Biography - Randall Batinkoff


Randall Batinkoff was born on October 16, 1968, and was raised in upstate New York.

He landed his first acting job at the age of 9, when a casting director saw him and asked him to try out for a commercial. Since then, Randall has appeared in films such as The Stepford Children, School Ties, The Player, and more recently, the award-winning As Good As It Gets. He also has ambitions to someday direct.

Randall attended Brown University, studying International Relations with an emphasis on Mideastern Politics. After graduating, he continued his acting career.

In 1994, Randall was cast as the Reverend David Grantland in the CBS television drama Christy. "Getting this part sort of took me back," he said, referring to the rural area where he grew up.

Randall also very much enjoyed his stay in Townsend, Tennessee, where Christy was filmed, remarking, "Here life is a little slower -- it's nice." As for the lush Tennessee scenery, Randall had nothing but praise. "It's beautiful. Look at this. It's tough to beat."

When asked what he enjoyed most about Christy, he mentioned the cast. "They are a great bunch of people."

In the novel by Catherine Marshall, Christy falls in love with the doctor, rejecting the minister. So, what's it like knowing the doc will eventually get the girl? Randall says he hopes the TV series will be different from the book, reflecting instead the true life of Catherine Marshall's mother, the "real" Christy, who married the minister.

We'll see.