Gregg, Clark 1962-

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GREGG, Clark 1962-

PERSONAL:

Born April 2, 1962, in Boston, MA; married Jennifer Grey (an actress), July 21, 2001; children: Stella. Education: Attended Ohio Wesleyan University; graduate of Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—Dan Aloni, United Talent Agency, 9560 Wilshire Blvd., 5th Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

CAREER:

Actor in films, including (as stage manager) Things Change, Columbia, 1988; (as Douglas Panton) Fat Man and Little Boy (also known as Shadow Makers), Paramount, 1989; (as Marty) Lana in Love, 1992; (as Darryl Beekman, Jr.) I Love Trouble, Buena Vista, 1994; (as staff sergeant) Clear and Present Danger, Paramount, 1994; Ride Me, 1994; (as Dr. Walters) The Usual Suspects, Gramercy, 1995; The Mailman, 1996; (as first cop) The Last Time I Committed Suicide, Kushner-Locke, 1997; (as FBI sniper) The Spanish Prisoner, Jasmine Productions, 1997; (as Benjamin Taft) Six Ways to Sunday, Maywin Media, 1998, Stratosphere Entertainment, 1999; (as Hank/Henrietta Rossi) The Adventures of Sebastian Cole, Oasis International, 1998, Paramount, 1999; (as WDKK floor director) Magnolia, New Line Cinema, 1999; The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Spring Break Adventure, 1999; (as Doug Mackenzie) State and Main, Fine Line, 2000; (as one of the "supernerds") A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, Warner Bros., 2001; (as Bill) Lovely & Amazing, Lions Gate Films, 2001; (as Detective Paul Outerbridge) One Hour Photo, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2002; (as Captain Tom Metsker) We Were Soldiers, Paramount, 2002; (as Mr. Hadfield) Northfork, Paramount, 2002; (as Officer Hannagan) 11:14, 2003; (as Nelson Primus) The Human Stain, 2003; (as Goodman) In Enemy Hands, 2004; and Synergy, 2005, in production. Director of film Natural Selection, 2000. Actor in television movies, including (as Kevin Rooney) Tyson, Home Box Office (HBO), 1995; (as Randy) Above Suspicion (also known as The Rhinehart Theory), HBO, 1995; (as Harvey) My Sister's Keeper, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), 2002; and (as Eason Jordan) Live from Baghdad, 2002. Actor in television specials, including (as stage manager) Lip Service, HBO, 1988; and (as young Paul) I Remember You, Arts and Entertainment, 1992. Appeared (as Ken O'Donnell) in the miniseries A Woman Named Jackie, National Broadcasting Company (NBC), 1991. Appeared in episodes of television series, including Shannon's Deal, Law & Order, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The George Carlin Show, Central Park West, The Commish, Touched by an Angel, Sports Night, Sex and the City, The Practice, Will & Grace, and (as FBI Special Agent Michael Casper) The West Wing (recurring role), NBC, 2001—. Actor in New York stage productions, including Fun, 1987; (as Jack) A Boy's Life, 1988; (as Lieutenant Jack Ross and Kaffe) A Few Good Men, 1989-91; (as Bernie) Unidentified Remains and the True Nature of Love, 1991; (as Baby) Mojo, 1997; Sexual Perversity in Chicago/The Duck Variations, 2000; and The Night Heron, 2003; The Old Boy, As You Like It, The Girl in Pink, Nothing Sacred, Reckless, Three Sisters, and Women and Water. Director of stage productions, including Distant Fires, 1991; and Edmond, 1996.

WRITINGS:

SCREENPLAYS

What Lies Beneath, DreamWorks, 2000.

(And director) Natural Selection, 2000.

Also author of The Big Picture, Twentieth Century-Fox.

SIDELIGHTS:

Although he is best known as an actor, Clark Gregg is also the author of the screenplay for the Hollywood film What Lies Beneath. The film is a psychological thriller that "provides truly creepy viewing, far more frightening than conventional blood-and-gore horror films," according to a Maclean's contributor. The film stars Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as Norman and Claire Spencer, a married couple whose lives are upset by a series of potentially supernatural disturbances. The Spencers at first think the manifestations are all in Claire's head. Perhaps they are a delayed reaction to a car accident she was in the previous year, or to having sent their daughter off to college, leaving Claire alone in an empty house much of the time. Claire even goes to see a psychiatrist, until in the unfolding of events she discovers what is really wrong in her home.

As many critics noted, What Lies Beneath is clearly inspired by the work of master film director Alfred Hitchcock. "In an age where frightening movies are making a comeback, I wanted to write a supernatural thriller utilizing some of the new technology in subtle ways, and yet very respectfully tip my hat to Hitchcock," who emphasized horror stemming from human nature rather than from unfamiliar monsters, Gregg explained to WGA.org interviewer Alan Waldman. "I wanted the script to be less about terrifying entities and more about people."

Despite its star cast and the presence of award-winning director Robert Zemeckis, What Lies Beneath was not a blockbuster. Some critics commented that the film attempts to encompass too many elements, with "glimpses of a supernatural spook fest a la The Sixth Sense, an adult-oriented thriller on the order of A Perfect Murder, and a good old haunted-house picture," as Philip Booth explained in the Sarasota Herald Tribune. However, Knight Ridder/TribuneNews Service reviewer Rene Rodriguez called What Lies Beneath "an uncommonly playful fright machine," and added that Gregg's film "is constantly trying to startle you, make you jump in your seat, and it's amazing how often it succeeds."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Entertainment Weekly, July 28, 2000, Lisa Schwarzbaum, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 151; January 26, 2001, Ty Burr, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 79.

Hollywood Reporter, October 22, 2003, Frank Scheck, review of The Night Heron, p. 13.

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, July 19, 2000, Chris Hewitt, review of What Lies Beneath, p. K3719, Rene Rodriguez, review of What Lies Beneath, p. K3796.

Los Angeles Times, July 17, 2000, review of What Lies Beneath, p. C2; July 19, 2000, Richard Natale, interview with Gregg, p. D1; July 24, 2000, Richard Natale, "What Lies Beneath Comes up a Winner," p. D5.

Maclean's, July 31, 2000, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 44.

Newsweek, July 24, 2000, Jeff Giles, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 58.

New York, July 31, 2000, Peter Rainer, review of What Lies Beneath, pp. 51-52.

New York Times, July 21, 2000, Elvis Mitchell, review of What Lies Beneath, p. B10; August 11, 2000, Peter M. Nichols, review of What Lies Beneath, p. B5; January 26, 2001, Elvis Mitchell, review of What Lies Beneath, p. B30; October 8, 2003, Ben Brantley, review of The Night Heron, p. E5.

People, July 31, 2000, Tom Gliatto, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 33.

Premiere, August, 2000, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 16.

Rolling Stone, June 8, 2000, Peter Travers, review of What Lies Beneath, pp. 134-135.

Sarasota Herald Tribune, July 21, 2000, Philip Booth, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 16.

Sight and Sound, November, 2000, Philip Strick, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 65.

Spectator, October 21, 2000, Mark Steyn, review of What Lies Beneath, pp. 66-67.

Time, July 24, 2000, Richard Schickel, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 65.

US Weekly, July 31, 2000, Andrew Johnston, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 42.

Variety, July 17, 2000, Emanuel Levy, review of What Lies Beneath, p. 25.

Wall Street Journal, July 21, 2000, Joe Morgenstern, review of What Lies Beneath, p. W1.