Boyd Kestner (born November 23, 1964) is an American actor. His career has included leading and recurring roles in television, appearances in major studio and independent films, and stage work. He portrayed Darrel "Darry" Curtis in the 1990 television series The Outsiders and later had a recurring role as Alex Barth in the CBS prime-time drama Knots Landing. His film credits include G.I. Jane (1997), The General's Daughter (1999), Hannibal (2001), Black Hawk Down (2001), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), and Appaloosa (2008).

Early life

Kestner was born on November 23, 1964, in Manassas, Virginia. He is the identical twin brother of Bryan Kestner.

Kestner studied acting in New York and Los Angeles, including at Sandra Lee's Actors Study in New York.

Career

Kestner began his screen career in the late 1980s, appearing in the 1987 film The Running Man, for which he was credited as Boyd R. Kestner.

Kestner gained wider recognition in 1990 when he was cast as Darrel "Darry" Curtis, the eldest of the Curtis brothers, in the Fox television series The Outsiders. The series continued the story and characters of S. E. Hinton's novel and Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film adaptation. Coppola served as an executive producer of the television series alongside Fred Roos, with Hinton involved in its development.

Kestner was one of the series' principal cast members, portraying Darry as the eldest of the three orphaned Curtis brothers and head of their household. The 90-minute premiere became the highest-rated dramatic program in Fox's history at the time.

In 1992, Kestner joined the cast of the CBS prime-time drama Knots Landing as Alex Barth. His arrival was part of a series of changes to the long-running drama as its producers introduced new characters and storylines. In a contemporary Los Angeles Times article about the changes, Kestner and Felicity Waterman were identified as two new additions whose characters would become intertwined with the show's established cast.

Kestner appeared as Alex Barth in 13 episodes during 1992. The character, the nephew of Claudia Whittaker's housekeeper, became involved in a storyline in which he blackmailed Claudia over the circumstances surrounding her mother's death.

During the 1990s and 2000s, Kestner worked in both television and feature films. His film appearances included Ridley Scott's G.I. Jane (1997), The General's Daughter (1999), Hannibal (2001), and Black Hawk Down (2001). His subsequent work included Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002), Appaloosa (2008), and Acts of Violence (2018).

Alongside his studio work, Kestner appeared in independent and international productions. In Jon Reiss's psychological drama Cleopatra's Second Husband, he portrayed Zack. Reviewing the film, Los Angeles Times critic Kevin Thomas described it as a "diabolically clever psychological suspense movie" and wrote that what director Jon Reiss was able to draw from Kestner and co-star Paul Hipp was "amazing".

In 2001, Kestner portrayed Seth opposite Melanie Lynskey in Gillian Ashurst's New Zealand feature Snakeskin. The film was screened as part of the 2001 New Zealand International Film Festival.

Kestner has also worked in theater. He portrayed Ronnie in the West Coast premiere of Mark Roberts's Parasite Drag at the Elephant Theater in Los Angeles. Reviewing the production, Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty described it as a "sincerely acted production" and noted the conviction of the ensemble.

Filmography

Film

Television

External links