James Waterston (born January 17, 1969) is an American film and television actor whose first role was playing Gerard Pitts in the 1989 film Dead Poets Society.

Waterston's most recently appeared in three movies, Christy: Return to Cutter Gap, Christy: A Change of Seasons and Christy: A New Beginning as Rev. David Grantland. In 2011, Waterston debuted the lead role in the world premiere of Chinglish by David Henry Hwang at Chicago's Goodman Theatre, which subsequently moved on to Broadway the same year.

Biography

Waterston grew up in New York City and formed Malaparte (theater company) with Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard, where he did everything from directing to taking tickets. He formed an improv/sketch group called Circus Maximus. On the small screen, he played a doctor in a Law & Order season nine episode, Refuge. He appeared in a two-part episode of Diagnosis: Murder in which he plays a hot-headed intern. He also shot a series pilot called Shrinking Violet. He also appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit season nine episode "Inconceivable" as a husband whose wife couldn't conceive without in-vitro fertilization. He has starred in many off-Broadway plays in New York City, and New England. His most recent play is Buffalo Gals in New York City, which concluded in September.

James Waterston is on the Board of Directors of Providence Magazine, with circulation in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, and has contributed photographs to the magazine. His mother, Barbara Waterston, is the editor of the magazine.

He is the son of actor Sam Waterston and the older half-brother of actresses Elisabeth Waterston and Katherine Waterston, and filmmaker Graham Waterston.