Virile, fair-haired, set-jawed actor Jamey Sheridan was born in 1951 and raised in Pasadena, California. He turned to acting after a knee injury ended his pursuit of a dancing career.
Beginning professionally on stage in 1978, he gained some momentum into the next decade and eventually reached Broadway where he earned a Tony Award nomination in 1987 for his potent performance in the revival of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.” He made his feature-film debut in Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986) starring Whoopi Goldberg and started making the TV guest star rounds on such series as “Spenser: For Hire” and “The Equalizer” at around the same time.
Sheridan received his first big on-camera break when he was cast in the title role of Shannon’s Deal (1990) gaining quirky notice for two seasons. as a highly unconventional attorney. From this series he moved to the already established Chicago Hope (1994) set wherein he played a sympathetic role. Into the millennium, his best known role resides with the series Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) in the long-running (five seasons), less showy role of a police captain.
Other support roles in the movies include Stanley & Iris (1990) with Jane Fonda, Close to Eden (1992) opposite with Melanie Griffith and The Ice Storm (1997) and Life as a House (2001) both starring Kevin Kline followed, while more recent work includes Nothing But the Truth (2008) with Kate Beckinsale and Matt Dillon, the title role in Handsome Harry (2009) and The East (2013) with Ellen Page.
While commanding some attention as a villain in the Stephen King miniseries The Stand (1994), he also turned in an interesting performance as actor/director Ozzie Nelson in the TV movie Ricky Nelson: Original Teen Idol (1999). He has been a steadfast presence these days in such series as Homeland (2011), Arrow (2012) and “Smash” (2013)_.
Success and satisfaction always came from the stage. Having never left the theater lights for long, Sheridan playing Brutus in “Julius Caesar” at New York’s Shakespeare-in-the-Park that also featured his wife, actress Colette Kilroy. Over the years he has continued to grace the Broadway boards with stimulating performances in such sterling revivals of “Biloxi Blues,” “Ah, Wilderness!” “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” “The Moon for the Misbegotten” and “The Shadow Box.” He also appeared in “God of Hell” in 2004. A versatile actor to be sure, Sheridan is the father of three.
