Kevin Dunn
{{short description|American actor (born 1955)}}
{{about|the actor|the musician|Kevin Dunn (musician)|the Roman Catholic bishop|Kevin Dunn (bishop)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kevin Dunn
| image = Kevin Dunn 2014.jpg
| caption = Dunn in 2014
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|8|24}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| alma_mater = Illinois Wesleyan University
| occupation = Actor
| yearsactive = 1986–present
| spouse = {{marriage|Katina Alexander|1986}}{{cite news |first=Richard Jr. |last=Knight |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-xpm-2014-04-01-ct-kevin-dunn-chavez-20140327-story.html |title=Kevin Dunn star of screens big and small |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=April 1, 2014 |url-status=live |url-access=registration |access-date=June 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202092408/https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-xpm-2014-04-01-ct-kevin-dunn-chavez-20140327-story.html |archive-date=February 2, 2019}}
| children = 1
}}
Kevin Dunn (born August 24, 1955){{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121240611/the-modesto-bee/ |date=August 24, 2022 |title=Birthdays |work=The Modesto Bee |page=A2 |agency=Associated Press |quote=Actor Kevin Dunn is 67. |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=March 20, 2023}} is an American character 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, 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
Dunn was born on August 24, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of John Dunn, a musician and poet, and his wife Margaret (née East), a nurse.{{cite news |date=December 6, 1996 |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB422D5D2FFA1AF&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Margaret East Dunn, retired nurse |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |via=Newsbank |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601150241/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB422D5D2FFA1AF&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |archive-date=June 1, 2013}} 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.{{cite news |first=Misha |last=Davenport |date=April 11, 2008 |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11FFCBC6359C2EA0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=Artwork no laughing matter to Nora Dunn |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |via=Newsbank |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601153336/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11FFCBC6359C2EA0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |archive-date=June 1, 2013}} Dunn graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1977, and received an honorary doctorate in 2008 from the same school.{{Citation needed |date=April 2024}}
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 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
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1988
| FBI Agent Bird | |
| 1989
| Milton Angland | Uncredited |
| 1990
| Assistant Chief Stanley Hoyt | |
| 1990
| FBI Agent Sal Roselli | |
| 1990
| Tom Killian | |
| 1991
| Patrick Muldoon | |
| 1991
| Lieutenant Commander Block | |
| 1992
| Captain Mendez | |
| 1992
| Chaplin | FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover | |
| 1993
| Dave | Alan Reed | |
| 1993
| Brillo, Missy's Owner | Uncredited |
| 1994
| Arthur Goslin | |
| 1995
| Mad Love | Clifford Leland | |
| 1995
| Nixon | |
| 1996
| FBI Agent Doyle | |
| 1997
| Mikulski | |
| 1997
| Mr. Mercer | |
| 1998
| Godzilla | Colonel Tony Hicks | |
| 1998
| Hidalgo | |
| 1998
| Stuart Abernathy | |
| 1998
| Lou Logan, Reporter | |
| 1999
| Frank McCarthy | |
| 2002
| Confessions | Unknown | Short film |
| 2004
| Marty | |
| 2006
| Insurance Executive | |
| 2006
| Chief Monson | |
| 2006
| Cleo A. Short, Elizabeth Short's Father | Uncredited |
| 2006
| Ted Dexter | |
| 2006
| Alex | |
| 2007
| Ron Witwicky | |
| 2007
| Howard, ANX Editor | |
| 2008
| Mark | |
| 2009
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | Ron Witwicky | |
| 2010
| Oscar Galvin | |
| 2011
| Agent Ross | |
| 2011
| Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Ron Witwicky | |
| 2011
| Warrior | Principal Joe Zito | |
| 2011
| Kumpania: Flamenco Los Angeles | {{N/A}} | Documentary |
| 2012
| Agent Calvin Mullens | |
| 2013
| Jobs | Dr. Gil Amelio | |
| 2013
| Lieutenant Bob Jent | |
| 2014
| Dr. Arlo | Uncredited |
| 2014
| Marvin | |
| 2015
| Ashby | Coach Bruton | |
| 2015
| Darren Lowry | |
| 2016
| Carl Pronger | |
| 2017
| Paul Abernac | |
| 2018
| "Stumpy" | |
| 2019
| Police Chief Igoe | |
| 2019
| Gary Rollins | |
| 2019
| Bob Singer | |
| 2021
| Frank | |
| 2021
| Willie | |
| 2021
| |
= Television =
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 1986
| Anthony Kubecek | 2 episodes |
| 1987
| Night of Courage | Policeman | Television movie |
| 1987
| Cheers | Jim McNulty | Episode: "The Last Angry Mailman" |
| 1988
| Rinaldo de Martino | Episode: "Brief Encounter" |
| 1988
| Mel Schrom | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 1988
| Unknown | Episode: "Papa Rozzi" |
| 1988
| Bob | Episode: "The Boys Next Door" |
| 1989
| Reed Bowman | Episode: "The Blu Flu" |
| 1988–1989
| L.A. Law | Barry Braunstein | 2 episodes |
| 1989
| Glen | Episode: "All in the Neighborhood (Part 1)" |
| 1989
| Jacob Waldner | Episode: "Kennonite" |
| 1989
| Roseanne | Burt Drucker | Episode: "Somebody Stole My Gal" |
| 1989
| Lombardi | Television movie |
| 1990
| Seinfeld | Joel | Episode: "Male Unbonding" |
| 1990
| Sydney | Jake | Episode: "Jake" |
| 1990
| Bob Morris | Episode: "A Priest's Story" |
| 1990
| Lieutenant Gladston | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 1992
| Double Edge | Webber | Television movie |
| 1995
| Charles Millard / Charles The Mysterious | Television movie |
| 1995
| JAG | Rear Admiral Al Brovo | 2 episodes |
| 1995
| Phil Brenner | Television movie |
| 1995
| Mark Evola | Television movie |
| 1996
| Jack Reed: A Killer Among Us | Phil Brenner | Television movie |
| 1996
| Milton "Milt" Stella | Television movie |
| 1996
| Shattered Mind | Eric | Television movie |
| 1997
| Jimmy Cannon | Television movie |
| 1997
| Arsenio | Al | Recurring role (6 episodes) |
| 1997
| 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
| Dr. Howard Hodges (voice) | Episode: "Heroes" |
| 2000
| The Beach Boys: An American Family | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 2000
| (voice) | Recurring role (3 episodes) |
| 2000–2001
| Bette | Roy | Recurring role (12 episodes) |
| 2002
| Bill Munce | Episode: "Man and Superman" |
| 2002
| Gleason | Jack Philbin | Television movie |
| 2002
| 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
| 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
| Arnie MacLaren | Episode: "Publish and Perish" |
| 2005
| Marsha Potter Gets a Life | Unknown | Television movie |
| 2004–2006
| 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
| Mar. Catalina | Episode: "Head Over Heels" |
| 2006
| Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 2006
| Darren | Television movie |
| 2006
| The Mikes | Unknown | Television movie |
| 2006–2007
| Attorney Jonathan Weiner | 2 episodes |
| 2007
| Cooper Green | 2 episodes |
| 2007–2009
| Howard | Series regular (35 episodes) |
| 2010–2011
| Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | Various Characters (voice) | Recurring role (3 episodes) |
| 2011
| District Attorney George Kupcheck | Episode: "Send in the Clowns" |
| 2011–2012
| Luck | Marcus Becker | Series regular (9 episodes) |
| 2013
| George Anthony | Television movie |
| 2013–2019
| Veep | Main role (54 episodes) |
| 2014
| Major Ken Quesada | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 2015–2016
| Dr. Taylor | Recurring role (9 episodes) |
| 2016
| Councilman (voice) | Episode: "Roots" |
| 2016
| Daniel Lang | Television miniseries |
| 2018
| Ghosted | Mervyn "Merv" Minette | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 2019
| Rob Seger | Episode: "Any Given Saturday Afternoon" |
| 2019
| District Attorney Nathan Rey | 6 episodes |
| 2019
| Suits | George Richardson | Episode: "Whatever It Takes" |
| 2019
| Constance | Unknown | Television movie |
| 2020
| Uncle Bert | Episode: "Dark Ages: Holiday" |
| 2020
| Mom | Gary | Episode: "Smitten Kitten and a Tiny Boo-Boo Error" |
| 2021
| Margot's Dad | Episode: "Light Out" |
| 2022
| Gene | Main role |
| 2022
| Morris Baker | 2 episodes |
| 2023
| Defense Attorney Keith Hollins | Episodes: "Battle Lines" & "Deadline" |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name}}
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{{succession box | before = Chris Latta | title = Voice of and portrayed Sparkplug Witwicky | years = 2007–2009 | after = incumbent}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunn, Kevin}}
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American people of English descent
Category:American people of German descent
Category:American people of Irish descent
Category:American people of Scottish descent
Category:Illinois Wesleyan University alumni