# Harry Groener

Harry Groener (born September 10, 1951) is an American actor and dancer, perhaps best known for playing Mayor Wilkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (seasons 3, 4 and 7).

## Early life

Groener was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, West Germany, to an opera singer mother and a father who worked as a concert pianist, office clerk, and composer. He immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of two. As a teenager, Groener was apprenticed at the San Francisco Ballet; he went on to study drama at the University of Washington.

## Career

Groener's reputation in New York City rests almost entirely on his work in musical theater. However, the bulk of his roles outside New York have been in classical drama or contemporary plays like Eastern Standard. His Broadway credits include Is There Life After High School?, Will Parker in Oklahoma! (Tony Award nomination, Theatre World Award), Munkustrap in Cats (Tony Award nomination), Georges/George in Sunday in the Park with George, and Bobby Child in Crazy for You (Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations).
In 1999, he performed off-Broadway with Twiggy at the Lucille Lortel Theater in If Love Were All, a musical revue based on the friendship of Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence. He has performed in regional theatres across the country, including the San Diego Old Globe Theatre (where he is an associate artist), Mark Taper Forum, Westwood Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Long Wharf Theater, A.C.T., and the Williamstown Theater Festival.
Groener has performed regularly on TV, including guest appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990), Star Trek: Voyager (1996), Star Trek: Enterprise (2005) and several dozen other series; he was also a series regular on the sitcom Dear John. In 1998-99, he portrayed Richard Wilkins, the evil mayor of Sunnydale on the third season of cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and reprised the role in cameo appearances in Buffy's 4th and 7th seasons.
From 2003 to 2006, he appeared as the chef Gunther on the TV series Las Vegas. Notable film work includes Road to Perdition and About Schmidt. He also appeared in two episodes of The West Wing as the Secretary of Agriculture and the Bones episode "The Woman at the Airport" as a plastic surgeon, Henry Atlas. In 2009, Groener appeared in the second season episode of Breaking Bad, "Bit by a Dead Bee", as protagonist Walter White's psychiatrist. He also portrayed Clint, Ted's stepdad, in How I Met Your Mother. In January 2018, Groener appeared in an episode of Young Sheldon.
He was a regular vocalist for the Varèse Sarabande label, performing on such recordings as Shakespeare on Broadway, Cole Porter: A Musical Toast, and various installments of the Unsung Broadway and Lost in Boston series. He played King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot during 2006. In 2010, he appeared as the title role in the Antaeus Company's production of King Lear. He won the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for this performance. In 2012, he starred in the debut of Christopher Hampton's play Appomattox at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, playing a dual role as both U.S. presidents Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. As of 2023, he serves as an honorary board member at the Alpine Theater Project in Whitefish, MT.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1980 | Brubaker | Dr. Campbell |
| 1997 | Amistad | Tecora Captain |
| 1998 | Dance with Me | Michael |
| 1998 | Patch Adams | Dr. Prack |
| 1999 | Buddy Boy | Father Gillespie |
| 2002 | Road to Perdition | Mr. McDougal |
| 2002 | About Schmidt | John Rusk |
| 2002 | Manna from Heaven | Tony |
| 2006 | The Last Time | Customer at Conference |
| 2008 | Beautiful Loser | Ronald Riley |
| 2015 | The Atticus Institute | Lawrence Henault |
| 2016 | A Cure for Wellness | Pembroke |
| 2018 | A Futile and Stupid Gesture | Harry Kenney |
| 2018 | Delirium | Psychiatrist |
| 2023 | Oppenheimer | Gale W. McGee |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | The Country Girl | Paul Unger | TV movie |
| 1984 | George Washington | Patrick Henry | Episode #1.1 |
| 1985 | Kane & Abel | Lowell Kane | Episode #1.2 |
| 1985 | Remington Steele | Preston Hayes | Episode: "Corn Fed Steele" |
| 1987 | St. Elsewhere | Klaus Brinkmann | Episode: "Schwarzwald" |
| 1987 | Jack and Mike | Johnson | Episode: "Dreamland" |
| 1987 | Leg Work | Steve Amati | Episode: "Life Itself" |
| 1988 | Spenser: For Hire | George Lynnwood | Episode: "Substantial Justice" |
| 1988 | Matlock | Rod Greenwood | Episode: "The Magician" |
| 1988–1991 | Dear John | Ralph Drang | 68 episodes |
| 1989 | Studio 5-B | Unknown | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1990 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Tam Elbrun | Episode: "Tin Man" |
| 1991 | Quantum Leap | Detective Ward | Episode: "Permanent Wave - June 2, 1983" |
| 1995 | Law & Order | Terrence Dwyer | Episode: "Wannabe" |
| 1996 | Star Trek: Voyager | The Magistrate | Episode: "Sacred Ground" |
| 1996 | Caroline in the City | Henry | Episode: "Caroline and the Freight King" |
| 1996–1997 | Mad About You | Lance Brockwell | 4 episodes |
| 1997 | Home Improvement | Fred | Episode: "Totally Tool Time" |
| 1997 | George and Leo | Unknown | Episode: "The Cameo Episode" |
| 1997 | Just Shoot Me! | Headmaster Reilly | Episode: "Twice Burned" |
| 1997 | Murphy Brown | Concert Master | Episode: "I Hear a Symphony" |
| 1997–1998 | Sleepwalkers | The Smiling Man | 2 episodes |
| 1998–2003 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Mayor Richard Wilkins III | 14 episodes |
| 1998 | Working | Alan Norman | Episode: "The Breakfast" |
| 1998 | Buddy Faro | Miles Marengo | Episode: "The Curse of the Faro" |
| 1998 | Cupid | Michael Bennett | Episode: "Heaven... He's in Heaven" |
| 1999 | Mercy Point | Stenneth Lock | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Family Law | Unknown | Episode: "Decisions" |
| 2000 | Profiler | Vincent Capobianco | Episode: "The Long Way Home" |
| 2000 | Time of Your Life | Alan | Episode: "The Time They Got E-Rotic" |
| 2000 | Charmed | Father Thomas | Episode: "Primrose Empath" |
| 2000 | Judging Amy | Mike Holcombe | Episode: "Dog Days" |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Unknown | Episode: "Saving Faces" |
| 2000–2003 | The West Wing | Secretary of Agriculture Roger Tribbey | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Dr. Breen | Episode: "Dick Digs" |
| 2001 | 18 Wheels of Justice | Travis Jordan | Episode: "Slight of Mind" |
| 2001 | Boston Public | Mr. Jacobs | Episode: "Chapter Seventeen" |
| 2001 | King of the Hill | Dr. Tate / Larry (voice) | Episode: "Hank's Back Story" |
| 2001 | The Drew Carey Show | Dr. Hershlag | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | The Day the World Ended | Sheriff Ken | TV movie |
| 2001 | The Guardian | Fulton Trout | Episode: "The Funnies" |
| 2001 | Dead Last | Dr. Casey Henderson | Episode: "To Live and Amulet Die" |
| 2002 | Malcolm in the Middle | Rudy | Episode: "Poker" |
| 2002 | Watching Ellie | Robert | Episode: "Tango" |
| 2002 | Roswell | Dr. Burton Weiss | Episode: "Who Died and Made You King?" |
| 2002 | Philly | Dabney Cooper | Episode: "Tall Tales" |
| 2003 | The Mayor | Dick Winterhalter | TV movie |
| 2003–2006 | Las Vegas | Chef Gunther | 6 episodes |
| 2004 | I'm with Her | Principal Marvin Talbot | Episode: "Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Celebrity" |
| 2004 | Dr. Vegas | Hank Harold | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Less than Perfect | Dr. Lars Skaarsgard | Episode: "From the Chair to the Couch" |
| 2004 | Huff | Mr. Wayne | Episode: "Assault & Pepper" |
| 2005 | Monk | John Ricca | Episode: "Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra" |
| 2005 | Jack & Bobby | Adult Warren Feide | Episode: "Stand by Me" |
| 2005 | Star Trek: Enterprise | Nathan Samuels | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Medium | Joe's Boss | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | The Bernie Mac Show | Dr. Lyons | Episode: "Exercise in Fertility: Part 2" |
| 2006 | Bones | Dr. Henry Atlas | Episode: "The Woman at the Airport" |
| 2006–2013 | How I Met Your Mother | Clint | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Peyton Tallman | Episode: "Monster in the Box" |
| 2009 | Breaking Bad | Dr. Chavez | Episode: "Bit by a Dead Bee" |
| 2010 | Nolan Knows Best | Frenchy | TV movie |
| 2011 | Law & Order: LA | Attorney Spicer | Episode: "El Sereno" |
| 2011 | The Middle | Gene | Episode: "The Play" |
| 2011 | Once Upon a Time | Martin | Episode: "That Still Small Voice" |
| 2012 | Supernatural | Professor Morrison | Episode: "The Slice Girls" |
| 2013 | The Mentalist | Francisco Navarro | Episode: "Red Letter Day" |
| 2014 | Major Crimes | Mr. Kleiner | Episode: "Frozen Assets" |
| 2015 | Kittens in a Cage | Judge Dodd | Episode: "Ain't Even Got a Mustache" |
| 2017 | Ghosted | Stafford Yates | Episode: "The Machine" |
| 2018 | Young Sheldon | Elliot Douglas | Episode: "An Eagle Feather, a String Bean, and an Eskimo" |
| 2018 | Disjointed | Judge Nelson | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Criminal Minds | Leonard Hagland | Episode: "Ex Parte" |
| 2018 | Modern Family | Joel L.L. Logan | Episode: "Clash of Swords" |
| 2018 | The Rookie | Mr. Walker | Episode: "The Roundup" |
| 2018 | The Resident | Bartholomew McGainn | Episode: "The Dance" |
| 2022 | 9-1-1: Lone Star | Joe | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | White House Plumbers | Senator Philip Hart | Episode: "Please Destroy This, Huh?" |

## Stage

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
| 1976 | The Best Man | Reporter | |
| 1976 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Nick | |
| 1978 | Much Ado About Nothing | Benedick | |
| 1978 | Journey's End | Raleigh | |
| 1979 | Oklahoma! | Will Parker | Broadway debut |
| 1981 | Oh, Brother! | Western Mousada | Broadway |
| 1982 | Is There Life After High School? | Performer | Broadway |
| 1982 | Cats | Munkustrap | Broadway |
| 1985 | Harrigan 'N Hart | Edward Harrigan | Broadway |
| 1985 | Sunday in the Park with George | Georges Seurat / George | Broadway |
| 1987 | Sleight of Hand | Paul | Broadway |
| 1988 | Eastern Standard | Stephen Wheeler | |
| 1989 | Sunday in the Park with George | Georges Seurat / George | |
| 1991 | You Never Know | Baron Rommer | |
| 1992 | Crazy for You | Bobby Child | Broadway |
| 1995 | Twelve Dreams | Charles Hatrick | |
| 1995 | Picasso at the Lapin Agile | Freddy | |
| 1996 | Arms and the Man | Captain Bluntschli | |
| 1999 | If Love Were All | Noël Coward | |
| 2001 | Twelfth Night | Feste | |
| 2002 | Imaginary Friends | The Man | Broadway |
| 2004 | The Bear | Grigory Stepanovitch Smirnov | |
| 2005 | Pera Palas | Adalet / Bedia Older / Orhan Older | |
| 2006 | Spamalot | King Arthur | Broadway |
| 2006 | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | Governor | Broadway |
| 2007 | Regrets Only | Hank | |
| 2009 | The Fantasticks | Bellomy | |
| 2009 | Putting It Together | Performer | |
| 2009 | Equivocation | Richard | |
| 2010 | King Lear | Lear | |
| 2010 | The Train Driver | Roelf Visagie | |
| 2011 | The Madness of George III | King George III | |
| 2012 | March | William Tecumseh Sherman | |
| 2012 | The Exorcist | Burke Dennings | |
| 2012 | Appomattox | Lincoln / Johnson | |
| 2013 | Cyrano de Bergerac | Cyrano de Bergerac | Chicago Shakespeare Theater |
| 2014 | Love, Noël: The Letters and Songs of Noël Coward | Noël Coward | |
| 2015 | The Second Mrs. Wilson | Col. Edward House | |
| 2015 | Uncle Vanya | Serebryakov | |
| 2016 | Vicuña | Kurt Seaman | |
| 2017 | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Big Daddy | |
| 2018 | Henry IV | Northumberland | |
| 2018 | Three Days in the Country | Shpigelsky | |
| 2019 | Indecent | Actor | |
| 2019 | Skintight | Elliot Isaac | |
| 2022 | Everybody | Somebody | |
| 2023 | Water for Elephants | Mr. Jankowski | |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 1980 | Theatre World Award | Outstanding Stage Debut | Oklahoma! | Won |
| 1980 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Oklahoma! | Nominated |
| 1980 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in A Musical | Oklahoma! | Nominated |
| 1983 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Cats | Nominated |
| 1985 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in A Musical | Harrigan 'N Hart | Nominated |
| 1992 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Crazy for You | Nominated |
| 1992 | Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Crazy for You | Nominated |
| 2010 | Ovation Awards | Featured Actor in a Play | Equivocation | Won |
| 2010 | Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award | Lead Performance | King Lear | Won |
| 2011 | Joseph Jefferson Award | Actor in a Principal Role - Play | The Madness of George III | Won |
| 2012 | Joseph Jefferson Award | Actor in a Supporting Role - Play | The March | Nominated |
| 2014 | Joseph Jefferson Award | Actor in a Principal Role - Play | Cyrano de Bergerac | Nominated |
| 2018 | Ovation Awards | Lead Actor in a Play | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Won |
| 2018 | Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award | Featured Performance | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Won |