kids encyclopedia robot

Alex Wolff facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Alex Wolff
Human Capital 01 (48816385573).jpg
Wolff in 2019
Born
Alexander Draper Wolff

(1997-11-01) November 1, 1997 (age 27)
New York City, U.S.
Occupation
  • Actor
  • musician
Years active 2005–present
Parent(s)
Relatives
  • Nat Wolff (brother)
  • William Henry Draper Jr. (great-grandfather)
  • William Henry Draper III (grandfather)
  • Tim Draper (uncle)
  • Jesse Draper (cousin)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • drums
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Labels

Alexander Draper Wolff (born November 1, 1997) is an American actor and musician. Wolff and his brother formed a duo called Nat & Alex Wolff, and released the albums Black Sheep (2011), Public Places (2016) and Table for Two (2023).

Wolff focused his career on film roles, portraying Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in Patriots Day (2016) and John "Derf" Backderf in My Friend Dahmer (2017). He made his directorial debut with the drama film The Cat and the Moon (2019). His other acting roles include My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Hereditary (2018), Pig (2021), Old (2021), and A Quiet Place: Day One (2024).

Early and personal life

Wolff was born in Manhattan, New York City, to actress Polly Draper and jazz pianist Michael Wolff. He is the younger brother of actor and musician Nat Wolff. His father is Jewish and his mother is Christian. Wolff is a maternal grandson of venture capitalist and civic leader William Henry Draper III, a nephew of venture capitalist Tim Draper, a cousin to Jesse Draper, and a great-grandson of banker and diplomat William Henry Draper Jr.

Wolff has Tourette's syndrome, which he inherited from his father.

Career

In 2007, he portrayed the young boy in the Fall Out Boy music video "The Take Over, the Breaks Over". Wolff made a cameo in the Nickelodeon TV movie Mr. Troop Mom and the USA police-procedural, comedic television drama Monk, both in 2009. He also starred in his playwriting What Would Woody Do? at The Flea Theater—which was directed by his mother—and the HBO medical drama In Treatment, both in 2010. Wolff later appeared in the comedy film The Sitter (2011) and starred alongside Brendan Fraser in the independent film HairBrained (2012).

In 2015, he starred in the indie drama Coming Through the Rye. In 2016, he had a supporting role in the comedy sequel My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and played terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the drama Patriots Day, about the Boston Marathon bombing.

In 2018, Wolff starred in the supernatural horror film Hereditary. He made his directorial debut with 2019's The Cat and the Moon, which he also wrote and starred in.

In 2020, Wolff participated in Acting for a Cause, a live classic play and screenplay reading series, created, directed and produced by Brando Crawford. Wolff played Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and Warren Straub in This Is Our Youth by Kenneth Lonergan. The reading raised funds for non-profit charities including Mount Sinai Medical Center. Wolff co-produced the second reading.

Awards

He received a Certificate of Outstanding Achievement for Best Actor at the Brooklyn International Film Festival for his lead role in the film HairBrained in 2013. On October 11, 2018, Wolff received the Auteur Award at the San Diego International Film Festival.

He received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actor at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021, for his performance in the film Castle in the Ground.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2011 From Up on Poppy Hill Riku Matsuzaki (voice) English dub
The Sitter Clayton
2012 The Empty Room Allen Short film
2013 A Birder's Guide to Everything Timmy Barsky
Hair Brained Eli Pettifog
2015 Coming Through the Rye Jamie Schwartz
Boots Noah Short film
2016 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Bennett
The Standoff Zane
Patriots Day Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
2017 Thoroughbreds Party Friend Uncredited
The House of Tomorrow Jared Whitcomb
My Friend Dahmer John 'Derf' Backderf
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Spencer Gilpin
2018 Hereditary Peter Graham
Dude Noah
Stella's Last Weekend Oliver
2019 The Cat and the Moon Nick Also writer and director
Castle in the Ground Henry Fine
Bad Education Nick Fleishman
Human Capital Ian
Jumanji: The Next Level Spencer Gilpin
2021 Pig Amir
Old Trent Cappa
2022 Susie Searches Jesse
2023 A Good Person Mark
The Line Tom Backster
Oppenheimer Luis Walter Alvarez
2024 A Quiet Place: Day One Reuben
2025 Magic Farm Jeff Completed

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Mr. Troop Mom Alex Wolff Television film
Monk Brian Willis Episode: "Mr. Monk Goes Camping"
2010 In Treatment Max Weston 7 episodes
2016 Divorce Cole 2 episodes
2017 Red Oaks Director Episode: "Summer in the City"
Crash & Burn Gabriel Television film
2020 Acting for a Cause Algernon / Warren Straub 2 episodes
2024 So Long, Marianne Leonard Cohen

Music videos

Year Song Artist Role
2024 "Lithonia" Childish Gambino Drummer
kids search engine
Alex Wolff Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.