Peter Breitmayer

Though born in California, character actor Peter Breitmayer spent much of his formative years in Minnesota, as his family moved to the Midwest when he was 11 years-old. He later discovered his passion for performing in the drama department of Gustavus Adolphus College, from which he ultimately earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology. From there he snagged his first professional acting job as a member of the improvisational troupe Dudley Riggs Brave New Workshop. He later branched out into theater, and developed a sideline doing voicework in commercials. Breitmayer made the leap to film in 1989 in writer/director Stephen Sommers' debut feature, "Catch Me If You Can," a teen comedy shot in Minnesota. After scoring small roles in two other Minnesota-shot movies, the imaginary friend comedy "Drop Dead Fred" and the Arnold Schwarzenegger holiday adventure "Jingle All the Way," Breitmayer moved to Los Angeles to better pursue work in film and television. In short order, he began garnering one-offs on such popular shows as the office comedy "Just Shoot Me!" and the dysfunctional family sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle." He spent much of the 1990s and 2000s balancing work in film and television with touring theater productions. Then in 2009, Breitmayer had a banner year, landing a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated Coen brothers' drama "A Serious Man" and scoring the recurring role of braggadocio salesman Pete Miller on the Midwest-set family comedy "The Middle."