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After studying with the legendary New York acting teacher, William Esper, David began his career on stage performing everything from Shakespeare, to off-beat new comedies to edgy experimental work.
His early east coast theatre credits include productions at The Second Stage, The Public Theatre, The Manhattan Punch Line, La Mama, The Long Wharf Theatre and The Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival.
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His first TV job was a small part in HBO’s historic drama “And the Band Played On.” Known for his quirky characterizations, he’s since played many major guest star and recurring roles on such shows as Frasier (2023), Modern Family, The Blacklist, Rectify, Mad Men, Justified, True Blood, CSI, NCIS, Castle, “Bones, Ugly Betty Criminal Minds, iCarly, Longmire, and Days of Our Lives. But he is probably best known for playing the creepy “Lincoln Meyer” on season three of Boston Legal (a character created for him by TV icon, David E. Kelley). ​
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David is also a produced screenwriter (Fox Searchlight’s hit comedy Kingdom Come), a columnist, a popular spoken-word performer and an award-winning director (Available Men). His critically acclaimed one-man storytelling shows (David Dean Bottrell Makes Love: A One-Man Show, The Death of Me Yet) consistently play to sold out houses. Since 2008, he’s taught seminars and private classes for professional actors and when time allows, he serves as a part-time adjunct faculty member with the Professional Acting Program at UCLA and at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (both the New York and L.A. campuses)
Over the course of his career, David has had the pleasure of working with many acclaimed writers, directors and actors, including Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Candice Bergen, Craig Bierko, Julie Bowen, Delta Burke, Thomas Gibson, Whoopi Goldberg, Angie Harmon, Mark Harmon, Stephen McKinley Henderson, John Heard, L.L.Cool J., Jon Jory, David E. Kelley, Howard Korder, Ian McKellen, Matthew Modine, Timothy Olyphant, Dolly Parton, Richard Schiff, James Spader, William Shatner, Matthew Weiner and Julie White.
In 2014, he created and co-produced Sci-Fest LA: The Los Angeles Science Fiction One-Act Play Festival, an annual event consisting of two rotating evenings of short original sci-fi plays featuring actors known for their work in iconic franchises like “Star Trek,” “The Walking Dead,” “Supernatural,” “Lost” and “The X-Files.”
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His first book, "WORKING ACTOR: Breaking in, Making a Living and Making a Life in the Fabulous Trenches of Show Business" was published by Penguin Random House (Ten Speed Press).
Originally from Louisa, Kentucky, David currently divides his time between New York and Los Angeles. To watch a little of his work, click on the DEMO tab in the menu above.
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