Seth Meier '96, a theater major, began his professional acting career as a child doing commercials. As a teenager, he had bit parts in the feature films School Ties and Outside Providence. At IC he acted in the productions of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Grand Hotel: The Musical, Life under Water, Menagerie, and Merry Wives of Windsor. After graduation he acted in an off-Broadway production of Steel Kiss. Since then he's been busy making movies.

Last year he played Brian Whelen (at right) in Kevin Costner's film For Love of the Game. He liked working with Costner and describes him as "an all-around nice guy." One time on the set, Meier recalls, "I was on the phone with my mother, who was ill, and Costner grabbed the phone to wish her well. My mother didn't believe it was him - she thought it was one of my friends playing a prank - and she hung up!" It wasn't until later that she believed her son, when others who witnessed the call convinced her Costner really was on the phone.

Meier also played with Harold Perrineau and Aidan Quinn in the satiric film Overnight Sensation, which opened last spring. He appears with song artists Mary J. Blige, Elvis Costello, and Q-Tip in Prison Song, a 2000 film codirected by Robert DeNiro. He is working with Pam Grier in Don't Explain, now in production, and has a role in the upcoming comedy feature Even Steven. Meier can be seen on television as Liam Meaney, in HBO's prison drama series Oz, now in its fifth season. And just in case all that on-screen activity isn't enough, he's writing a screenplay and a book and has his eye out for a directing project.

- Jennifer Everritt

[photo caption; no credit]

Seth Meier '96 in Kevin Costner's 1999 film For Love of the Game