Michael O'Keefe
Michael O'Keefe is an American actor, known for his roles as Danny Noonan in Caddyshack, Ben Meechum in The Great Santini, for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Darryl Palmer in the Neil Simon movie The Slugger's Wife. He also appeared as Fred on the television sitcom Roseanne.
Early life
O'Keefe was born Raymond Peter O'Keefe Jr., in Mount Vernon, New York, the oldest of seven children in a devoutly Catholic Irish American family. He is the son of Stephanie and Raymond Peter O'Keefe, who was a law professor at Fordham University, and also taught at St. Thomas University.O'Keefe grew up in Larchmont, New York, and graduated from Mamaroneck High School. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and New York University. O’Keefe made his acting debut in a 1970 Colgate television commercial.
Career
O'Keefe is known for his role as Danny Noonan in the comedy film Caddyshack. He received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as Ben, the oldest son of a Marine aviator in The Great Santini starring Robert Duvall, who was also nominated for an Academy Award for the film. He played a Marine in the CBS miniseries A Rumor of War as the friend of Brad Davis' character, Philip Caputo. He played the lead role in the 1982 film Split Image as a college athlete who gets lured into a religious cult by a beautiful girl. Michael appeared in the Neil Simon movie The Slugger's Wife as Darryl Palmer, a baseball player for the Atlanta Braves who enjoys the fame and fringe benefits of bachelor life until he meets rock singer Debby Huston, falls in love and decides to settle down.He appeared in the thriller film The Glass House and starred with Tommy Lee Jones in the 1983 pirate adventure Nate and Hayes, also known as Savage Islands. O'Keefe appeared with George Clooney in Michael Clayton. He has appeared twice with Jack Nicholson, as his son in Ironweed and as the father of a murdered girl in The Pledge. His film Frozen River was in the competition at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008. He also played the powerful district attorney Calvin Beckett in the film American Violet.
O'Keefe's Broadway theatre credits include Side Man, Mass Appeal, Fifth of July, and Reckless with Mary-Louise Parker. He also appeared in the play A Few Good Men in 1992 with a national tour as Lt. Jg. Daniel Kaffee.
O'Keefe's highest-profile television role was his portrayal of Fred, the husband of Jackie Harris on the ABC series Roseanne from 1993 to 1995. He played the husband in the series Life's Work from 1996 to 1997. Additional television credits include the lead role of Simon MacHeath in the short-lived Boston-based series Against the Law, which aired on Fox during the 1990–91 season, and the role of Ron Steffey in the 1992 CBS drama Middle Ages.
O'Keefe has guest starred on Saving Grace, The West Wing, Criminal Minds, Law & Order, ', ', House, M*A*S*H, Ghost Whisperer, Brothers and Sisters, Leverage, Blue Bloods and The Waltons. In 2014, O'Keefe appeared in a recurring role in Homeland as CIA agent and former interim station chief John Redmond and as Detective Winslow in the Amazon Prime original TV series Sneaky Pete.
Personal life
O'Keefe was married to rock/blues singer Bonnie Raitt from April 27, 1991 to November 1999, when they divorced.He holds an MFA in creative writing from Bennington College.
He married actress Emily Donahoe in 2011, with whom he has one child.
He has been a practicing Zen Buddhist since 1981.
Filmography
Film
Sources: Hollywood.com TCMYear | Film | Role | Other notes |
1978 | Gray Lady Down | Harris | |
1979 | The Great Santini | Ben Meechum | Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor |
1980 | Caddyshack | Danny Noonan | |
1982 | Split Image | Danny 'Joshua' Stetson | |
1983 | Nate and Hayes | Nathaniel Williamson | |
1984 | Finders Keepers | Michael Rangeloff | |
1985 | The Slugger's Wife | Darryl Palmer | |
1986 | The Whoopee Boys | Jake Bateman | |
1987 | Ironweed | Billy Phelan | |
1989 | The First Year | ||
1989 | Bridge to Silence | Dan | |
1990 | Fear | Jack Hays | |
1991 | Out of the Rain | Frank Reade | |
1993 | Me and Veronica | Michael | |
1994 | Kangaroo Court | Short film | |
1994 | Nina Takes a Lover | Journalist | |
1995 | Three Wishes | Adult Tom | |
1996 | Edie & Pen | Ken | |
1996 | Ghosts of Mississippi | Merrida Coxwell | |
2000 | Just One Night | Wayne | |
2001 | The Pledge | Duane Larsen | |
2001 | Herman U. S. A. | Dennis | |
2001 | The Glass House | Dave Baker | |
2001 | Prancer Returns | Mr. James Klock | Direct-to-video |
2002 | The Hot Chick | Richard Spencer | |
2003 | The Inner Circle | Jack Scott | |
2003 | Delusion | Magritte | Short film |
2007 | An American Crime | Rev. Bill Collier | |
2007 | Cherry Crush | Det. Griffin | |
2007 | Michael Clayton | Barry Grissom | |
2008 | Frozen River | State Trooper Finnerty | |
2008 | Keith | Alan Ascher | |
2008 | Chasing 3000 | Dr. Stuart | |
2009 | American Violet | Calvin Beckett | |
2011 | Hugh Akston | ||
2011 | Too Big to Fail | Chris Flowers | |
2011 | Apartment 143 | Dr. Helzer | |
2012 | A Thousand Cuts | Frank | |
2013 | The Wait | Ben's Dad | |
2013 | Finding Neighbors | Sam | |
2015 | Eye in the Sky | Secretary of State Ken Stanitzke | |
2018 | Instant Family | Jerry |
Television
Sources: Hollywood.com TCMYear | Title | Role | Notes |
1974 | The Texas Wheelers | Jeff | Episode: "X-Rated Movie" |
1974 | M*A*S*H | Corp. Richard Travis | Episode: "Mad Dogs and Servicemen" |
1975 | Lucas Tanner | Brad Patterson | Episode: "A Touch of Bribery" |
1975 | Friendly Persuasion | Josh Birdwell | Television movie |
1975 | The Blue Knight | Episode: "Triple Threat" | |
1975–77 | The Waltons | Chad Marshall | 2 episodes |
1976 | The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case | Terry Long | Television movie |
1976 | Panache | Horseman | Television movie |
1976 | 33 Hours in the Life of God | Freddie | Unsold TV pilot |
1976 | Maude | Lee Harrison | Episode: "The Election" |
1977 | M*A*S*H | Tom | Episode: "War of Nerves" |
1978 | The Dark Secret of Harvest Home | Worthy Pettinger | 2 episodes |
1980 | A Rumor of War | Lt. Walter Cohen | 2 episodes |
1985 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Art Toomey | Episode: "The Night Caller" |
1985 | The Hitchhiker | Richard Shepard | Episode: "Man's Best Friend" |
1988 | Unholy Matrimony | Dr. Cassius William 'Bill' Sander | Television movie |
1988 | Disaster at Silo 7 | Sgt. Mike Fitzgerald | Television movie |
1989 | Bridge to Silence | Dan | Television movie |
1990 | Too Young to Die? | Mike Medwicki | Television movie |
1990 | In the Best Interest of the Child | Walt Colton | Television movie |
1990–91 | Against the Law | Simon MacHeath | 17 episodes |
1992 | Middle Ages | Ron Steffey | 6 episodes |
1993–95 | Roseanne | Fred | 35 episodes |
1994 | Incident at Deception Ridge | Jack Bolder | Television movie |
1996 | The Outer Limits | Eddie Wexler | Episode: "Beyond the Veil" |
1996 | The People Next Door | Garrett James | Television movie |
1996–97 | Life's Work | Kevin Hunter | 18 episodes |
1999 | Swing Vote | Television movie | |
2001 | Law & Order | Cally Lonegan/Professor Donald Lonegan | Episode: "Brother's Keeper" |
2001 | The West Wing | Will Sawyer | Episode: "War Crimes" |
2001 | ' | Father Michael McShale | Episode: "The Faithful" |
2002 | ' | Officer Marcosi | Episode: "" |
2003 | ' | Daniel Easton | Episode: "Got Murder?" |
2003 | Defending Our Kids: The Julie Posey Story | Mike Harris | Television movie |
2004 | ' | Ronald McCain | Episode: "Outcry" |
2005 | Night Stalker | Doug Panero | Episode: "" |
2006 | House | Fletcher Stone | Episode: "Failure to Communicate" |
2006 | The Closer | Agent Tim Hecht | Episode: "Overkill" |
2006 | Vanished | Bob Nagel | 3 episodes |
2007 | State of Mind | Petrovsky | Episode: "Pilot" |
2007 | ' | Dr. Eli Rush | Episode: "Seeds" |
2007 | Saving Grace | Father Lloyd Tierney | Episode: "" |
2007 | Criminal Minds | Dr. Stanley Howard | Episode: "" |
2008 | Numb3rs | Rev. Joseph Ezra | Episode: "Atomic No. 33" |
2008 | Eleventh Hour | Philip Gifford | Episode: "Resurrection" |
2008–09 | Brothers & Sisters | Wally Wandell | 3 episodes |
2009 | Two Dollar Beer | Dad | Unsold TV pilot |
2009 | Ghost Whisperer | Dr. Byrd | 2 episodes |
2010 | Leverage | Darren Hoffman | 1 episode |
2010 | Outlaw | Dr. Damon | 1 episode |
2011 | Burn Notice | Wallace | 1 episode |
2012 | Daybreak | Professor Aaron Wilkins | 1 episode |
2013 | How to Live with Your Parents | Dr. Skrutz | 1 episode |
2013 | King & Maxwell | FBI Agent Frank Rigby | 10 episodes |
2014 | Royal Pains | Dave | 1 episode |
2014 | Homeland | John Redmond | 8 episodes Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series |
2015–16 | Masters of Sex | Harry Eshelman | 6 episodes |
2015–16 | Sleepy Hollow | Jack Walters | 3 episodes |
2016 | ' | Father Eugene O'Hannigan | 2 episodes |
2016 | Elementary | Harris Waylon Greer | 1 episode |
2016 | Blue Bloods | Lieutenant Tim Harrison | Episode: "Stomping Grounds" |
2016 | Falling Water | Mr. Jones | 1 episode |
2017 | The Blacklist | Mr. Deavers | 1 episode |
2017 | Sneaky Pete | Detective Winslow | 10 episodes |
2019 | The Enemy Within | Paul Backus | 2 episodes |
Awards and nominations
;Academy Award- 1981: Nominated, "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" – The Great Santini
- 1987: Nominated, "Best Actor in a Dramatic Series" – The Hitchhiker
- 1981: Nominated, "New Male Star of the Year in a Motion Picture" – The Great Santini