John William Getz is an American character actor. After starting his acting career on stage, he has appeared in numerous television series and films.

John Getz
Getz on the set of the soap opera Another World in 1974
Born
John William Getz

October 15, 1946[1]
EducationUniversity of Iowa
American Conservatory Theater
OccupationActor
Years active1970–present
Spouse
(m. 1987; div. 1996)
Children1

Early life

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Getz, one of four children, was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in the Mississippi River Valley.[2] He began acting while attending the University of Iowa, where he helped found the Center for New Performing Arts.[citation needed]

Career

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Getz dropped out of college to attend the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. While working in a winery, he helped to found the Theater Company in Napa County, California. His location in the grape-growing Napa Valley led to Getz's television debut in a made-for-television horror film Killer Bees (1974). Killer Bees starred Gloria Swanson, Craig Stevens, Kate Jackson, and Edward Albert. Getz then moved to New York City, where he became active in local theater while doing an 18-month stint as Neil Johnson on the soap opera Another World.[citation needed]

Getz appeared in The Happy Hooker (1975) and followed up with several other roles before starring in the Coen Brothers' neo-noir thriller Blood Simple (1984). He played the doomed lover of a married woman (Frances McDormand) who woefully misinterprets his increasingly complex circumstances.

 
Getz with Kathryn Harrold, MacGruder and Loud

In 1985, he co-starred in the unsuccessful police drama MacGruder and Loud. The pilot was given the post-Super Bowl time slot, contributing to its strong debut in the ratings. However, ABC rescheduled it repeatedly and finally relegated it to the "graveyard slot",[citation needed] 10:00 pm ET, Monday night.

Getz appeared in two different shows with the name "Maggie" in the title: 1984's Maggie Briggs, where he appeared as newspaper editor Geoff Bennett, and 1998's Maggie as the title character's husband, Dr. Arthur Day.

Getz also appeared in The Fly (1986) and The Fly II (1989) as Stathis Borans, a science magazine editor who pays a heavy price for his curiosity.[3] Also in 1989, he played a Marine Corps Major in Born on the Fourth of July. In 1991, Getz appeared as the unpleasant boyfriend of professional women in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and Curly Sue. In 1990, Getz appeared as a crime boss in the Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez spoof Men at Work. In 1994, he appeared in the film Playmaker, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Rubin.

In 2007, he had a role in David Fincher's film Zodiac. Also in 2007, he appeared in Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman's documentary film Nanking as George Ashmore Fitch, head of the local YMCA and administrative director of the International Committee for the Nanking Safety Zone. Getz also had a role in Fincher's film The Social Network (2010), about the founding of Facebook. He appeared in the suspense thriller Elevator as a Wall Street executive trapped in an elevator with a group of strangers, one of whom has a bomb. Written and produced by Marc Rosenberg and directed by Stig Svendsen, Elevator was released in July 2012. He appeared in Trumbo (2015) as director Sam Wood.

Through the decades, Getz has guest-starred in many television series, including Barney Miller (in the 1977 episode "Atomic Bomb") and Three's Company (1980), where he played Lee Tripper, brother of Jack Tripper. He has guest-starred in How I Met Your Mother, Prison Break, The King of Queens and Private Practice, and had recurring roles in Homeland (2014–2017), Timeless (2016–2018) and Bosch (2017–2018).

Personal life

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He has a daughter, Hannah, from his marriage to playwright Grace McKeaney.[citation needed]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1975 The Happy Hooker Trout Fisherman
1981 Tattoo Buddy
1984 Blood Simple Ray
Thief of Hearts Ray Davis
1986 The Fly Stathis Borans
1989 The Fly II Stathis Borans
Born on the Fourth of July Marine Major - Vietnam
1990 Men at Work Maxwell Potterdam III
1991 Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Gus
Curly Sue Walker McCormick
1994 Fortunes of War Franklin Hewitt
Playmaker Eddie
A Passion to Kill Jerry
1996 Mojave Moon Police Officer
1998 Some Girl Claire's Father
2000 Held for Ransom Mr. Kirkland
2004 A Day Without a Mexican Senator Abercombie
2007 Nanking George Fitch Documentary
Zodiac Templeton Peck
2008 Superhero Movie Lunatic Editor
2010 The Social Network Sy
2011 Elevator Henry Barton
2013 Jobs Paul Jobs
2015 The Perfect Guy Renkin
Trumbo Sam Wood
2016 Certain Women Sheriff Rowles
2018 Brampton's Own Bart
2019 Body at Brighton Rock Sheriff
2023 The Dead Don't Hurt Reverend Simpson

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1974 Killer Bees Attendant Television film
1974–1976 Another World Neil Johnson Main role, 122 episodes
1977 The Andros _targets Dan Bridger 1 episode
1977 On Our Own Tom Ericson 1 episode
1977 Rafferty Dr. Daniel Gentry Main role, 13 episodes
1977 The New Adventures of Wonder Woman Christian Harrison 1 episode
1977 Barney Miller William McKuen 1 episode
1978 Barnaby Jones Walter Alberts 1 episode
1978 Loose Change John Campbell Miniseries
1978 A Woman Called Moses Stewart Miniseries, 2 episodes
1978–1981 Ryan's Hope Jim / Dr. Morgan Thomas 2 episodes
1979 The Associates William Simmons 1 episode
1980 Three's Company Lee Tripper 1 episode
1984 Maggie Briggs Geoff Bennett 5 episodes
1985 ABC Afterschool Special Thomas Sanders 1 episode
1985 The Lucie Arnaz Show Scott Harris 1 episode
1985 MacGruder and Loud Malcolm MacGruder Main role, 15 episodes
1989 Roseanne John Hale 1 episode
1990 Murphy Brown Bob Wiltz 1 episode
1993 Triumph Over Disaster: The Hurricane Andrew Story Doug Hulin Television film
1993 Crossroads Greg 1 episode
1993 Phenom Jack 1 episode
1995 The 5 Mrs. Buchanans Roy Buchanan 2 episodes
1995–1996 Murder, She Wrote Kyle Kimball / Jonas Cole 2 episodes
1995–1996 Ned and Stacey Les MacDowall Recurring role, 6 episodes
1996 The Late Shift Brandon Tartikoff Television film
1996 A Friend's Betrayal Dennis Hewitt Television film
1996 Mr. & Mrs. Smith Karl Hansen 1 episode
1998–1999 Maggie Dr. Arthur Day Main role, 20 episodes
1999 JAG Admiral Harrison Spencer 1 episode
2000 Providence Dr. Sullivan 1 episode
2000; 2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Richard Zeigler / Bill Harvey 2 episodes
2001 Zenon: The Zequel General Hammond Television film
2001 The Guardian Wendell Rapke 1 episode
2003 CSI: Miami George Risher 1 episode
2003 According to Jim Frank 1 episode
2003 Joan of Arcadia D.A. Gabe Fellowes Recurring role, 6 episodes
2004 Without a Trace Mr. Garrett 1 episode
2004–2006 The King of Queens Mr. Dugan 3 episodes
2005 Mystery Woman Dan 1 episode
2005 Wanted Mr. Salinger 1 episode
2005 Medium Councilman Stuart McCallister 1 episode
2006 Cold Case Bill Simmons 1 episode
2006 Close to Home Maurice Hardecker 1 episode
2006 The West Wing Congressman Mark B. Sellner 2 episodes
2006 Las Vegas Freddie Smith 1 episode
2006–2007 Day Break Judge Tobias Booth Recurring role, 5 episodes
2007 Shark Judge Nicholas 1 episode
2007 Big Shots Walter Storrs 1 episode
2008 How I Met Your Mother Bob Hewitt Episode: "Miracles"
2008 Swingtown Steve Gilboy 1 episode
2008 Mad Men Dr. Eric Stone 1 episode
2008 Grey's Anatomy Michael Breyers 2 episodes
2008 Eleventh Hour William Gregory 1 episode
2008 Prison Break Dr. Roger Knowlton 1 episode
2009 Trust Me Peter Derby 2 episodes
2009 Criminal Minds Andrew Kane 1 episode
2009 Private Practice Mr. Kent 1 episode
2010 Ghost Whisperer Rudy Wharton 1 episode
2010 NCIS Walter Kane 1 episode
2012 Scandal Patrick Keating 1 episode
2012 Touch Henry Williams 1 episode
2013 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Admiral Vincent Albers 1 episode
2013 Eagleheart Bernard Moss 1 episode
2013 NCIS: Los Angeles Senator Lockhart 1 episode
2013 Nikita Senator Ed Chappell 2 episodes
2014 Bones Steven Frank 1 episode
2014 Castle Dr. Gustavo Bauer 1 episode
2014 Bad Teacher Howard 1 episode
2014 Halt and Catch Fire Joe MacMillan, Sr. 2 episodes
2014 How to Get Away with Murder David Dolan 1 episode
2014–2017 Homeland Joe Crocker 4 episodes
2016 Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders Randal Cowan 1 episode
2016 NCIS: New Orleans Army General Owen Matthews 1 episode
2016 Aquarius James Harrison Barret 4 episodes
2016–2017 Grace and Frankie John 3 episodes
2016–2017 Transparent Donald 4 episodes
2016–2018 Timeless Benjamin Cahill Recurring role, 9 episodes
2017 Better Call Saul Chairman 2 episodes
2017 Ghosted Director Romsio 1 episode
2017–2018 Bosch Bradley Walker Recurring role, 13 episodes
2018 American Horror Story: Apocalypse Mr. St. Pierre Vanderbilt 2 episodes
2018–2020 Dirty John Dwight / Doug Layton Recurring role, 5 episodes
2020–2021 Doom Patrol Paul Trainor 4 episodes
2022–2023 Alaska Daily Conrad Pritchard 4 episodes
2023 The Last of Us Edelstein 2 episodes
2023 Fatal Attraction Warren Miniseries, 4 episodes
2023 Reservation Dogs James Minor 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ https://www.csfd.cz/tvurce/7568-john-getz/prehled/
  2. ^ "John Getz". IndustryCentral.net. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
  3. ^ "Top Ten Greatest Beards in Horror History". DreadCentral. July 3, 2012.
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