Gary Cole

Gary Cole, a handsome actor trained on the Chicago theater scene first gained celebrity on TV in the mid-1980s with a series of accomplished performances in high-profile TV-movies and miniseries. Though youthful, Cole has brought strength and credibility to his portrayals of often flawed figures of authority. He won national attention with his breakthrough TV performance as charismatic accused killer Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald in the acclaimed miniseries "Fatal Vision" (NBC, 1984). As a former Green Beret officer accused (and convicted) of murdering his family, Cole displayed an impressive range that both encompassed and challenged the various points of view expressed about the true nature of his character. However, his roles as Mike Brady in "The Brady Bunch Movie" (1995) and sleazeball boss Bill Lumbergh in Mike Judge's "Office Space" (1999) reinvented Cole as one of the great deadpan comedians of his generation. A frequent presence on TV beginning in the mid-1980s, Cole's substantial telefilm work included a pairing with TV veteran Ed Asner in "Vital Signs" (CBS, 1986) playing father-and-son doctors cum substance abusers; portraying a newly widowed reluctant father in "Those She Left Behind" (NBC, 1989); and a memorable interpretation of General George Armstrong Custer in the miniseries "Son of the Morning Star" (ABC, 1991). He segued to series TV as the star of "Midnight Caller" (NBC, 1988-91). Here Cole was Jack Killian, a sensitive former San Francisco cop who leaves the force after accidentally killing his partner, finding redemption as "The Nighthawk," the host of an all-night, call-in radio show. Despite a busy TV career, Cole continued to tread the boards on the Chicago stage. After dropping out during his third year at Illinois State University, he helped form the Remains Theater. Cole left the Remains to become an ensemble member of the celebrated Steppenwolf Theatre Company where he appeared in such productions as "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Philadelphia Here