- HIGHER GROUND - - CAST & CREW - SYNOPSIS - DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT VERA FARMIGA - DIRECTOR Q&A - THE ACTORS –
- HIGHER GROUND - - CAST & CREW - SYNOPSIS - DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT VERA FARMIGA - DIRECTOR Q&A - THE ACTORS –
THE ACTORS NORBERT LEO BUTZ – Pastor Bill Norbert Leo Butz is a Tony® Award-winning stage actor, whose Broadway credits include Rent (Original Cast); Wicked (Original Cast); Thou Shalt Not, for which he received Tony® Award, Drama Desk and Outer Critics nominations; and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, for which he won a Tony® Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actor in a Musical. In addition to starring in Vera Farmiga’s HIGHER GROUND, Butz’s previous film projects include Dan in Real Life with Steve Carrell and Fair Game with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. On television, he has appeared on ABC’s “The Deep End”; “The Good Wife” starring Julianna Margulies and Chris Noth; and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”. He also starred in the CBS miniseries “Comanche Moon,” alongside Elizabeth Banks and Val Kilmer. Currently, Butz can be seen on Broadway starring as ‘Carl Hanratty’ in Catch Me if You Can, for which he has won both a Tony® Award and Drama Desk Award, as well as an Outer Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. DAGMARA DOMINCZYK – Annika Dagmara Dominczyk is a television, theatre and film actress. Originally from Poland, Dominczyk pursued the arts in New York City, first at Laguardia High School of Performing Arts as a teenager and later at Carnegie Mellon University. On Broadway, she has performed in such productions as Closer, The Violet Hour and Enchanted, and Off-Broadway productions such as There Are No More Big Secrets and Red Angel with Eric Bogosian at Williamstown Film. Dominczyk’s television appearances include “24”; “Five People You Meet in Heaven”; “Bedford Diaries”; and “Law & Order: SVU.” In addition to her role as Annika in HIGHER GROUND, she has also acted in films such as Trust the Man with David Duchovny; Lonely Hearts opposite Salma Hayek; The Count of Monte Cristo; Rock Star; and Ryan Murphy’s Running with Scissors. Currently, Dominczyk is balancing motherhood with acting work, and is finishing her first novel. JOHN HAWKES – CW Walker John Hawkes received critical acclaim for his role as ‘Teardrop’ in Debra Granik’s feature Winter’s Bone, which earned him an Independent Spirit Award win and an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor, along with nominations from the Screen Actors Guild® and several film critic groups. In addition, the Santa Barbara Film Festival honored him with their Virtuoso Award for his performance. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone Magazine credits Hawkes “in a brilliant portrayal of buried tenderness” and Karen Durbin of the New York Times wrote, “John Hawkes’ Teardrop is a villain worthy of Shakespeare. He is mesmerizing.” The film, also nominated for an Academy Award®, won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and recently garnered Best Feature and Best Acting Ensemble at the Gotham Awards. The Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles also presented Hawkes with their Indie Film Trailblazer award for 2010. He’s completed production on the indie film The Playroom and Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion as well as HIGHER GROUND with Vera Farmiga and Martha Marcy May Marlene; the latter will be released by Fox Searchlight in the fall of 2011. Hawkes previously starred in Me and You and Everyone We Know which won a Special Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. It shared Camera d’Or honors and won the Critics Week sidebar at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and received two 2006 Independent Spirit Awards nominations. Hawkes also starred in and co-produced the independent film, Buttleman for which he received a Breakout Performance Award at the 2004 Sedona Film Festival. Additional credits include American Gangster; Miami Vice; Identity; The Perfect Storm; Small Town Saturday Night; Hardball; Wristcutters: A Love Story; The Amateurs; From Dusk Till Dawn; and A Slipping-Down Life. On television, Hawkes has starred in two acclaimed series for HBO. He portrayed ‘Sol Star’ in the critically lauded drama “Deadwood” and now plays Danny McBride’s brother ‘Dustin’ in the comedy “Eastbound and Down.” Born and raised in rural Minnesota, Hawkes moved to Austin, Texas where he began his career as an actor and musician. He co-founded the Big State Productions theater company and appeared in the group’s original play, In the West at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He also starred in the national touring company production of the play Greater Tuna including extended engagements in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. Hawkes wrote and performed the solo play Nimrod Soul at the Theatre at the Improv and appeared on Broadway in the 24 Hour Plays alongside Sam Rockwell. Hawkes has penned several songs featured in films and television shows. His song “Bred and Buttered” appears on the newly-released Winter’s Bone soundtrack. With his band King Straggler he performed at the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW Music Festival and numerous clubs across the U.S. He is currently writing and recording a new full length CD due for release in 2011.