Skip to main content Six Degrees of David Strathairn: Veteran Actor of 'Nomadland' Talks His 'Slow Process of Crashing the Party' Clayton Davis, provided by FacebookTwitterEmail From the daily routines to their common regrets, the life of a nomad is examined superbly in “Nomadland” – especially in the heartbreaking character Dave, portrayed by veteran actor David Strathairn. His performance is just one of the many small yet bright spots of Chloé Zhao’s gorgeous depiction of a long-ignored group in America that hits every note masterfully. To prepare for his role, he read the novel by Jessica Bruder, which he called a “wonderful, important, insightful and touching document that was eye-opening.” When it came to filming, he just followed Zhao’s cues and what she needed to build the character’s arc.