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Antony Blinken Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 3, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birthApril 16, 1962

Age58 Years

BirthplaceYonkers, New York City, New York, U.S.

ProfessionAmerican Government Official

NationalityAmerican

Marital statusMarried

SpouseEvan Ryan

FamilyFather: Donald M. Blinken; Mother: Judith Pisar; Stepfather: Samuel Pisar

Antony Blinken Biography

Antony John Blinken is an American government official who serves as the 71st United States Secretary of State. A longtime Democratic foreign policy figure

Early life and background

Antony John Blinken was born on April 16, 1962, and raised in New York City. He spent his early childhood in Yonkers and attended the Dalton School in Manhattan. After his parents divorced, his mother remarried and the family moved to Paris in the early 1970s, where Blinken attended École Jeannine Manuel. During his youth he developed interests in the arts and film and at one point organized a small film festival while living in Paris.

Blinken completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1984. At Harvard he was active on the student newspaper and edited a campus arts magazine. He later earned a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1988. Early in his career he briefly reported for The New Republic and worked as a summer associate in a New York law firm before practicing law for a short period in Paris.

Career

Blinken has spent decades in and around U.S. national security and foreign policy roles. He joined the National Security Council staff in the Clinton administration, serving in a series of White House positions during the 1990s, including chief foreign policy speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and senior director roles focused on strategic planning and European and Canadian affairs.

After the 2000 transition, he left government service for a time, working as a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and later as staff director for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2002 to 2008. In that Senate staff role he worked on a range of strategic issues, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and nuclear nonproliferation.

Blinken became closely associated with Joe Biden during the mid-2000s. He was a member of the Obama-Biden transition team in 2008 and joined the Obama administration in senior national security roles. From 2009 to 2013 he served as Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President, playing an influential role on policy toward Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. He continued in senior White House national security positions through the Obama years, including service as Deputy National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2015 and as Deputy Secretary of State from January 9, 2015, until January 20, 2017.

Following the 2020 presidential election, he was nominated by President Joe Biden and became the 71st United States Secretary of State on January 26, 2021. Over his career Blinken has been involved in major policy decisions and operations, including work related to counterterrorism and the operation to kill Osama bin Laden.

Public profile

Blinken is identified with the Democratic Party and is widely regarded as a seasoned policy operative in national security and diplomacy. He is known to have family ties to public service and international affairs: his father, Donald M. Blinken, was an investment banker who later served as U.S. ambassador to Hungary and chaired the State University of New York board; his mother, Judith Pisar, is involved in arts organizations and is originally from Paris; his stepfather, Samuel Pisar, was a Polish-born lawyer and Holocaust survivor.

He is married to Evan Ryan, a fellow public servant whom he met in the mid-1990s while both were working in Washington. The couple were married on March 2, 2002, in a bi-denominational ceremony. Ryan later served in the Obama administration, including as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs from 2013 to 2017, and has worked in roles supporting Vice President Joe Biden.

Personal interests and character notes

Blinken has been described as having interests that include music—playing guitar and singing—and soccer. He is of Jewish heritage and has said he was not particularly religious while growing up. Accounts of his upbringing note that hearing his stepfather’s experiences in Europe shaped his perspective on world affairs.

Latest updates

As of January 2021, Antony Blinken holds the office of United States Secretary of State. His long tenure in national security policymaking and diplomacy continues to shape his public profile and responsibilities in that role.
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Recent Work

Secretary of State

Serving as the 71st United States Secretary of State (confirmed January 26, 2021).

2021-present
Deputy Secretary of State

Served as Deputy Secretary of State of the United States.

2015-2017
National Security Advisor to the Vice President

Served as National Security Advisor to the Vice President of the United States.

2009-2013
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Career Highlights

  1. 71st United States Secretary of State
  2. Deputy Secretary of State (2015–2017)
  3. Deputy National Security Advisor (2013–2015)
  4. National Security Advisor to the Vice President (2009–2013)
  5. Staff Director, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (2002–2008)
  6. Senior White House foreign policy speechwriter and National Security Council staff (1994–2001)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Antony Blinken born?

April 16, 1962

What is Antony Blinken known for?

American Government Official

What is Antony Blinken’s marital status?

Married

Who is Antony Blinken married to?

Evan Ryan