Sam Rockwell was born on November 5, 1968. He has built his career upon his uncanny ability to make audiences fall for a character that they might not typically engage with. Whether playing an eccentric, or a villain, or some morally compromised characters, he brings a warmth and an unpredictability that viewers can really appreciate. This keeps them engaged in watching his films and movies.
That talent earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. He also got an Oscar Nomination for his portrayal of President George W. Bush in Vice. His filmography spans the likes of other quirky indie films such as Moon all the way to blockbuster movies like Iron Man 2. Just these two movies alone demonstrate he has an acting range that few actors can currently match. Off-screen, Rockwell has been in a seemingly serious relationship with the actress Leslie Bibb because it has been going on since the year 2007.
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Quick Facts
| Real Name: | Sam Rockwell |
| Profession: | Actor |
| Born: | November 5, 1968 |
| Age: | 57 (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace: | Daly City, California, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Known For: | Offbeat, character driven performances |
| Notable Films: | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Vice |
| Awards: | Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor) |
| Zodiac Sign: | Scorpio |
| Relationship: | Leslie Bibb (since 2007) |
| Years Active: | 1988 to present |
Early Life & Education
Sam Rockwell was born in Daly City, California on November 5, 1968. He was the only kid of actors Pete Rockwell and Penny Hess. His folks split up when he was just 5, so he got shuffled back and forth between coasts, seeing his dad in San Francisco during school years and his mom in New York City for the summers.
Growing up with parents who were both in the entertainment business definitely rubbed off on him. He made his very first stage appearance when he was about 10, teaming up with his mother on an improv comedy sketch in New York’s East Village because of course she’d snagged him a spot! He went to the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, and sort of finished high school through the Urban Pioneers alternative program. At some point he headed off to New York to hone his craft at the William Esper Studio.
Career Highlights and Milestones
Rockwell spent years building a reputation in independent film before breaking through to wider recognition. His turning point came with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), George Clooney’s directorial debut, where Rockwell played game-show host Chuck Barris. From there, he moved fluidly between smaller projects like Moon (2009) and studio work like Iron Man 2 (2010).
The awards came later. His performance as a volatile small-town cop in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The following year, his George W. Bush in Vice earned a second Oscar nomination. He’s also been recognized beyond film: an Emmy nomination for playing Bob Fosse in Fosse/Verdon (2019) and a Tony nomination for the Broadway revival of American Buffalo (2022).
Selected film and TV highlights
- Galaxy Quest (1999)
- Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
- Moon (2009)
- Iron Man 2 (2010)
- Seven Psychopaths (2012)
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
- Vice (2018)
- Jojo Rabbit (2019)
- Fosse/Verdon (2019)
Major recognition
- Academy Award win: Best Supporting Actor, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
- Primetime Emmy nomination: Lead Actor, Fosse/Verdon
- Tony nomination: American Buffalo (Broadway revival)
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Awards and Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Academy Awards (Oscars) | Best Supporting Actor | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Won |
| 2018 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor (Motion Picture) | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Won |
| 2018 | BAFTA Film Awards | Supporting Actor | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Won |
| 2018 | Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Won |
| 2019 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Fosse/Verdon | Nominated |
| 2020 | Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series | Fosse/Verdon | Won |
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | American Buffalo | Nominated |
| 2025 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | The White Lotus | Nominated |
Filmography / Notable Works
| Year | Title | Type | Role / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Galaxy Quest | Film | Notable early mainstream role. |
| 2002 | Confessions of a Dangerous Mind | Film | Breakthrough period. |
| 2009 | Moon | Film | Indie highlight. |
| 2010 | Iron Man 2 | Film | Studio / blockbuster highlight. |
| 2012 | Seven Psychopaths | Film | Fan-favorite. |
| 2017 | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | Film | Major awards-era film. |
| 2018 | Vice | Film | Prestige biographical film. |
| 2019 | Jojo Rabbit | Film | Ensemble / awards-season title. |
| 2019 | Fosse/Verdon | TV | Limited series highlight. |
Net Worth, Income & Lifestyle
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Net Worth (2025) | Estimated at $30 million as of 2025, reflecting his successful career across film, television, and stage. |
| Income Sources | Primarily from acting, with additional income from producing and endorsements like his Miller Lite commercial campaign. |
| Properties & Assets | Owns a residence in New York City and a historic home upstate with partner Leslie Bibb. Drives a Cadillac. |
| Lifestyle | Leads a private life focused on home, cooking, and time with rescue dogs. Supports animal welfare causes and maintains a low commercial profile. |
Social Media & Online Presence
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| No official account. A popular fan account exists: @samrockwellx (unofficial). | |
| X (Twitter) | No official account. Fan page @DailyRockwell posts regular updates (not affiliated). |
| TikTok | No official account. Only fan-edited clips and hashtag content. |
| No official page. Unofficial fan-created profiles exist. | |
| YouTube | No personal channel. Public content available via studio and media outlets. |
| IMDb | Verified filmography at IMDb. |
| Official Website | None. Represented by Gersh and Untitled Entertainment. |
| Fan Updates | Coming soon – Subscribe to follow Sam Rockwell updates. |
Fan communities on social media (unofficial)
NOTE: The accounts listed above are fan-run and are not confirmed to be affiliated with Sam Rockwell. Links and usernames can change at any time.
Trivia & Lesser-Known Facts
- One of Sam Rockwell’s earliest film appearances was as a street thug in the 1990 movie *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*, where his character famously offers cigarettes to teen runaways (asking “Regular or menthol?”).
- He worked an array of odd jobs in his early days — delivering burritos, bussing tables as a busboy/barback, even assisting a private investigator — but the worst job he ever had, he recalls, was “taking debris out of a dead woman’s house”.
- Rockwell is known for incorporating dance into many of his roles. He once quipped, “I’m a big ham. Me and Chris Walken, we’re big hams. We love to dance.” Indeed, numerous films (from *Charlie’s Angels* to *Iron Man 2*) include scenes of him showing off his dance moves.
- During early development of Marvel’s *Iron Man* (2008), director Jon Favreau considered Rockwell for the role of Tony Stark before ultimately casting Robert Downey Jr. (Rockwell would later join the franchise as Justin Hammer in *Iron Man 2*).
- He befriended actor Christopher Walken after they co-starred on Broadway in 2010. Walken was so impressed with Rockwell that he remarked, “I’m so much older… but if I had a son I wouldn’t mind him being Sam.”
- Rockwell was close friends with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and regrets never collaborating with him on a film. “I had two opportunities [to work with him]… and they were squandered. And I regret that,” Rockwell admitted in a 2025 interview.
Quotes
“I didn’t dance in Poltergeist. That’s probably progress for me. I’m a big ham. Me and Chris Walken, we’re big hams. We love to dance.”
— Sam Rockwell, Port Magazine interview (2014)
“You’re looking for adventure. You’re looking to feel that spontaneous moment. I think you’re trying to experience that through your work.”
— Sam Rockwell, The Talks interview (2015)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is Sam Rockwell’s age?
A: Sam Rockwell is 57 years old (born November 5, 1968).
Q: Does Sam Rockwell have any tattoos?
A: Yes. He has at least one notable tattoo: a chicken hanging from a noose, which he jokingly got so he could say he’s “got a hung cock” (a tongue-in-cheek quip Rockwell himself shared).
Q: What was Sam Rockwell’s first film role?
A: His film debut was in the horror movie *Clownhouse* (1989) as a teenage actor.
Q: Is Sam Rockwell married?
A: No, he is not married. However, he has been in a long-term relationship with actress Leslie Bibb since 2007.
Q: Does Sam Rockwell have children?
A: No. Rockwell has no children and has expressed that parenthood isn’t in his plans. “I definitely don’t want to become a parent. It’s not my bag… Children are a lot of work,” he said in one interview.
Q: Has Sam Rockwell won an Oscar or other awards?
A: Yes. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2018 for his performance in *Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*. That same awards season, he also won a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the same role.
Upcoming Projects
- Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (2026) – Rockwell headlines Gore Verbinski’s new sci-fi comedy as a time-traveling “Man from the Future” warning of an AI apocalypse. The film co-stars Zazie Beetz, Michael Peña and Juno Temple, and is slated for wide release on Feb. 13, 2026. It premiered at Fantastic Fest 2025 and screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2026.
- Hellhound – An upcoming zombie comedy directed by Zach Golden. Variety reports that Oscar winners Marisa Tomei and Sam Rockwell will star in this NYC-shot horror-comedy, which launches sales at Cannes (Deadline/Bloody Disgusting).
- The Bad Guys 2 (2025) – Rockwell returns as Mr. Wolf in DreamWorks Animation’s sequel. The film is set for a summer 2025 release (Aug. 1 in the U.S.).
- Wild Horse Nine (TBA) – Rockwell reteams with director Martin McDonagh for this Searchlight Pictures thriller. The ensemble cast (including Parker Posey, John Malkovich and – initially – Mark Ruffalo) has been announced and filming took place in early 2025.
Interviews & Features
- Throughout late 2025 and early 2026 Rockwell has been profiled in entertainment press discussing his breakout White Lotus performance and new films. For example, he appeared on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast (June 2025) talking about his White Lotus scene and upcoming projects.
Public Appearances & Festivals
- Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival (Jan 2026): Rockwell attended the screening of Gore Verbinski’s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, which screened at the festival.
- Newport Beach TV Festival (June 2025): Rockwell headlined a live taping of THR’s “Awards Chatter” podcast, where he was honored with the Supporting Performance of the Year award for his White Lotus turn.
- Tribeca Film Festival (June 2026): Scheduled as a guest on Sam Fragoso’s live “Talk Easy” podcast event, featuring an in-depth interview with Rockwell.
Awards & Nominations
- Primetime Emmy® Nomination (2025): Nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Frank on HBO’s The White Lotus (Season 3).
- Newport Beach TV Fest (2025): Won the Supporting Performance of the Year award for his White Lotus performance.
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