Harry Groener

Harry Groener (born September 10, 1951) is an American actor and dancer, perhaps best known for playing Mayor Wilkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (seasons 3, 4 and 7). His accolades include a Theatre World Award, and nominations for three Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, and an Outer Critics Circle Award.

Early life Groener was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, West Germany, to an opera singer mother and a father who worked as a concert pianist, office clerk, and composer. He immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of two. As a teenager, Groener was apprenticed at the San Francisco Ballet; he went on to attend the University of Washington's School of Drama, graduating in 1976.

Career

Groener's reputation in New York City rests almost entirely on his work in musical theater. However, the bulk of his roles outside New York have been in classical drama or contemporary plays like Eastern Standard. His Broadway credits include Is There Life After High School?, Will Parker in Oklahoma! (Tony Award nomination, Theatre World Award), Munkustrap in Cats (Tony Award nomination), Georges/George in Sunday in the Park with George, and Bobby Child in Crazy for You (Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations).

In 1999, he performed off-Broadway with Twiggy at the Lucille Lortel Theater in If Love Were All, a musical revue based on the friendship of Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence. He has performed in regional theatres across the country, including the San Diego Old Globe Theatre (where he is an associate artist), Antaeus Theatre Company (where he is a company member), as well as Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Long Wharf Theater, A.C.T., and the Williamstown Theater Festival.

Groener has performed regularly on TV, including guest appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990), Star Trek: Voyager (1996), Star Trek: Enterprise (2005) and several dozen other series; he was also a series regular on the sitcom Dear John. In 1998-99, he portrayed Richard Wilkins, the evil mayor of Sunnydale on the third season of cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and reprised the role in cameo appearances in Buffy 's 4th and 7th seasons.

From 2003 to 2006, he appeared as the chef Gunther on the TV series Las Vegas. Notable film work includes Road to Perdition and About Schmidt. He also appeared in two episodes of The West Wing as the Secretary of Agriculture and the Bones episode "The Woman at the Airport" as a plastic surgeon, Henry Atlas. In 2009, Groener appeared in the second season episode of Breaking Bad, "Bit by a Dead Bee", as protagonist Walter White's psychiatrist. He also portrayed Clint, Ted's stepdad, in How I Met Your Mother. In January 2018, Groener appeared in an episode of Young Sheldon.

He was a regular vocalist for the Varèse Sarabande label, performing on such recordings as Shakespeare on Broadway, Cole Porter: A Musical Toast, and various installments of the Unsung Broadway and Lost in Boston series. He played King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot during 2006. In 2010, he appeared as the title role in the Antaeus Company's production of King Lear. He won the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for this performance. In 2012, he starred in the debut of Christopher Hampton's play Appomattox at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, playing a dual role as both U.S. presidents Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. , he serves as an honorary board member at the Alpine Theater Project in Whitefish, MT.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1980 Brubaker Dr. Campbell 1997 Amistad Tecora Captain 1998 Dance with Me Michael 1998 Patch Adams Dr. Prack 1999 Buddy Boy Father Gillespie 2002 Road to Perdition Mr. McDougal 2002 About Schmidt John Rusk 2002 Manna from Heaven Tony 2006 The Last Time Customer at Conference 2008 Beautiful Loser Ronald Riley 2015 The Atticus Institute Lawrence Henault 2016 A Cure for Wellness Pembroke 2018 A Futile and Stupid Gesture Harry Kenney 2018 Delirium Psychiatrist 2023 Oppenheimer Gale W. McGee

Television Year Title Role Notes 1982 The Country Girl Paul Unger TV movie 1984 George Washington Patrick Henry Episode #1.11985 Kane & Abel Lowell Kane Episode #1.21985 Remington Steele Preston Hayes Episode: "Corn Fed Steele"1987 St. Elsewhere Klaus Brinkmann Episode: "Schwarzwald"1987 Jack and Mike Johnson Episode: "Dreamland"1987 Leg Work Steve Amati Episode: "Life Itself"1988 Spenser: For Hire George Lynnwood Episode: "Substantial Justice"1988 Matlock Rod Greenwood Episode: "The Magician" 1988–1991 Dear John Ralph Drang 68 episodes1989 Studio 5-B Unknown Episode: "Pilot" 1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation Tam Elbrun Episode: "Tin Man"1991 Quantum Leap Detective Ward Episode: "Permanent Wave - June 2, 1983"1995 Law & Order Terrence Dwyer Episode: "Wannabe"1996 Star Trek: Voyager The Magistrate Episode: "Sacred Ground"1996 Caroline in the City Henry Episode: "Caroline and the Freight King"1996–1997 Mad About You Lance Brockwell 4 episodes1997 Home Improvement Fred Episode: "Totally Tool Time"1997 George and Leo Unknown Episode: "The Cameo Episode"1997 Just Shoot Me! Headmaster Reilly Episode: "Twice Burned"1997 Murphy Brown Concert Master Episode: "I Hear a Symphony"1997–1998 Sleepwalkers The Smiling Man 2 episodes1998–2003 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Mayor Richard Wilkins III 14 episodes1998 Working Alan Norman Episode: "The Breakfast"1998 Buddy Faro Miles Marengo Episode: "The Curse of the Faro"1998 Cupid Michael Bennett Episode: "Heaven... He's in Heaven"1999 Mercy Point Stenneth Lock 2 episodes1999 Family Law Unknown Episode: "Decisions"2000 Profiler Vincent Capobianco Episode: "The Long Way Home"2000 Time of Your Life Alan Episode: "The Time They Got E-Rotic"2000 Charmed Father Thomas Episode: "Primrose Empath"2000 Judging Amy Mike Holcombe Episode: "Dog Days"2000 City of Angels Unknown Episode: "Saving Faces"2000–2003 The West Wing Secretary of Agriculture Roger Tribbey 2 episodes2001 3rd Rock from the Sun Dr. Breen Episode: "Dick Digs" 2001 18 Wheels of Justice Travis Jordan Episode: "Slight of Mind"2001 Boston Public Mr. Jacobs Episode: "Chapter Seventeen"2001 King of the Hill Dr. Tate / Larry (voice) Episode: "Hank's Back Story"2001 The Drew Carey Show Dr. Hershlag 2 episodes2001 The Day the World Ended Sheriff Ken TV movie2001 The Guardian Fulton Trout Episode: "The Funnies"2001 Dead Last Dr. Casey Henderson Episode: "To Live and Amulet Die"2002 Malcolm in the Middle Rudy Episode: "Poker"2002 Watching Ellie Robert Episode: "Tango"2002 Roswell Dr. Burton Weiss Episode: "Who Died and Made You King?"2002 Philly Dabney Cooper Episode: "Tall Tales"2003 The Mayor Dick Winterhalter TV movie2003–2006 Las Vegas Chef Gunther 6 episodes2004 I'm with Her Principal Marvin Talbot Episode: "Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Celebrity"2004 Dr. Vegas Hank Harold 2 episodes2004 Less than Perfect Dr. Lars Skaarsgard Episode: "From the Chair to the Couch"2004 Huff Mr. Wayne Episode: "Assault & Pepper"2005 Monk John Ricca Episode: "Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra"2005 Jack & Bobby Adult Warren Feide Episode: "Stand by Me"2005 Star Trek: Enterprise Nathan Samuels 2 episodes2005 Medium Joe's Boss 2 episodes2006 The Bernie Mac Show Dr. Lyons Episode: "Exercise in Fertility: Part 2"2006 Bones Dr. Henry Atlas Episode: "The Woman at the Airport"2006–2013 How I Met Your Mother Clint 3 episodes2007 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Peyton Tallman Episode: "Monster in the Box"2009 Breaking Bad Dr. Chavez Episode: "Bit by a Dead Bee"2010 Nolan Knows Best Frenchy TV movie2011 Law & Order: LA Attorney Spicer Episode: "El Sereno"2011 The Middle Gene Episode: "The Play"2011 Once Upon a Time Martin Episode: "That Still Small Voice"2012 Supernatural Professor Morrison Episode: "The Slice Girls"2013 The Mentalist Francisco Navarro Episode: "Red Letter Day"2014 Major Crimes Mr. Kleiner Episode: "Frozen Assets"2015 Kittens in a Cage Judge Dodd Episode: "Ain't Even Got a Mustache"2017 Ghosted Stafford Yates Episode: "The Machine"2018 Young Sheldon Elliot Douglas Episode: "An Eagle Feather, a String Bean, and an Eskimo"2018 Disjointed Judge Nelson 2 episodes2018 Criminal Minds Leonard Hagland Episode: "Ex Parte"2018 Modern Family Joel L.L. Logan Episode: "Clash of Swords"2018 The Rookie Mr. Walker Episode: "The Roundup"2018 The Resident Bartholomew McGainn Episode: "The Dance"2022 9-1-1: Lone Star Joe 2 episodes2023 White House Plumbers Senator Philip Hart Episode: "Please Destroy This, Huh?"

Stage

Awards and nominations