# Craig Sheffer

Craig Eric Sheffer (born April 23, 1960) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his starring roles as Hardy Jenns in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), Aaron "Cabal" Boone in Nightbreed (1990), Norman Maclean in A River Runs Through It (1992), Joe Kane in The Program (1993), Joseph in Bliss (1997), and as Keith Scott on the television series One Tree Hill (2003–12).

## Early life

Sheffer was born in York, Pennsylvania, where his father worked as a prison guard. He began acting in school plays while attending York Suburban Senior High School, competing regional and state drama competitions. He attended East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania for two years on a sports scholarship, playing baseball and football, until sustaining a knee injury. He dropped out in 1980 to pursue his acting career.
Sheffer moved to New York City at the behest of his then-girlfriend, but they broke up shortly thereafter, and Sheffer spent sometime homeless. He "slept under the marble staircase" in Grand Central Terminal for weeks while living off Unification Church spaghetti dinners," and made a living selling newspapers.

## Career

After appearing in commercials, Sheffer was first seen on a nationwide basis as Ian Hayden on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live in 1982, and on the short-lived primetime drama The Hamptons in 1983. In 1984, he was cast in his first film role, as the romantic lead opposite Pia Zadora in the genre-bending musical Voyage of the Rock Aliens. He also starred in the Broadway play Torch Song Trilogy, replacing Paul Joynt midway through its run.
He subsequently had starring roles in films as the best friend of troubled teenager Emilio Estevez in That Was Then... This Is Now (1985), a reformatory camp inmate in Fire with Fire (1986), an antagonistic rich kid in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), and the romantic love interest of an overweight cosmetician in Baby Cakes (1989). In 1990, he played the leading role of Aaron "Cabal" Boone in Clive Barker's horror film Nightbreed.
In 1992, Sheffer starred as author Norman Maclean in the Oscar-winning biographical film A River Runs Through It, directed by Robert Redford. He then played Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Joe Kane in The Program in 1993.
Sheffer's other films include Fire in the Sky (1993), Head Above Water (1996), and Sleep With Me (1994) (as the apex of a romantic triangle which included Eric Stoltz and Meg Tilly). Sheffer played the leading role in Clive Barker's franchise sequel, Hellraiser: Inferno. He also played the main character in 1997's Bliss which starred Sheryl Lee, Terence Stamp and Leigh Taylor-Young.
Sheffer played Constant Bradley in the 1996 miniseries A Season in Purgatory. He played Keith Scott on the CW Network series One Tree Hill for three seasons before his character was killed off halfway through season 3 (he also had several guest appearances in season 4). He directed the feature film American Crude, a dark comedy starring Ron Livingston and Rob Schneider; it was released straight to DVD in June 2008. Sheffer had a cameo appearance in the movie Stand Up Guys.
In 2016, Sheffer starred alongside Steven Seagal in Code of Honor.
In 2021, he was cast to play American President Richard Nixon on the horror anthology American Horror Story: Double Feature.

## Personal life

Sheffer was in a relationship with Gabrielle Anwar from 1989 and until the early-1990s. Sheffer is the godfather to his ex-partner's children, Hugo and Paisley, from her subsequent marriage to John Verea.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | Voyage of the Rock Aliens | Frankie | |
| 1985 | That Was Then... This Is Now | Bryon Douglas | |
| 1986 | Fire with Fire | Joe Fisk | |
| 1987 | Some Kind of Wonderful | Hardy Jenns | |
| 1988 | Split Decisions | Eddie McGuinn | |
| 1990 | Nightbreed | Aaron Boone / Cabal | |
| 1990 | Instant Karma | Zane | |
| 1991 | Blue Desert | Randall Atkins | |
| 1991 | Eye of the Storm | Ray | |
| 1992 | A River Runs Through It | Norman Maclean | |
| 1993 | Fire in the Sky | Allan Dallis | |
| 1993 | The Program | Joe Kane | |
| 1993 | Fire on the Amazon | R.J. | |
| 1994 | The Road Killers | Cliff | |
| 1994 | Sleep with Me | Frank | |
| 1995 | Wings of Courage | Henri Guillaumet | Short film |
| 1995 | The Desperate Trail | Jack Cooper | |
| 1996 | The Grave | King | |
| 1996 | Head Above Water | Lance | |
| 1997 | Executive Power | Nick Seger | |
| 1997 | Bliss | Joseph | |
| 1998 | Double Take | Connor McEwen | |
| 1999 | The Fall | Adam Ellis | |
| 1999 | Flypaper | Bobby Ray | |
| 1999 | Turbulence 2: Fear of Flying | Martin | |
| 2000 | Net Worth | Woody Miller | |
| 2000 | Deep Core | Brian Goodman | |
| 2000 | Hellraiser: Inferno | Det. Joseph Thorne | |
| 2000 | Maze | Mike | |
| 2000 | Merlin: The Return | Mordred | |
| 2001 | Ritual | Paul Claybourne | |
| 2001 | Turbulence 3: Heavy Metal | Nick Watts | |
| 2001 | Flying Virus | Martin Bauer | |
| 2002 | Truth Be Told | Det. Stratten | |
| 2002 | Deadly Little Secrets | Dr. Gordon Childs | |
| 2003 | Water Under the Bridge | Marco | |
| 2003 | Dracula II: Ascension | Lowell | |
| 2004 | Prodigal Son | Alan | Short film |
| 2004 | The Pavilion | Frank Cassilis | |
| 2004 | Berserker | Boar | |
| 2005 | Tom's Nu Heaven | Tom Mitchell | |
| 2005 | The Second Front | Frank Hossom | |
| 2006 | Find Love | Interviewer | |
| 2008 | Love Lies Bleeding | Morton | |
| 2008 | While She Was Out | Kenneth | |
| 2010 | Ashley's Ashes | Bill | |
| 2012 | Bad Ass | Attorney | |
| 2012 | Stand Up Guys | Jargoniew | |
| 2012 | The Mark | Chad Turner | |
| 2013 | The Mark 2: Redemption | Chad Turner | |
| 2016 | Code of Honor | William Porter | |
| 2017 | Destruction: Los Angeles | John Benson | |
| 2019 | Widow's Point | Thomas Livingston | |
| 2023 | Velocity Girl | Sheriff Earl Gentry | |
| 2024 | Guns & Moses | Tibor Farkas | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | One Life to Live | Ian Hayden | Unknown episodes |
| 1983 | The Hamptons | Brian Chadway | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1986–88 | Teen Wolf | Mick (voice) | 21 episodes |
| 1989 | Baby Cakes | Rob | Television film |
| 1995 | In Pursuit of Honor | Lt. Marshall Buxton | Television film |
| 1995 | Bloodknot | Mike | Television film |
| 1996 | A Season in Purgatory | Constant Bradley | Miniseries |
| 1997 | Miss Evers' Boys | Dr. Douglas | Television film |
| 1997 | Merry Christmas, George Bailey | Ernie Bishop / Ed / Bridgekeeper | Television film |
| 1998 | Rhapsody in Bloom | Jack Safrenek | Television film |
| 2001 | Family Law | Martin Antenelli | Episode: "Separation" |
| 2002 | Fastlane | Andrew Kane | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2002 | Cabin Pressure | Peter 'Bird Dog' Dewmont | Television film |
| 2003 | Without Malice | Dr. Paul Venters | Television film |
| 2003–07, 2012 | One Tree Hill | Keith Scott | 58 episodes |
| 2005 | Into the West | Older Robert Wheeler | Episode: "Ghost Dance" |
| 2006 | Long Lost Son | Quinn Halloran / John Williams | Television film |
| 2010 | Psych | Federal Marshal Daniel Wayne | Episode: "A Very Juliet Episode" |
| 2010 | Criminal Minds | James Thomas | Episode: "Compromising Positions" |
| 2010 | Lies Between Friends | Sheriff Zach Watts | Television film |
| 2012 | The Mentalist | Gary Philo | Episode: "Cheap Burgundy" |
| 2012 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Jack Gilmore | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Battledogs | Major Brian Hoffman | Television film |
| 2021 | American Horror Story: Double Feature | Richard Nixon | 3 episodes |