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John Getz

John Getz

Acting1946Davenport, Iowa, U.S.

Biography

​John Getz (born October 15, 1946) is an American actor. Getz dropped out of college to attend the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. While working in a winery, he helped found the Theater Company in Napa County, California. His location in the grape-growing Napa Valley led to Getz's television debut in a made-for-television horror film Killer Bees. Killer Bees starred Gloria Swanson, Craig Stevens, Kate Jackson, and Edward Albert. Getz then moved to New York City, where he became active in local theater while doing an 18-month stint as Neil Johnson on the soap opera Another World.

Getz appeared in The Happy Hooker and followed up with several other roles before starring in the Coen Brothers' neo-noir thriller Blood Simple. He played the doomed lover of a married woman (Frances McDormand) who woefully misinterprets his increasingly complex circumstances.

Getz also appeared in The Fly and The Fly II as Stathis Borans, a science magazine editor who pays a heavy price for his curiosity. Also in 1989, he played a Marine Corps Major in Born on the Fourth of July. In 1991, Getz appeared as the unpleasant boyfriend of professional women in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and Curly Sue. In 1990, Getz appeared as a crime boss in the Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez spoof Men At Work. In 1994, he appeared in the film Playmaker, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Rubin.

In 2007, he had a role in David Fincher's film Zodiac. Also in 2007, he appeared in Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman's documentary film Nanking as George Ashmore Fitch, head of the local YMCA and administrative director of the International Committee for the Nanking Safety Zone. Getz also had a role in Fincher's film The Social Network, about the founding of Facebook. He appeared in the suspense thriller Elevator as a Wall Street executive trapped in an elevator with a group of strangers, one of whom has a bomb. Written and produced by Marc Rosenberg and directed by Stig Svendsen, Elevator was released in July 2012. He appeared in Trumbo (2015) as director Sam Wood.

Through the decades, Getz has guest-starred in many television series, including Barney Miller and Three's Company, where he played Lee Tripper, brother of Jack Tripper. He has guest-starred in How I Met Your Mother, Prison Break, The King of Queens and Private Practice, and had recurring roles in Homeland, Timeless and Bosch.

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Acting History

2024
A Man on the Inside
TVas Elliott Haverhill9 eps
NCIS
TVas Walter Kane / Captain Thomas Butler1 eps
2023
Reservation Dogs
TVas James Minor1 eps
Fatal Attraction
TVas Warren4 eps
The Last of Us
TVas Dr. Edelstein2 eps
2022
Alaska Daily
TVas Conrad Pritchard4 eps
2020
Dirty John
TVas Dwight / Doug Layton2 eps
Doom Patrol
TVas Paul Trainor4 eps
2019
2018
American Horror Story
TVas Mr. St. Pierre Vanderbilt1 eps
2017
Bosch
TVas Bradley Walker13 eps
Ghosted
TVas Director Romslo1 eps
Better Call Saul
TVas Chairman2 eps
2016
Certain Women
as Sheriff Rowles
Timeless
TVas Benjamin Cahill9 eps
Grace and Frankie
TVas John3 eps
Transparent
TVas Donald4 eps
2015
Trumbo
as Sam Wood
2014
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
TVas Richard Zeigler / Bill Harvey1 eps
How to Get Away with Murder
TVas David Dolan1 eps
Bones
TVas Steven Frank1 eps
Halt and Catch Fire
TVas Joe MacMillan, Sr.2 eps
Castle
TVas Gustavo Bauer1 eps
Homeland
TVas Joe Crocker4 eps
Bad Teacher
TVas Howard1 eps
2013
Elevator
as Henry Barton
Jobs
as Paul Jobs
NCIS: Los Angeles
TVas Senator Lockhart1 eps
Nikita
TVas Senator Ed Chappell2 eps
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
TVas Vincent Albers1 eps
2012
Scandal
TVas Patrick Keating1 eps
Touch
TVas Henry Williams1 eps
2010
Ghost Whisperer
TVas Rudy Wharton1 eps
2009
Criminal Minds
TVas Andrew Kane1 eps
Private Practice
TVas Mr. Kent1 eps
2008
Superhero Movie
as Lunatic Editor
Prison Break
TVas Dr. Roger Knowlton1 eps
Mad Men
TVas Dr. Eric Stone1 eps
Eleventh Hour
TVas William Gregory1 eps
How I Met Your Mother
TVas Bob Hewitt1 eps
Grey's Anatomy
TVas Michael Breyers2 eps
2007
Zodiac
as Templeton Peck
Nanking
as George Fitch
Big Shots
TVas Walter Storrs1 eps
Shark
TVas Judge Nicholas1 eps
2006
Close to Home
TVas Maurice Hardecker1 eps
Cold Case
TVas Bill Simmons1 eps
Day Break
TVas Judge Tobias Booth5 eps
The West Wing
TVas Mark B. Sellner2 eps
Las Vegas
TVas Freddie Smith1 eps
2005
Medium
TVas Stuart McCallister1 eps
Wanted
TVas Mr. Salinger1 eps
2004
A Day Without a Mexican
as Senator Abercombie
The King of Queens
TVas Mr. Dugan3 eps
Without a Trace
TVas Mr. Garrett1 eps
2003
Hunger Point
as David Hunter
Joan of Arcadia
TVas D.A. Gabe Fellowes6 eps
According to Jim
TVas Frank1 eps
CSI: Miami
TVas George Risher1 eps
2001
Zenon: The Zequel
as General Hammond
The Guardian
TVas Wendell Rapke1 eps
2000
Providence
TVas Dr. Sullivan1 eps
1999
JAG
TVas Adm. Harrison Spencer1 eps
1997
Painted Hero
as Sheriff Acuff
1996
The Late Shift
as Brandon Tartikoff
Mojave Moon
as Police Officer
Murder, She Wrote
TVas Kyle Kimball / Jonas Cole1 eps
1995
The 5 Mrs. Buchanans
TVas Roy Buchanan2 eps
Ned & Stacey
TVas Les McDowall6 eps
1994
Playmaker
as Eddie
1990
Men at Work
as Maxwell Potterdam III
1989
Born on the Fourth of July
as Marine Major - Vietnam
The Fly II
as Stathis Borans
1986
The Fly
as Stathis Borans
1985
ABC Afterschool Special
TVas Thomas Sanders1 eps
1984
Thief of Hearts
as Ray Davis
1981
Kent State
as Prof. Ted Arnold
Tattoo
as Buddy
1980
Three's Company
TVas Lee Tripper1 eps
1977
The Sentinel
as Film Crew (uncredited)
Barney Miller
TVas William McKuen1 eps
Rafferty
TVas Dr. Daniel Gentry13 eps
Wonder Woman
TVas Christian Harrison1 eps
1974
Killer Bees
as Attendant

Social Media

Personal Info

Known For
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
10/15/1946(79 years old)
Place of Birth
Davenport, Iowa, U.S.