# Keith Gordon
**Keith Gordon** (born 1961 in New York City) is an American actor and director who first became known as a juvenile lead in films of the late 1970s and 1980s, then moved behind the camera to direct five independent features and a long list of acclaimed television drama episodes.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330360/) As a performer he is best remembered for roles in [Brian De Palma](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-de-palma)'s *[Dressed to Kill](https://www.edgepedia.org/dressed-to-kill-1980-film)* (1980), [John Carpenter](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-carpenter)'s *Christine* (1983), and *Back to School* (1986); as a director his credits include *A Midnight Clear* (1992), *Mother Night* (1996), and episodes of *Homeland*, *Fargo*, *Dexter*, and *Better Call Saul*.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1006013-keith_gordon) • [3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961, New York City, New York, USA[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330360/) |
| Signature acting roles | Peter Miller in *Dressed to Kill* (1980), Arnie Cunningham in *Christine* (1983), Jason Melon in *Back to School* (1986), Young Joe in *All That Jazz* (1979)[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1006013-keith_gordon) |
| Feature directing debut | *The Chocolate War* (1988), adapted from the Robert Cormier novel; IFP/Spirit Award nomination for Best First Feature[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1006013-keith_gordon) • [3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406) |
| Best-known features | *A Midnight Clear* (1992), *Mother Night* (1996), *Waking the Dead* (2000), *The Singing Detective* (2003)[4](https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2004/feature-articles/keith_gordon/) |
| Television work | Episodes of *Fargo*, *Homeland*, *The Leftovers*, *Dexter*, *Nurse Jackie*, *Better Call Saul*, *Legion*, *House*, and many others[3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406) |
| Personal | Married to Rachel Griffin since 1998[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330360/) |
## Acting career
Gordon began performing in theater, moved on to television movies and miniseries, and then graduated to features.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1006013-keith_gordon) His screen roles made him a recognizable face of late-1970s and 1980s American cinema: he played the young [Roy Scheider](https://www.edgepedia.org/roy-scheider)/Joe Gideon/[Bob Fosse](https://www.edgepedia.org/bob-fosse) figure in *All That Jazz* (1979), the quick-witted young hero of De Palma's *Dressed to Kill* (1980), the owner of the murderous title car in Carpenter's *Christine* (1983), Lloyd in *The Legend of Billie Jean* (1985), and the son of [Rodney Dangerfield](https://www.edgepedia.org/rodney-dangerfield)'s character in *Back to School* (1986).[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1006013-keith_gordon) His earlier work also included *Jaws 2*.[5](https://moviecrypt.libsyn.com/ep-450-keith-gordon)
**Working with major directors.** Gordon acted for Bob Fosse, Brian De Palma, and John Carpenter, and he has described studying their methods on set; De Palma, he recalled, would direct a scene while explaining the choices he was making.[5](https://moviecrypt.libsyn.com/ep-450-keith-gordon) • [6](https://mediamikes.com/2011/02/interview-with-keith-gordon/) He also sat in on editing sessions for films he appeared in, an exposure he has linked to his later move into directing.[5](https://moviecrypt.libsyn.com/ep-450-keith-gordon)
In 1985 he starred in, co-wrote, and co-produced the independent film *[Static](https://www.edgepedia.org/static-1985-film)*, for which he won Best Actor at the Madrid Film Festival.[3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406)
## Move to directing
At the end of the 1980s Gordon shifted to the other side of the camera and has worked consistently as a director for film and television since.[7](https://www.rediscoverthe80s.com/2017/10/interview-with-keith-gordon-actor-in.html) His debut feature, *The Chocolate War* (1988), an adaptation of [Robert Cormier](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-cormier)'s novel, earned an IFP/Spirit Award nomination for Best First Feature.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1006013-keith_gordon) • [3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406)
Gordon has described a deliberate selectivity. In a 2004 interview he noted that since 1988 he had made only five feature films, directing nothing but projects he loved.[4](https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2004/feature-articles/keith_gordon/) He also described a working method he has used on every directing project since his first film, which he calls "almost verbal storyboards."[4](https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2004/feature-articles/keith_gordon/)
## Feature films
Gordon's five features as director are:
1. *The Chocolate War* (1988), which he adapted and directed.[3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406)
2. *A Midnight Clear* (1992), a World War II film which he adapted and directed, receiving an IFP/Spirit Award nomination for Best Screenplay.[3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406) • [6](https://mediamikes.com/2011/02/interview-with-keith-gordon/)
3. *Mother Night* (1996), produced and directed from [Kurt Vonnegut](https://www.edgepedia.org/kurt-vonnegut)'s novel, starring [Nick Nolte](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-nolte).[3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406)
4. *Waking the Dead* (2000), adapted from Scott Spencer's novel, with an IFP/Spirit Award nomination for Best Screenplay; Gordon also wrote and produced.[3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1006013-keith_gordon)
5. *The Singing Detective* (2003), starring [Robert Downey Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-downey-jr), Mel Gibson, and Robin Wright, an adaptation of the 1986 BBC miniseries; it was his last feature film to date.[3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406) • [8](https://longreads.com/2018/01/25/the-many-acts-of-keith-gordon-2/)
## Television directing
Early television offers came to Gordon without his seeking them out, and he soon found himself directing episodes of *House MD*, *Gideon's Crossing*, and *Night Visions*.[8](https://longreads.com/2018/01/25/the-many-acts-of-keith-gordon-2/) Over the following two decades he became one of the most prolific episode directors of American prestige television, with multiple episodes of *Fargo*, *The Leftovers*, *Homeland*, *Nurse Jackie*, *Dexter*, *The Killing*, *The Bridge*, *[Wild Palms](https://www.edgepedia.org/wild-palms)*, and *Gideon's Crossing*, along with episodes of *Better Call Saul*, *Legion*, *Masters of Sex*, *[Dispatches from Elsewhere](https://www.edgepedia.org/dispatches-from-elsewhere)*, *House*, *Rubicon*, *The Strain*, *Homicide: Life on the Street*, and *Fallen Angels*.[3](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406) • [9](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/keith-gordon/credits/3030209064/) On *Dexter* he also appeared on screen as Kyle Butler #2 in a 2009 episode.[10](https://www.metacritic.com/person/keith-gordon/)
His television work has drawn notice precisely because it is widespread but rarely attributed: one profile described him as "the director behind all your favorite peak TV shows" and an often unseen figure of the Peak TV era.[11](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/genre-mvp-the-director-behind-all-your-favorite-peak-tv-shows) On *Homeland*, director and executive producer Lesli Linka Glatter, an Emmy-nominated television director and past president of the [Directors Guild of America](https://www.edgepedia.org/directors-guild-of-america), called Gordon "a wonderful director" when he took the first two episodes of the show's sixth season.[12](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/homeland-six-director-lesli-linka-glatter-on-shooting-war/)
## References
1. [Keith Gordon (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0330360/)
2. [Keith Gordon, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/1006013-keith_gordon)
3. [Keith Gordon, Sundance Collab profile](https://collab.sundance.org/people/Keith-Gordon-1605553406)
4. [Keith Gordon on Keith Gordon, Part One: From Actor to Director, Senses of Cinema (2004)](https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2004/feature-articles/keith_gordon/)
5. [The Movie Crypt: Ep 450: Keith Gordon](https://moviecrypt.libsyn.com/ep-450-keith-gordon)
6. [Interview with Keith Gordon, MediaMikes (2011)](https://mediamikes.com/2011/02/interview-with-keith-gordon/)
7. [Interview with Keith Gordon, Actor in 'Back to School', 'Christine' & More '80s Films, Rediscover the 80s (2017)](https://www.rediscoverthe80s.com/2017/10/interview-with-keith-gordon-actor-in.html)
8. [The Many Acts of Keith Gordon, Longreads (2018)](https://longreads.com/2018/01/25/the-many-acts-of-keith-gordon-2/)
9. [Keith Gordon List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/keith-gordon/credits/3030209064/)
10. [Keith Gordon, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/keith-gordon/)
11. [Keith Gordon is the director behind all your favorite peak TV shows, Syfy Wire (2017)](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/genre-mvp-the-director-behind-all-your-favorite-peak-tv-shows)
12. [Homeland and Six Director Lesli Linka Glatter Flips the Script on Shooting War, Rotten Tomatoes (2017)](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/homeland-six-director-lesli-linka-glatter-on-shooting-war/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Film and television directors › Directors of the United States and Canada › Television directors › Live-action scripted television directors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license