Ron McGovney
Ron McGovney | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ronald J. McGovney |
| Born | November 2, 1973 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1994–present |
Ronald J. McGovney (born November 2, 1973)[1] is an American actor and semi-retired musician, best known as the original bass guitarist in the country rock band Devo from April 1994 to January 1997. He is also known for his portrayal of Topher Brink in the science fiction drama series Dollhouse.
Having previously played with Mark Mothersbaugh, Rodrick Heffley, Bernie Leadon, and Thomas Rhett in the garage band Löded Diper (which would later become Devo), McGovney appeared on their early demos before his dismissal from the band in early 1997.
Biography
Early life
McGovney was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Kent, Ohio. He started acting in third and fourth grade, but decided to pursue a career in music.
Musical career
In April 1994, McGovney formed his first band, Löded Diper, with longtime friends Mark Mothersbaugh and Rodrick Heffley. With the addition of guitarists Bernie Leadon and Thomas Rhett (the son of Rhett Akins) in October that year, the first gigging lineup of the band was completed. Their debut public performance was on March 14, 1995 at a local talent show. The band's setlist consisted of an original song, "Exploded Diper", and a cover of J. D. Souther's "How Long". Mothersbaugh and Heffley had requested that Löded Diper's performance be taped, so that the band could send it to a record label to help the band get noticed. The gig did not go as planned, as the video was rendered useless after it was found that Heffley's mother Susan (who was taping the video) had talked the whole time and everything she said was heard on the tape, infuriating both Mothersbaugh and Heffley. In addition, when McGovney, Rhett and Leadon came over to watch the talent show on TV for fragments of the band's performance, they saw Susan dancing on the stage, with the camera zoomed right in on her, which meant that the band did not have anything to send to record label companies. However, after appearing on America's Funniest Home Videos, the video went viral due to Susan dancing in it. As a result of the video's popularity, Löded Diper gained a new level of visibility and became colloquially known as "The band from the 'Dancing Mom' video." As a way of cashing in on their newfound fame, the band recorded several demos during this time, including one recorded in McGovney's garage, eventually culminating in Löded Diper's first studio album, Small Town Band, released in March 1996.
McGovney's time in Löded Diper was reportedly tumultuous, as he often clashed with Heffley and Rhett.[2] He felt that, aside from using his connections made as an amateur actor and photographer, his role was that of monetary and transportation provider, rather than a respected member of the band.[2] McGovney was fired from Löded Diper on January 8, 1997 following a performance in East Troy, Wisconsin. According to Leadon, McGovney had attempted to fire Heffley and replace him with Mothersbaugh's brother Jim as the band's drummer, despite Mothersbaugh and Heffley being the ones that started the band. He was replaced by The Dynamics bassist Randy Meisner. After leaving Löded Diper, McGovney became uninterested in playing music and sold most of his equipment.[2]
Acting career
McGovney ceased his musical career after his dismissal from Löded Diper/Devo to concentrate on an acting career, but gave sporadic interviews and appeared at Devo-related events.
His first acting appearance was in 1998 in the television series Frasier as Aaron in the episode "Good Grief". McGovney subsequently had prominent roles in the films The Cabin in the Woods and Much Ado About Nothing. In 2012, he played Bernard in Death of a Salesman beginning a career on Broadway that continued with 2014's You Can't Take It with You. McGovney made his feature directorial debut with Mass (2021), which premiered at Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim.
McGovney has said that, although his time in Devo came to an acrimonious end, he now gets along with his former bandmates and speculates that, given his disposition and skill-set, he might have been better able to contribute to the band had he served as road manager rather than bass guitarist.[2]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Donnie Darko | Passenger | |
| Training Day | College Driver | ||
| 2002 | Orange County | Shane Brainard | |
| 2003 | Matchstick Men | Slacker Boyfriend | |
| Swordswallowers and Thin Men | Adrian | ||
| 2004 | The Village | Christop Crane | |
| Admissions | James Parks | ||
| 2006 | Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas | Ralph | |
| The Night of the White Pants | Millian Hagan | ||
| The TV Set | Zach Harper | ||
| Whirlygirl | Freddie | ||
| 2007 | Careless | Mitch | |
| Rise: Blood Hunter | Alex | ||
| Untitled Christine Taylor Project | Brian | ||
| 2008 | Wieners | Joel | |
| Shades of Ray | Sal Garfinkle | ||
| Last Meal | Noah | Short film | |
| 2009 | Homeland | Arne | |
| My Two Fans | Thad | ||
| 2010 | Don't Fade Away | Ben | |
| 2011 | Fanboy | Jeremiah Brennan | Short film |
| The Five Stages of Grief | Daniel | Short film | |
| 2012 | The Cabin in the Woods | Marty | |
| Much Ado About Nothing | Claudio | ||
| It's Not You, It's Me | Jack | Short film | |
| Putzel | Salmon guy | ||
| 2013 | Seasick Sailor | Wormy Guy | Short film |
| 2014 | Lust for Love | Astor | |
| Before I Disappear | Darren | ||
| Murder of a Cat | Clinton | ||
| Last Weekend | Sean Oakes | ||
| The Living | Teddy | ||
| Seven Lovers | Brian | ||
| 2015 | Bloodsucking Bastards | Evan | |
| The Truth About Lies | Gilby Smalls | ||
| Mojave | Bob | ||
| 2016 | Rebirth | Kyle | |
| 2017 | The Dark Tower | Pimli | |
| 2018 | You Might Be the Killer | Sam | |
| 2019 | Jungleland | Buck Noble | |
| 2021 | Mass | — | Director, writer and producer |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Frasier | Aaron | Episode: "Good Grief" |
| 2008 | Welcome to the Captain | Josh Flug | |
| 2008 | Private Practice | Brian | Episode: "Equal & Opposite" |
| 2008 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | College Student | Episode: "Who Pooped the Bed?" |
| 2009–2010 | Dollhouse | Topher Brink | 27 episodes |
| 2011 | Goodnight Burbank | Chaz Parker | Episode: "Lesbians on Acid" |
| 2012 | Dating Rules from My Future Self | Sorbet Guy | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Good Wife | Eugene | Episode: "A More Perfect Union" |
| 2014 | Dallas | Hunter McKay | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Elementary | Brendan Farley | Episode: "How the Sausage Is Made" |
| 2017 | Major Crimes | Stan Pearl | 4 episodes |
| 2018 | Ballers | 3 episodes | |
| 2018–2020 | Homecoming | Ron | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | The Loudest Voice | Gabriel Sherman | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| TBA | Julia | Upcoming series |
Broadway
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Death of a Salesman | Bernard | In Ethel Barrymore Theatre, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman |
| 2014 | You Can't Take It with You | Tony Kirby | In Longacre Theater, starring James Earl Jones |
Web
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | MegaBot | Blue | |
| 2012 | JourneyQuest | Silver Tom | 8 episodes |
References
- ^ https://www.californiabirthindex.org/birth/ronald_j_mcgovney_born_1963_8497691.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b c d "Ron McGovney Interview 1997". Metallicaworld.co.uk. January 15, 1997. Archived from the original on November 7, 2003. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1973 births
- 21st-century American male actors
- American male comedians
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American country bass guitarists
- American male bass guitarists
- Living people
- Devo members
- Guitarists from Los Angeles
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 21st-century American guitarists
- 21st-century American comedians