Beginning his professional acting career in 1995, Peter Sarsgaard debuted in movies, TV shows, and theater in the same year. Although he initially wanted a career as a professional soccer player, several concussions later, Sarsgaard eventually developed a love for theater and writing. Several years later, Peter Sarsgaard enrolled and studied at the famous New York City Actors Studio.
Peter Sarsgaard joined the cast of the Apple TV+ miniseries Presumed Innocent in a supporting role. In the legal thriller miniseries, Sarsgaard plays the overzealous deputy, Tommy Molto. Having earned a reputation as a character actor in movies, Sarsgaard plays a secondary antagonist in Presumed Innocent. A closer look at Peter Sarsgaard’s television credits shows he has starred in a couple of miniseries in his career. According to critical and audience reviews, these are Peter Sarsgaard’s best TV shows.
5. The Slap
Peter Sarsgaard led the cast of the NBC drama series The Slap in 2015. The miniseries was based on the Australian series adaptation of Christos Tsiolkas’ 2008 novel. Sarsgaard played 40-year-old Hector Apostolou, an assistant deputy commissioner. The miniseries begins as preparations are underway to celebrate Hector Apostolou’s 40th birthday. During the party, Rosie Weschler’s (Melissa George) son, Hugo, becomes unruly.
After Hugo attempts to hit a child and kicks Hector’s cousin, Harry Apostolou (Zachary Quinto), in the leg, Harry slaps Hugo. The 8-episode miniseries follows each character’s perspective about the event that occurred at the party, as Hugo’s mother insists on criminal charges and goes to court. Other notable cast members of The Slap included Thandiwe Newton, Uma Thurman, Brian Cox, and Victor Garber.
4. Interrogation
Peter Sarsgaard also led the cast of the CBS All Access true crime drama series Interrogation. In the show, Sarsgaard played a police detective, Det. David Russell. The show was based on a true-life story, with the plot centered around Bruce Lisker’s arrest and incarceration for the alleged killing of his mother. The 10-episode series was creatively created to provide viewers with front-row seats as personal investigators. The episodes examine each interrogation taken directly from the real police case files. Interrogation also starred Vincent D’Onofrio in a recurring role as Sgt. Ian Lynch.
3. Wormwood
In the Netflix 2017 docudrama miniseries Wormwood, Peter Sarsgaard portrayed scientist Frank Olson, who was the principal focus of the miniseries. The six-part miniseries focuses on events leading to Olson’s controversial death and the ensuing discovery of the truth. Frank Olsen was an American bacteriologist, biological warfare scientist, and an employee of the United States Army Biological Warfare Laboratories (USBWL). While working at Fort Detrick, Maryland, Olson attended a meeting and was covertly dosed with LSD by Sidney Gottlieb, Olson’s colleague and head of the CIA’s MK-Ultra program. About 9 days after the meeting, Frank Olsen reportedly jumped from the window of New York City’s Hotel Statler’s 10th floor. Wormwood holds a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
2. The Looming Tower
Peter Sarsgaard was part of the ensemble cast in Hulu’s drama miniseries The Looming Tower. The 2018 miniseries cast included actors such as Jeff Daniels, Tahar Rahim, Bill Camp, Wrenn Schmidt, and Michael Stuhlbarg. The Looming Tower was adapted from Lawrence Wright’s 2006 non-fiction book. Peter Sarsgaard was cast as Martin Schmidt, the chief of Alec Station, a section of the CIA Counterterrorism Center.
The miniseries centers around the background and rise of al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. It also showcases the rivalry that existed between the CIA and FBI in the 1990s. This rivalry and fight for ownership of information are believed to have inadvertently created opportunities and paths for the 9/11 tragedy. The Looming Tower was a critical success and originally aired on Hulu from February 28, 2018, to April 18, 2018. Peter Sarsgaard received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor—Limited Series at the 2019 Critics’ Choice Television Awards.
1. Dopesick
Interestingly, Dopesick is Peter Sarsgaard’s last project on television before his casting on Apple TV+ Presumed Innocent. It is currently Sarsgaard’s highest-rated TV show before Presumed Innocent. In the 8-episode Hulu drama miniseries, Sarsgaard played an attorney named Rick Mountcastle. In the miniseries, Rick Mountcastle leads a case against Purdue Pharma’s drug, OxyContin.
Joining Sarsgaard as part of the show’s main cast were Michael Keaton, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter, and Rosario Dawson. Unsurprisingly, Peter received his first Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his stellar performance. If you enjoyed reading about Peter Sarsgaard’s best work on television, read about the ranking of every Mad Max movie from worst to best.
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