Sex and the City

Background:

Evan Handler is American actor, author and journalist, who reached fame for playing Charlotte’s love-interest and eventual husband, Harry Goldenblatt, on the HBO television series “Sex and the City” (2002-2004). In a more recent time, he is known as Ricky Tahoe on the critically acclaimed NBC series “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (2006). Handler is also popular to TV viewers from starring roles to guest performances on numerous half hour comedies like “Sibs” (1991), “It’s Like, You Know...”(1999), “Friends” (2003) and “Hot Properties” (2005), as well as the dramas “The West Wing” (2001), “The Guardian” (2002) and “Lost” (2006), to name a few. On the big screen, the multifaceted Handler has dotted his acting resume with variety roles on such ventures as the adaptation of Chaim Potok’s The Chosen (1981), Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killer (1994) and Ron Howard’s Ransom (1996). Handler also has an extensive stage career.

As an author, Handler is known as the writer of the well-received “Time On Fire: My Comedy of Terrors” (1996) and the 2007 “It’s Only Temporary... The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive.” His writing also has been included in magazines like The New Yorker, Elle, Mirabella, USA Weekend and O.

Handler is married to Elisa Atti, a medical researcher from Italy.


Devoted Partner

Childhood and Family:

In New York, New York, Evan Handler was born on January 10, 1961. He grew up outside of New York in Montrose, N.Y., where he attended and graduated from Hendrick Hudson High School. His brother, Lowell Handler, was also involved in entertainment industry.

In 2003, Evan married Italian-born medical researcher Elisa Atti at Ouest Restaurant in Manhattan, N.Y. He and his wife both love international travel, such as trips to Elisa’s homeland and family near Bologna, Italy. The two also enjoy cooking as well as exploring local bistros wherever they happen to be.


Time On Fire

Career:

New York born and bred actor Evan Handler launched his professional career in his late teens and was soon actively seeking out both stage and screen roles. Before film and TV work, he could be seen starring in seven Broadway plays, such as ‘I Hate Hamlet,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” “Six Degrees of Separation,” “Solomon's Child,” “Broadway Bound” and the national touring company of “Master Harold and the Boys.” Additionally, he has appeared in many off-Broadway productions such as the world premieres of Donald Margulies’ “Found a Peanut” at the Public Theatre, the world premieres of “Big Al” and “Slam” at Ensemble Studio Theatre, and has had leading roles in American and world premieres at top-flight regional theatres like Steppenwolf Theater, Seattle Repertory and the Mark Taper Forum.

Handler landed his first screen role in 1981, when he was cast in the supporting role of Goldberg on the drama feature The Chosen, and followed it up with performances in Taps (also in 1981), Dear Mr. Wonderful (1982), War and Love (1985) and Sweet Lorraine (1987). He made his television guest starring debut in a 1985 episode of “Miami Vice” and had his first TV-movie exposure in 1987’s What If I’m Gay?, costarring as Allen.

The lively actor continued to play a recurring role on the short-lived comedy show “Sibs” (1991), starred as Mark Braddock on the Fox sitcom “Woops!” (1992), played Conrad Klein on the daytime soap “One Life to Live” (1996), as well as guest starred in “New York Undercover” (1998) and “It’s Like, You Know.” Meanwhile, he kept on his presence on the silver screen by making three movies, including Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers (1994, starred Woody Harrelson) and Ron Howard’s Ransom (1996, with Mel Gibson).

As the new millennium rolled in, Handler decided to focus on the small screen, and after costarring with Paul Ben-Victor in the television biopic The Three Stooges (2000), he played recurring roles on ‘The West Wing” (2001) and “The Guardian” (2002), and appeared in episodes of such popular series as “Law & Order” (2000), “Friends” (2003) and “Six Feet Under” (2003).

Handler, however, did not create a great impact on TV audience until he joined the cast of the highly successful HBO series “Sex and the City.” He played Harry Goldenblatt, the divorce lawyer-turned-husband of Charlotte (Kristin Davis), from 2002 until the show came to an end in 2004.

After “Sex and the City” departed the airwaves, Handler found himself appearing in episodes of “Jack & Bobby” (2004), “Without a Trace” (2004), “Joan of Arcadia” (2004) and “24” (2005). 2005 also saw the multitalented performer headline the comedy series “Hot Properties,” playing Dr. Sellers Boyd, opposite Gail O’Grady, Nicole Sullivan, Sofia Vergara and Christina Moore. He continued to have a four-episodic role as Ricky Tahoe on Aaron Sorkin’s critically celebrated NBC series, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” (2006), starring Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet. The same year, he guest starred in “CSI: Miami” and ABC’s “Lost.”

In addition to being an actor, Handler is also an author. He wrote his first book, “Time On Fire: My Comedy of Terrors,” adapted from his triumphant off-Broadway play of the same name, was released to great critical reviews by Little, Brown and Company in January 1996, and again in paperback by Henry Holt in 1997. His next book, “It’s Only Temporary... The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive,” a collection of autobiographical essays, was set to be released this year. Handler has also written articles for such magazines as Elle, The New Yorker, Mirabella, USA Weekend and O, the Oprah Magazine.


Awards:
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