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Michael O'Neill

Highest Rated: 92% Clemency (2019)

Lowest Rated: 3% The Mod Squad (1999)

Birthday: May 29, 1951

Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama, USA

Character actor Michael O'Neill gathered a quite formidable track record of television and film credits after his first onscreen job in 1981. Yet neither his face nor his name are widely-known, with his reputation resting upon a stock in trade of upright, white-collar men playing supporting roles to the lead characters, whose dependability or otherwise often leads them into conflict. His first reasonably high-profile role remained one of his career highs, as a family man and suspected murderer opposite Al Pacino in the crime drama "Sea of Love"(1989). He was also a familiar face as Special Agent Butterfield, President Bartlet's bodyguard on "The West Wing" (NBC 1999-2006), and as murdered CTU Richard Walsh in the first season of the terrorist thriller "24" (Fox 2001-2010). Raised in Montgomery, Alabama, O'Neill was educated at the state's Auburn University and went on to pursue his acting career in New York City. Yet his onscreen career remain sparse until he was nearly forty years of age, when the "Sea of Love" role saw casting directors become familiar with his name and abilities. Over the years his talents and skill at playing men in mid-level official positions would see him act in television shows including science fiction cult favorite "The X-Files" (Fox 1993-2002), hospital drama "ER" (1994-2009) and "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC 2005- ), the latter in a standout performance as a bereaved shooter who goes on a hospital rampage. His film roles include the Nick Nolte drama "Lorenzo's Oil" (1992), horse racing period piece "Seabiscuit" (2003), blockbuster "Transformers" (2007) and the biopic "J. Edgar" (2011).

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Highest rated movies

92% 65% Clemency Watchlist
92% 91% Dallas Buyers Club
Watchlist
80% 71% Dancer, Texas Pop. 81
Watchlist
78% 76% Seabiscuit
Watchlist
78% 85% Indivisible Watchlist
75% 66% Sea of Love
Watchlist
61% 84% Secondhand Lions
Watchlist
57% 85% Transformers Watchlist
53% 57% Green Zone
Watchlist
43% 65% The Legend of Bagger Vance Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bride Hard Unknown (Character) - 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bound Jason Koss (Character) - 2022
No Score Yet 74% The Stand at Paxton County Dell Connelly (Character) - 2020
92% 65% Clemency Chaplain Kendricks (Character) $361.7K 2019
78% 85% Indivisible Chaplain Rogers (Character) $3.5M 2018
No Score Yet 90% Danger One Beckwith (Character) - 2018
No Score Yet 67% The Nightmare Gallery Original Music - 2018
No Score Yet 44% The Grim Sleeper Detective Simms (Character) - 2014
92% 91% Dallas Buyers Club Richard Barkley (Character) $27.3M 2013
53% 57% Green Zone Col. Bethel (Character) $35.0M 2010
No Score Yet 50% A Quiet Little Marriage Bruce (Character) - 2008
57% 85% Transformers Banachek (Character) $319.0M 2007
29% 60% Around the Bend Cowboy (Character) $193.6K 2004
No Score Yet 19% American Crime Sheriff Smyth (Character) - 2004
61% 84% Secondhand Lions Ralph (Character) $41.4M 2003
78% 76% Seabiscuit Mr. Pollard (Character) $120.1M 2003
28% 36% Dreamcatcher Gen. Matheson (Character) $33.7M 2003
43% 65% The Legend of Bagger Vance O.B. Keeler (Character) $30.7M 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet ATF Asst. A.T.F. Director Ben Walker (Character) - 1999
3% 17% The Mod Squad Det. Carl Greene (Character) $13.3M 1999
80% 71% Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 Mr. Lusk (Character) $565.6K 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Virtual Obsession Unknown (Character) - 1998
17% 42% Sunchaser Agent Moreland (Character) $23.1K 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Awake to Danger Detective Brickman (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 38% Blind Justice Spencer Heyman (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Beyond Betrayal Ray Pasquerello (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet For Their Own Good Clark Thompson (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story Dick Britton (Character) - 1993
14% 25% The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag Jergens (Character) $3.6M 1992
36% 39% Jennifer Eight Serato (Character) $11.0M 1992
75% 66% Sea of Love Raymond Brown (Character) $56.6M 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet An Unremarkable Life Michael (Character) - 1989
No Score Yet 22% Gore-Met Zombie Chef From Hell Blozor (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Molly Lyle (Character) - 1983

TV

Credit
73% 40% Happy's Place Jim Jackoway (Guest Star) 2024
No Score Yet 66% Fire Country Harlan Denbo (Guest Star) 2023
22% 41% Echoes Victor McCleary (Character) 2022
No Score Yet 63% NCIS: Los Angeles Retired U.S. Army General Richard Collins (Guest Star) 2021
94% 81% This Is Us Arlo (Guest Star) 2021
50% 59% Council of Dads Larry Mills (Character) 2020
No Score Yet 66% S.W.A.T. Carl (Guest Star) 2017-2018
49% 63% The Romanoffs Ron Hopkins (Character) 2018
No Score Yet 75% Shooter Unknown (Guest Star) 2018
No Score Yet 75% The Resident Joshua Williams (Guest Star) 2018
93% 72% Scandal Lonnie Mencken (Guest Star) 2018
96% 92% Rectify Roland Foulkes (Character),
Unknown (Guest Star)
2013-2016
96% 67% Battle Creek Councilman Pritchett (Guest Star) 2015
77% 62% Extant Alvin Sparks (Character) 2014
93% 91% Bates Motel Nick Ford (Guest Star) 2014
No Score Yet 88% Rizzoli and Isles Jonathan McKnight (Guest Star) 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Necessary Roughness Unknown (Guest Star) 2012-2013
67% 62% Vegas Mayor Ted Bennett (Guest Star) 2012
No Score Yet 84% NCIS Riley McCallister (Guest Star) 2010 2012
No Score Yet 65% CSI: Miami Unknown (Guest Star) 2012
0% 86% Miami Medical Unknown (Guest Star) 2010
84% 72% Grey's Anatomy Unknown (Guest Star) 2010
90% 80% Fringe Elaine (Guest Star) 2010
No Score Yet 93% Numb3ers Boyd Keene (Guest Star) 2010
87% 90% Sons of Anarchy Anthony Franklin (Guest Star) 2009
80% 78% FlashForward CIA Director Keller (Guest Star) 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Army Wives Reverand Bankerd (Guest Star) 2009
No Score Yet 87% Ghost Whisperer Unknown (Guest Star) 2009
92% 88% Leverage Judge Roy (Guest Star) 2008
No Score Yet 90% The Mentalist Sheriff Nelson (Guest Star) 2008
61% 77% Prison Break Herb Stanton (Guest Star) 2008
No Score Yet No Score Yet Women's Murder Club Unknown (Guest Star) 2008
No Score Yet 83% Criminal Minds Unknown (Guest Star) 2007
42% No Score Yet K-Ville Unknown (Guest Star) 2007
85% 77% The Unit Unknown (Guest Star) 2006-2007
21% No Score Yet 3 Lbs. Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
100% No Score Yet The Nine Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
81% 95% The West Wing Secret Service Agent Ron Butterfield (Guest Star) 1999-2000 2002-2004 2006
65% No Score Yet Close to Home Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
82% No Score Yet Commander in Chief Congressman Wilcox (Guest Star) 2005
No Score Yet 85% ER Col. Ken Kilner (Guest Star) 2005
No Score Yet 95% Cold Case Unknown (Guest Star) 2005
86% 90% Boston Legal Dr. Robert McLean (Guest Star) 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet Judging Amy Unknown (Guest Star) 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Practice Unknown (Guest Star) 2004
27% No Score Yet Presidio Med Unknown (Guest Star) 2003
No Score Yet 75% Without a Trace Unknown (Guest Star) 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet Boston Public Unknown (Guest Star) 2001-2002
87% 87% 24 Richard Walsh (Guest Star) 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Diagnosis Murder Unknown (Guest Star) 2001
83% 95% NYPD Blue Capt. Chuck Dowling (Guest Star) 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Chicago Hope Unknown (Guest Star) 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet JAG Unknown (Guest Star) 1999
74% 86% The X-Files Patrol Captain Van Gelder (Guest Star) 1998
30% No Score Yet Mercy Point Unknown (Guest Star) 1998
No Score Yet 86% Millennium Unknown (Guest Star) 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Promised Land Unknown (Guest Star) 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Cape Unknown (Guest Star) 1996