Finn Wittrock

Finn Wittrock was born in Lenox, Massachusetts, on October 28, 1984. His early life was shaped by his proximity to the Shakespeare and Company theatre, where his father worked, exposing him to the performing arts from a young age. He later attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA) and subsequently the Juilliard School, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2008. After initial television guest roles in shows like “ER,” “Cold Case,” and “CSI: Miami,” Wittrock made his Broadway debut in 2012 as Happy Loman in Mike Nichols’ revival of “Death of a Salesman.” This role earned him a Theatre World Award and the Clarence Derwent Award for Most Promising Male Performer.

Wittrock gained significant recognition for his collaborations with television producer Ryan Murphy, starting with the HBO film “The Normal Heart” in 2014. That same year, he starred as Dandy Mott in “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor. His work with Murphy continued across multiple seasons of “American Horror Story” (“Hotel,” “Roanoke,” “1984,” “Double Feature”) and “Ratched” (2020), where he played Edmund Tolleson also earning a Critics’ Choice Super Awards nomination for Best Villain in a Series. Beyond television, Wittrock has appeared in films such as Angelina Jolie’s biographical war drama “Unbroken” (2014), Adam McKay’s “The Big Short” (2015), and Damien Chazelle’s musical “La La Land” (2016).

His career progression also includes notable stage performances, including playing Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” at the Shakespeare Theatre Company and Cassio in “Othello” at the New York Theatre Workshop. In 2017, he returned to Broadway in “The Glass Menagerie” alongside Sally Field. Wittrock has also contributed as a writer, co-writing the screenplay for “The Submarine Kid” (2015). Recent projects include the film “Don’t Move” (2024), “Origin” (2023) and playing Milton Hershey in the upcoming film “Hershey” (2026). His diverse acting roles have showcased his range and adaptability across various genres and platforms.