Chance Kelly

Chance Kelly (born December 25, 1967) is an American film and television actor who portrayed National Football League coach Mike Martz in the 2021 film American Underdog. He is also known for playing detective Ed Cutler on the NBC series Aquarius, Lt. Col. Stephen "Godfather" Ferrando in the 2008 HBO miniseries Generation Kill, Mitchell Loeb in the Fox television series Fringe, and Randall Watts in the Cinemax television series Banshee.

Early life

After playing football at Ithaca College, Kelly transferred to New York University where he earned a BA in English and Writing, with the intention of pursuing a career as a writer. But, after losing a bet and in spite of a profound fear of public speaking, he entered an acting class. He was so terrified that he gave his first monologue (Brick from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) to a brick wall.

Career While pursuing his acting career, Chance also entered the amateur boxing circuit in NYC, winning the super heavyweight division of the NYC Metros tournament. The following year, he entered the NYC Golden Gloves, winning his first fight by knockout, only to have to subsequently drop out of the competition for work on the film The Devil's Own.

In 2007, he played Lt. Col. Stephen "Godfather" Ferrando in HBO's Generation Kill. After reading the book upon which the adaptation was based, Kelly embarked on a five-month shoot in Africa, from May to December 2007. He also developed a unique, raspy voice for the role. The Boston Globe praised the "fierce edge" Kelly's performance brought to the series, opining, "Godfather leads with the competitive fury of a high school football coach. His eyes are cold fire, and Kelly, like a few other members of this cast, deserves notice at Emmy time next year." On Memorial Day 2009, he was appointed Honorary Marine by the Marine Corps League (Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment - 203, Freehold, New Jersey) for his work in Generation Kill.

Kelly appeared in the first season of the science fiction series Fringe as Agent Mitchell Loeb, beginning with the episode "In Which We Meet Mr. Jones". He portrayed Bart McDade, President and COO of Lehman Brothers, in the HBO film Too Big to Fail. Kelly appears as a mysterious interrogator in the American television series Homeland. He has also played recurring characters on For Life (ABC), Power (Starz), Banshee (Cinemax), House of Cards (Netflix), Legends (TNT), Hostages (CBS), Army Wives, The Whole Truth, Delocated, Rescue Me, and The Black Donnellys. Additionally, he has also guest starred on The Blacklist (NBC), Alpha House (Amazon), Motive, Nikita, Burn Notice & The Jury, NYC 22, Blue Bloods, Unforgettable, Body of Proof, Ray Donovan, Golden Boy, and Blindspot. He played the disturbing "Orange Suit Man" in M. Night Shyamalan's film Unbreakable. He has also appeared in the feature films American Sniper, Little Children, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Broken City.

Kelly has the singular honor of portraying nine different characters on nine different Law & Order episodes over a quarter century: Court Officer #1 (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode #115 "Semi Professional" 2002); Det. Finch (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode #318 "Ill Bred" 2004); Kyle Marsden (Law & Order: episode #1503 "The Brotherhood" 2004); Fireman Charlie Hugo (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode #604 "Maltese Cross" 2006); State Trooper Lawley (Law & Order: SVU episode #819 "Florida" 2007); Elvis Howell (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode #910 "Disciple" 2010); and Sergeant Forde (Law & Order: Los Angeles episode #113 "Reseda" 2011). In 2022 he played Duke Baker (Law & Order: SVU episode #2312 "Tommy Bakers Hardest Fight" 2022). In 2026 he portrayed Navy Admiral Rustin Garvey (Law & Order episode #2521, "Liberty".)

Chance portrayed Coach Mike Martz in the feature film American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story Martz was the Offensive Coordinator responsible for "The Greatest Show on Turf" via which un-drafted free agent quarterback Kurt Warner led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XXXIV his first year with the team. Warner is the only un-drafted player to win either the league MVP or the Super Bowl MVP. Warner won both that same year.

Chance's podcast ISLAND ISLAND illustrates the incredible first 300 years of colonization in and around Manhattan island. The program covers 1609-1909 "Hudson to Hearst" and is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Pandora and Stitcher, among others: Island Podcast | Manhattan Island exploration Chance also produces History is Cool™ on YouTube an exploration of a variety of historical topics, including the incredible history of Manhattan Island.

Personal life Chance Kelly's maternal grandfather was screenwriter William Fay (Kid Galahad, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Schlitz Playhouse).

Chance Kelly's great, great, great uncle was Honest John Kelly. John Kelly was the first Catholic elected in U.S. Congress in 1856. He would go on to be Sheriff of New York, and would subsequently take over and re-organize Tammany Hall in the wake of the Boss Tweed era. John Kelly was a fierce defender of the rights of New York immigrants from all parts of the world. He is entombed beneath the Basilica of Old St. Patrick's Cathedral on Mulberry Street in NYC, where he and the venerable Pierre Toussaint were fellow parishioners. Chance is currently producing a documentary on this John Kelly.

Chance Kelly holds a BA from New York University and an MS from Columbia University.

Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes 1997 The Devil's Own Masked Burglar 1998 Crossfire Bodyguard 1999 Puppet Igor 2000 Unbreakable Orange Suit Man 2001 L.I.E. Prison Guard 2002 Far From Heaven Tallman 2006 The Departed Exam Instructor 2009 The Taking of Pelham 123 ESU Captain 2010 Stake Land Officer Hurley 2011 Too Big to Fail Bart McDade 2012 You're Nobody 'til Somebody Kills You L. T. Harrington 2013 Broken City Murdock 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mr. Rivetti American Sniper Lt. Colonel Jones 2015 Stealing Cars Coach Jimmy Carmichael 2016 Deuces Lieutenant Henderson 2018 Beyond the Night Bernie Coleman 2019 Gutterbee Sheriff T.J. Brown 2021 American Underdog Mike Martz 2025 A House of Dynamite Chairman of the Joint Chiefs

Television YearTitleRoleNotes 1995 New York News Unidentified Bruin Episode: "The Using Game" 1995–1997 New York Undercover Gary / Big Hog Episodes: "Brotherhood" and "No Place Like Hell" 1999 The Sopranos Fed #3 Episode: "Nobody Knows Anything" 2002–2010 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Court Officer #1 / Detective Finch / Charlie Hugo / Elvis Howell 4 episodes2004 Law & OrderKyle Marsden Episode: "The Brotherhood" 2006 The Unit Commander Shelov Episode: "Bait" 2007 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit State Trooper Lawley Episode: "Florida" Burn Notice Vincent Episode: "Pilot" 2008–2009 Fringe Mitchell Loeb 5 episodes 2008 Generation Kill Lt. Colonel Stephen "Godfather" Ferrando 7 episodesTelevision miniseries2011 Law & Order: LA Sergeant Fordes Episode: "Reseda" Unforgettable Aaron Logan Episode: "Road Block"2012 Blue Bloods Dillon Carney Episode: "Some Kind of Hero" Nikita Wade Episode: "Innocence" 2012–2013 Homeland Mitchell Clawson 2 episodes 2013 House of Cards Steve 3 episodes The Blacklist General Daniel Ryker Episode: "Pilot" 2014–2016 Power Dean Collins 5 episodes 2015–2016 Aquarius Detective Ed Cutler 23 episodes 2016 Netflix Presents: The Characters Detective Salters Episode: "Paul W. Downs" Banshee Randall Watts 3 episodes Luke Cage Albert Rackham Episode: "Step in the Arena" Bull Detective Murphy Episode: "Just Tell the Truth" 2017 Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter Colonel Daggart Episode: "Walk Away, Friend. Walk Away" Wormwood Wet Works #2 2 episodesTelevision miniseries 2018 Blindspot Nils Bresden Episode: "Two Legendary Chums" 2018–2019 Ray Donovan Vinny 3 episodes 2018 Chicago Fire Special Agent Reardon Episode: "When They See Us Coming" 2019–2022 Billions Ken Shaddock 3 episodes 2019 God Friended Me Fire Capt. Murphy Episode: "High Anxiety" 2020 For Life Cyrus Hunt 4 episodes2022 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Duke Baker Episode: "Tommy Baker's Hardest Fight" FBI FBI ADIC Hawkins Episode: "Face Off" The Equalizer Fire Captain Sanders Episode: "Where There's Smoke"2026 Law & Order Admiral Rusten Garvey Episode: "Liberty"

Video games YearTitleRoleNotes 2011 Homefront Commander Bradley (voice)