David Farrington Thornton (born May 4, 1953) is an American actor. He has appeared in ''
John Q
''John Q.'' is a 2002 American crime drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes, and written by James Kearns. It stars Denzel Washington as the title character, a man who takes a hospital emergency room hostage in order for his son to receive a ...
'', ''
Home Alone 3
''Home Alone 3'' is a 1997 American crime comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell in his directorial debut, and written and produced by John Hughes. A standalone sequel to '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' (1992), it is the third installment ...
'' as Earl Unger, ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...
'', ''
The Notebook
''The Notebook'' is a 2004 American romantic drama film directed by Nick Cassavetes, from a screenplay by Jeremy Leven and Jan Sardi, and based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel Mc ...
'', and ''
The Other Woman'', among other roles. He is the husband of singer, songwriter and actress
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
.
Personal life
Thornton was born in
Cheraw, South Carolina
Cheraw ( , ) is a town on the Pee Dee River in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 5,040 at the 2020 census. The greater Cheraw area in the zip code 29520 has a populatio ...
. He is the son of professor Robert Donald Thornton (1917–2006), who taught English at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
among other institutions, and Grace Ellen (née Baker; 1919–2019).
[Who Was Who In America 2006-2007, vol. XVIII, Kerry Nugent Morrison, Marquis Who's Who, 2007, p. 241] He graduated from
Hamilton College
Hamilton College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York, Clinton, New York. It was established as the Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and received its c ...
and
Yale Drama School
The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in ...
and studied at
Lee Strasberg
Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American acting coach and actor. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed ...
's Actors Studio.
Thornton met singer
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...
on the set of the film ''
Off and Running
''Off and Running'' is a 1991 American comedy mystery film directed by Ed Bianchi, written by Mitch Glazer, and starring Cyndi Lauper and David Keith. Orion Pictures originally had plans to give this movie a wide release but due to the company's ...
''.
They married in November 1991 and have a son, Declyn Wallace Lauper Thornton (born November 19, 1997).
In 2005, the New York Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Thornton in ''Thornton v. Baron'', which is considered a landmark decision in the New York real estate industry, specifically dealing with
rent stabilization in New York.
Filmography
Film
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Television
Video games
References
External links
*
1953 births
Living people
People from Cheraw, South Carolina
American male film actors
American male television actors
Hamilton College (New York) alumni
Male actors from South Carolina
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Long stubs with short prose
{{US-screen-actor-1950s-stub