Peter Gallagher

Peter Killian Gallagher (born August 19, 1955) is an American actor. Since 1980, he has played roles in numerous Hollywood films. He is best known for starring as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007, and recurring roles in television such as Deputy Chief William Dodds on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Stacey Koons on the Showtime comedy-drama Californication, Nick on the Netflix series Grace & Frankie, and Director of Clandestine Services (DCS) Arthur Campbell on Covert Affairs. He also is known for his roles in the films Summer Lovers, Bob Roberts (1992), The Player (1992), Short Cuts (1993), While You Were Sleeping (1995), American Beauty (1999), Mr. Deeds (2002), and Palm Springs (2020). In musical theatre, his best-known roles are that of Sky Masterson in the 1992 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls and Oscar Jaffe in the 2015 Broadway revival of On the Twentieth Century.

Early life and education Gallagher was born in New York City. His mother, Mary Ann (née O'Shea), was a bacteriologist, and his father, Thomas Francis Gallagher, Jr., was an advertising executive. Gallagher is the youngest of their three children. He is of Irish Catholic background and was raised in Armonk, New York. Gallagher graduated from Tufts University, where he was active in theater, appearing in such shows as Stephen Sondheim's Company and singing with the all-male a cappella group the Beelzebubs. He studied acting at the William Esper Studio and with Mira Rostova.

Career Gallagher appeared on Broadway with Glenn Close in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing and made his feature film debut in the Taylor Hackford film The Idolmaker, but first achieved fame for his role in Steven Soderbergh's sex, lies, and videotape (1989). He also starred as Sky Masterson in the 1992 Broadway hit revival of Guys and Dolls.

Gallagher played a potential career threat to Tim Robbins's studio executive in The Player (1992); the comatose fiancé of Sandra Bullock in While You Were Sleeping (1995); a major real estate salesman having an affair with Annette Bening in American Beauty (1999); a media executive in Mr. Deeds (2002); and a political reporter exposing media ethics during a presidential debate in The Last Debate.

From 2003 to 2007, Gallagher starred as Sandy Cohen, a Jewish public defender and corporate lawyer, on the Fox television show The O.C. He hosts an annual award ceremony named "The Sandy Cohen Awards" or The Sandys, which, in honor of his character on The O.C., gives a scholarship to a law school student at UC Berkeley who wants to become a public defender.

Gallagher released an album titled 7 Days in Memphis in 2005, on the Sony BMG label. This includes a studio recording of his performance of "Don't Give Up On Me" (originally by Solomon Burke), which was featured in an episode of The O.C. He also has a video for his single "Still I Long For Your Kiss", in which he starred with his TV-wife Kelly Rowan.

In 2005, Gallagher received the P.T. Barnum Award from Tufts University for his exceptional work in the field of media and entertainment. In 2007, Gallagher received the "Light on the Hill" award at Tufts University. The award is given to notable alumni from Tufts who have demonstrated ambition, achievement, and active citizenship.

From February 13 through July 5, 2015, Gallagher starred on Broadway in On the Twentieth Century although he missed several performances in late February due to illness.

In 2020 Gallagher played Mitch Clarke, who had progressive supranuclear palsy, in a regular role in the first season of Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Though his character died in the season 1 finale, Gallagher appeared in several episodes of the second season and the Christmas special Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas.

In 2021, Gallagher took part in the television series Grey's Anatomy as Dr. David Hamilton.

From 2018 through 2022, Gallagher appeared in four seasons of the Netflix series Grace and Frankie as Nick, the boyfriend of Jane Fonda's character Grace.

In 2024, Gallagher is set to return to Broadway, in a new play based on the life of Delia Ephron, titled Left on Tenth.

Personal life Gallagher is married to Paula Harwood and has two children, James and Kathryn. His daughter Kathryn is an actress and singer.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1980 The Idolmaker Guido, Caesare 1982 Summer Lovers Michael Pappas 1985 Dreamchild Jack Dolan 1986 My Little Girl Kai 1988 High Spirits Brother Tony 1989 Sex, Lies, and Videotape John Mullany 1990 Tune in Tomorrow Richard Quince 1991 Milena Pollak 1991 The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez Matt 1991 Late for Dinner Bob Freeman 1992 The Player Larry Levy 1992 Bob Roberts Dan Riley 1993 Watch It John 1993 Short Cuts Stormy Weathers 1993 Malice Atty. Dennis Riley 1994 The Hudsucker Proxy Vic Tenetta 1994 Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Alan Campbell 1994 Mother's Boys Robert Madigan 1994 White Mile Jack Robbins 1995 The Underneath Michael Chambers 1995 While You Were Sleeping Peter Callaghan 1995 Cafe Society Jack Kale 1996 Last Dance John Hayes 1996 To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday David Lewis 1997 The Man Who Knew Too Little James 'Jimmy' Ritchie 1997 Path to Paradise John Anticev 1998 Johnny Skidmarks Johnny Scardino 1999 House on Haunted Hill Donald W. Blackburn, M.D. 1999 American Beauty Buddy Kane Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture 2000 Center Stage Jonathan Reeves 2000 Other Voices Jordin 2001 Perfume Guido 2001 Protection Ted 2002 Mr. Deeds Chuck Cedar 2002 The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina Mole King Voice, direct-to-video 2003 How to Deal Len Martin Uncredited 2008 Center Stage: Turn It Up Jonathan Reeves 2009 Adam Marty Buchwald 2009 The War Boys Slater Welch 2010 Conviction Barry Scheck 2010 Burlesque Vincent "Vince" Scali 2011 Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You Paul Sveck 2012 Step Up Revolution William "Bill" Anderson 2015 Hello, My Name Is Doris Willy Williams 2017 Literally, Right Before Aaron Orson Schwartzman 2017 Submission Len Curry 2017 A Bad Moms Christmas Hank Redmond 2019 After Ken Scott 2020 Palm Springs Howard Wilder 2024 Humane Charles York

Television films Year Title Role Notes 1984 Terrible Joe Moran Nick 1987 Long Day's Journey into Night Edmund Tyrone 1988 The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial Lt. Cmdr. John Challee 1988 I'll Be Home for Christmas Aaron Coplan 1990 Love and Lies David West 1998 Brave New World Bernard Marx 1998 Virtual Obsession Dr. Joe Messenger 1999 Brotherhood of Murder Bob Mathews 2000 The Last Debate Tom Chapman 2000 Cupid & Cate Harry 2001 Feast of All Saints Philippe Ferronaire 2003 A Tale of Two Wives Bill Goodman 2016 Center Stage: On Pointe Jonathan Reeves 2021 One December Night Mike Sullivan

Television series Year Title Role Notes 1979 Guiding Light Chuck Haskell Unknown episodes 1980 Skag John Skagska 6 episodes 1982 American Playhouse Logan Melton Episode: "Private Contentment" 1984 ABC Weekend Specials Phil Grey Episode: "A Different Twist" 1987 Private Eye Tommy Baron Episode: "Blue Hotel Part 1" 1988 American Playhouse Charles Castle Episode: "The Big Knife" 1988 The Murder of Mary Phagan Leo Frank 2 episodes 1991 An Inconvenient Woman Phillip Quennell 2 episodes 1993 Fallen Angels Dr. Yorgrau Episode: "The Quiet Room" 1993 Fallen Angels Mitch Allison Episode: "The Frightening Frammis" 1996 Titanic Wynn Park 2 episodes 1998 Homicide: Life on the Street Chris Rawls Episode: "Closet Cases" 1998 Superman: The Animated Series Kurt Voice, episode: "Where There's Smoke" 2008 Shark Frank Bell Episode: "Partners in Crime" 2009 Californication Dean Stacey Koons 8 episodes 2010 Rescue Me Father Phil Bingham 5 episodes 2010–2014 Covert Affairs Arthur Campbell Main role, 68 episodes 2011 Whitney Vince 3 episodes 2012 How I Met Your Mother Professor Vinick Episode: "The Final Page" 2015 The Good Wife Ethan Carver 3 episodes 2015–2016 Togetherness Larry Kosinski Recurring role, 9 episodesNominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series 2016 New Girl Gavin Schmidt 4 episodes 2016 Cruel Intentions Edward Valmont Unaired pilot 2014–2019 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Deputy Chief William Dodds Recurring role, 19 episodes 2017 Man Seeking Woman Joel Greenberg Episode: "Dolphin" 2017–2022 Grace and Frankie Nick Skolka Recurring role, 24 episodes 2018 The Gifted Benedict Ryan 5 episodes 2018 Murphy Brown John Haggerty Episode: "Results May Vary" 2019 The Conners Brian Foster Episode: "Rage Against the Machine" 2020–2021 Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist Mitch Clarke Main role, 13 episodes Guest role, 2 episodes 2021–2023 The Owl House Dell Clawthorne Voice, 2 episodes 2021–2022 Grey's Anatomy Dr. David Hamilton Recurring role 2022 Mr. Mayor Brett Episode: "Trampage" 2022 Reboot Tyler Episode: "Who's the Boss" 2025 Wondla Antiquus Episode: "Chapter 12: Truth"2025 Everybody's Live with John Mulaney Future John Mulaney Episode: "Is Uber Good?"

Stage credits