Almost every viewer is familiar with this actor. Just remembering where he played or what his name is, is not always easy. Thanks to his universal appearance and talent for reincarnation, Liland Orser was able to play a lot of different characters both in cinema and on television, each of which was unique. And although the list of films with his participation includes several dozen projects, he still remains an actor in episodic roles.
Liland Orser: biography
Liland Jones Orser was born in San Francisco on a hot August day in 1960.
The actor does not like to spread about his early years, so there is little information about Orser's past. It is only known that he became interested in the career of an artist early, but for a long time he could not concentrate on it.
Unlike many colleagues in the acting workshop, Leland was not a young talent, whose talent was noticed right away - his path to the spotlights was long and thorny.
In the same way with the appearance: possessing pleasant, photogenic, but absolutely unremarkable facial features, Leland for a long time went unnoticed by the directors and made his debut at only 31 years old. And after the debut I spent a lot of time trying to draw attention to myself. However, he managed to succeed and become one of the best performers of episodic roles.
Liland Orser: personal life
With his first wife, aspiring actress Roma Downey, Orser met in the late eighties, and the lovers soon got married. However, when Roma’s career went uphill, and she was invited to appear in the television series “One Life to Live,” strife began between the spouses, and soon they filed for divorce.
After this, for almost a decade, Liland Orser did not decide to bind himself with the marriage ties. His career soon began to develop, and he decided to temporarily focus on it, without starting a serious relationship.
However, at the beginning of the 2000s, Liland met the star of the Basic Instinct and the Water World Genie Tripplehorn. Soon, the actors began to meet, and even later got married. Two years later, the son of Augustus was born to the happy couple.
The beginning of an acting career on television
Lieland Orser made his debut in 1991 in a small role in the American television series from ABC "Gabriel's Flames."
In the same year, he played a waiter in another famous television series, The Golden Girls, and then, for some unknown reason, disappeared from the screens for almost a year.
In 1993, he again began to appear on television in the project Cover Story. By that time, his type as an ordinary person managed to appeal to the producers, and the actor was invited to take part in one of the episodes of the cult television series Star Trek.
Star Trek television series
At first, the actor got a small role as an alien Guy in one of the episodes of the second season of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space 9. However, Liland Orser was soon again invited to the same project. The actor this time played a completely different character - the Romulan Colonel Lovok.
Leland’s reincarnation ability was used by the creators of Star Trek twice more. When launching a new project from this series called Star Trek: Voyager, the actor got the role of Dejaren’s killer hologram in it. And in Star Trek: Enterprise, Liland Orser turned into an episodic character named Lumis.
Along with filming in separate episodes of Star Trek, the actor participated in The X-Files and the sitcom Ned and Stacy.
Success in the cinema
Having proved himself well on television, Leland Orser decided to try his hand at a serious movie. The debut film for him was the gangster thriller "Handsome Nelson." It was followed by tiny roles in other little-known films.
At first, the actor starred in second-rate films, but gradually they began to invite him not to small roles, but to more serious projects.
So in David Fincher’s thriller “Seven” with Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow in the lead roles, Liland Orser got the small but very memorable role of a lascivious visitor to the massage parlor, who later killed the girl of easy virtue. A little later, the actor played in the famous "Independence Day".
When the fourth film was released on the screen about the brutal alien killers, nicknamed "strangers", the audience saw in it Leland in the role of Larry Purvis. His hero was a carrier of an alien embryo and, having never had time to get help, died heroically, having managed to save his comrades. Orser proved in this movie that he is capable of much, and he began to be instructed to play more significant characters in the future.
The next significant achievement of the actor was the role in the sensational military movie "Saving Private Ryan."
It was played by Lieutenant de Vint Liland Orser.
The filmography of the actor of the nineties contains another interesting project. This is the film “The Power of Fear”. And although, unfortunately, this film did not become super popular, it was a worthy adaptation of the famous detective novel. In addition, on the set, Liland had a chance to work with Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, who played the main characters. Orcer himself got the role of a bloodthirsty maniac, who with agility hid from his pursuers for almost the entire film.
Actor's career at the beginning of the two thousandth
Liland began the new millennium with his role in the small project Rebel Yell. But then he got on the set of Pearl Harbor. Here, his hero was a wounded major, who was saved by the main character of the movie. After this success, throughout the decade, the actor starred in most of Hollywood's box office films. Among his most successful works of this period are the films “Daredevil”, “Scam”, “Amnesia” and “Good German”. In these projects, Orser happened to star with such stars as Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Cate Blanchett and Ben Affleck.
In parallel with a career in cinema, work on television was working out well. Orser Liland (photo below) was invited to a regular role in the famous television series Ambulance. His hero was a surgeon named Lucien Dubenko.
Over the course of the 61 series, the actor successfully played his part and gained many fans. However, later circumstances forced him to leave the television series.
At the very end of the two thousandth Liland starred in one of the episodes of the world famous television project "24 hours".
Further career
With the beginning of the new decade, the actor’s career began to decline. Although he sometimes continued to act in films, he gradually again became a television actor. Among the most significant projects in which he participated in recent years are the television series Svyaz, Revolution, and Ray Donovan.
In the cinema world during this period came out with the participation of an actor named Liland Orser films "Player" and "Guest". In addition, for the first time in his career, this actor received a major role in the movie called “Flaws." This film did not become a box office, but many liked it.
In particular, the game of Liland himself was highly appreciated, and many suggest that after the "Flaws" Orser's career will soon go uphill again.
Participation in the hostage film trilogy
Separately, it is worth paying attention to the participation of Liland Orser in the sensational movie trilogy “Hostage” with Laam Nisom and Famke Janssen in the lead roles. The first film of this series was released in the winter of 2008 and immediately won the attention of viewers around the world. This movie combines everything that is needed for a good action movie.
In this film, Liland Orser got the role of the best friend of the protagonist - CIA agent Sam. Despite the fact that he was given a little screen time, the actor was able to perfectly create the image of a faithful, reliable friend, ready to come to the rescue in any situation. Every person dreams of such a friend.
In the following years, two more films from this series were shot, in each of which Leland again played the role of Sam.
At the end of the third film, which, in all likelihood, will be the last, the hero of Orser was wounded, but most likely he will survive. That is why if the fourth film is still shot, the audience can again expect a meeting with Sam.
By the way, in September 2016 they are announcing the release of the new hostage of the same name “Hostage”, which will tell about the turbulent past of the heroes of the movie trilogy. Young Sam in it will play actor Michael Irby. True, if this project is successful and can last several seasons on the air, it is possible that Liland Orser will also be invited to play the role of a more mature Sam.
Actor's career today
At the moment, Liland Orser is one of the highest paid episodic actors not only in the United States, but throughout the world. Despite this, in recent years he has become less likely to be invited to act in films, but on television he is always welcome. In autumn 2016, the new television series “Berlin Station” (“Station Berlin”) starts, in which the actor will play one of the main roles. His character's name is Robert Kirsch - he is the deputy head of the department and is known for his devotion, meticulousness and quick wits.
By his example, Leland Orser proved that there are no small roles if you are a great actor. Despite the fact that his track record contains only episodic characters, this talented artist was able to become famous thanks to this. Spectators who praised the work of Orser are looking forward to the premiere of the new series with his participation and hope that this is not the last meeting with his beloved actor.