An American actor and director. He began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films. He gradually gained recognition for his supporting work in a series of notable films, including Scent of a Woman (1992), Twister (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), Happiness (1998), The Big Lebowski (1998), Magnolia (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Almost Famous (2000), 25th Hour (2002), Punch-Drunk Love (2002), Cold Mountain (2003), and Along Came Polly (2004). In 2005, he played the title role in the biographical film Capote (2005), for which he won multiple acting awards including an Academy Award for Best Actor. He received another two Academy Award nominations for his supporting work in Charlie Wilson's War (2007) and Doubt (2008). Other critically acclaimed films in recent years included Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) and The Savages (2007). In 2010, he made his feature film directorial debut with Jack Goes Boating. He also directed and performed in numerous off-Broadway productions.