Fisher Stevens

Stephen Fisher (born November 27, 1963), known professionally as Fisher Stevens, is an American actor, director, producer and writer. As an actor, he is best known for his portrayals of Ben Jabituya/Jahveri in Short Circuit (1986) and Short Circuit 2 (1988). He is also a documentary filmmaker, having won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature as one of the producers of The Cove (2009). He also directed the documentaries Crazy Love (2007) and Before the Flood (2016).

Stevens is known for his roles in films such as Reversal of Fortune (1990), Bob Roberts (1992), Hackers (1995), Anything Else (2003), and Hail, Caesar! (2016). He has acted in the Wes Anderson films The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Isle of Dogs (2018), The French Dispatch (2021), and Asteroid City (2023).

In television he portrayed Chuck Fishman in the CBS series Early Edition (1996–2000), Marvin Gerard on NBC's The Blacklist (2015–2022), Gabriel Kovac in CBS's The Good Fight (2017–2020), and Hugo Baker in the HBO drama series Succession (2019–2023).

Early life

Stevens was born in Chicago, the son of Jewish parents Sally and Norman Fisher. Stevens grew up in the Chicago area, living in Hyde Park, Highland Park, and Evanston and describes himself as a "white Jewish kid from Chicago".

His parents divorced when he was 13, after which he moved to New York with his mother. At age 16, Stevens landed his first film role, acting in the horror film The Burning. He completed one year at New York University before deciding to pursue acting full time. He adopted the stage name "Fisher Stevens" upon joining the Screen Actors Guild because the Guild had several existing actors named "Steven Fisher".

Career

As an actor, Stevens is known for his roles as Chuck Fishman on Early Edition, Seamus O'Neill on Key West, Eugene "The Plague" Belford in Hackers, Iggy Koopa in Super Mario Bros., Hawk Ganz in The Flamingo Kid, and his role as the Indian robotics scientist Ben Jabituya/Jahveri in Short Circuit and Short Circuit 2, respectively.

Stevens has a Broadway and Off-Broadway career spanning nearly three decades. In 1988, he and John Leguizamo appeared in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream where he played Demetrius.

In June 2010, Stevens made his major theatrical directing debut with John Leguizamo's one-man show, Ghetto Klown (originally called Klass Klown), which eventually ran on Broadway from March to July 2011. On July 13, 2012, PBS debuted Tales From a Ghetto Klown, a documentary about the development of the show which prominently features Stevens.

In 2010, Stevens and director Louie Psihoyos won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 82nd Academy Awards for co-producing The Cove.

He is a signatory of the Film Workers for Palestine boycott pledge that was published in September 2025.

Personal life

Stevens dated actress Michelle Pfeiffer from 1989 until 1992. Their relationship ended when Stevens, 28, was caught cheating with aspiring actress and high school senior Jamie Golightly, 17. Stevens later dated longtime filmmaking partner and producer Alexis Bloom. The couple married in 2017 in a private ceremony. They have two children.

Stevens is a survivor of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Filmography

Actor

Television

• 1980 — One Life to Live — Unknown
• 1983 — Ryan's Hope — Henry Popkin
• 1984 — CBS Schoolbreak Special — Gary Gordon — Episode: "The Alfred G. Graebner Memorial High School Handbook of Rules and Regulations"
• 1986 — Tall Tales & Legends — Indian Chief — Episode: "Ponce de Leon"
• 1986 — Saturday Night Live — Smoker — Episode: "Steve Guttenberg/The Pretenders"
• 1989 — Columbo — Alex Brady — Episode: "Murder, Smoke and Shadows"
• 1990 — The Young Riders — "Bulldog" — Episode: "Bull Dog"
• 1991 — General Motors Theatre — Wally Zuckerman — Episode: "It's Called the Sugar Plum"
• 1993 — Key West — Seamus O'Neill — 13 episodes
• 1995 — Friends — Roger — Episode: "The One with the Boobies"
• 1995 — Homicide: Life on the Street — Jonathan Heine — Episode: "Autofocus"
• 1995 — Law & Order — Ross Fineman — Episode: "Angel"
• 1996 — The Right to Remain Silent — Dale Meyerson — Television movie
• 1996–2000 — Early Edition — Chuck Fishman — 48 episodes
• 2000 — The Hunger — Max Armstrong — Episode: "The Suction Method"
• 2001 — Frasier — Dr. Sheldon Morey — Episode: "The Wizard and Roz"
• 2001 — 100 Centre Street — Ben Berkowitz — Episode: "Queenie's Running"
• 2001 — Jenifer — Dr. Aaron Sanders — Television movie
• 2002 — Is It College Yet? — (voice) — Television movie
• 2002 — Hack — Donnie Franco — Episode: "Favors"
• 2003 — The Lives They Lived — Narrator — Television movie
• 2004 — Hope & Faith — Nick Spinelli — Episode: "The Diner Show"
• 2004 — Dr. Vegas — Charlie — Episode: "Dead Man, Live Bet"
• 2004–2007 — Law & Order: Criminal Intent — Performer — 2 episodes
• 2008 — It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia — Lyle Korman — Episode: "Paddy's Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia"
• 2008–2010 — Lost — George Minkowski — 6 episodes
• 2009 — Medium — Neal Greybridge — Episode: "Medium is the Message"
• 2009 — Numb3rs — John Buckley — 2 episodes
• 2009 — The Grean Teem — Jack Fisher — Television movie
• 2010 — Ugly Betty — Mr. Z — Episode: "Back in her Place"
• 2010 — The Mentalist — Tolman Bunting — Episode: "Season 2 Episode 21"
• 2011 — Californication — "Zig" Semetauer — Episode: "Monkey Business"
• 2011 — Damages — Therapist — 4 episodes
• 2012–2016 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Alvin Gilbert / Ted Scott — 2 episodes
• 2015 — Elementary — Marty Ward — Episode: "Under My Skin"
• 2015–2022 — The Blacklist — Marvin Gerard — 15 episodes
• 2016 — The Night Of — Saul — 3 episodes
• 2017 — Red Oaks — Jerry — Episode: "Summer in the City"
• 2017 — Vice Principals — Brian Biehn — 4 episodes
• 2017–2020 — The Good Fight — Gabriel Kovac — 3 episodes
• 2019–2023 — Succession — Hugo Baker — 19 episodes
• 2022 — Would I Lie to You? — Himself — Episode: "Banana Bread"
• 2024 — Ripley — Edward T. Cavanagh — Episode: "VII Macabre Entertainment"
• 2024 — Evil — Demon of Grief (voice) — Episode: "How to Build a Coffin"
• 2024 — Sing: Thriller — Police Officer — Television short

Director

• 1995 — Call of the Wylie
• 1996 — Phinehas
• 1998–1999 — Early Edition — 2 episodes
• 2002 — Just a Kiss
• 2007 — Crazy Love — Co-directed with Dan Klores
• 2010–2011 — John Leguizamo - Ghetto Klown — Opened on Broadway March 2011
• 2012 — Stand Up Guys
• 2016 — Before the Flood
• 2016 — Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
• 2019 — And We Go Green
• 2021 — Palmer
• 2023 — Beckham

Producer

• 2000 — Sam the Man
• 2001 — The Château
• 2001 — Piñero
• 2002 — Swimfan
• 2003 — Uptown Girls
• 2004 — Yes
• 2005 — Slow Burn
• 2006 — A Prairie Home Companion
• 2006 — Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos
• 2006 — Wedding Daze
• 2007 — Crazy Love
• 2007 — Meet Bill
• 2007 — Feast of Love
• 2007 — Awake
• 2008 — The Midnight Meat Train
• 2009 — The Grean Teem
• 2009 — Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach
• 2009 — Tenderness
• 2009 — The Cove — Academy Award for Best Documentary
• 2011 — Blank City
• 2011 — Hollywood Renegade
• 2011 — Bad Trip
• 2011 — Mission Blue
• 2012 — Beware of Mr. Baker
• 2015 — Racing Extinction
• 2016 — Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang
• 2016 — Before the Flood
• 2020 — Tiger King
• 2023 — Beckham
• 2023 — We Are Guardians

Writer

• Sam the Man (2000, story)
• The Grean Teem (2009, story)

Narrator

• Secondhand Souls: A Novel by Christopher Moore
• A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
• Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
• The Highest Tide: A Novel by Jim Lynch

Awards and nominations

• 2009 — Academy Award — Best Documentary Feature — The Cove — Won
• 2012 — Primetime Emmy Awards — Outstanding Documentary Series — American Masters — Nominated
• 2016 — Primetime Emmy Awards — Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking — Racing Extinction — Nominated
• 2017 — Primetime Emmy Awards — Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking — Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds — Nominated
• 2017 — Primetime Emmy Awards — Outstanding Directing for a Documentary Program — Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds — Nominated
• 2020 — Primetime Emmy Awards — Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series — Tiger King — Nominated
• 2024 — Primetime Emmy Awards — Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series — Beckham — Won
• 2024 — Primetime Emmy Awards — Outstanding Directing for a Documentary Program — Beckham: What Makes David Run — Nominated
• 2016 — Cannes Film Festival — Golden Eye — Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds — Nominated
• 2016 — Toronto International Film Festival — People's Choice Award — Before the Flood — Nominated
• 2022 — Saturn Award — Best Guest-Starring Performance in a Network or Cable Television Series — The Blacklist — Nominated
• 2022 — Screen Actors Guild Awards — Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series — Succession — Won
• 2024 — Screen Actors Guild Awards — Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series — Succession — Won