr. Kildare.’
Waterston’s performance in TV-film ‘The Glass Menagerie’ (1973) and romantic-drama film ‘The Great Gatsby’ (1974) won him nominations. He appeared in ‘Interiors’ (1978), ‘Hopscotch,’ (1980), ‘Heaven’s Gate’ (1980). He earned acclaim for miniseries ‘Oppenheimer’ (1982), and biopic ‘The Killing Fields’ (1984).
Waterston portrayed ‘President Lincoln’ in miniseries ‘Lincoln’ (1988), documentary-miniseries ‘The Civil War’ (1990). His notable films include ‘Hannah & Her sisters’ (1986), ‘September’ (1987), ‘Crime & Misdemeanors’ (1989), ‘The Man in the Moon’ (1991), ‘Serial Mom’ (1994).
Waterston won awards for TV-drama series ‘I’ll Fly Away’ (1991-1993). From 1994 to 2010 he starred as ‘DA Jack McCoy’ in legal-drama TV-show ‘Law & Order’ and its spinoffs, fetching several accolades. He also featured in crime-series ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ (1997), ‘Exiled: A Law & Order Movie’ (1998) and others.
Waterston starred in movies including ‘Nixon’ (1995), ‘Shadow Conspiracy’ (1997), ‘Miss Sloane’ (2016), ‘On the Basis of Sex’ (2018), and drama-series ‘The Newsroom’ (2012-2014), Netflix-series ‘Godless’ (2017). Presently he appears in Netflix-comedy ‘Grace & Frankie’ (2015---)
He has performed in numerous stage productions earning several accolades.
This historical drama film takes us to the civil war in Cambodia. It revolves around a journalist, who is trapped during tyrant Pol Pot’s cleansing campaign, which took the lives of two million ‘undesired’ civilians.
Three sisters Lee, Holly and Hannah, reunite after two years at a Thanksgiving party. Things take a turn when Hannah discovers that her husband is actually having an affair with her sister, Lee.
An existential comedy considered by many as Woody Allen’s greatest work, the film follows two story lines. One concerns a successful, but philandering ophthalmologist, who has his mistress killed when she threatens to reveal his affair and the other concerns a married documentary filmmaker in love with his brother-in-law’s associate producer.
Interiors is a drama film which tells the story of an interior designer who decides to split up with her husband after decades of marriage. Their three daughters receive this news as a shock, and their lives start going out of control.
Sloane is a political drama thriller film, which revolves around the struggles of Elizabeth Sloane, a fierce lobbyist, as she attempts to pass the gun control legislation.
The Man in the Moon is a coming-of-age romantic drama film which revolves around Dani, a 14 year old tomboyish girl who finds herself attracted to Court, an older boy who is her neighbor. However, their journey of love is not as smooth as she had hoped.
Generation is a comedy drama film which tells the story of Doris Bolton, a woman who is pregnant for nine months and is due any day. She eventually gets married to a photographer named Walter Owen, who doesn’t want anything to do with conformity. Both of them plan to have a natural childbirth, without any drugs or doctors, but this news shocks Doris’s father, Jim Bolton.
This science fiction thriller film tells the story of the first manned mission to Mars, which includes three astronauts. However, when it seems that due to a mechanical failure, all three men may die, NASA removes them from the mission and sends the capsule unmanned. In order to prevent a public outcry, NASA comes up with a plan to fake the mission in a studio.
Heaven’s Gate is an American Western drama film which revolves around Sheriff James Averill, of Jackson County, who gets involved in a a class war against Nathan Champion, a mercenary who has been supporting the rich cattle farmers in the area, while the poor immigrants are forced to live in terrible conditions.
Fitzwilly is a loyal butler who works for Victoria Woodhouse. Although she has been bankrupt since her father died, Fitzwilly hides this fact from her, and schemes with the fellow servants to maintain the household. But things get quite complicated when a new secretary is hired by the name of Julie.
This biographical drama film revolves around the story of former US President Richard Nixon starting from his days as a young boy. This film portrays Nixon as a complex, admirable and a deeply flawed person, whose misuse of powers led to his career downfall.
Based on the popular novel of the same name by F Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is a romantic drama film which revolves around the life of Nick Carraway, who is fascinated and drawn to his neighbor Jay Gatsby’s lavish lifestyle. He soon becomes a part of Jay’s inner circle, only to witness a world of obsession and tragedy.
The satirical black comedy features a dedicated homemaker Beverly Sutphin, who leads a happy life with two teenaged children. But she insists on retaliating against any slight. The parking place-snatcher neighbor starts receiving obscene calls; the math teacher gets run over for criticizing her son. As homicides increase, police get wise on the killer and Beverly becomes media sensation as ‘Serial Mom.’
September is a drama film which tells the story of a suicidal woman named Lane, who retreats to her summerhouse in Vermont to spend some time alone. However, problems arise when houseguests disrupt her healing process. Meanwhile, Lane also struggles to deal with her obnoxious mother, who pays her a visit. Soon, things get complicated when Lane finds herself attracted to a writer named Peter.
Set in the untamed wilderness, the film centers on a magnificent white stallion, which belonged to an Indian chief, having a trading relationship with two white merchants called Henry and Sheen. While going to meet the white traders, the Indians are attacked by another group of Indians led by brave and stern White Bull and the chief is killed in the ensuing battle.
Howard is an American engineer living in Istanbul, who is targeted for assassination, as he has made contributions to the Turkish Navy. Eventually he manages to escape with the help of police Colonel Haki, and decides to board a ship to safety from his hotel. On board, one of the passengers seem suspicious.
Isabel learns that her sister, who is a poetess, has been left by her French husband, and therefore, she decides to help her escape her misery. However, soon it seems that her sister is being stalked by someone.
Sam Waterston Awards
| I'll Fly Away | Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama | 1993 |
| Lost Civilizations | Outstanding Informational Series | 1996 |
