Dennis Cockrum

Dennis Cockrum (born December 19, 1954) is an American actor, best known for portraying Terry Milkovich on the American comedy-drama television series Shameless and appearing in over 100 films and television shows such as Firefly, Uncle Buck, Gangster Squad, Hail, Caesar!, and The West Wing.

Life & career Cockrum received an M.A. in Dramatic Arts from Eastern Michigan University.

Cockrum's first character role was in John Hughes's 1989 comedy Uncle Buck. He then went on to star in Extreme Movie, Rebound, Hail, Caesar!; and as Elmer Jackson in Gangster Squad, Detective Tom Farrell in The Glimmer Man, Mr. Sunday in Angels in Stardust and Uncle Billy in Downeast.

Cockrum has also appeared on stage. For his first performance in Tom Stoppard's play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Cockram received the Joseph Jefferson Award.

He performed in the original 2006 Broadway play Frost/Nixon by British playwright Peter Morgan; and regional productions such as Dead End by Sidney Kingsley at the Ahmanson Theatrein Los Angeles, Lincoln Park Zoo by Richard Strand at Geva Theatre, Amadeus by Peter Shaffer, Private Lives by Noël Coward, and Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley at Snowmass Repertory in Colorado.

In a June 2021 interview with Brett Allan, Cockrum stated that he has been a member of SAG-AFTRA for forty years. He is also a member of the A.E.A. and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Cockrum is the father of actress Stella Cockrum.

Partial Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1985 Code of Silence Hood in Tavern 1987 Rent-a-Cop Man at El 1989 Uncle Buck Pal 1991 Cold Justice Patrick 1995 A Boy Called Hate Local #1 1996 The Glimmer Man Det. Tom Farrell 1997 The Alarmist Vendor 1998 Desperate Measures Pelican Bay Head Guard 2002 Murder by Numbers Criminalist #1 at Ray’s House 2003 Daddy Day Care Marketing Guy 2004 Paparazzi Coroner 2005 Rebound Referee Freddy 2007 Mama's Boy Bus Driver 2008 Keith Assistant Principal Uncredited Extreme Movie Len’s Dad 2013 Gangster Squad Elmer Jackson 2016 Hail, Caesar! Cop at French Postcard House 2016 Angels in Stardust Mr. Sunday 2021 Downeast Uncle Billy

Television Year Title Role Notes 1982 Chicago Story Lonnie Wadkins 1990 Cop Rock Glen 1990-1991 Uncle Buck Shank 1991 In a Child's Name Gregg Reid 1992 Major Dad Louie 1992 Married... with Children Ray the Bartender 1993 Cheers Pat McDougall 1993 Star Trek: The Next Generation Corvallen Freighter Captain 1993 The King of Queens Jeffrey 2000 JAG Vic Velasco Episode: "Real Deal SEAL" 2002-2004 Malcolm in the Middle Lieutenant Sortino 2004-2006 Boston Legal Detective Jacobs 2004 Joan of Arcadia Roger Franz 2009 The Young and the Restless Dr. Donahue 2009 Southland Tom 2013 Liv and Maddie Baxter Fontanel 2015 Masters of Sex Francis Masters 2016 Brooklyn Nine-Nine Deputy Inspector Flynt 2017 American Horror Story Senator Herbert Jackson 2018 Chicago Med Ray Burke 2011-2021 Shameless Terry Milkovich 2023 Pretty Freekin Scary Theodore Snickering 2023 NCIS Senator