Adam Charles Goldberg is an American actor, director, producer, and musician. Known for his supporting roles in film and television, Goldberg has appeared in films such as Dazed and Confused, Saving Private Ryan, A Beautiful Mind, and Zodiac. He has also played leading roles in independent films such as The Hebrew Hammer and 2 Days in Paris. His TV appearances include the shows Friends, Joey, Entourage, The Jim Gaffigan Show, The Unusuals, and his critically acclaimed role as hitman Mr. Numbers in the first season of Fargo. He currently has a recurring supporting role as Simon Hayes in the showGod Friended Me.
Career
Film
Goldberg's first major screen role was in the Billy Crystal film Mr. Saturday Night. His career-making role was arguably that of the tough, wise-cracking infantryman Mellish in Steven Spielberg's 1998 film Saving Private Ryan. While he played a lead character in The Hebrew Hammer, Goldberg has mostly been cast in supporting roles. Notable roles include Jerry, the undead servant to Christopher Walken's Angel Gabriel in the supernatural thrillerThe Prophecy. Goldberg has also voice acted in and cartoons like Eek! The Cat. Goldberg often portrays stereotypically Jewish characters. Goldberg appeared extensively in the Flaming Lips documentary The Fearless Freaks, and had a supporting role in Christmas on Mars, a science fiction film written and directed by Lips frontman Wayne Coyne. In 1999, he appeared in the Sixpence None The Richer music video "There She Goes". Goldberg wrote, produced, directed, and edited the features Scotch and Milk and I Love Your Work, as well as multiple television projects, notably including the philosophical travelogue Running with the Bulls for IFC.
Music
A guitarist and songwriter, Goldberg composed and arranged the music to the I Love Your Work and Running with the Bulls and provided a song for the Hebrew Hammer soundtrack. He is known to travel with a cheap acoustic guitar, as can be seen in Running with the Bulls. Goldberg has released rock and jazz albums, including Changes, with Latin jazz percussionist Phil Maturano. He plays in a group named LANDy. LANDy's debut album, Eros and Omissions, was released on June 23, 2009. Flaming Lips drummer Steven Drozd, with whom Goldberg collaborated on the score for I Love Your Work, performed on the record. Earlimart's Aaron Espinoza is credited as having done the final mix as well as having engineered many of the more recent songs. On June 7, 2011, Goldberg performed as lead singer with his group The Goldberg Sisters, performing "Shush" on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Television
In 1995, Goldberg appeared in a signature wise-cracking role as delivery boy Leo in the television comedy Double Rush. Goldberg then appeared in a three-episode arc in the second season of Friends as Chandler's crazy roommate Eddie. He appeared some years later in a nine-episode arc in season two of the Friends spinoff show Joey as Jimmy, Joey Tribbiani's best friend from high school. He also appeared as a main character in the short-lived 2005 Fox series Head Cases. Goldberg appeared in the short-lived ensemble cop showThe Unusuals, playing a detective in New York City with brain cancer who refuses treatment because of his dislike of doctors. His character was stated as being "sarcastic" and Goldberg had been described as "one of the better reasons to watch". He subsequently appeared in the short-lived ensemble cop show NYC 22. Goldberg played the role of Dave Marks, a struggling comedian and Jim Gaffigan's best friend, for two seasons on the TV Land sitcom The Jim Gaffigan Show. In 2017, Goldberg joined the cast of NBC's Taken as a regular cast member during the show's second season. He portrays Kilroy, an accomplished computer hacker. In 2019, Goldberg had a supporting role in the cast of CBS's God Friended Me as technical entrepreneur, Simon Hayes.
Personal life
Goldberg was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Donna and Earl Goldberg, a former lifeguard who ran a wholesale food business. His father is Jewish with roots in Russia, Lithuania and Romania; his mother is a non-practicingRoman Catholic, of Mexican, Irish, French, and German descent. He lives in Los Angeles with his miniature pinscher dog, Sheriff. In December 2014, Goldberg and his girlfriend, artist and designer Roxanne Daner, had a son. They had a second son on November 29, 2018.
