Geoff Pierson

Geoffrey "Geoff" Pierson is an American actor known for his television roles on Dexter, Unhappily Ever After, Grace Under Fire, 24, Ryan's Hope and Designated Survivor. He has also guest-starred in dozens of other TV shows such as Friends, Monk, Fringe, Homeland and 9-1-1.

Career Geoffrey Pierson was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, one of seven children born to Helen T. (née Maginess) and Roy J. Pierson.

Pierson appeared with George C. Scott on Broadway in Tricks of the Trade, before continuing on to do several New York soap operas and many regional theater plays. Some notable theatrical roles include Angelo in Measure For Measure at the Yale Rep, Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Penn Ctr. Stage, Bobby in Speed The Plough at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Ricky in Glengarry Glen Ross and Teach in American Buff a lo at the Virginia Stage Company. His most prominent daytime role was as Frank Ryan on Ryan's Hope, a role he played from February 1983 through September 1985.

Pierson's first high-profile prime-time television role was as Jack Malloy, the head of a dysfunctional family, in The WB sitcom Unhappily Ever After, which was created by Ron Leavitt, one of the creators of FOX's Married... with Children. Other TV roles include a leading role as R.T. Howard on That 80's Show, and recurring roles on Grace Under Fire, In Plain Sight (USA) and The Firm (NBC). He also had a recurring role as Rodney's long lost dad on the ABC comedy Rodney. In 2001, he guest-starred in a Season 8 episode of Friends, "The One with Rachel's Date," playing Chandler's boss, Mr. Franklin.

In 2005 and 2006, he appeared in two episodes of Veronica Mars as Stewart Manning, the father of Meg Manning. In 2006, he guest-starred in Criminal Minds, playing Max Ryan, a former FBI agent-turned-author and Jason Gideon's mentor who comes out of his retirement to capture a serial killer known as the Keystone Killer in the episode, "Unfinished Business". From 2006 to 2013, he portrayed Miami-Dade Police Captain Tom Matthews on the Showtime series Dexter.

He appeared in the 2008 Clint Eastwood-directed film Changeling as the flamboyant defense attorney Sammy "S.S." Hahn. In 2011 he portrayed Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer in Eastwood's J. Edgar. He appeared in Touched by an Angel, Season 9, Episode 16.

Beginning in 2010, he had a recurring role in Boardwalk Empire as Senator Walter Edge. In 2011, Pierson played Midas Mulligan in Atlas Shrugged, based on Ayn Rand's novel of the same name. He played Russell Dunbar's wealthy father in Rules of Engagement and he had a recurring role as the mysterious Mr. Smith on Castle. In 2014 he appeared in an episode of Suburgatory.

In 2015, he co-starred as Defense Secretary Pierce Grey on HBO's The Brink. He starred in the ABC and Netflix political thriller Designated Survivor, where he portrayed Former President of the United States and Secretary of State Cornelius Moss alongside Kiefer Sutherland.

Filmography Film Film Year Title Role Notes 1995 Two Bits Dr. Wilson 1997 Leave It to Beaver Coach Gordon 1998 The Right Way Michael Peretti 2001 Behind Enemy Lines Admiral Donnelly Venomous General Arthur Manchek 2004 Spartan Pearce 2005 The Poseidon Adventure Admiral Jennings TV movie 2006 Stay Dad 2007 D-War Secretary of Defense Already Dead Pierce 2008 A Line in the Sand The Mayor Changeling S.S. Hahn Get Smart Vice President 2009 World's Greatest Dad Principal Anderson Better off Ted Elijah Palmer 2011 Atlas Shrugged: Part I Michael 'Midas' Mulligan Something Borrowed Dexter Thaler Sr. God Bless America Frank's Boss J. Edgar A. Mitchell Palmer Jack and Jill Carter Simmons 2014 Revenge of the Green Dragons FBI Director Sam Higgins You're Not You Kate's Father 2016 Rules Don't Apply Merrill Lynch Executive 2020 The Wrong Missy Jack Winstone 2024 Watchmen Chapter 1 Hollis Mason / Nite Owl I (voice) Direct-to-Video Watchmen Chapter 2 Hollis Mason / Nite Owl I, Prison Guard #1 (voice)

Television

Television Years Title Role Notes 1980–1981 Texas Detective Donovan 19 episodes 1983–1985 Ryan's Hope Frank Ryan 126 episodes 1985 The Equalizer Lawyer Episode: "Bump and Run" 1989 Days of Our Lives Barney Gillespie 4 episodes 1993 The Adventures of Pete & Pete Mr. Perfect 1 episode: "King of the Road" (Season 1) 1994–1998 Grace Under Fire Jimmy Kelly 30 episodes 1995–1999 Unhappily Ever After Jack Malloy 100 episodes 2000–2001 Nash Bridges Deputy Chief Max Petit 3 episodes 2001 Becker Mr. Tipton 1 episode Friends Mr Franklin 1 episode: "The One with Rachel's Date" (Season 8) 2002 That '80s Show R.T. Howard 13 episodes 2002–2003 The West Wing Senate Minority Leader Tripplehorn 4 episodes 2003 The Drew Carey Show 1 episode: "Two Days of the Condo" 2003–2005 24 Senator John Keeler / President John Keeler 20 episodes 2004 Monk Harry Bolston1 episode 2005–2008 Rodney Dale Hamilton 3 episodes 2005 Desperate Housewives Sam 1 episode: "Live Alone and Like It" (Season 1) 2006 Criminal Minds Max Ryan 1 episode NCIS Roy Carver 1 episode 2008 Medium Sam Winters 1 episode It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Warden 1 episode 2009 The Mentalist Noah Plaskett 1 episode 2012 The Firm Judge Ken Walsh 4 episodes 2010–2012 Boardwalk Empire Senator Walter Edge 4 episodes 2006–2013 Dexter Tom Matthews 43 episodes 2012; 2019–2022 Young Justice Jay Garrick / The Flash Voice; 5 episodes 2015 The Brink Pierce Gray 10 episodes 2011–2015 Castle Michael Smith 6 episodes 2016 Person of Interest FBI SAIC Roberts 1 episode 2017–2019 Designated Survivor Cornelius Moss 16 episodes 2018–2019 Splitting Up Together Henry 13 episodes 2019 HomelandSenator Richard Eames1 episode The Face of Evil Narrator 6 episodes 2022 The Terminal List Senator Joe Pryor 1 episode 2023City on FireBill Sr7 episodes 2025 9-1-1 Lewis Kern 3 episodes 2026 Scrubs Mr. Walton 1 episode Margo's Got Money Troubles Lawrence J. Boch 3 episodes

Video games Video games Year Title Role Notes Source 2025Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in HawaiiSpade Tucker