Peter Berg

American actor and director (born 1964)

This article is about the American filmmaker and actor. For the environmental writer, see Peter Berg (bioregionalist).

Peter Berg

Berg in 2012

Born|  (1964-03-11) March 11, 1964 (age 61)[1]

New York City, U.S.

Education| The Taft School
Alma mater| Macalester College
Occupations|

* Director
* producer
* writer
* actor

Years active| 1988–present
Notable work| The Rundown, Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, Hancock, Battleship, Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, Patriots Day
Spouse|

Elizabeth Rogers

(m. 1993; div. 1998)​

Children| 1

Peter Berg (born March 11, 1964)[1] is an American director, producer, writer, and actor. His directorial film works include the black comedy Very Bad Things (1998), the action comedy The Rundown (2003), the sports drama Friday Night Lights (2004), the action thriller The Kingdom (2007), the superhero comedy-drama Hancock (2008), the military science fiction war film Battleship (2012), the war film Lone Survivor (2013), the disaster drama Deepwater Horizon (2016), the Boston Marathon bombing drama Patriots Day (2016), the action thriller Mile 22 (2018), and the action comedy Spenser Confidential (2020), the latter five all starring Mark Wahlberg. In addition to cameo appearances in the last six of these titles, he has had prominent acting roles in films including Never on Tuesday (1989), Shocker (1989), The Last Seduction (1994), The Great White Hype (1996), Cop Land (1997), Corky Romano (2001), Collateral (2004), Smokin' Aces (2006), and Lions for Lambs (2007).

In television, Berg created the ABC series Wonderland (2000). He developed the NBC series Friday Night Lights (2006–2011), adapted from his film, earning two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. As an actor, he is best known for his role as Dr. Billy Kronk on the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope (1995–1999).[2]

## Early life

[edit]

Berg was born on March 11, 1964[1] in New York City, the son of Laurence "Larry" Berg,[3] a US Marine, and Sally (née Winkler) Berg.[4] Berg's father was Jewish, as was his maternal grandfather.[5] His mother was Christian.[6]

Through his mother, Berg is a second cousin of writer H. G. Bissinger, whose book Friday Night Lights provided the basis for Berg's film and TV series of the same name.[7][8][9] His mother co-founded a nonprofit directory of youth-focused charities named Catalog for Giving, and worked at a psychiatric hospital when Berg was growing up.[10] He has a younger sister, Mary.

Peter was a student in the Chappaqua School System. After graduating from The Taft School in 1980,[11] Berg attended Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he majored in theater arts and theater history and graduated in 1984.[12] Berg later moved to Los Angeles to pursue his film career.[12]

## Career

[edit]

In his early days in Los Angeles, Berg worked such jobs as a prop assistant and a driver.[13] Berg acted in 21 Jump Street[12] and later in Never on Tuesday, Miracle Mile, Race For Glory, Shocker, Heart of Dixie, Tale of Two Sisters and Going Overboard in 1989.[14] He acted in Genuine Risk in 1990[14] and in Late for Dinner and Crooked Hearts in 1991.[12] In the early 1990s, he appeared in Fire in the Sky Aspen Extreme, Across the Moon and F.T.W..[14]

In 1992, Berg gained recognition for playing a World War II soldier in the film A Midnight Clear.[2] In 1998, Berg made his feature directorial debut with Very Bad Things, a black comedy starring Jon Favreau, Christian Slater, Jeremy Piven, Daniel Stern, and Leland Orser. The film, which was shown at the Toronto and San Sebastian Film Festivals, received mixed critical reception. In 2000, he created Wonderland, an edgy dramatic television series set in an asylum. While the ABC show received rave reviews and garnered a cult following, it failed to deliver ratings and was quickly canceled.[2]

In 2003, Berg directed the action comedy The Rundown. Starring Dwayne Johnson and Seann William Scott, the film received mixed reviews from critics and disappointed at the box office, only grossing $80 million of its reported $85 million budget.[15]

In 2004, Berg began work on his third directorial effort, Friday Night Lights, a football film based on The New York Times bestseller written by Buzz Bissinger.[16] In 2006, Berg developed and became executive producer of NBC's Peabody[17] and Emmy Award-winning drama[18] Friday Night Lights, which takes inspiration from the book and Berg's film of the same name, but features an original storyline and new characters.[19]

Berg appeared alongside Tom Cruise in the Robert Redford directed war film Lions for Lambs (2007) as Lt. Colonel Falco.[20] Berg followed up in 2007 with directing The Kingdom, a Michael Mann-produced action-political thriller set in Saudi Arabia, starring Academy Award winners Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper, also with Jennifer Garner[21] whom Berg met when he appeared on the television series Alias.[22]

Berg directed the 2008 film Hancock, starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman, that grossed over $600,000,000 million worldwide.[23]

Berg directed a Hulu commercial featuring Alec Baldwin, which both The New York Times and Time named best spot of Super Bowl XLIII.[24] In 2009, Berg directed a two-hour pilot movie for the Fox television series Virtuality. Even though the show was not picked up for a full season, the pilot was released on DVD exclusively through Best Buy. Berg also directed the ESPN documentary 30 for 30: Kings Ransom in 2009. Berg also co-wrote the film The Losers (2010).[25]

Berg also directed the science-fiction action film Battleship (2012), a live-action adaptation of the board game, and the war film Lone Survivor (2013), an adaptation of Marcus Lutrell's book of the same name.[26] Variety writer Justin Chang said Berg delivered "his most serious-minded work to date with Lone Survivor."[27] The following year, Berg acted as producer on the 2014 film Hercules, which he was originally slated to direct before being replaced by Brett Ratner.[28]

In 2013, Berg created the opening animation sequence for ESPN's Monday Night Football, the 80-second graphic featured Darth Vader, Pac-Man, President Ronald Reagan and football highlights of 44 years.[29]

In 2014, he directed the first two episodes of HBO's The Leftovers.[30]

In 2015, Berg launched the nonfiction studio Film 45 to complement his fiction studio Film 44.[31]

In 2016, Berg directed the film Deepwater Horizon, based on the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Berg replaced director J. C. Chandor, who had exited the film due to creative differences.[32] That same year, he directed CBS Films' Patriots Day, about the Boston Marathon bombing,[33] and the following year directed the action thriller Mile 22.[34] All three films starred Mark Wahlberg.

In 2017, Berg directed an ambitious commercial for Hyundai, which was recorded after the kickoff of Super Bowl LI and aired right after the game.[35] His Film 44 company was recently signed to a first look deal with Netflix, which saw the release of his most recent film Spenser Confidential, the director's fifth collaboration with Wahlberg.[36]

In 2019, Berg directed a historic commercial for the National Football League, "...football fans witnessed another milestone moment with the premiere of the NFL's Super Bowl commercial entitled The 100-Year Game. The two minute ad, which kicked off the celebration of the NFL's 100th season garnered the No. 1 spot in USA Today's Ad Meter with the publication describing it as "a tour de force starring an assemblage of many of the greats of NFL history."[37]

In 2024, Berg announced he was working on a film based on the book "The Mosquito Bowl".[38]

## Personal life

[edit]

In 1993, Berg was married to Elizabeth Rogers; they have one child and divorced in 1998.[39][40]

In July 2015, Berg criticized ESPN's decision to honor Caitlyn Jenner with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award by sharing a what people believe was transphobic meme on Instagram, where he posted a Facebook photo of Army veteran and double amputee Gregory D. Gadson alongside one of Jenner. The meme's caption said: "One man traded 2 legs for the freedom of the other to trade 2 balls for 2 boobs. Guess which man made the cover of Vanity Fair, was praised for his courage by President Obama, and is to be honored with the 'Arthur Ashe Courage Award' by ESPN?"[41][42][43] After being criticized for the meme, Berg later said: "I have the utmost respect for Caitlyn Jenner and I am a strong supporter of equality and the rights of trans people everywhere. I also believe that we don’t give enough attention to our courageous returning war veterans, many of whom have sacrificed their bodies and mental health for our country and our principals [sic]--principals [sic] that include the freedom to live the life you want to live without persecution or abuse."[44][45]

## Filmography

[edit]

### Film

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

1998  | Very Bad Things | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Also composer ("Walls Come Down")
2003  | The Rundown | Yes  | No  | No  |
2004  | Friday Night Lights | Yes  | Yes  | No  |
2007  | The Kingdom | Yes  | No  | No  |
2008  | Hancock | Yes  | No  | No  |
2010  | The Losers | No  | Yes  | No  |
2012  | Battleship | Yes  | No  | Yes  |
2013  | Lone Survivor | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  |
2016  | Deepwater Horizon | Yes  | No  | No  |
Patriots Day | Yes  | Yes  | No  |
2018  | Mile 22 | Yes  | No  | Yes  |
2020  | Spenser Confidential | Yes  | No  | Yes  |

Executive producer

* Pu-239 (2006)
* Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
* Hercules (2014)

Producer only

* Hell or High Water (2016)
* Wind River (2017)
* The Beast (TBA)

|
|

Acting roles

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1988  | Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story | Bobby  |
1989  | Never on Tuesday | Eddie  |
Miracle Mile | Band Member  |
Race for Glory | Chris Washburn  |
Shocker | Jonathan Parker  |
Heart of Dixie | Jenks  |
Tale of Two Sisters | Gardner  |
Going Overboard | Mort Ginsberg  | as Pete Berg
1990  | Genuine Risk | Henry  |
Forradalom után |  |
1991  | Late for Dinner | Frank Lovegren  |
Crooked Hearts | Tom  |
1992  | A Midnight Clear | Bud Miller  |
1993  | A Case for Murder | Jack Hemmet  |
Fire in the Sky | David Whitlock  |
Aspen Extreme | Dexter Rutecki  |
1994  | Across the Moon | Lyle  |
Uneviled | Drug dealer  |
F.T.W. | Clem Stuart  |
The Last Seduction | Mike Swale  |
Rise and Walk: The Dennis Byrd Story | Dennis Byrd |
1995  | Heavyweights | Chef (uncredited)  |
1996  | The Great White Hype | Terry Conklin  |
Girl 6 | Caller No 1—Bob  |
1997  | Cop Land | Joey Randone  |
1998  | Very Bad Things | Doctor  |
1999  | Dill Scallion | Nate Clumson  |
2001  | Corky Romano | Paulie Romano  |
2004  | Collateral | Richard Weidner  |
2006  | Smokin' Aces | "Pistol" Pete Deeks  |
2007  | Lions for Lambs | Lt. Col. Falco  |
The Kingdom | FBI Agent  |
2008  | Hancock | Doctor  | Uncredited
2011  | POM Wonderful Presents:
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold | Himself  | Documentary
2012  | Battleship | Sonar Mate  | Uncredited
2013  | Lone Survivor | Navy Personnel
2015  | Trophy Kids | Himself  | Documentary
2016  | Deepwater Horizon | Mr. Skip  | as Pete Berg
Patriots Day | Guy opening MIT Door  | as Pete Berg
2018  | Mile 22 | Lucas  | as Pete Berg

### Television

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Director  | Executive
producer  | Writer  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

1994–1997  | Chicago Hope | Yes  | No  | Yes  | Episodes "Colonel of Truth" and "Quiet Riot"
(as Peter W. Berg)
2000  | Wonderland | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Creator,
Episode "Pilot"
2006–2011  | Friday Night Lights | Yes  | Yes  | Yes  | Creator,
Episodes "Pilot" and "East of Dillon"
2009  | 30 for 30 | Yes  | No  | No  | Episode "Kings Ransom", Also producer
Virtuality | Yes  | Yes  | No  | TV movie
2009–2010  | Trauma | No  | Yes  | No  |
2011–2012  | Prime Suspect | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Episode "Pilot"
2014–2017  | The Leftovers | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Episodes "Pilot" and "Penguin One, Us Zero"
2015–2019  | Ballers | Yes  | Yes  | No  | Episode "Pilot"
2018  | The People's Fighters:
Teofilo Stevenson and the Legend of Cuban Boxing | Yes  | No  | No  | Documentary film, also narrator
2019–2020  | Dare Me | No  | Yes  | No  |
2021  | McCartney 3,2,1 | No  | Yes  | No  | Documentary series
2022  | Victoria's Secret: Angels and Demons | No  | Yes  | No  | 3 episodes,
Documentary series[46]
2023  | Painkiller | Yes  | Yes  | No  |
2024  | God Save Texas | No  | Yes  | No  | Documentary series
2025  | American Primeval | Yes  | Yes  | No  |
TBA  | The Green Beret's Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse | No  | Yes  | No  |

Acting roles

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1988  | 21 Jump Street | Jerome Sawyer  | Episode "Champagne High"
1995  | Fallen Angels | Augie / Joe Wales  | 2 episodes
1995–1999  | Chicago Hope | Dr. Billy Kronk  | 106 episodes
1996  | The Naked Truth |  | 1 episode
2002  | The King of Queens | Lil' Eddie  | Episode "Kirbed Enthusiasm"
Alias | Agent Noah Hicks  | Episodes "Snowman" and "Masquerade"
2008  | Friday Night Lights | Morris "Mo" McArnold  | Episode "May The Best Man Win"
2008–2010  | Entourage | Himself  | Season 5 and Season 7
2011  | Prime Suspect | Deputy Chief Daniel Costello  | 2 episodes
2012  | Californication | Himself  | Episode "The Way of the Fist"
2014  | The Leftovers | Pete  | 2 episodes
2015–2017  | Ballers | Coach Berg  | 7 episodes
2017  | Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television | Himself  | Episode: "Eight Is the New Se7en"
2023  | Painkiller | Car Salesman  | 1 episode
2025  | American Primeval | Fancher  | 1 episode

### Music video

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Artist

|
|

2003  | "Addicted"  | Enrique Iglesias
2008  | "Keeps Gettin' Better"  | Christina Aguilera
2012  | "One More Night"  | Maroon 5
2014  | "Maps"

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Year | Award | Category | Film | Result

|
|
|
|

1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Chicago Hope | Nominated
1997 | Nominated
1998 | Nominated
Deauville American Film Festival Award | Fun Radio Trophy | Very Bad Things | Won
Grand Special Prize | Nominated
San Sebastián International Film Festival Award | Golden Seashell | Nominated
2005 | AFI Award | Movie of the Year | Friday Night Lights | Won
ESPY Award | Best Sports Movie | Won
Teen Choice Award | Choice Movie: Drama | Nominated
USC Scripter Award | Best Film
(Shared with Buzz Bissinger and David Aaron Cohen) | Nominated
Young Artist Award | Best Family Feature Film – Drama | Nominated
2007 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Nominated
Writers Guild of America | Best New Series
(Shared with Bridget Carpenter, Kerry Ehrin, Carter Harris, Liz Heldens, David Hudgins, Jason Katims, Patrick Massett, Andy Miller, John Zinman) | Nominated
2008 | Golden Eagle Award | Best Foreign Film | Hancock | Nominated
2011 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Drama Series | Friday Night Lights | Nominated
2013 | Golden Raspberry Award | Worst Director | Battleship | Nominated
Worst Picture | Nominated
Golden Trailer Award | Best Summer Blockbuster 2012 TV Spot | Nominated
Houston Film Critics Society Award | Worst Film | Nominated
Satellite Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | Lone Survivor | Nominated
2014 | Writers Guild of America Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated
Saturn Award | Best Director | Nominated

## See also

[edit]

* Directors with two films rated "A+" by CinemaScore

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Peter Berg biography and filmography". Tribute. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
2. ^ a b c Marx, Rebecca Flint (2008). "Peter Berg". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 3, 2008. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
3. ^ "Laurence Berg obituary". The New York Times. May 3, 2015.
4. ^ "Ad Meter". Ad Meter.
5. ^ Bloom, Nate (October 17, 2003). "Celebrity Jews". J. The Jewish News of Northern California.
6. ^ "Hollywood Now: Drew Barrymore Makes You Want to Call Your Best Friend & Bridget Moynahan Gets Hitched". October 28, 2015.
7. ^ Mills, Bart (February 28, 1994). "Walking Tall". Chicago Tribune.
8. ^ "Caught in the Crossfire: Politics, Religion, Blockbuster Action Hold the Keys to This 'Kingdom'". Goliath.ecnext.com. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
9. ^ Samuelson, Ruth (November 9, 2006). "Lights On or Off?". Houston Press.
10. ^ "Peter Berg Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Yahoo!. Retrieved September 14, 2008.
11. ^ "Berg and Smith". taftschool.org. The Taft School. 2012. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012.
12. ^ a b c d Marx, Andy (September 14, 1991). "Peter Berg Really Loves to Act, but He Has Trouble Accounting for It". Los Angeles Times.
13. ^ White, Tom (April 8, 1995). "Peter Berg: A Man of Action and Words". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2025.
14. ^ a b c "Filmography". The New York Times. June 11, 2008. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008.
15. ^ "The Rundown (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
16. ^ "Peter Berg Biography". Moviefone. Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
17. ^ "Friday Night Lights". Peabody Awards. 2006.
18. ^ "Friday Night Lights". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 2011.
19. ^ "Behind The Scenes Of 'Friday Night Lights'". NPR. July 13, 2011.
20. ^ Dargis, Manohla (November 9, 2007). "Lions for Lambs (2007)". Archived from the original on November 13, 2013.
21. ^ Scott, A. O. (September 28, 2007). "F.B.I. Agents Solve the Terrorist Problem". The New York Times. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
22. ^ Rose, Lacey (March 10, 2021). "The Queen of Nice: Jennifer Garner on Rededicating Herself to Acting, Co-Parenting With Ben Affleck and Prospects of an 'Alias' Reboot". The Hollywood Reporter.
23. ^ "Hancock (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Box Office Mojo, LLC. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
24. ^ "ESPN 30 for 30". 30for30.espn.com. August 9, 1988. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
25. ^ Dargis, Manohla (April 22, 2010). "A Band of Brothers, Seriously Ticked Off". The New York Times.
26. ^ "Peter Berg Puts Lone Survivor on Hold to Sink My Battleship". Beyond Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 18, 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
27. ^ Chang, Justin (December 16, 2013). "'Lone Survivor' Review: Mark Wahlberg Stars in Peter Berg's Grueling War Drama". Variety. Variety Media, LLC. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
28. ^ Fleming, Michael (July 23, 2008). "Peter Berg to direct 'Hercules'". Variety. Variety Media, LLC. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
29. ^ Couch, Aaron (August 14, 2013). "Peter Berg Talks 'Monday Night Football' and His NFL 'Man Crushes' (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter.
30. ^ Sharf, Zack (May 31, 2017). "'The Leftovers': The 7 Filmmakers That Made It One of Television's Best Directed Series". IndieWire.
31. ^ "Peter Berg Starts Film 45 Non-Scripted Company; Rihanna Documentary, Special Forces Series Among First Projects". Deadline Hollywood. March 10, 2015.
32. ^ Kit, Borys (January 30, 2015). "Peter Berg in Talks to Replace J.C. Chandor on 'Deepwater Horizon'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
33. ^ Kroll, Justin (August 4, 2015). "Peter Berg Eyes CBS Films' Boston Marathon Thriller 'Patriots' Day' (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
34. ^ Rizzo, Carita. "Mark Wahlberg, Peter Berg Talk Making a "Character-Driven Action Movie" with 'Mile 22'". Retrieved November 5, 2021.
35. ^ Brady, Erik (February 2, 2017). "Hyundai's 'live' commercial puts deployed soldiers at Super Bowl with families". usatoday.com. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
36. ^ "'Spenser Confidential' Director Peter Berg Signs First-Look Deal With Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
37. ^ "'Making of the 100-Year Game' on NFL Network Offers Behind-The-Scenes Look at Award-Winning NFL Super Bowl Commercial". nflcommunications.com. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
38. ^ "Peter Berg visits III Marine Expeditionary Force facilities, leaders". DVIDS. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
39. ^ Spindler, Amy M. (August 29, 1995). "Fashion Hitches a Ride With Hollywood's Shining Stars". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
40. ^ Jordan, Pat (August 15, 2013). "Peter Berg Threw Himself Under a Bus. Now What?". The New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
41. ^ Smith, Nigel M. (July 16, 2015). "Peter Berg denounces Caitlyn Jenner's ESPY win with transphobic meme". The Guardian.
42. ^ Ring, Trudy (July 17, 2015). "'Friday Night Lights' Producer Apologizes for Anti-Jenner Post". The Advocate.
43. ^ Rosen, Christopher (July 16, 2015). "Peter Berg shares transphobic meme after Caitlyn Jenner ESPY win". Entertainment Weekly.
44. ^ Boren, Cindy (July 16, 2015). "Friday Night Lights producer Peter Berg slams Caitlyn Jenner's ESPYs courage award". The Washington Post.
45. ^ Khatchatourian, Maane (July 16, 2015). "Director Peter Berg Slams Caitlyn Jenner's ESPYs Award". Variety Magazine.
46. ^ Widjojo, Conchit (June 29, 2022). "Everything to Know About Hulu's Victoria's Secret Documentary: Release Date, How to Watch and More Details". WWD. Retrieved July 14, 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Peter Berg at IMDb
* Peter Berg's KCRW Guest DJ Set
* The New York Times: Wonderland

* v
* t
* e

Works by Peter Berg

Films directed|

* Very Bad Things (1998)
* The Rundown (2003)
* Friday Night Lights (2004)
* The Kingdom (2007)
* Hancock (2008)
* Virtuality (2009)
* Battleship (2012)
* Lone Survivor (2013)
* Deepwater Horizon (2016)
* Patriots Day (2016)
* The People's Fighters: Teofilo Stevenson and the Legend of Cuban Boxing (2018)
* Mile 22 (2018)
* Spenser Confidential (2020)

TV series created|

* Wonderland (2000)
* Friday Night Lights (2006–2011)

TV series directed|

* Painkiller (2023)
* American Primeval (2025)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic
* Spain
* Netherlands
* Norway
* 2
* Korea
* Poland
* Israel
* Catalonia

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* IdRef
* SNAC
* Yale LUX

*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced
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