# Eric Close

Eric Close (24 May 1967) is an American actor, best known for his roles in television series, particularly as FBI agent Martin Fitzgerald in the CBS mystery drama Without a Trace (2002–2009), Michael Wiseman in the CBS sci-fi drama Now and Again (1999-2000), Teddy Conrad in the ABC musical drama Nashville (2012–2017), and Travis Tanner in Suits (2011–2015).

## Early life

Close was born on Staten Island, New York. Close's father is an orthopedic surgeon. Close is the eldest of three brothers. His family moved to Indiana, then to Michigan, and finally settled in San Diego when Close was seven years old.
Close was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and graduated with a B.A. in communications from the University of Southern California in 1989.

## Career

Close was interested in acting from an early age and had some stage experience in school, but did not decide to pursue an acting career until after college. His first role was in a theater production Rat Songs in L.A., after which he was offered parts in the crime drama American Me (1992) and the TV movie Safe House directed by Elena Mannus. He had a brief stint in daytime television when he played Sawyer Walker on the NBC daytime soap opera Santa Barbara from 1992 to 1993. He received a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Male Newcomer for his role as Sawyer Walker on Santa Barbara. Close later starred on short-lived primetime shows such as McKenna (1994–1995), Dark Skies (1996–1997), The Magnificent Seven (1998–1999), Now and Again (1999–2000), and the Steven Spielberg miniseries production, Taken (2002). He starred on storyline online and read When Pigasso met Mootisse.
Close is best known for his role as Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Martin Fitzgerald on the CBS mystery drama Without a Trace. The show ran for seven seasons from September 26, 2002, to May 19, 2009. From 2011 to 2015, Close had a recurring role as Travis Tanner in the USA legal drama Suits, and starred as Michael Dorset in the short-lived CBS comedy-drama Chaos. In 2012, Close began co-starring with Connie Britton in the ABC musical drama Nashville as Teddy Conrad, initially the husband of country singer Rayna Jaymes (Britton) and later the mayor of Nashville.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | Keeping Secrets | Young Michael (uncredited) | Television movie |
| 1992 | American Me | Juvie Hall Attacker | |
| 1993 | Taking Liberty | Adam | |
| 1994 | Hercules and the Lost Kingdom | Telamon | Television movie |
| 1994 | Without Consent | David Mills | Television movie |
| 1995 | Long Island Fever | Scott Parks | Television movie |
| 1995 | The Stranger Beside Me | Chris Gallagher | Television movie |
| 2001 | Follow the Stars Home | Mark McCune | Television movie |
| 2001 | Liberty, Maine | Unknown | |
| 2001 | The Sky Is Falling | Mike | |
| 2003 | Alvarez & Cruz | Charlie | |
| 2004 | NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323 | N'Tom Price | Television movie |
| 2007 | Saving Angelo | Dad | Short film |
| 2010 | Unanswered Prayers | Ben Beck | Television movie |
| 2014 | American Sniper | DIA Agent Snead | |
| 2017 | Christmas Crime Story | Randal Edwards | |
| 2017 | Christmas in the Air | Robert Trent | Television movie |
| 2018 | Indivisible | Ltc. Jacobsen | |
| 2018 | Legal Action | Casey McKay | |
| 2021 | The Mulligan | Paul McAllister | Currently Filming |
| 2024 | Average Joe | Joe Kennedy | Post-Production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | MacGyver | Guard | Episode: "The Prometheus Syndrome" |
| 1992 | Major Dad | Jim | Episode: "The 'L' Word" |
| 1992–93 | Santa Barbara | Sawyer Walker | 25 episodes |
| 1994–95 | McKenna | Brick McKenna | 13 episodes (5 aired) |
| 1995–96 | Sisters | William 'Billy' Griffin | 12 episodes |
| 1996–1997 | Dark Skies | John Loengard | 19 episodes Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television |
| 1998–2000 | The Magnificent Seven | Vin Tanner | 22 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | Now and Again | Michael Wiseman | 22 episodes Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television |
| 2002 | Taken | John | 4 episodes |
| 2002–09 | Without a Trace | Martin Fitzgerald | 160 episodes Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
| 2005 | Kim Possible | Crash Cranston (voice) | Episode: "Team Impossible" |
| 2010 | Seven Deadly Sins | Jack Powell | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Criminal Minds | Det. Matt Spicer | Episode: "Our Darkest Hour" |
| 2011 | Chaos | Michael Dorset | 13 episodes |
| 2011–15 | Suits | Travis Tanner | 7 episodes |
| 2011 | American Horror Story: Murder House | Hugo Langdon | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Colin Barnes | Episode: "Father Dearest" |
| 2012–18 | Nashville | Teddy Conrad | 65 episodes; Main Role (Seasons 1–3), Guest (Seasons 4–6) |
| 2019 | A Christmas Love Story | Shane | Hallmark Movie; Also director |
| 2019 | Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday | Anthony | Hallmark Movie |