Ian Barford

”When I arrived at Illinois State University in 1984 I had never performed in a single play. Everything I am as an actor I owe to the extraordinary faculty at ISU and my association with Steppenwolf Theater.”

Ian is a member of the Steppenwolf Theater Ensemble. He was the recipient of the 1988 Steppenwolf/Illinois State University Acting internship. He has appeared in numerous productions with Steppenwolf including: The Birthday Party, The March, Penelope, August: Osage County, Detroit, Endgame, Betrayal, Love Song, Lost Land, Three Days of Rain, Berlin Circle, The Libertine, As I Lay Dying, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and many others. He originated the role of ‘Little Charles’ in Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize and Tony winning play August:Osage County which he also performed on Broadway and at London’s National Theater. He was in the original Broadway company of the Tony-winning production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime playing ‘Ed Boone’ He also appeared on Broadway in Steppenwolf’s production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice for which he received an Outer Critics award nomination. Other regional credits include: The national tour of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile . At the Goodman in Chicago he appeared in All the Rage and Design for Living . With Remains, Mad Forest . In Los Angeles, he appeared at the Geffen Playhouse in The Weir, God’s Man in Texas and Take Me Out and at the Ahmanson he appeared in Dead End . Film credits include: The Last Rites of Joe May, Catch Hell, Return to Sender, Road to Perdition, 13 Going On 30 . Numerous television appearances. He was the recipient of the 1996 National Theater Conference award for ‘most promising artist’.