Geoff Pierson

Geoff Pierson is an American actor known for his starring television roles on Dexter, Unhappily Ever After, Grace Under Fire, 24, Ryan's Hope, and Designated Survivor. He has guest-starred in dozens of other TV shows.

Geoff Pierson
Born
Geoffrey Pierson
OccupationActor
Years active1980–present

Career

Pierson appeared with George C. Scott on Broadway in Tricks Of The Trade, before continuing on to do several New York soap operas and many regional theater plays. Some notable theatrical roles include Angelo in Measure For Measure at the Yale Rep, Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Penn Ctr. Stage, Bobby in Speed The Plough at the Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Ricky in Glengarry Glen Ross and Teach in American Buffalo at the Virginia Stage Company.[1] His most prominent daytime role was as Frank Ryan on Ryan's Hope, a role he played from February 1983 through September 1985.

Pierson's first high-profile prime-time television role was as Jack Malloy, the head of a dysfunctional family, in the WB sitcom Unhappily Ever After, which was created by Ron Leavitt, one of the creators of FOX's Married... with Children. Other TV roles include a leading role as R.T. Howard on That 80's Show, and recurring roles on Grace Under Fire, In Plain Sight (USA) and The Firm (NBC). He also had a recurring role as Rodney's long lost dad on the ABC comedy Rodney.

In 2005 and 2006 he appeared in two episodes of Veronica Mars as Stewart Manning, the father of Meg Manning.[2] In 2006, he guest-starred in Criminal Minds, playing Max Ryan, a former FBI agent-turned-author and Jason Gideon's mentor who comes out of his retirement to capture a serial killer known as the Keystone Killer in the episode, "Unfinished Business". From 2006 to 2013, he portrayed Miami-Dade Police Captain Tom Matthews on the Showtime series Dexter.

He appeared in the 2008 Clint Eastwood-directed film Changeling as the flamboyant defense attorney Sammy "S.S." Hahn. In 2011 he portrayed Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer in Eastwood's J. Edgar.[3] He appeared in Touched by an Angel, Season 9, Episode 16.

Beginning in 2010, he had a recurring role in Boardwalk Empire as Senator Walter Edge. In 2011, Pierson played Midas Mulligan in Atlas Shrugged, based on Ayn Rand's novel of the same name. He played Russell Dunbar's wealthy father in Rules of Engagement and he had a recurring role as the mysterious Mr. Smith on Castle. In 2014 he appeared in an episode of Suburgatory.[4] In 2015 he co-starred as Defense Secretary Pierce Grey on HBO's The Brink. Recently, he stars in the former ABC and now, Netflix political thriller Designated Survivor, where he portrays Former President of the United States and Secretary of State Cornelius Moss alongside Kiefer Sutherland.[5]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1995Two BitsDr. Wilson
1997Leave It to BeaverCoach Gordon
1998The Right WayMichael Peretti
2001Behind Enemy LinesAdmiral Donnelly
2001VenomousGeneral Arthur Manchek
2004SpartanPearce
2006StayDad
2007D-WarSecretary of Defense
2007Already DeadPierce
2008A Line in the SandThe Mayor
2008ChangelingS.S. Hahn
2008Get SmartVice President
2009World's Greatest DadPrincipal Anderson
2011Atlas Shrugged: Part IMichael 'Midas' Mulligan
2011Something BorrowedDexter Thaler Sr.
2011God Bless AmericaFrank's Boss
2011J. EdgarA. Mitchell Palmer
2011Jack and JillCarter Simmons
2014Revenge of the Green DragonsFBI Director Sam Higgins
2014You're Not YouKate's Father
2016Rules Don't ApplyMerrill Lynch Executive
2020The Wrong MissyJack Winstone

Television filmography listed below only includes shows that Pierson appeared in three or more episodes.

Television
Years Title Role Notes
1980–81TexasDetective Donovan19 episodes
1983–85Ryan's HopeFrank Ryan126 episodes
1989Days of our LivesBarney Gillespie4 episodes
1994–98Grace Under FireJimmy Kelly30 episodes
1995–99Unhappily Ever AfterJack Malloy100 episodes
2000–01Nash BridgesDeputy Chief Max Petit3 episodes
2002That '80s ShowR.T. Howard13 episodes
2002–03The West WingSenate Minority Leader Tripplehorn4 episodes
2003–0524Senator John Keeler / President John Keeler18 episodes
2005–08RodneyDale Hamilton3 episodes
2012The FirmJudge Ken Walsh4 episodes
2010–12Boardwalk EmpireSenator Walter Edge4 episodes
2006–13DexterTom Matthews43 episodes
2015The BrinkPierce Gray10 episodes
2011–15CastleMichael Smith6 episodes
2017–19Designated SurvivorCornelius Moss16 episodes
2018–19Splitting Up TogetherHenry13 episodes
2019The Face of EvilNarrator6 episodes

References

  1. "Obituary for Helen Pierson - SKOKIE, IL".
  2. Li, Shirley (2014-09-17). "A Definitive Ranking of Every Notable Guest Star On 'Veronica Mars'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  3. Foundas, Scott (December 19, 2007). "Clint Eastwood: The Set Whisperer - Shooting quietly on the Changeling set". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on December 23, 2007. Retrieved December 29, 2007.
  4. Geoff Pierson at IMDb
  5. Petski, Denise (February 17, 2017). "'Zoo' Casts Sophina Brown; 'Designated Survivor' Adds Geoff Pierson". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
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