Kevin Dunn

Kevin Dunn (born August 24, 1956) is an American actor who has appeared in supporting roles in numerous films and television series since the 1980s.

Dunn's roles include White House Communications Director Alan Reed in the political comedy Dave (1993), U.S. Army Colonel Hicks in the 1998 version of Godzilla, a role he reprised for the animated TV adaptation Godzilla: The Series (1998–2000), Alan Abernathy's father Stuart in Small Soldiers (1998), Sam Witwicky's father Ron in the Transformers film series, Oscar Galvin in the 2010 action thriller Unstoppable and misanthropic White House Chief of Staff Ben Cafferty in Veep. He has also had recurring roles on True Detective in 2014 and on the TV series adaptation of The Mosquito Coast in 2021.

Early life and education Dunn was born on August 24, 1956, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of John Dunn, a musician and poet, and his wife Margaret (née East), a nurse. His sister is actress/comedian Nora Dunn (born 1952). He also has a brother, Michael Dunn, a high school history teacher and football coach. He was raised in a Catholic family, and has Irish, English, Scottish, and German ancestry. Dunn graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1977, and received an honorary doctorate in 2008 from the same school.

Career Dunn appeared in many live performances in Chicago and its suburbs, including the theater companies Northlight, Remains, Wisdom Bridge and Goodman before his TV and motion picture career. Dunn's work includes Samantha Who?, a series appearing on ABC from 2007 to 2009, as well as playing Ron Witwicky in Michael Bay's Transformers film series. His film appearances include Ghostbusters II (1989), Hot Shots! (1991), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), Dave (1993), Beethoven's 2nd (1993), Nixon (1995), Mad Love (1995), Small Soldiers (1998), Godzilla (1998), Snake Eyes (1998), and Stir of Echoes (1999). Dunn also played Murry Wilson in a 2000 miniseries, The Beach Boys: An American Family. He played President Richard Nixon's White House Counsel, Charles Colson, in Nixon and played President Bill Clinton's National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger, in the ABC miniseries The Path to 9/11. In 2000, he co-starred in Bette, a sitcom starring Bette Midler, in which he played her husband in the show's first 11 episodes. From 2004 to 2006, Dunn had a small recurring role as Terry Hardwick, a baseball coach and mentor to Tyler Hoechlin character Martin Brewer, on the long-running family drama 7th Heaven.

Dunn played Joel Horneck, Jerry's overzealous childhood friend, in the Seinfeld episode "Male Unbonding". He has also featured in Live Free or Die as well as the 2006 film Gridiron Gang.

Dunn is an executive producer of the award-winning documentary film Kumpanía: Flamenco Los Angeles (2011).

Dunn played the role of White House Chief of Staff Ben Cafferty in HBO's late 2010s political comedy Veep.

Personal life Dunn and his wife, Katina Alexander, married in 1986 and they have a son, Jack.

Filmography

Film YearTitleRoleNotes 1988 Mississippi Burning FBI Agent Bird 1989 Ghostbusters II Milton Angland Uncredited 1990 Blue Steel Assistant Chief Stanley Hoyt 1990 Marked for Death FBI Agent Sal Roselli 1990 The Bonfire of the Vanities Tom Killian 1991 Only the Lonely Patrick Muldoon 1991 Hot Shots! Lieutenant Commander Block 1992 1492: Conquest of Paradise Captain Mendez 1992 Chaplin FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover 1993 Dave Alan Reed 1993 Beethoven's 2nd Brillo, Missy's Owner Uncredited 1994 Little Big League Arthur Goslin 1995 Mad Love Clifford Leland 1995 Nixon Charles Colson 1996 Chain Reaction FBI Agent Doyle 1997 The 6th Man Mikulski 1997 Picture Perfect Mr. Mercer 1998 Godzilla Colonel Anthony Hicks 1998 Almost Heroes Hidalgo 1998 Small Soldiers Stuart Abernathy 1998 Snake Eyes Lou Logan, Reporter 1999 Stir of Echoes Frank McCarthy 2002 Confessions Unknown Short film 2004 I Heart Huckabees Marty 2006 The Darwin Awards Insurance Executive 2006 Live Free or Die Chief Monson 2006 The Black Dahlia Cleo A. Short, Elizabeth Short's Father Uncredited 2006 Gridiron Gang Ted Dexter 2006 All the King's Men Alex 2007 Transformers Ron Witwicky 2007 Lions for Lambs Howard, ANX Editor 2008 Vicky Cristina Barcelona Mark 2009 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Ron Witwicky 2010 Unstoppable Oscar Galvin 2011 You May Not Kiss the Bride Agent Ross 2011 Transformers: Dark of the Moon Ron Witwicky 2011 Warrior Principal Joe Zito 2011 Kumpania: Flamenco Los Angeles DocumentaryExecutive producer 2012 Fire with Fire Agent Calvin Mullens 2013 Jobs Dr. Gil Amelio 2013 The Frozen Ground Lieutenant Bob Jent 2014 Cesar Chavez Dr. Arlo Uncredited 2014 Draft Day Marvin 2015 Ashby Coach Bruton 2015 Slow Learners Darren Lowry 2016 Keeping Up with the Joneses Carl Pronger 2017 The Bachelors Paul Abernac 2018 Trading Paint "Stumpy" 2019 Captive State Police Chief Igoe 2019 Standing Up, Falling Down Gary Rollins 2019 Above Suspicion Bob Singer 2021 Thunder Force Frank 2021 Catch the Fair One Willie 2021 King Richard Vic Braden 2025 Mermaid Keith 2026 72 Hours Terry

Television YearTitleRoleNotes 1986 Jack and Mike Anthony Kubecek 2 episodes 1987 Night of Courage Policeman Television movie 1987 Cheers Jim McNulty Episode: "The Last Angry Mailman" 1988 Beverly Hills Buntz Rinaldo de Martino Episode: "Brief Encounter" 1988 Day by Day Mel Schrom Recurring role (5 episodes) 1988 Sunny Spoon Unknown Episode: "Papa Rozzi" 1988 Family Ties Bob Episode: "The Boys Next Door" 1989 21 Jump Street Reed Bowman Episode: "The Blu Flu" 1988–1989 L.A. Law Barry Braunstein 2 episodes 1989 Family Ties Glen Episode: "All in the Neighborhood (Part 1)" 1989 Gideon Oliver Jacob Waldner Episode: "Kennonite" 1989 Roseanne Burt Drucker Episode: "Somebody Stole My Gal" 1989 Taken Away Lombardi Television movie 1990 Seinfeld Joel Episode: "Male Unbonding" 1990 Sydney Jake Episode: "Jake" 1990 Dear John Bob Morris Episode: "A Priest's Story" 1990 Blind Faith Lieutenant Gladston Miniseries; 2 episodes 1992 Double Edge Webber Television movie 1995 The Four Diamonds Charles Millard / Charles The Mysterious Television movie 1995 JAG Rear Admiral Al Brovo Episode: "A New Life" 1995 Jack Reed: One of Our Own Phil Brenner Television movie 1995 Shadow of a Doubt Mark Evola Television movie 1996 Jack Reed: A Killer Among Us Phil Brenner Television movie 1996 Unforgivable Milton "Milt" Stella Television movie 1996 Shattered Mind Eric Television movie 1997 The Second Civil War Jimmy Cannon Television movie 1997 Arsenio Al Recurring role (6 episodes) 1997 On the Edge of Innocence Dr. Barbico Television movie 1998–2000 Godzilla Major Anthony Hicks (voice) Series regular (20 episodes) 1999 The First Gentleman The First Gentleman Television movie 1999 Batman Beyond Dr. Howard Hodges (voice) Episode: "Heroes" 2000 The Beach Boys: An American Family Murry Wilson Miniseries; 2 episodes 2000 God, the Devil and Bob (voice) Recurring role (3 episodes) 2000–2001 Bette Roy Recurring role (12 episodes) 2002 The Practice Bill Munce Episode: "Man and Superman" 2002 Gleason Jack Philbin Television movie 2002 Push, Nevada Mitch Mann 2 episodes 2002 Boomtown Ron Berman Episode: "The David McNorris Show" 2003 Ann Rule Presents: The Stranger Beside Me Dick Reed Television movie 2003 Dragnet J.J. Halsted Episode: "Let's Make a Deal" 2003 L.A. County 187 Lieutenant Bob Coughlan Television movie 2003 Boston Public Ed "Big Ed" Episode: "Chapter Seventy-Five" 2004 NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323 Cyrus Television movie 2004 LAX Vic Tilden Episode: "Out of Control" 2004 Huff Berkowitz Episode: "Control" 2004 NYPD 2069 Joe Banning Television movie 2005 Law & Order Arnie MacLaren Episode: "Publish and Perish" 2005 Marsha Potter Gets a Life Unknown Television movie 2004–2006 7th Heaven Coach Terry Hardwick Recurring role (4 episodes) 2006 Lost Gordy Episode: "The Long Con" 2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Detective Carson Laird Episode: "The Good" 2006 The Closer Mar. Catalina Episode: "Head Over Heels" 2006 The Path to 9/11 Samuel "Sandy" Berger Miniseries; 2 episodes 2006 A Perfect Day Darren Television movie 2006 The Mikes Unknown Television movie 2006–2007 Boston Legal Attorney Jonathan Weiner 2 episodes 2007 Prison Break Cooper Green 2 episodes 2007–2009 Samantha Who? Howard Series regular (35 episodes) 2010–2011 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Various Characters (voice) Recurring role (3 episodes) 2011 Harry's Law District Attorney George Kupcheck Episode: "Send in the Clowns" 2011–2012 Luck Marcus Becker Series regular (9 episodes) 2013 Prosecuting Casey Anthony George Anthony Television movie 2013–2019 Veep Ben Cafferty Main role (54 episodes) 2014 True Detective Major Ken Quesada Recurring role (5 episodes) 2015–2016 Code Black Dr. Taylor Recurring role (9 episodes) 2016 American Dad! Councilman (voice) Episode: "Roots" 2016 The Night Of Daniel Lang Television miniseriesEpisode: "The Beach" 2018 Ghosted Mervyn "Merv" Minette Recurring role (5 episodes) 2019 Documentary Now! Rob Seger Episode: "Any Given Saturday Afternoon" 2019 City on a Hill District Attorney Nathan Rey 6 episodes 2019 Suits George Richardson Episode: "Whatever It Takes" 2019 Constance Unknown Television movie 2020 Miracle Workers Uncle Bert Episode: "Dark Ages: Holiday" 2020 Mom Gary Episode: "Smitten Kitten and a Tiny Boo-Boo Error" 2021 The Mosquito Coast Margot's Dad Episode: "Light Out" 2022 God's Favorite Idiot Gene Main role 2022 A League of Their Own Morris Baker 2 episodes 2023 Law & Order Defense Attorney Keith Hollins Episodes: "Battle Lines" & "Deadline" 2025 Ballard Gary Pearlman