# Peter Gallagher

Peter Killian Gallagher (born August 19, 1955) is an American actor. Since 1980, he has played roles in numerous Hollywood films. He is best known for starring as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007, and recurring roles in television such as Deputy Chief William Dodds on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Stacey Koons on the Showtime comedy-drama Californication, Nick on the Netflix series Grace & Frankie, and Director of Clandestine Services (DCS) Arthur Campbell on Covert Affairs. He also is known for his roles in the films Bob Roberts (1992), The Player (1992), Short Cuts (1993), American Beauty (1999), Mr. Deeds (2002), and Palm Springs (2020). In musical theatre, his best-known role is that of Sky Masterson in the 1992 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls.

## Early life

Gallagher was born in New York City. His mother, Mary Ann (née O'Shea), was a bacteriologist, and his father, Thomas Francis Gallagher, Jr., was an advertising executive. Gallagher is the youngest of their three children. He is of Irish Catholic background and was raised in Armonk, New York. Gallagher graduated from Tufts University, where he was active in theater, appearing in such shows as Stephen Sondheim's Company and singing with the all-male a cappella group the Beelzebubs. He studied acting at the William Esper Studio and with Mira Rostova.

## Career

Gallagher appeared on Broadway with Glenn Close in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing and made his feature film debut in the Taylor Hackford film The Idolmaker, but first achieved fame for his role in Steven Soderbergh's sex, lies, and videotape (1989). He also starred as Sky Masterson in the 1992 Broadway hit revival of Guys and Dolls.
Gallagher played a potential career threat to Tim Robbins's studio executive in The Player (1992); the comatose fiancé of Sandra Bullock in While You Were Sleeping (1995); a major real estate salesman having an affair with Annette Bening in American Beauty (1999); a media executive in Mr. Deeds (2002); and a political reporter exposing media ethics during a presidential debate in The Last Debate.
From 2003 to 2007, Gallagher starred as Sandy Cohen, a Jewish public defender and corporate lawyer, on the Fox television show The O.C. He hosts an annual award ceremony named "The Sandy Cohen Awards" or The Sandys, which, in honor of his character on The O.C., gives a scholarship to a law school student at UC Berkeley who wants to become a public defender.
Gallagher released an album titled 7 Days in Memphis in 2005, on the Sony BMG label. This includes a studio recording of his performance of "Don't Give Up On Me" (originally by Solomon Burke), which was featured in an episode of The O.C. He also has a video for his single "Still I Long For Your Kiss", in which he starred with his TV-wife Kelly Rowan.
In 2005, Gallagher received the P.T. Barnum Award from Tufts University for his exceptional work in the field of media and entertainment. In 2007, Gallagher received the "Light on the Hill" award at Tufts University. The award is given to notable alumni from Tufts who have demonstrated ambition, achievement, and active citizenship.
From February 13 through July 5, 2015, Gallagher starred on Broadway in On the Twentieth Century although he missed several performances in late February due to illness.
In 2020 Gallagher played Mitch Clarke, who had progressive supranuclear palsy, in a regular role in the first season of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Though his character died in the season 1 finale, Gallagher appeared in several episodes of the second season and the Christmas special Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas.
In 2021, Gallagher took part in the television series Grey's Anatomy as Dr. David Hamilton.
From 2018 through 2022, Gallagher appeared in four seasons of the Netflix series Grace and Frankie as Nick, the boyfriend of Jane Fonda's character Grace.
In 2024, Gallagher is set to return to Broadway, in a new play based on the life of Delia Ephron, titled Left on Tenth.

## Personal life

Gallagher is married to Paula Harwood and has two children, James and Kathryn. His daughter Kathryn is an actress and singer.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1980 | The Idolmaker | Guido, Caesare | |
| 1982 | Summer Lovers | Michael Pappas | |
| 1985 | Dreamchild | Jack Dolan | |
| 1986 | My Little Girl | Kai | |
| 1988 | High Spirits | Brother Tony | |
| 1989 | Sex, Lies, and Videotape | John Mullany | |
| 1990 | Tune in Tomorrow | Richard Quince | |
| 1991 | Milena | Pollak | |
| 1991 | The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez | Matt | |
| 1991 | Late for Dinner | Bob Freeman | |
| 1992 | The Player | Larry Levy | |
| 1992 | Bob Roberts | Dan Riley | |
| 1993 | Watch It | John | |
| 1993 | Short Cuts | Stormy Weathers | Golden Globe Special Ensemble Cast Award (non-competitive)Volpi Cup for Best Ensemble Cast |
| 1993 | Malice | Atty. Dennis Riley | |
| 1994 | The Hudsucker Proxy | Vic Tenetta | |
| 1994 | Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle | Alan Campbell | |
| 1994 | Mother's Boys | Robert Madigan | |
| 1994 | White Mile | Jack Robbins | |
| 1995 | The Underneath | Michael Chambers | |
| 1995 | While You Were Sleeping | Peter Callaghan | |
| 1995 | Cafe Society | Jack Kale | |
| 1996 | Last Dance | John Hayes | |
| 1996 | To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday | David Lewis | |
| 1997 | The Man Who Knew Too Little | James 'Jimmy' Ritchie | |
| 1997 | Path to Paradise | John Anticev | |
| 1998 | Johnny Skidmarks | Johnny Scardino | |
| 1999 | House on Haunted Hill | Donald W. Blackburn, M.D. | |
| 1999 | American Beauty | Buddy Kane | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2000 | Center Stage | Jonathan Reeves | |
| 2000 | Other Voices | Jordin | |
| 2001 | Perfume | Guido | |
| 2001 | Protection | Ted | |
| 2002 | Mr. Deeds | Chuck Cedar | |
| 2002 | The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina | Mole King | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2003 | How to Deal | Len Martin | Uncredited |
| 2008 | Center Stage: Turn It Up | Jonathan Reeves | |
| 2009 | Adam | Marty Buchwald | |
| 2009 | The War Boys | Slater Welch | |
| 2010 | Conviction | Barry Scheck | |
| 2010 | Burlesque | Vincent "Vince" Scali | |
| 2011 | Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You | Paul Sveck | |
| 2012 | Step Up Revolution | William "Bill" Anderson | |
| 2015 | Hello, My Name Is Doris | Willy Williams | |
| 2017 | Literally, Right Before Aaron | Orson Schwartzman | |
| 2017 | Submission | Len Curry | |
| 2017 | A Bad Moms Christmas | Hank Redmond | |
| 2019 | After | Ken Scott | |
| 2020 | Palm Springs | Howard Wilder | |
| 2024 | Humane | Charles York | Post-production |

### Television films

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1984 | Terrible Joe Moran | Nick |
| 1987 | Long Day's Journey into Night | Edmund Tyrone |
| 1988 | The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial | Lt. Cmdr. John Challee |
| 1988 | I'll Be Home for Christmas | Aaron Coplan |
| 1990 | Love and Lies | David West |
| 1998 | Brave New World | Bernard Marx |
| 1998 | Virtual Obsession | Dr. Joe Messenger |
| 1999 | Brotherhood of Murder | Bob Mathews |
| 2000 | The Last Debate | Tom Chapman |
| 2000 | Cupid & Cate | Harry |
| 2001 | Feast of All Saints | Philippe Ferronaire |
| 2003 | A Tale of Two Wives | Bill Goodman |
| 2016 | Center Stage: On Pointe | Jonathan Reeves |
| 2021 | One December Night | Mike Sullivan |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Guiding Light | Chuck Haskell | Unknown episodes |
| 1980 | Skag | John Skagska | 6 episodes |
| 1982 | American Playhouse | Logan Melton | Episode: "Private Contentment" |
| 1984 | ABC Weekend Specials | Phil Grey | Episode: "A Different Twist" |
| 1987 | Private Eye | Tommy Baron | Episode: "Blue Hotel Part 1" |
| 1988 | American Playhouse | Charles Castle | Episode: "The Big Knife" |
| 1988 | The Murder of Mary Phagan | Leo Frank | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | An Inconvenient Woman | Phillip Quennell | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | Fallen Angels | Dr. Yorgrau | Episode: "The Quiet Room" |
| 1993 | Fallen Angels | Mitch Allison | Episode: "The Frightening Frammis" |
| 1996 | Titanic | Wynn Park | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Chris Rawls | Episode: "Closet Cases" |
| 1998 | Superman: The Animated Series | Kurt | Voice, episode: "Where There's Smoke" |
| 1998–99 | The Secret Lives of Men | Michael | 13 episodes |
| 2001 | Family Guy | Jared | Voice, episode: "Lethal Weapons" |
| 2003–07 | The O.C. | Sandy Cohen | Main role, 92 episodes Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Parental Unit (2005−06) |
| 2006 | Robot Chicken | Additional voices | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | The Gathering | Dr. Michael Foster | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Shark | Frank Bell | Episode: "Partners in Crime" |
| 2009 | Californication | Dean Stacey Koons | 8 episodes |
| 2010 | Rescue Me | Father Phil Bingham | 5 episodes |
| 2010−14 | Covert Affairs | Arthur Campbell | Main role, 68 episodes |
| 2011 | Whitney | Vince | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | How I Met Your Mother | Professor Vinick | Episode: "The Final Page" |
| 2015 | The Good Wife | Ethan Carver | 3 episodes |
| 2015–16 | Togetherness | Larry Kosinski | Recurring role, 9 episodes Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series |
| 2016 | New Girl | Gavin Schmidt | 4 episodes |
| 2014–19 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Deputy Chief William Dodds | Recurring role, 19 episodes |
| 2017 | Man Seeking Woman | Joel Greenberg | Episode: "Dolphin" |
| 2017–2022 | Grace and Frankie | Nick Skolka | Recurring role, 24 episodes |
| 2018 | The Gifted | Benedict Ryan | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Murphy Brown | John Haggerty | Episode: "Results May Vary" |
| 2019 | The Conners | Brian Foster | Episode: "Rage Against the Machine" |
| 2020–2021 | Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist | Mitch Clarke | Main role, 13 episodes Guest role, 2 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | The Owl House | Dell Clawthorne | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. David Hamilton | Recurring role |
| 2022 | Mr. Mayor | Brett | Episode: "Trampage" |
| 2022 | Reboot | Tyler | Episode: "Who's the Boss" |

## Stage credits

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977 | Hair | Claude | |
| 1978 | Grease | Danny Zuko | Broadway |
| 1981 | Romeo and Juliet | Benvolio | |
| 1982 | A Doll's Life | Otto | Broadway; Theatre World Award |
| 1983 | The Corn Is Green | Morgan Evans | Broadway |
| 1983 | Another Country | Guy Bennett | |
| 1984 | The Real Thing | Billy | Broadway; Clarence Derwent Awards—Most Promising Male |
| 1985–86 | Pride and Prejudice | Fitzwilliam Darcy | |
| 1986 | Long Day's Journey Into Night | Edmund Tyrone | Broadway; Nominated—Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play |
| 1992 | Guys and Dolls | Sky Masterson | Broadway; Nominated—Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical |
| 1995 | Pal Joey | Joey Evans | |
| 2001–02 | Noises Off | Lloyd Dallas | Broadway |
| 2002 | Funny Girl | Nick Arnstein | Broadway Concert |
| 2002 | The Exonerated | Kerry Max Cook | |
| 2008 | The Country Girl | Bernie Dodd | Broadway |
| 2015 | On the Twentieth Century | Oscar Jaffe | Broadway |
| 2019 | The Little Mermaid | King Triton | Concert |
| 2024 | Left on Tenth | Peter | Broadway |