# Ron Eldard

Ronald Jason Eldard is an American actor.

## Early life

Eldard was born on Long Island, New York. He is the sixth of seven children, and has four sisters and two brothers. He is of Irish and Scottish descent. Eldard's mother died in a car accident when he was a child, and Eldard and his siblings were sent to live with various family members. He attended grade school in Utah while living with his aunt and uncle.

## Career

Eldard made his film debut in the comedy True Love (1989), written and directed by Nancy Savoca, and co-starring Annabella Sciorra. This film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Eldard has performed on Broadway in critically acclaimed productions of On the Waterfront, Biloxi Blues, Bash: Latterday Plays, and Death of a Salesman. The latter two were filmed for Showtime productions.
Eldard is known for his film roles as Mickey Bunce in the cult comedy Drop Dead Fred (1991); as street thug John Reilly in Sleepers (1996), and as Dodge, a Marine Salvage Expert, in the horror film Ghost Ship (2002).
Beginning January 11, 2006, he starred as Father Flynn in the Tony Award– and Pulitzer Prize–winning Broadway production of Doubt, opposite the British actress Dame Eileen Atkins. He was scheduled to assume the role for the January 10 performance, but was ill. The production closed July 2, 2006. In 2014, he starred in the indie horror film Poker Night.

## Personal life

Eldard was in a relationship with his ER co-star Julianna Margulies from 1991 to 2003.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1989 | True Love | Michael | |
| 1989 | One Life to Live | "Blade" | Television series |
| 1991 | Drop Dead Fred | Mickey Bunce | |
| 1992 | Jumpin' Joe | Joe Dugan | Television film |
| 1992 | Arresting Behavior | Officer Donny Walsh | Television series |
| 1992 | Scent of a Woman | Officer Gore | |
| 1993 | Tribeca | Phil | Television series |
| 1993–1994 | Bakersfield P.D. | Detective Wade Preston | Television series |
| 1995 | Sex & the Other Man | Bill Jameson | |
| 1995 | The Last Supper | Pete | |
| 1995–1996 | ER | Paramedic Ray "Shep" Shepard | Television series |
| 1996 | Bastard Out of Carolina | Glen Waddell | |
| 1996 | Sleepers | John Reilly | |
| 1996–1997 | Men Behaving Badly | Kevin Murphy | Television series |
| 1998 | Deep Impact | Oren Monash | |
| 1998 | When Trumpets Fade | Private / Sergeant / Lieutenant David Manning | Television film |
| 1999 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Emmet Carey | Television series |
| 1999 | Delivered | Reed | aka Death by Pizza |
| 1999 | The Runner | Edward Harrington | |
| 1999 | Mystery, Alaska | Matt "Skank" Marden | |
| 2000 | Death of a Salesman | Biff Loman | Television film |
| 2001 | Bash: Latter-Day Plays | | Television film |
| 2001 | Black Hawk Down | Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant | |
| 2002 | Just a Kiss | Dag | |
| 2002 | Ghost Ship | Dodge | |
| 2003 | House of Sand and Fog | Deputy Sheriff Lester Burdon | |
| 2005 | Fathers and Sons | Tom | Television film |
| 2005 | Blind Justice | Detective Jim Dunbar | Television series |
| 2006 | Freedomland | Danny Martin | |
| 2006 | Diggers | Jack | |
| 2007 | Demons | Gus | Television film |
| 2007 | Already Dead | Thomas Archer | |
| 2008 | The Tenth Circle | Daniel Stone | Television film |
| 2009 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Geno Parnell | Television series |
| 2011 | In Plain Sight | Carl Harris | Television series |
| 2011 | Super 8 | Louis Dainard | |
| 2011 | Roadie | Jimmy Testagross | |
| 2013 | Justified | Colton "Colt" Rhodes | Television series |
| 2013 | Jobs | Rod Holt | |
| 2014 | Poker Night | Cunningham | |
| 2018 | Higher Power | Joe Steadman | |
| 2018 | Odds Are... | The Homeowner | |