Early Life

Jack Stehlin grew up in a family of world-famous circus performers and acrobats. Though he began as a promising college baseball player, one acting class shifted his course, leading him to The Juilliard School. After graduation, Jack joined John Houseman’s The Acting Company, performing across the country before moving on to the New York Shakespeare Festival, where he appeared in productions including Richard II, Henry V, Julius Caesar, Timon of Athens, Don Juan, and Romeo and Juliet.

Theatre

Jack has performed extensively on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally, and internationally. On Broadway, he starred as Stanley in Brighton Beach Memoirs, directed by Gene Saks. In New York, he worked at Classic Stage Company, Primary Stages, and the New York Shakespeare Festival, collaborating with directors such as Michael Greif, Des McAnuff, Wilford Leach, and Richard Foreman. Over the course of his stage career, he has performed with some of the greatest talents of his generation, including Al Pacino, Martin Sheen, Ethan Hawke, Jessica Chastain, Alfred Molina, Jill Gascoine, and many others.

He became a member of the American Repertory Theatre, where he appeared in productions like Robert Wilson’s Alcestis (Festival d’Automne, Paris), The King Stag (Venice Biennale), The Balcony, and Six Characters in Search of an Author. Regionally, he has performed at Hartford Stage, Philadelphia Drama Guild, Milwaukee Rep, Paper Mill Playhouse, Baltimore Center Stage, Missouri Rep, and more.

In Los Angeles, Jack co-founded Circus Theatricals, now The New American Theatre, with his wife and producing partner, Jeannine. He has produced or performed in more than 200 productions, ranging from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Hamlet, and Richard III to modern works such as True West, More Lies About Jerzy, and Harm’s Way. His work also includes originating roles in numerous world premieres.

Film & Television

On screen, Jack is best known as DEA Captain Roy Till on Showtime’s Weeds, a role that grew from a single scene into a long-running character and earned the ensemble a Screen Actors Guild nomination. He has also appeared in fan favorites Buffy the Vampire Slayer, NCIS, NCIS: LA, Monk, ER, JAG, The Practice, Without a Trace, and many others.

His film credits include working with Al Pacino in both the stage and film versions of Salomé (also with Jessica Chastain), and Pacino’s Wilde Salomé. Other films include Chicago 8 and Boston Strangler: The Untold Story.

Recognition & Recent Work

Jack has received multiple awards for his stage work, including the 2019 Stage Raw Career Achievement Award. Most recently, he starred in Lear Redux: A Quantum Fantasia at the Odyssey Theatre, part of the acclaimed Redux series created in collaboration with director John Farmanesh-Bocca. These productions have been immensely popular, merging Shakespeare with modern language, physical theatre, and dance to create bold, contemporary reimaginings of the classics that continue to inspire audiences.

Alongside his work as an actor and director, Jack also teaches, sharing his passion for performance with the next generation of artists.