Evan Handler

Intro

Evan Handler is an actor and author known for Harry Goldenblatt in Sex and the City and Charlie Runkle in Californication. Before those television roles, he built a substantial theatre career. His work also includes the autobiographical solo show Time on Fire and two memoirs, connecting his acting career with writing based on his own experiences.

Career snapshot

The Broadway League records Handler as Shelley in Solomon’s Child and as a replacement Hally in “MASTER HAROLD”…and the boys. He worked as a standby on Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues, then played Eugene as a replacement in Broadway Bound. The distinctions matter: these credits include standby assignments and replacements as well as roles he originated.

The entry point

His later Broadway credits include Doug in Six Degrees of Separation and Andrew Rally in I Hate Hamlet. These productions placed him in different kinds of contemporary theatre, from John Guare’s drama to Paul Rudnick’s comedy. The stage record provides a useful starting point for viewers who first encountered him through his later television characters.

Screen identity and style

On Californication, Handler played the agent Charlie Runkle opposite David Duchovny’s writer Hank Moody. In a 2013 interview, he recalled an audition that became partly improvised when Duchovny departed from the printed dialogue. Handler responded in kind, and described that exchange as part of the process that led to his casting. The anecdote offers a concrete glimpse of their comic partnership.

Collaborations and patterns

Handler returned to Harry Goldenblatt for And Just Like That…, a continuation of Sex and the City. The broadcaster’s 2021 announcement confirmed his return alongside Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg and Willie Garson. The series followed Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte into a later stage of their lives, revisiting characters and relationships from the earlier television story.

Era reflection

Writing became another important strand of Handler’s work. Time on Fire: My Comedy of Terrors drew on his experience of cancer and treatment, while It’s Only Temporary continued his autobiographical writing. A 2019 United Solo programme described an updated stage version of Time on Fire that incorporated material from the second memoir and new writing, bringing the story back into live performance.

Legacy and rediscovery

In interviews, Handler has discussed both the practical work of acting and the process of reclaiming and revising his books for new editions. His career can therefore be explored through ensemble television, Broadway roles and self-authored performance. The two gallery portraits come from separate occasions a decade apart: a 2009 Golden Globes party and a New York appearance in April 2019.

Selected roles

• Sex and the City: Harry Goldenblatt — Television series
• Californication: Charlie Runkle — Television series
• And Just Like That…: Harry Goldenblatt — Return announced 2021
• Six Degrees of Separation: Doug — Broadway
• I Hate Hamlet: Andrew Rally — 1991

A career in pictures

Two distinct portraits from 2009 and 2019.

New York appearance (2019)

Evan Handler in New York

Greg2600 photograph, April 8, 2019.

Golden Globes party (2009)

Evan Handler at an awards party

Kristin Dos Santos photograph, January 11, 2009.

Rewatch notes

• Handler played Harry Goldenblatt in Sex and the City and And Just Like That….
• He played Charlie Runkle in Californication.
• His autobiographical work includes Time on Fire.