Max Martini

An American actor with a knack for playing supporting tough guys, Max Martini is likely a familiar face to ardent fans of action-oriented television shows. After appearing in a few 1980s screen productions while still a kid, Martini began his acting career in earnest during the mid-1990s, and subsequently landed small roles in the sci-fi drama "Contact" (1997), as well as the lauded war epic "Saving Private Ryan" (1998). This elevated exposure led to his casting in the virtual-reality TV series "Harsh Realm" (Fox, 1999-2000), but the show was quickly cancelled. After short stints on the tense primetime programs "24" (Fox, 2001-2010) and "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 2002-2012), Martini finally settled into an ongoing role on the military action series "The Unit" (CBS, 2006-09). Following that show's end, he returned to recurring parts, notably appearing on the first season of the soapy drama "Revenge" (ABC, 2011-15). In 2013, Martini finally won a sizeable film role in a major production as one of the heroic pilots of the giant robots in the sci-fi/action movie "Pacific Rim." With his edgy, intense persona, Martini wasn't going to become an obvious candidate for lighthearted comedies, but his action-genre credibility remained unassailable.