John Getz
John Getz | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Getz on the set of the soap opera Another World in 1974 | |
| Born | October 15, 1946[1] Davenport, Iowa, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
John Getz (born October 15, 1946) is an American character actor. After starting his acting career on stage, he has appeared in numerous television series and films, most notably Blood Simple, The Fly, and The Social Network.
Early life
[edit]Getz, one of four children, was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in the Mississippi River Valley.[2] He is the son of William and Kay Getz.[3] His father operated a heavy-machine company, and his mother's family worked in construction.[4]
He was raised in Moline, Illinois,[5] and attended Moline High School, where he was a member of the swimming team. As a student at the University of Puget Sound, he participated in theater to avoid being on the university's swimming team.[3] He attended the University of Iowa intending to participate in its Writers Workshop. He planned to write and teach, but involvement with the university's theater department turned his interest to acting.[5]
Career
[edit]Immediately after his college experience Getz began working with the American Conservatory Theater.[5] He performed for a year with a touring company, after which he was one the founders of a theater company in Napa Valley. After moving to New York he performed in plays in East Village and was an understudy for productions in Lincoln Center's Shakespeare Festival.[3]
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).[6] He played the doomed lover of a married woman (Frances McDormand) who woefully misinterprets his increasingly complex circumstances.[7][8]
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In 1985, he co-starred in the police drama MacGruder and Loud. The pilot aired after Super Bowl XIX on January 20, 1985, and the series subsequently aired on ABC. The series was canceled by ABC after its first season.[9]
Getz appeared in two television series with Maggie in their titles: Suzanne Pleshette Is Maggie Briggs (1984), in which he played Geoff Bennett, the new editor of the New York Examiner,[10] and Maggie (1998–1999), in which he played Dr. Arthur Day, the title character's husband.[11]
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.[12]
Also in 1989, he appeared in Born on the Fourth of July as a Marine major.[8] In 1990, he played a greedy tycoon in the Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez spoof Men at Work.[13][14] In 1991, he appeared as Gus in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and as an obnoxious corporate lawyer boyfriend in Curly Sue.[15] 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.[16] 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.[17]
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), Bosch (2017–2018), and the Netflix series A Man on the Inside (2024).[citation needed]
Personal life
[edit]Getz married playwright Grace McKeaney on January 3, 1987;[18] They have a daughter together.[5]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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 |
| 1982 | Muggable Mary, Street Cop | Dan Waters | Television film |
| 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 |
| 2024–present | A Man on the Inside | Elliot Haverhill | Recurring role, 9 episodes |
| 2026 | The Pitt | Lloyd Wilkins | 3 episodes |
References
[edit]- ↑ "John Getz". www.csfd.cz.
- ↑ "John Getz". IndustryCentral.net. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015.
- 1 2 3 Davis, Shirley. "At Home With A Soap Opera Hero". Iowa, Davenport-Bettendorf. p. 56. Retrieved February 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Reich, Steve (July 11, 1982). "John Getz in no rush to stardom". Tarrytown Daily News. p. 77. Retrieved February 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 Burke-Block, Candace (April 1, 1987). "Actor Getz is behind bars in new series". The Sacramento Bee. p. AA 5. Retrieved February 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Arkatov, Janice (December 30, 1989). "Finding the Upside". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Thomas, Kevin (February 28, 1985). "'Blood Simple'". Los Angeles Times.
- 1 2 "John Getz". AFI Catalog. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ Margulies, Lee (May 7, 1985). "Wholesale Changes Due in ABC Programming". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. Penguin Books. p. 460.
- ↑ "Maggie — Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ "Top Ten Greatest Beards in Horror History". DreadCentral. July 3, 2012.
- ↑ Thomas, Kevin (August 27, 1990). "'Men at Work' a Labor of Laughter". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ Arkatov, Janice (December 30, 1989). "Finding the Upside". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Rainer, Peter (October 25, 1991). "'Curly Sue' Aims for the Tear Ducts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ Karim, Anhar (December 14, 2020). "John Getz On The Lawyers Of 'The Social Network'". Forbes. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ Birnam, J. Don (November 10, 2015). "Trumbo Review". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
- ↑ Buresh, Dorothy (January 13, 1987). "John Getz weds, lands new television role". The Dispatch. Illinois, Moline. p. 15. Retrieved February 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
