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American actor (born 1956) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gary Michael Cole (born September 20, 1956) is an American actor. He began his professional acting career on stage at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. His breakout role was playing Jack 'Nighthawk' Killian in the NBC series Midnight Caller (1988–1991).
Gary Cole | |
|---|---|
Cole at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. | |
| Born | Gary Michael Cole September 20, 1956 Park Ridge, Illinois, U.S. |
| Education | Illinois State University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse |
Michelle Knapp (m. 2021) |
| Children | 1 |
Further prominent television roles include Sheriff Lucas Buck in American Gothic (1995–1996), Vice President Bob Russell in The West Wing (2003–2006), Kurt McVeigh in both The Good Wife (2010–2016) and The Good Fight (2017–2022), Kent Davison in Veep (2013–2019), and Special Agent Alden Parker in NCIS (2021–present). A prolific voice actor, Cole's voice roles include Harvey Birdman in Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law (2000–2007, 2018), Principal Shepherd in Family Guy (2000–present), Dr. James Possible in Kim Possible (2002–2007), Mayor Fred Jones Sr. in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010–2013) and Sergeant Bosco in Bob's Burgers (2012–present).
His most notable film roles are as Mike Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) and Bill Lumbergh in Office Space (1999). Other film appearances include In the Line of Fire (1993), A Simple Plan (1998), One Hour Photo (2002), Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) and Pineapple Express (2008).
Gary Michael Cole was born on September 20, 1956, in Park Ridge, Illinois, and raised in nearby Rolling Meadows. His father, Robert, was a municipal finance director, and his mother, Margaret or "Peggy", was a school administrative assistant.[1][2] Cole has an older sister, Nancy.
While attending Rolling Meadows High School, Cole made his acting debut as Snoopy in a high school production of Clark Gesner's Peanuts musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Cole attended Illinois State University, where he studied theater as a classmate with fellow future actors Laurie Metcalf and John Malkovich.
Cole began his professional career in 1983 as a stage actor in Chicago, where he joined the ensemble of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. In an early role, Cole played accused Army triple-murderer Capt Jeffrey MacDonald in the mini-series Fatal Vision. Cole has also appeared in several off-Broadway productions in New York City. He has done voice work on several animated series (Family Guy; Kim Possible; Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law; Archer) and had a recurring role on the drama The West Wing as Vice President Bob Russell. He also starred as Captain Matthew Gideon on the short-lived Babylon 5 spin-off Crusade, and had notable guest appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Arrested Development. He also played Joe Maxwell on DCOM Cadet Kelly and appeared as real-life astronaut Edgar Mitchell in HBO's recreation of Project Apollo, From the Earth to the Moon. One of his most notable roles in 1991 was as Lt. Col. George A. Custer in the much acclaimed television film Son of the Morning Star.
Between 1988 and 1991, Cole became popular on TV for playing the part of Jack "Nighthawk" Killian in the series Midnight Caller. In 1999, Cole starred in the film Office Space, in which he portrayed the micromanaging office supervisor Bill Lumbergh. When asked about the oft-quoted character, Cole said:
Everyone in Office Space thought that this movie had died. So that's how I knew the movie was actually some kind of success because people were coming up doing some lines from the movie ... It never gets old because it reminds you that something you did had some impact. You could work your whole career and have nothing like that last that long.[3]
He played The Brady Bunch patriarch Mike Brady in the 1995 film The Brady Bunch Movie, the 1996 sequel A Very Brady Sequel, and the 2002 television film The Brady Bunch in the White House.
Cole starred as Lieutenant Conrad Rose on the TNT series Wanted, he is also the voice of the title character on the Adult Swim series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, and starred as Sheriff Lucas Buck on the one season 1995 show, American Gothic. Cole also appeared in the films Talladega Nights, Forever Strong, and American Pastime.
Cole played Katherine Mayfair's ex-husband Wayne on Desperate Housewives[4] and has played the dangerous drug lord Ted Jones in Pineapple Express with Seth Rogen and James Franco. He also appeared in an episode from the third season of the USA Network series Psych as S.W.A.T. commander Cameron Luntz. Cole also played Bill Owens, Sy Parrish's (Robin Williams) boss, in the film One Hour Photo.
In 2008, Cole appeared on Chuck as Sarah's con-artist father (in "Chuck Versus the DeLorean"), a role which he reprised in 2011 (in "Chuck Versus the Wedding Planner"). He also appeared in the fifth season of HBO's Entourage playing Ari Gold's old pal Andrew Klein for a 3-episode story arc prior to joining the regular cast in the sixth season.
He played ballistics expert Kurt McVeigh on The Good Wife and on The Good Fight. On both shows, he played opposite Christine Baranski, who portrayed lawyer Diane Lockhart.
Cole had a guest-appearance on the fourth season of the HBO series True Blood, playing Sookie Stackhouse's grandfather.
In 2011, Cole joined Fox's comedy pilot Tagged, but the series was not picked up.[5]
In 2013, Cole began a recurring role on Suits as Cameron Dennis, the former mentor of Harvey Specter, one of the show's main characters. Also in 2013, Cole began a major recurring role as Kent Davison on the HBO comedy series Veep, joining the main cast at the start of the show's second season. In 2014, he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work in season three. Additionally, Cole was nominated with his fellow cast members for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for seasons 2, 3, 4, and 5 before ultimately winning the award in 2017 for season 6.
Cole currently provides the voice of Sergeant Boscoe on Bob's Burgers and Principal Shepherd on Family Guy. He appears in triplicate as 10 Minutes, 10 Days and 10 Years in the Future Spokesguy in Kabbage's 2019 commercial campaign.[6]
Cole married actress Teddi Siddall on March 8, 1992.[2] They have one daughter, Mary, who is autistic.[7] On June 19, 2017, Siddall filed for divorce;[8][9] she died the following year.[10] On July 7, 2021, Cole married interior designer Michelle Knapp.[11]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | To Live and Die in L.A. | Man Chased By Richard Chance | Uncredited |
| 1986 | Lucas | Assistant Coach | |
| 1990 | The Old Man and the Sea | Tom Pruitt | |
| 1993 | In the Line of Fire | Secret Service Agent In Charge Bill Watts | |
| 1995 | The Brady Bunch Movie | Mike Brady | |
| 1996 | A Very Brady Sequel | Mike Brady | |
| 1997 | Santa Fe | Paul Thomas | |
| Gang Related | DEA Agent Richard Simms | ||
| Cyclops, Baby | Manks | ||
| 1998 | A Simple Plan | Vernon Bokovsky / FBI Agent Neil Baxter | |
| Kiss the Sky | Marty | ||
| I'll Be Home for Christmas | Jake's Dad | ||
| 1999 | Office Space | Bill Lumbergh | |
| 2000 | The Gift | David Duncan | |
| 2001 | The Rising Place | Avery Hodge | |
| 2002 | One Hour Photo | Bill Owens | |
| I Spy | Agent Carlos | ||
| 2004 | Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! | Henry Futch | |
| Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story | "Cotton" McKnight | ||
| 2005 | The Ring Two | Martin Savide | |
| Mozart and the Whale | Wallace | ||
| Cry Wolf | Mr. Matthews | ||
| 2006 | Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby | Reese Bobby | |
| 2007 | My Wife Is Retarded | Dr. Heichman | Short film |
| American Pastime | Billy Burrell | ||
| Breach | Rich Garces | ||
| Goodnight Vagina | Dr. Milstein | Short film | |
| 2008 | Say Hello to Stan Talmadge | Stan Talmadge | |
| Conspiracy | Rhodes | ||
| Pineapple Express | Ted Jones | ||
| Forever Strong | Coach Larry Gelwix | ||
| 2009 | Extract | Bar Patron | Uncredited |
| The Joneses | Larry | ||
| 2010 | DC Showcase: The Spectre | Jim Corrigan / Spectre | Voice, short film[12] |
| Batman: Under the Red Hood | "Bobo", James "Jim" Gordon, Shot, Guard | Voice, direct-to-video | |
| Immortality Bites | Dr. Levine | ||
| 2011 | Hop | Henry O'Hare | |
| The Chicago 8 | Bill Kunstler | ||
| The Last Rites of Joe May | Lenny | ||
| 2013 | Vamp U | Arthur Levine | |
| 2014 | Date and Switch | Dwayne | |
| Tammy | Earl | ||
| Cotton | Clay Peaks | Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival Award for Best Actor[13] | |
| The Town That Dreaded Sundown | Chief Deputy Hank Tillman | ||
| 2015 | Divine Access | Reverend Guy Roy Davis | |
| Christmas Eve | Dr. Roberts | ||
| The Bronze | Stan Greggory | ||
| 2016 | Hot Air | Aviator | |
| 2017 | Small Crimes | Dan Pleasant | |
| Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown | Rafe | Voice, direct-to-video[12] | |
| 2018 | Blockers | Ron | |
| Under the Eiffel Tower | Gerard | ||
| Unbroken: Path to Redemption | Dr. George Bailey | ||
| Seven in Heaven | Mr. Wallace | ||
| 2019 | The Art of Racing in the Rain | Don Kitch | |
| Married Young | Aaron | ||
| 2020 | Darkness Falls | Mark Witver | |
| 2021 | Batman: Death in the Family | James Gordon, Two-Face, Reporter #4 | Voice, short film[12] |
| 2022 | The Bob's Burgers Movie | Sergeant Bosco | Voice |
| Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe | Phil Mattison | Voice[12] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Heart of Steel | Lee | Television film |
| 1984 | Fatal Vision | Captain Jeffrey MacDonald, MD | Television film |
| American Playhouse | Man With Xmas Tree | Episode: "A Matter of Principle" | |
| 1985 | First Steps | Manny | Television film |
| The Twilight Zone | Daniel Gaddis | Episode: "Her Pilgrim Soul" | |
| 1986 | Vital Signs | Dr. Hayward | Television film |
| Miami Vice | Jackson Crane | Episode: "Trust Fund Pirates" | |
| Jack and Mike | Chris Sykes | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 1987 | Moonlighting | Alan McClafferty | 2 episodes |
| Echoes in the Darkness | Jack Holtz | Television film | |
| 1988–1991 | Midnight Caller | Jack 'Nighthawk' Killian | 61 episodes |
| 1989 | Those She Left Behind | Scott Grimes | Television film |
| 1990 | The Old Man and the Sea (1990 film) | Tom Pruitt | |
| 1991 | Son of the Morning Star | George Armstrong Custer | Television film |
| 1993 | The Switch | Larry McAfee | Television film |
| When Love Kills: The Seduction of John Hearn | John Hearn | Television film | |
| 1994 | A Time to Heal | Jay Barton | Television film |
| Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics | James | Television film | |
| Fall from Grace | Major Tom O'Neill | Television film | |
| 1995–1996 | American Gothic | Sheriff Lucas Buck | 22 episodes |
| 1996 | For My Daughter's Honor | Pete Nash | Television film |
| 1997 | Lies He Told | Dave | Television film |
| 1998 | Dead Man's Gun | Travis Everett Thornberry | Episode: "The Photographer" |
| The Outer Limits | Detective Ray Venable | Episode: "Criminal Nature" | |
| From the Earth to the Moon | Edgar Mitchell | Episode: "For Miles and Miles" | |
| 1999 | Crusade | Captain Matthew Gideon | 13 episodes |
| Chicken Soup for the Soul | Dad | Episode: "Where's My Kiss, Then?" | |
| 1999–2004 | The Practice | Solomon Tager, Attorney Brian Seabury | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | What About Joan | Justin | Episode: "You Can't Go Home Again" |
| Family Law | Alan | Episode: "Human Error" | |
| Batman Beyond | Zeta | Voice, episode: "Zeta"[12] | |
| Touched by an Angel | Charlie Radcliff | Episode: "Pandora's Box" | |
| Frasier | Luke Parker | Episode: "The New Friend" | |
| 2000–2007 | Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law | Harvey Birdman, additional voices | Voice, 39 episodes[12] |
| 2000–present | Family Guy | Principal Shepherd, additional voices | Voice, 82 episodes |
| 2001 | Neurotic Tendencies | Pilot | |
| Justice League | J. Allen Carter | Voice, episode: "Secret Origins"[12] | |
| 2002, 2004 | Teamo Supremo | Mr. Vague | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2002 | American Adventure | Chuck | Television film |
| Cadet Kelly | Brigadier General Joe "Sir" Maxwell | Television film | |
| The Brady Bunch in the White House | Mike Brady | Television film | |
| 2002–2003 | Family Affair | Bill Davis | 15 episodes |
| 2002–2007 | Kim Possible | Dr. James Possible | Voice, 40 episodes |
| 2003 | Criminology 101 | Roy Franks | Pilot |
| Hack | Johnny Scanlon | Episode: "Brothers in Arms" | |
| Monk | Dexter Larson | Episode: "Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy" | |
| Karen Sisco | Konner | 2 episodes | |
| Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time | Dr. James Possible | Voice, television film | |
| 2003–2006 | The West Wing | Vice President Bob Russell | 21 episodes |
| 2004 | Pop Rocks | Jerry "Dagger" Harden | Television film |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Xander Henry | Episode: "Brotherhood" | |
| 2005 | Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama | Dr. James Possible | Voice, television film |
| Wanted | Lieutenant Conrad Rose | 13 episodes | |
| King of the Hill | Vance Gilbert | Voice, episode: "Harlottown" | |
| 2006 | That Guy | Gary | Pilot |
| Company Town | Martin Amberson | Pilot | |
| Arrested Development | CIA Agent | Episode: "Exit Strategy" | |
| 2007 | The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning | The Balladeer | Voice, television film |
| Shark | Christian Chambers | Episode: "Blind Trust" | |
| Supernatural | Brad Redding | Episode: "Hollywood Babylon" | |
| 2008 | Good Behavior | Dean West | Unaired series |
| 12 Miles of Bad Road | Jerry Shakespeare | 6 episodes | |
| Desperate Housewives | Wayne Davis | 6 episodes | |
| Psych | Commander Cameron Lutz | Episode: "Gus Walks Into a Bank" | |
| 2008–2010 | Entourage | Andrew Klein | 12 episodes |
| 2008–2011 | Chuck | Jack Burton | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | The Cleaner | Davis Durham | 2 episodes |
| Numb3rs | Shepard Crater | Episode: "Hangman" | |
| 2010 | The Good Guys | Frank Savage | 2 episodes |
| The Closer | Major Edward Dorcet | Episode: "War Zone" | |
| Uncle Nigel | Nigel | Pilot | |
| Funny or Die Presents | Lead FBI Agent | Episode: "201" | |
| 2010–2012 | The Penguins of Madagascar | Commissioner McSlade | Voice, 4 episodes[12] |
| 2010–2013 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | Mayor Fred Jones Sr., additional voices | Voice, 21 episodes[12] |
| 2010–2016 | The Good Wife | Kurt McVeigh | 14 episodes |
| 2011 | True Blood | Earl Stackhouse | Episode: "She's Not There" |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | Joe O'Donnell | Episode: "The Divorce" | |
| Ricochet | Judge Cato Laird | Television film | |
| Tagged | James Percy | Pilot | |
| Pound Puppies | Slick | Voice, episode: "I Never Barked for My Father"[12] | |
| 2011–2013 2016, 2019 |
Suits | Cameron Dennis | 10 episodes |
| 2012 | An Officer and a Murderer | Colonel Russell Williams | Television film |
| Hart of Dixie | Dr. Ethan Hart | 2 episodes | |
| Scruples | Royce Franklin | Pilot | |
| 30 Rock | Roger | Episode: "Unwindulax" | |
| Royal Pains | Simon Braddock | Episode: "Who's Your Daddy" | |
| Wedding Band | Jack | Episode: "We Are Family" | |
| The List | Chief Inspector Bob McKinnon | Pilot | |
| 2012–present | Bob's Burgers | Sergeant Bosco | Voice, 12 episodes[12][14][15][16] |
| 2013–2019 | Veep | Kent Davison | 55 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2017) Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (2014) Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2013–2016) |
| 2014 | Phineas and Ferb | Principal Lang | Voice, episode: "Doof 101"[12] |
| The Legend of Korra | Dai Li Sergeant, Rich Man | Voice, 2 episodes[12] | |
| 2014–2015 | Archer | Special Agent Hawley | Voice, 6 episodes |
| 2014, 2017 | The Tom and Jerry Show | Narrator | Voice, 6 episodes |
| 2014–2017 | Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero | Brock Zero | Voice, 14 episodes[12] |
| 2015 | Mr. Robinson | Neville Rex | Episode: "Flesh for Fantasy" |
| Rick and Morty | Alien Doctor | Voice, episode: "Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate" | |
| 2015–2017 | F Is for Family | Rodger Dunbarton | Voice, 6 episodes |
| 2016 | Unforgettable | Clay Tendler | Episode: "Bad Company" |
| Angel from Hell | Stephen Williams | Episode: "Believe Me, Part 2" | |
| We Bare Bears | CEO | Voice, episode: "Fashion Bears" | |
| Justice League Action | Black Adam | Voice, 2 episodes[12] | |
| Angie Tribeca | Professor Everett Lamereau | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2016–2017 | Mercy Street | James Green Sr. | 12 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters | Mark Armstrong | Voice, 10 episodes[12] |
| 2017–2022 | The Good Fight | Kurt McVeigh | 24 episodes |
| 2018 | The Venture Bros. | Professor Von Helping | Voice, episode: "The High Cost of Loathing"[12] |
| Harvey Birdman: Attorney General | Harvey Birdman | Voice, television special | |
| 2018–2019 | Trolls: The Beat Goes On! | Sky Toronto | Voice, 12 episodes[12] |
| Chicago Fire | Fire Commissioner Carl Grissom | 12 episodes | |
| 2019 | Fam | Freddy | 7 episodes |
| Love, Death & Robots | The Inspector | Voice, episode: "The Dump"[12] | |
| 2019–2021 | Mixed-ish | Harrison Jackson III | 36 episodes |
| 2019, 2022 | American Dad! | Ted Robinson | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2019–2022 | Big Mouth | Edward MacDell | Voice, 7 episodes |
| 2020 | Star Trek: Lower Decks | Leonardo da Vinci Hologram | Voice, episode: "Crisis Point" |
| 2021 | Q-Force | Dirk Chunley | Voice, 10 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Inside Job | Male Cop, Sitcom Dad | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2021–present | NCIS | Alden Parker | Main role |
| 2022 | NCIS: Hawaiʻi | 3 episodes | |
| 2023 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Episode: "A Long Time Coming" | |
| Velma | Lamont Rogers | Voice, episode: "The Candy (Wo)man"[12] | |
| White House Plumbers | Mark Felt | Episode: "The Beverly Hills Burglary" | |
| Waco: The Aftermath | Gordon Novel | 5 episodes | |
| Agent Elvis | Richard Nixon | Voice, episode: "Maximum Density"[12] |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law | Harvey Birdman, Judge Hiram Mightor |
| 2016 | Hitman | Himself |
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