Gary Cole
| Gary Cole | |
|---|---|
 Cole at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival |
|
| Born | Gary Michael Cole September 20, 1956 Park Ridge, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Spouse | Teddi Siddall (m.1992) |
| Children | Mary Cole |
Gary Michael Cole (born September 20, 1956) is an American television and film actor. Born in Park Ridge, Illinois and a graduate of Illinois State University, Cole began his professional acting career on stage with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. On television, he had starring roles in the series Midnight Caller, American Gothic, and Crusade. On film, he appeared in supporting roles in The Brady Bunch Movie, Office Space, Dodgeball, and Talladega Nights.
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[edit] Early life
Cole was born in Park Ridge, Illinois. His father was a school administrator and his mother was a director of finance.[1] Cole attended Rolling Meadows High School, where his first dramatic appearance was as Snoopy in a high school production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He later attended Illinois State University, where he majored in theater alongside actors Laurie Metcalf and John Malkovich.
[edit] Career
Cole began his professional career in 1983 as a stage actor in Chicago, where he joined the ensemble of the famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. He also appeared in several off-Broadway productions in New York City. In addition to his film and television credits listed below, he has done voice work on several animated series (Family Guy; Kim Possible; Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law) 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 General 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 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.[2] | ” |
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 Lt. Conrad Rose on the TNT series Wanted, is 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[3] and has more recently 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.
Cole has joined Fox's comedy pilot, Tagged.[4]
In 2011, Cole reprised his role as Bill Lumbergh for several State Farm Insurance commercials.
Cole will have a guest-appearance on the fourth season of the HBO hit series True Blood, playing Sookie Stackhouse's grandfather.
[edit] Personal life
Cole married actress Teddi Siddall on March 8, 1992.[5] His daughter Mary was diagnosed with autism at 28 months of age.[6][7][8]
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Films
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | To Live and Die in L.A. | Man chased by Richard Chance | Uncredited |
| 1986 | Lucas | Assistant Coach | |
| 1993 | In the Line of Fire | Secret Service Presidential Detail Agent-In-Charge Bill Watts | |
| 1995 | The Brady Bunch Movie | Mike Brady | |
| 1996 | A Very Brady Sequel | Mike Brady | |
| Indecent Seduction | Peter Nash | ||
| 1997 | Cyclops, Baby | Manks | |
| Santa Fe | Paul Thomas | ||
| Gang Related | Richard Simms | ||
| 1998 | A Simple Plan | Neil Baxter | |
| I'll Be Home for Christmas | Jake's Dad | ||
| 1999 | Office Space | Bill Lumbergh | |
| Kiss the Sky | Marty | ||
| 2000 | The Gift | David Duncan | |
| 2001 | The Rising Place | Avery Hodge | |
| 2002 | One Hour Photo | Bill Owens | |
| I Spy | Carlos | ||
| Cadet Kelly | Sir | ||
| 2004 | Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! | Henry Futch | |
| Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story | Cotton McKnight | ||
| Pop Rocks | Jerry "Dagger" Harden | ||
| 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 | Doctor Heichman | |
| Breach | Rich Garces | ||
| American Pastime | Billy Burrell | ||
| Goodnight Vagina | Dr. Milstein | ||
| 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 | Commercially released in 2010 | |
| 2010 | Immortality Bites | Dr. Levine | |
| DC Showcase: The Spectre | Jim Corrigan/The Spectre | voice, animated short | |
| 2011 | Hop | Henry O'Hare | |
| The Chicago 8 | Bill Kunstler | ||
| 2012 | Gay Dude |
[edit] Television
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Heart of Steel | Lee | Television film |
| 1984 | Fatal Vision | Capt. Jeffrey MacDonald, MD | Television miniseries |
| A Matter of Principle | Man with Xmas tree | Television film | |
| 1985 | First Steps | Manny | Television film |
| The Twilight Zone | Daniel Gaddis | Single episode | |
| 1986 | Vital Signs | Dr. Hayward | Television film |
| Miami Vice | Jackson Crane | Single episode | |
| 1987 | Moonlighting | Alan McClafferty | Single episode |
| 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 | Tom Pruitt | Television film |
| 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 miniseries | |
| 1994 | A Time to Heal | Jay Barton | Television film |
| Rod Serling's Lost Classics | James | Television film | |
| Fall from Grace | Maj. 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 Thornberry | Single episode |
| The Outer Limits | Detective Ray Venable | Single episode | |
| From the Earth to the Moon | Ed Mitchell | Single episode | |
| 1999 | Crusade | Capt. Matthew Gideon | Thirteen episodes |
| Chicken Soup for the Soul | Dad | Single episode | |
| 1999–2004 | The Practice | Defense Attorney Solomon Tager | Three episodes |
| 2000 | National Lampoon's American Adventure | Chuck | Television film |
| What About Joan | Justin | Single episode | |
| Family Law | Alan | Single episode | |
| Batman Beyond | Zeta | Single episode (voice only) | |
| Touched by an Angel | Charlie Radcliff | Single episode | |
| Frasier | Luke Parker | Single episode | |
| 2000–2007 | Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law | Harvey Birdman | 39 episodes (voice only) |
| 2000–Present | Family Guy | Various characters | 25 episodes (voice only) |
| 2001 | Neurotic Tendencies | Television film | |
| Justice League | J. Allen Carter | Single episode | |
| 2002 | Cadet Kelly | Joe Maxwell | Television film |
| The Brady Bunch in the White House | Mike Brady | Television film | |
| 2002–2003 | Family Affair | William 'Bill' Davis | Fifteen episodes |
| 2002–2007 | Kim Possible | Dr. James Timothy Possible | 38 episodes (voice only) |
| 2003 | Criminology 101 | Roy Franks | Television film |
| Hack | Johnny Scanlon | Single episode | |
| Monk | Dexter Larson | Single episode | |
| Karen Sisco | Konner | Two episodes | |
| Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time | Dr. James Timothy Possible | Television film (voice only) | |
| 2003–2006 | The West Wing | Vice President Bob Russell | 21 episodes |
| 2004 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Xander Henry | Single episode |
| Pop Rocks | Jerry "Dagger" Harden | Television film | |
| 2005 | Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama | Dr. James Timothy Possible | Television film (voice only) |
| Wanted | Lieutenant Conrad Rose | Thirteen episodes | |
| King of the Hill | Vance Gilbert | Single episode (voice only) | |
| 2006 | That Guy | Gary | Television film |
| Company Town | Martin Amberson | Television film | |
| Arrested Development | CIA Agent | Single episode | |
| 2007 | Shark | Christian Chambers | Single episode |
| The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning | Balladeer | Television film (voice only) | |
| Supernatural | Brad Redding | Single episode | |
| 2008 | Good Behavior | Dean West | |
| 12 Miles of Bad Road | Jerry Shakespeare | Six episodes | |
| Desperate Housewives | Wayne Davis | Six episodes | |
| Psych | Commander Cameron Luntz | Single episode | |
| 2008–2011 | Chuck | Jack Burton | Two episodes |
| 2008–2009 | Entourage | Andrew Klein | Five episodes |
| 2009 | The Cleaner | Davis Durham | Single episode |
| Numb3rs | Shepard Crater | Single episode | |
| The Good Wife | Kurt McVeigh | Four episodes | |
| 2010–2011 | The Penguins of Madagascar | Pervis McSlade, New York's Parks Commissioner | Two episodes (voice only) |
| 2010 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | Fred Jones Sr. | Voice only |
| The Good Guys | Frank Savage | Two episodes | |
| The Closer | Major Edward Dorcet | Single episode | |
| 2011 | True Blood | Earl Stackhouse | Single episode |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | Joe O'Donnell | Single episode | |
| Suits (TV series) | Cameron Dennis | Single episode |
[edit] References
- ^ Gary Cole Biography (1956–)
- ^ Bryant, Adam (December 2006). "Fast-Track Father". Maxim Magazine Online. http://www.maximonline.com/articles/index.aspx?a_id=7379. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
- ^ Who will play Katherine's infamous ex
- ^ "Gary Cole Gets Tagged for Fox Pilot". TVGuide.com. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Gary-Cole-Gets-1029225.aspx. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ Gary Cole Biography (1956–)
- ^ Biography for Gary Cole at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ The Gary Cole Archives
- ^ Firestone, Barbara (2007). Autism Heroes: Portraits of Families Meeting the Challenge. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. pp. 8–9. ISBN 1843108372. http://books.google.com/books?id=nL9SCiA_Vc8C&pg=PA8&dq=autism+heroes+teddie+and+Mary+Cole&num=100. Retrieved 29 November 2008.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Gary Cole at the Internet Movie Database
- Gary Cole at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- The Onion A.V. Club Random Roles article with Gary Cole
