Brad Dourif Biography: Movies, Wife, Age, Height, Ethnicity, Children, Net Worth, Awards

Brad Dourif is an acclaimed American character actor whose career has spanned more than five decades, celebrated for his chilling intensity, remarkable range, and unforgettable voice performances.

Best known for portraying the possessed serial killer Charles Lee Ray and the voice of the demonic doll Chucky in the Child’s Play franchise, Dourif first gained widespread recognition with his Oscar-nominated debut as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975).

Profile

• Full Name: Bradford Claude Dourif
• Stage Name: Brad Dourif
• Born: 18, March 1950
• Age: 75 years old
• Birthplace: Huntington, West Virginia, U.S.
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: Actor
• Height: 1.75 m
• Parents: Jean Henri Dourif, Joan Felton Bradford
• Siblings: 4
• Spouse: Janet Stephanie (m.?-1980), Jonina Berniece Patterson (m.?- 2019)
• Children: Fiona Dourif, Kristina Dourif Tanoue
• Relationship: Widowed
• Net Worth: $6 million

Early Life and Education

Bradford Claude Dourif was born on March 18, 1950, in Huntington, West Virginia, to Jean Henri Dourif, a French-born art collector and dye factory owner, and Joan Felton Bradford, an amateur actress. His father died when Brad was three, and his mother later married champion golfer and actor William Campbell.

Raised in a creative household, he attended thespian leanings early and attended the private Fountain Valley School in Colorado before studying at Columbia University in New York.

He left college to pursue acting full-time, training under Sanford Meisner and working in off-Broadway theater during the early 1970s. Dourif is of French, English, and distant German descent; he has described himself as non-religious.

Career

Brad Dourif began his professional acting career in New York theater, working with the Circle Repertory Company and appearing in off-Broadway productions such as The Ghost Sonata and When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder? .

His film debut came at age 25 when Miloš Forman cast him as the fragile, stuttering Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), a performance that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award. The role immediately established him as one of the most promising young character actors of his generation.

Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s he delivered memorable supporting turns in films such as Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), Wise Blood (1979), Heaven’s Gate (1980), Dune (1984), and Blue Velvet (1986).

In 1988 he originated the role of Charles Lee Ray/Chucky in Child’s Play, providing both the human portrayal and the now-iconic voice of the killer doll—a franchise he has continued voicing in seven sequels, the 2019 reboot, and the ongoing Chucky television series.

His collaboration with director Werner Herzog on several projects and his Emmy-nominated portrayal of Doc Cochran in HBO’s Deadwood (2004–2006, revived 2019) further showcased his dramatic depth.

Brad Dourif has remained consistently active into his seventies, earning new generations of fans through his chilling performance as Gríma Wormtongue in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and Return of the King (2003), extensive voice work in animation and video games (including Mystic Ark, Dishonored, and Alien: Isolation), and recurring roles in the Chucky TV series alongside his daughter Fiona.

His unmistakable voice and fearless choice of dark, complex characters have made him a legendary figure in genre cinema and a revered character actor whose body of work continues to influence horror and fantasy storytelling.

Social Media

Brad Dourif does not have any social media accounts.

Personal Life

Brad Dourif was married to Janet Stephanie until their divorce in 1980; the couple had one daughter, actress Fiona Dourif. He later lived with Jonina Berniece Patterson until her passing in 2019; they shared a second daughter, Kristina Dourif Tanoue.

He is a grandfather to Kristina’s son, Caden Kalani Kahalewai Dourif-Tanoue. Known for being intensely private, Dourif has spent much of his life in New York and later California, avoiding the Hollywood spotlight. Both of his daughters followed him into acting, with Fiona frequently appearing alongside him in the Chucky franchise.

Filmography

• One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
• Wise Blood (1979)
• Dune (1984)
• Blue Velvet (1986)
• Mississippi Burning (1988)
• Child’s Play (1988) – voice of Chucky (franchise 1988–present)
• The Exorcist III (1990)
• Jungle Fever (1991)
• Alien Resurrection (1997)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
• Deadwood (TV series, 2004–2006; film 2019)
• Halloween (2007)
• Cult of Chucky (2017)
• Chucky (TV series, 2021–present)

Net Worth

Brad Dourif has an estimated net worth of $6 million. His wealth stems primarily from a steady half-century career in film and television, long-running residuals and voice work from the Child’s Play/Chucky franchise, royalties from The Lord of the Rings extended editions, earnings from Deadwood, and consistent character roles across studio and independent projects.