American screenwriter, playwright, and actor Tracy Letts is best known for his contribution to the play “August: Osage County,” for which he received the Drama Desk Award, the Tony Award, and the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He is also well-known for his portrayal of Andrew Lockhart in the third and fourth seasons of Showtime’s ‘Homeland’ and for his performance as George in the Broadway revival of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ Letts was raised in Durant, Oklahoma, in an environment that encouraged and cultivated creativity. He was born to a college professor and an actor, and his mother is a writer. He graduated from Durant High School and attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University for a brief stint. Inspired by his father, he decided to abandon his studies to pursue an acting career. Prior to relocating to Chicago and securing acting roles, he held a variety of odd occupations. Beginning his career in the theater, he ultimately branched out into television and film. As both a playwright and an actor, he was quite successful. Letts is the wedded husband of actress Carrie Coon and the father of one child.
Youth and Early Life
Tracy Letts was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on July 4, 1965. His two brothers are musicians Dana and Shawn. His mother, Billie Letts, was a best-selling author and former professor at Southeastern State University of Oklahoma. His father, Dennis Letts, was a college professor and actor. Dennis had also served until 1956 in the United States Air Force. On February 22, 2008, he passed away from pulmonary cancer.
After graduating from Durant High School, Tracy Letts migrated to Dallas, where he worked as a waiter and joined a telemarketing firm. He ultimately relocated to Chicago to launch his acting career. When he began working for Steppenwolf Theater Company at age 20, Tracy Letts began his career as an actor. Together with Greg Kotis, Michael Shannon Paul, Amy Pietz, and Dillon, he then founded Bang Bang Spontaneous Theater.
He penned the play ‘Killer Joe’ in 1991. A year later, he portrayed Sean in the film ‘Straight Talk’. Immediately thereafter, he appeared in the 1994 play Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Letts made an appearance on an episode of ‘Home Improvement’ in 1995. The following year, he wrote the play ‘Bug,’ which was subsequently adapted into a motion picture. In 1996 and 1997, he starred in two ‘Early Edition’ episodes and one ‘Seinfeld’ episode.
He portrayed Sheriff Poe in the 1998 film ‘U.S. Marshals’. The movie was a spin-off from the 1993 film The Fugitive. The actor cum playwright appeared on an episode of ‘Judging Amy’ in 1999. He also appeared in the film ‘Guinevere’ and the play ‘Three Days of Rain’ in the same year. In 2001, he appeared in the play ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ and the television series Strong Medicine’ and ‘The District’. The following year, he performed in the plays ‘The Dazzle’ and ‘Miracle on 34th Street’.
“Man from Nebraska” was written by Letts and premiered in Chicago in 2003. In 2004 and 2005, he acted in the plays The Dresser, Last of the Boys, Orson’s Shadow, and The Pain and Scratching. In 2006, he played a minor character in two episodes of the television series ‘Prison Break’. In the same year, he also penned the screenplay for the film ‘Bug’, which was based on his play of the same name. The American performer also appeared in the plays ‘The Pillowman’ and ‘The Well-Appointed Room’ in the same year.
In the years that followed, he acted in and wrote the plays ‘Betrayal’ and ‘American Buffalo’, as well as ‘Superior Donuts and ‘Three Sisters’. The 2012 film Killer Joe, adapted from his own play of the same name, was written by him. Letts portrayed Senator/Director Andrew Lockhart on the television series ‘Homeland’ from 2013 to 2014. During this period, he also appeared in the stage production of ‘The Realistic Joneses’.
In the middle of the 2010s, the American performer was involved in numerous endeavors. He penned several plays, including “The Stretch,” “Mary Page Marlowe,” “Linda Vista,” and “The Minutes.” He also appeared in several films, including ‘The Big Short,’ ‘Christine,’ ‘The Lovers,’ ‘Indignation,’ ‘Lady Bird,’ and ‘The Post. Letts began portraying Nick on the comedy series ‘Divorce’ in 2016.
Major Opera About Tracy
Tracy Letts portrayed George in the 2006 production of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ The play investigates the complexities of the marriage between Martha and George. It was written by Edward Albee. In 2012, Letts reprised her role in the Steppenwolf Theater Company’s 50th Anniversary Broadway revival of the play. His performance in the play garnered him the Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play Tony Award in 2013.
Letts is the author of the drama August: Osage County. This comedy-drama premiered at the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago in June 2007 and closed in August. In December 2007, it made its Broadway debut at the Imperial Theater. The production was a tremendous success and garnered numerous awards and honors. August: Osage County subsequently won the 2008 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play and the 2008 Tony Award for Best Play. In addition, the production won Tracy Letts the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was subsequently adapted into a film with the same name.
Personal Facts About Tracy
In 2013, Tracy Letts married actress Carrie Coon. His wife is best known for portraying Nora Durst in the 2014-2017 HBO drama ‘The Leftovers’. She is also well-known for her stage performances in numerous plays, the most prominent of which is ‘Mary Jane.’
Estimated Net Worth
Letts is an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor with a $1 million net worth. In July of 1965, Tracy Letts was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. At age 20, he migrated to Chicago and worked for Steppenwolf Theatre Company for eleven years. Letts founded Bang Bang Spontaneous Theatre. As a writer, Letts penned the plays Bug, Killer Joe, and August: Osage County, for which he subsequently composed the screenplays.