- Born
- Birth nameCraig Philip Bierko
- Height6′ 2½″ (1.89 m)
- Craig Bierko was born on August 18, 1964 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Thirteenth Floor (1999), The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) and Scary Movie 4 (2006).
- ParentsPat BierkoRex Bierko
- Was originally cast as Chandler in Friends (1994) but turned down the role and was replaced by Matthew Perry.
- Was offered the choice to lead a sitcom called "Best Friends," or play Chandler Bing in "Friends Like Us," later renamed to just "Friends." After conferring with close friends and fellow aspiring stars, Hank Azaria and Matthew Perry--both of whom having implored Bierko to go with the Chandler Bing role--Bierko instead told his agent to put him down for the lead on "Best Friends", which ended up getting canceled after a handful of episodes. Perry, having witnessed the phone call to Bierko's agent, positioned himself to read for the role himself at that point, securing it within three days, and launching himself into superstardom and Americana as a result.
- Gained a good deal of muscle and bulk to play boxer Max Baer in Cinderella Man (2005).
- He played traveling salesman Professor Harold Hill in the Broadway revival of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man," which opened on April 27, 2000. He was later nominated for a Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical later that year.
- He has Ashkenazi Jewish (mother) and Polish (father) ancestry.
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