Ashley Zukerman is an Australian-American actor known for playing Dr. Charlie Isaacs on WGN America's Manhattan, Senior Constable Michael Sandrelli in Australian drama series Rush, and Jesse Banks in the Australian political thriller The Code, for which he received an AACTA Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama in 2014. He also played a recurring role in Succession. In 2021, he portrayed Robert Langdon in the TV series adaptation of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol.

Ashley Zukerman
Zukerman in 2019
Born
Nationality
  • Australian
  • American
Alma materVictorian College of the Arts[citation needed]
OccupationActor
Years active2006–present
Known for
RelativesWendy Zukerman (sister)

Early life

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Zukerman was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Ingrid (née Schwarz) and Moshe Zukerman, and moved to Melbourne with his family when he was two years old.[1] His family is Jewish;[2] his father is from Israel, whereas his mother is from Peru. His parents also spoke Hebrew during his childhood.[3] He is the older brother of Science Vs. podcaster Wendy Zukerman. He attended Wesley College at the Glen Waverley campus and began a degree in Science and Engineering at Monash University before being accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts.

Career

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Graduating from the VCA in 2006[citation needed], he began his professional career in the theatre. He had a critically acclaimed role in The History Boys,[4] directed by Peter Evans for the Melbourne Theatre Company. He then appeared in HBO's war miniseries The Pacific, which premiered 14 March 2010 and also in Lowdown created by Adam Zwar and Amanda Brotchie. His Australian break came when he played Constable Michael Sandrelli on the series Rush for which he was nominated for a Logie award in the Most Outstanding New Talent category. In 2011, after his time on Rush, Zukerman joined the cast of the short-lived Steven Spielberg–produced sci-fi television series Terra Nova.

Zukerman then returned to the theatre working with director Eamon Flack at the Belvoir Theatre Company in As You Like It playing Orlando, and then two years later in Angels in America playing Joe Pitt. Angels in America won Best Play at the 2014 Helpmann Awards.[5]

He played socially dysfunctional genius hacker Jesse Banks opposite Dan Spielman in the Australian political thriller The Code created by Shelley Birse. The show received huge national and international acclaim and 10 AACTA Award nominations, out of which it won six including Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama for Zukerman.[6]

Early in 2014, Zukerman won the role of ambitious wunderkind Dr. Charlie Isaacs in the WGN America original drama Manhattan created by filmmaker Sam Shaw and directed by Thomas Schlamme.[7] In 2016, Zukerman was cast in the recurring role of Peter MacLeish on the ABC political drama series Designated Survivor, which premiered in the autumn of the same year.[8]

In 2018, Zukerman had a recurring role on the HBO series Succession, and in 2020, appeared as the title character's husband on the Hulu miniseries A Teacher.[9] In 2021, he stars in the Fear Street horror trilogy that streams on Netflix, beginning with Fear Street Part One: 1994.[10][11] It was announced in March 2020 that Zukerman has also been cast to portray Robert Langdon in the NBC drama pilot Langdon, which is based on Dan Brown's 2009 thriller novel The Lost Symbol.[12]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2004 Tom White Thug #2
2010 Blame Anthony
2011 The Crimson Room John Short
2013 The Humble Beginnings of the Balloon Todd Digby Short
Miasmata Max Short
2018 The Wind Isaac
2021 Fear Street Part One: 1994 Nick Goode
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 Nick Goode
Fear Street Part Three: 1666 Nick Goode / Solomon Goode
Upload CEO
2024 In Vitro Jack Post-production[13]
2024 Bad Shabbos Benjamin

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2008–2011 Rush Michael Sandrelli Main role
2010 The Pacific Robert "Mac" MacKenzie TV miniseries
Lowdown Dylan Hunt Recurring role
2011 The Slap Dylan[14] "Anouk"
Terra Nova Lucas Taylor Recurring role
2012 Death Star PR Bilson "Nemesis"
2013 Mr & Mrs Murder Alex Moran "En Vogue"
Underbelly: Squizzy James Bruce Main role
2014–2015 Manhattan Charlie Isaacs[15] Main role
2014–2016 The Code Jesse Banks Main role
2015 Childhood's End Jake Greggson[16] TV miniseries
2016 Four Stars Danny TV film
Fear the Walking Dead Will "Pillar of Salt"
Masters of Sex Gary Bucksey "The Pleasure Protocol", "Coats or Keys"
2016–2017 Designated Survivor Peter MacLeish Recurring role (season 1)
2017 Friday on My Mind Ted Albert TV miniseries
2018 Reverie Nate Hallo "No More Mr. Nice Guy"
2018–2023 Succession Nate Sofrelli Recurring role
2020 A Teacher Matt Mitchell Main role
2021 Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol Robert Langdon Main role
2023 City on Fire Keith Main role
2025 Apple Cider Vinegar Clive TV series [17]

Theatre

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Accolades

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Year Award Category Subject Result
2009 Logie Awards Best New Talent Rush Nominated
2014 AACTA Awards Best Actor in a Television Drama The Code Nominated
2015 Won
Silver Logie Award Most Outstanding Actor Nominated
2016 AACTA Awards Best Actor in a Television Drama Nominated
2018 AACTA Awards Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama Friday On My Mind Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "Ashley Zukerman (Jake Greggson)". Childhood's End. SyFy. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  2. ^ Miller, Gerri (23 July 2014). "Hollywood Now: Interview with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Plus Adam & Behati's Wedding". InterfaithFamily. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018.
  3. ^ "Ashley Zukerman: 'The Lost Symbol' reinvents Dan Brown hero".
  4. ^ The History Boys – Arts Review – theage.com.au
  5. ^ Meares, Joel (18 August 2014). "Helpmann Awards winners dominated by Sydney theatre talent Cate Blanchett, Richard Roxburgh". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  6. ^ 4th AACTA Awards Nominees & Winners (PDF), www.aaca.org, archived from the original (PDF) on 2 May 2015, retrieved 22 January 2016
  7. ^ Thorp, Charles (4 December 2017). "The Making of TV's Dark-Horse Drama, 'Manhattan'". Men's Journal. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  8. ^ Petski, Denise (5 August 2016). "'Designated Survivor' Casts Ashley Zukerman; Amanda Brooks Joins 'Outsiders'".
  9. ^ Petski, Denise (24 January 2018). "'Succession': Ashley Zukerman Set To Recur On Adam McKay's HBO Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  10. ^ Vlessing, Etan (27 March 2019). "Ashley Zukerman, Fred Hechinger, Julia Rehwald, Jeremy Ford Join Fox's 'Fear Street' Trilogy". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  11. ^ Petski, Denise (6 September 2019). "'A Teacher': FX Limited Series Based On Hannah Fidell's Film Adds Eight To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2 March 2020). "'Langdon': Ashley Zukerman To Play Famed Symbologist In NBC Pilot Based On Dan Brown's 'Lost Symbol'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  13. ^ Frater, Patrick (2 April 2024). "'The Pool,' 'In Vitro' to Make Sydney Film Festival Splash". Variety. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Credit – The Slap – ABC TV". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  15. ^ Owen, Rob (27 June 2014). "TV Q&A: 'The Talk,' TV ratings and paranormal TV shows". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  16. ^ "Zukerman to star in US sci-fi drama". IF Magazine. 23 November 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  17. ^ Netflix, See-Saw Films Team On Australian Drama ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ – Deadline
  18. ^ "As You Like It | Belvoir". Australianstage.com.au. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  19. ^ Dimasi, Rita (21 January 2009). "THEATRE REVIEW: This Is Our Youth". ArtsHub. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  20. ^ "B.C." The Hayloft Project. Archived from the original on 7 June 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  21. ^ "The Hypocrite | Melbourne Theatre Company". Australianstage.com.au. 14 November 2008. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
  22. ^ "The History Boys – Arts Reviews – Arts – Entertainment". theage.com.au. 30 April 2007. Retrieved 21 September 2012.
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