An actor, writer, and director, Erik Jensen regularly appears on the ABC Network Television series
For Life as ADA Dez O'Reilly. Notably, he appeared as
Thurman Munson of the
New York Yankees in the ESPN miniseries
The Bronx Is Burning, and as conspiracy talk show host Frank Cody in
Mr. Robot, as well as
Dr. Stephen Edwards on
The Walking Dead. Jensen appeared alongside Aasif Mandvi in Ayad Akhtars'
Disgraced at
Lincoln Center. He also appeared as rock critic
Lester Bangs in the one-man play
How to Be a Rock Critic (based on the writings of Lester Bangs) which he co-wrote with his wife
Jessica Blank.
How to Be A Rock Critic received a completion commission from
Center Theatre Group and was produced at the
Kirk Douglas Theater, ArtsEmerson, and
Steppenwolf Theatre Company before being produced Off-Broadway at
The Public Theater. In 2017 he co-directed the film
Almost Home with Jessica Blank based on her novel of the
same name. In 2020, Jensen and Blank's co-written plays,
Coal Country and
The Line, both premiered at
The Public Theater. In 2022/2023, Jensen appeared on Broadway as Bruno Bischofberger opposite Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope in Anthony McCarten's 'The Collaboration'. Jensen and Blank have cited the works of
Anna Deavere Smith,
Emily Mann, and
Studs Terkel as influences.
The Exonerated Blank and Jensen co-wrote
The Exonerated, a play based on interviews they conducted with more than 40 exonerated
death row inmates. In spring 2002, they co-directed
The Exonerated at The Actors' Gang Theater. That production was nominated for five Ovation Awards and three
NAACP Awards, won the Ovation for Best World Premiere Play, and has toured universities nationally. The New York production of
The Exonerated ran for more than 600 performances off-Broadway, toured nationally, and won the Outer Critics Circle, Lortel, and Drama Desk awards, as well as awards from
Amnesty International,
American Bar Association,
National Council of Criminal Defense Lawyers and more. It was adapted as a movie for
Court TV starring
Brian Dennehy,
Danny Glover,
Delroy Lindo,
Aidan Quinn, and
Susan Sarandon. The play has been produced internationally in Dublin, Edinburgh, and London, in the United Kingdom; and in Japan, Mexico, France, China, Thailand, Iran, and Italy. It has been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, and Japanese.
Aftermath Blank and Jensen co-wrote the documentary play
Aftermath based on interviews they conducted in 2008 with Iraqi civilian refugees in Jordan. Blank directed
Aftermath Off-Broadway at
New York Theatre Workshop; it was nominated for two Drama League awards and toured internationally for two years.
Almost Home Jensen and Blank co-wrote and co-directed the feature film
Almost Home in 2016, adapted from the novel
Almost Home written by
Jessica Blank, published in October 2007 by Hyperion.
How to Be A Rock Critic Their play,
How To Be A Rock Critic (based on the writings of
Lester Bangs), received a commission from
Center Theatre Group and was produced at the
Kirk Douglas Theater,
South Coast Repertory,
ArtsEmerson,
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Off-Broadway at
The Public Theater, with Jensen starring and Blank directing.
Coal Country Jensen and Blank's documentary play,
Coal Country, about the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine disaster, opened at
The Public Theater on March 3, 2020, directed by
Jessica Blank, with original music written and performed by Grammy Award-winning musician
Steve Earle.
Coal Country was suspended when theaters closed down March 11, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The play is a recipient of the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, and was nominated for the Drama Desk award for Outstanding Director (
Jessica Blank) and Outstanding Music in a Play (
Steve Earle).
The Line Blank and Jensen wrote
The Line in 2020, which tells the story about New York City health-care workers fighting against COVID-19. The one-hour documentary-style production was directed by Blank, produced and presented by
The Public Theater, and streamed on YouTube from July 8 through September 1, 2020.
Living Justice Blank and Jensen's book
Living Justice (2005), a memoir about the making of
The Exonerated, was published by
Simon and Schuster and received a
Kirkus Starred Review. The Reconcilers Erik’s sci-fi graphic novel
The Reconcilers was published in 2010 by Viking Warrior Press. ==Personal life==