On Law & Order: Criminal Intent on cable this morning, an episode with a very familiar face that I couldn’t put a name to. The man turned out to be named Geoffrey Nauffts, but I still couldn’t place him. He’s a veteran actor on tv, in the movies, and on stage, as well as an award-winning playwright. And he’s openly gay. Here’s the playwright at his desk:
(#1)
Very brief career notes from IMDb:
Geoffrey Nauffts was born on February 3, 1961. He is known for his work on The Commish (1991), A Few Good Men (1992) and Mississippi Burning (1988).
He’s been a dependable presence in the various Law & Order series, playing six different characters in Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent:
Jamie Cullen, L&O: s2 e2 “The Wages of Love” (9/24/91)
Monica Johnson’s Defense Attorney, L&O: s8 e21 “Bad Girl” (4/29/98)
Frank Martin, SVU: s1 e9 “Stocks & Bondage” (11/29/99)
*Dale Van Acker, CI: s1 e3 “Smothered” (10/14/01)
Steve Abrutso, SVU: s5 e15 “Families” (2/10/04)
Brendan Keele, CI: s6 e4 “Maltese Cross” (10/10/06)
The asterisk marks the episode I saw this morning.
On to Next Fall, from its Wikipedia entry:
Next Fall is a play written by Geoffrey Nauffts. The play is about two gay men in a committed relationship with a twist, with one, Luke, being devoutly religious and the other, Adam, an atheist. The play revolves around their five-year relationship and how they make it work despite their differences. However, when an accident changes everything, Adam must turn to Luke’s family for support and answers. This play opened off-Broadway in 2009 before transferring to the Helen Hayes Theater in February, 2010… It closed on July 4, 2010
It got very fabulous reviews and was nominated for a 2010 Tony Award. And then moved to the Geffen Playhouse in L.A. in 2011, in a production in which Nauffts himself took one of the lead roles. Here he his with co-star James Wolk:
(#2)
From an L.A. Times interview of 10/30/11, on the occasion of the Geffen opening:
For the West Coast premiere of his play at the Geffen Playhouse, the writer-actor takes on a lead role to which he bears a suspicious resemblance
… Nauffts knew he was gay from an early age but says he tried “to sort of will it away. When I was growing up there were no images to hold on to. No ‘Will & Grace,’ no Tim Gunn. I didn’t broach the subject with my family until I fell in love with another man.”
He’s pleased to be visible now. And it doesn’t seem to have hurt his employability.
