Person biography:
Gregory Michael "Spoonie" Sporleder was born and raised in University City, Missouri, just across the St. Louis City line. He attended Webster University's Theater program for two years before being cut. Undeterred, he was accepted to the Eugene O'Neill theater program in Waterford, Connecticut, where he met actor Jeremy Piven and was convinced he needed to rethink his approach to becoming a professional actor.
Sporleder then moved to Chicago, where he studied at the legendary Piven Theater workshop, founded by Joyce and Bryn Piven. It was there that he met and worked with passionate actors and artists, including John Cusack, who had recently returned to Chicago from Los Angeles. Cusack was impressed by Sporleder's talent and convinced him to join his new theater company, New Crime Productions, which Sporleder is a proud founding member of.
In Chicago, Sporleder earned his SAG card and landed his first job, a scene in Cameron Crowe's film "Say Anything," alongside John Cusack, Jeremy Piven, and Pat O'Neal. The scene was improvised for the audition and ended up in the final cut of the movie.
In 1991, Sporleder moved to Los Angeles, where he and Bill Cusack were nominated for "best 2-man play" for their show "Edgar and Edgar." The show was directed by Steve Pink and caught the attention of producer Loren Michaels, who flew to Los Angeles to see the production.
Throughout his career, Sporleder has appeared in a wide range of TV shows, including "On the Air," "Murphy Brown," "NYPD Blue," "Chicago Hope," "Gun," "Friends," "The Drew Carrey Show," "24," "Carnival," "Little House on the Prairie," "Monk," "The Mentalist," "Memphis Beat," "True Blood," "American Horror Story," "Sons of Anarchy," "Criminal Minds," and "Agent Carter." He has also appeared in several feature films, including "Say Anything," "Black Hawk Down," and "In the Wake of Ire," which he wrote, directed, and starred in.
In addition to his acting work, Sporleder has also taken up writing and directing. He has written and directed several short films and a midwestern indie drama called "In the Wake of Ire." He has also written, directed, and produced a pilot called "Rob in the Hood," which stars his son Bodhi.
