Actor Reed Birney has been performing on the stage and screen for decades. He won a Tony Award in 2016 for his role in the Broadway play The Humans, and may also be familiar to television audiences for playing the bumbling Donald Blythe on Netflix’s House of Cards. The veteran thespian delivers his latest great performance in Mass, a harrowing and poignant story of two sets of parents coming together years after a school shooting, which earned Birney a nomination in the Outstanding Supporting Performance category from the Gotham Awards.

I had the chance to speak with Birney about tackling this role and subject matter, his excellent costars, highlights from his career, and what’s next for him. You can watch the video below, along with an official summary and where to watch.

Reed Birney Interview on “Mass.”

 

Film Summary: Years after an unspeakable tragedy tore their lives apart, two sets of parents (Reed Birney and Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton), agree to talk privately in an attempt to move forward. In Fran Kranz’s writing and directing debut, he thoughtfully examines their journey of grief, anger and acceptance by coming face-to-face with the ones who have been left behind.

Here’s the trailer for the film:

Mass premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival and is now playing in theaters.