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Kevin Dunn

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Kevin Dunn
Dunn in 2014
Born (1955-08-24) August 24, 1955 (age 69)
Alma materIllinois Wesleyan University
OccupationActor
Years active1986–present
Spouse
Katina Alexander
(m. 1986)
[1]
Children1

Kevin Dunn (born August 24, 1955)[2] is an American character actor who has appeared in supporting roles in a number of films and television series since the 1980s.

Dunn's roles include White House Communications Director Alan Reed in the political comedy Dave, U.S. Army Colonel Hicks in the 1998 version of Godzilla, a role he reprised for the animated adaptation of Godzilla, Alan Abernathy's father Stuart in Small Soldiers, 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

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Dunn was born in Chicago, the son of John Dunn, a musician and poet, and his wife Margaret (née East), a nurse.[3] His sister is actress/comedian Nora Dunn. 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.[4] Dunn graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1977, and received an honorary doctorate in 2008 from the same school.[citation needed]

Career

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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.[1] 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 Small Soldiers, Stir of Echoes, Godzilla, Snake Eyes, Nixon, Mad Love, Ghostbusters II, Dave, Beethoven's 2nd, Hot Shots!, and 1492: Conquest of Paradise. 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

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Dunn married Katina Alexander in 1986. They have a son, Jack.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
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 Sixth Man Mikulski
1997 Picture Perfect Mr. Mercer
1998 Godzilla Colonel Tony 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 Documentary
Executive 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

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
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 2 episodes
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 Tony 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 miniseries
Episode: "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"

References

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  1. ^ a b c Knight, Richard Jr. (April 1, 2014). "Kevin Dunn star of screens big and small". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  2. ^ "Birthdays". The Modesto Bee. Associated Press. August 24, 2022. p. A2. Retrieved March 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. Actor Kevin Dunn is 67.
  3. ^ "Margaret East Dunn, retired nurse". Chicago Sun-Times. December 6, 1996. Archived from the original on June 1, 2013 – via Newsbank.
  4. ^ Davenport, Misha (April 11, 2008). "Artwork no laughing matter to Nora Dunn". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on June 1, 2013 – via Newsbank.
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Preceded by Voice of and portrayed Sparkplug Witwicky
2007–2009
Succeeded by
incumbent