Eliza Dushku

This year is only two months old, and Shawn Hatosy has already accomplished a lot. With roles in “Alpha Dog” and “Factory Girl,” which both made wide releases in 2007, millions of moviegoers got the opportunity to see Shawn Hatosy showcase his skills. Many may also recognize him for his appearance in the music video of Justin Timberlake’s latest single.

Hatosy will also be seen in the upcoming film “Nobel Son,” which centers on the son of a Nobel Prize winner, who is kidnapped and held at ransom for his father’s $2-million Nobel Prize award money. In the film, Hatosy stars alongside household names like Alan Rickman, Eliza Dushku, Danny DeVito and Ted Danson. Yet, acting with top-level Hollywood talent is nothing new for Hatosy. He starred opposite Sienna Miller in “Factory Girl” and opposite Justin Timberlake and Bruce Willis in “Alpha Dog.”

Hatosy’s role in “Alpha Dog” also saw him reunite with “John Q” director Nick Cassavetes. According to Hatosy, both benefits and challenges exist for an actor who’s working for a director with whom he already has a pre-existing working relationship. “There are certain parts of it that are easy, because your communication is pretty much a short hand,” Hatosy says. “Also, we’ve become friends. It’s tough, because you want to please your friend. You put a lot of pressure on yourself. You aim to please, but I love it. I love working with Nick.”

Previously, Hatosy received attention for his portrayal of a young John McCain in the TV movie, “Faith of Our Fathers.” After meeting McCain, Hatosy came away with a deep sense of respect for him. “He’s a stand-up guy,” Hatosy says. “I enjoyed being around him. He had a lot of great advice. He’s been through so much throughout the years.”

Accurately portraying real-life characters often leads to awards. Although Hatosy didn’t receive any nominations for his role in “Faith of Our Fathers,” he did receive a Golden Satellite Nomination for his work in “Soldier’s Girl,” which chronicled the true story of how a soldier was beaten to death for falling in love with a transgendered nightclub performer.

For Hatosy, the most satisfying element of any awards show is to know that they “got it right.” That’s why Hatosy says he was happy to see fellow actor Ryan Gosling earn an Academy Award nomination, even if Gosling didn’t take home the trophy. “I think that Ryan Gosling is one of the strongest actors around,” Hatosy says. “He brings so much to a character with his vulnerability and his ability to change like sort of this chameleon. I’m so happy that he got nominated. I’m so happy that the Academy recognized him. Sometimes, I’m not sure that they get it right. They got it right with Russell Crowe but from the wrong movie. [Laughs].”

Given his recent run of strong performances, Shawn Hatosy continues to prove that he knows a lot about how to “get it right.”