Dylan McDermott is an American actor, director, and screenwriter, best known for his role of the law firm head Bobby Donnell in The Practice TV series from 1997 to 2004, for which he received a Golden Globe Award for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama”. He also had the role of FBI Agent Max Canary in The Grid (2004) TV series and Duncan Collinsworth in the series Big Shots from 2007 to 2008. One of the Dylan’s most notable roles were in the first 2 seasons of the TV series American Horror Story, titled American Horror Story: Murder House (2011) where he played the role of Dr. Ben Harmon, and American Horror Story: Asylum (2012-2013) where he starred as a character named Johnny Morgan. Dylan came back for 1 more episode of the show in 2018, titled Return to Murder House, as Ben Harmon.

Apart from starring in other TV series such as Dark Blue (2009-2010), Hostages (2013-2014), Stalker (2014-2015), LA to Vegas (2018), and The Politician (2019), he has had many recognized roles as a film actor. In 1990, he starred in the sci-fi Hardware, then had a lead role in Where Sleeping Dogs Lie (1991) with Sharon Stone, In the Line of Fire (1993) with Clint Eastwood and Rene Russo, and Three to Tango (1999) alongside Matthew Perry. Dylan also starred in Texas Rangers (2001) with Ashton Kutcher, Rachael Leigh Cook, and James Van Der Beek, and Wonderland (2003) with Kate Bosworth and Lisa Kudrow. In 2013, Dylan McDermott had a lead role of Forbes in Olympus Has Fallen alongside Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman, and another prominent role of Don in The Clovehitch Killer (2018).

Born Name

Mark Anthony McDermott

Nick Name

Dylan, Tony

Sun Sign

Scorpio

Born Place

Waterbury, Connecticut, United States

Residence

New York City, New York, United States

Nationality

Education

He attended Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, Connecticut, United States, and graduated in 1979. Dylan then enrolled at Fordham University in New York City, New York, United States, and majored in drama.

Later on, he studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City as well, under the tutelage of a well-known acting teacher, Sanford Meisner.

Occupation

Actor, Director, Screenwriter

Family

• Father – Richard McDermott (Saloon Bar Owner)
• Mother – Diane McDermott (d. 1967), Eve Ensler (Adoptive) (Playwright)
• Siblings – Robin née McDermott Lynne (Younger Sister)
• Others – Avis née Rogers Marino (Maternal Grandmother), Peter Marino (Maternal Grandfather), Jasper Samuel Rogers (Maternal Grand-Grandfather), Hortense (Tensy) M. Higgins (Maternal Grand-Grandmother)

Manager

Dylan McDermott is represented by –

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA) (Talent Agent) in Los Angeles, California, United States
• Industry Entertainment (Manager) in Los Angeles, California, United States
• Arcieri & Associates (Talent Agent Voice & Commercial) in New York, New York, United States
• Special Artists Agency (Talent Agent Commercial) in West Hollywood, California, United States
• Imprint PR (Publicist) in Los Angeles, California, United States
• Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller (Legal Representative) in Beverly Hills, California, United States
• Full Empire Promotions (Talent Agent Personal Appearance) in Croydon, Pennsylvania, United States

Genre

Traditional

Instruments

Vocals

Build

Athletic

Height

6 ft or 183 cm

Weight

80 kg or 176.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Dylan McDermott has dated –

1. Julia Roberts (1988-1989) – He met Julia Roberts, a well-known American actress, in 1988 after they co-starred in the movie Steel Magnolias (1989). They were even briefly engaged before calling it quits at the end of 1989.
2. Melissa Gilbert (1992) – Dylan dated American actress Melissa Gilbert in 1992, but their relationship was short-lived, as it lasted for a period of less than a year.
3. Shiva Rose (1994-2009) – One of his most prominent relationships was with Shiva, a TV personality. Dylan met Shiva at the same exact day he found out he was cast in the film In the Line of Fire (1993). They got together in 1994 and got married on November 19, 1995. Their 1st daughter, Colette Rose McDermott, was born on May 13, 1996. Her birth was featured in The V*gina Monologues, a play Dylan’s adoptive mother, Eve Ensler, wrote. Their 2nd daughter, Charlotte Rose McDermott, was born on September 8, 2005. On September 27, 2007, it was confirmed by People magazine that the pair separated. On May 16, 2008, it became known that Dylan filed for divorce, and his divorce from Shiva was finalized on January 2, 2009.
4. Shasi Wells (2008-2014) – He was in a long-term relationship of 6 years with Shasi, a lesser-known actress and model. They went their separate ways in May 2014.
5. Maggie Q (2014-2019) – Dylan met Maggie at the set of Stalkers TV series they filmed together in early 2014, and they were later seen shopping together multiple times. They announced their engagement on January 14, 2015, after they appeared together at the red carpet event for the Golden Globe Awards. Both Dylan and Maggie admitted that they’re not in a hurry to get married in numerous interviews. In February 2019, it was announced that the pair broke off their 4-year long engagement.

Race / Ethnicity

White

He is of Irish descent on his paternal side, and Italian, French, Irish, and English descent on his maternal side.

Hair Color

Dark Brown

Eye Color

Light Blue

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Medium-length messy haircut
• Stubble facial hair
• Defined facial features
• Half-sleeve tattoo on the right forearm

Brand Endorsements

• He did a voice-over for the Toyota Camry TV commercial in 1997.
• His adoptive mother, Eve, opened a safe house organization named V-Day in Congo and Kenya, Africa, and Dylan promoted its value of helping girls and women affected by violence while starring in interviews and traveling.

Religion

Roman Catholicism

Best Known For

• Playing a character of Al D’Andrea in In the Line of Fire (1993)
• Starring as Bobby Donnell in the TV series The Practice from 1997 to 2004
• Having a smaller role of the father in The Perks of Being a Wallflower in 2012
• Starring as Forbes in Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
• Playing a character of Duncan Carlisle in TV series Hostages (2013-2014), and Jack Larsen in Stalker (2014-2015)
• Having a prominent role of Dr. Ben Harmon and Johnny Morgan in American Horror Story TV series from 2011 to 2018

As a Singer

Dylan made his first appearance as a music performer with a song Wouldn’t It Be Nice in an episode titled Heart Like a Wheelchair of the TV series Will & Grace in 2003. 15 years passed before his 2nd performance with a song titled Two Princes from an episode Things to Do in Vegas When You’re Grounded of the LA to Vegas TV series in 2018, where he starred as the character Captain Dave.

First Film

Dylan McDermott made his first theatrical film appearance as Sargeant Adam Frantz in an action-drama movie Hamburger Hill in 1987.

First TV Show

Dylan McDermott made his first TV show appearance as himself in an episode titled Broadway’s Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre of the documentary series American Masters in 1989.

Personal Trainer

Dylan likes to keep things interesting when it comes to his workouts. Besides doing the usual gym workouts, he likes to practice boxing as a form of HIIT training.

For cardio, Dylan often goes hiking and walking through nature with his dogs as both a pleasurable activity and means of staying in shape.

Dylan McDermott Favorite Things

• Activity – Traveling, Riding Horses, Walking His Dogs
• Hobby – Landscape Photography
• Sport – Baseball
• Baseball Club – New York Mets
• TV Show – I Dream of Jeannie (1965)
• Restaurant – Daichan in Studio City, Los Angeles
• Acting Role Models – Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart, Robert De Niro
• Glasses – Salt McKean 59mm Aviator Sunglasses
• Music Genre – Rock
• Rock Bands – Whitesnake, Foghat, KISS, Kansas, Poison
• Song – Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison
• Personal Quote – “My theory about actors is we’re all walking milk cartons. Expirations dates everywhere.”

Source – Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, NY Mag, IMDb

Dylan McDermott Facts

1. His father was 17 while his mother was 15 when Dylan was born. Richard, his father, used to hustle pool to earn enough money to provide for his family, but they separated while Dylan was still very young.
2. When he was 5 years old, his mother Diane was shot and killed by her live-in boyfriend John Sponza. Initially, it was ruled a suicide or accidental shooting, as John first claimed she shot herself in the head. He later claimed he was cleaning his gun and it fired, hitting Diane. After police re-opened the case in 2012, it was proven by forensics that it would be impossible for the shooting to be accidental, but John was already long-deceased – killed back in 1972 due to his ties to organized crime.
3. Dylan and his sister, Robin McDermott, were taken in by their maternal grandmother, Avis Marino, but they kept a close relationship with their father. He used to work in the bar his father owned, West Fourth Street Saloon in Greenwich Village, New York, serving drinks and helping break up the fights that occurred.
4. Growing up, he wasn’t comfortable in his own skin but tried to imitate the behavior of his favorite actors, Marlon Brando and Humphrey Bogart, in order to gain confidence.
5. His father’s 3rd wife, Eve Ensler, adopted Dylan when he was 15, and she was 23. Even though she later divorced Richard, he stayed in a very close-knit relationship and thanked her for pushing him to pursue an acting career by going to Fordham University and majoring in drama.
6. He was born Mark Anthony McDermott, but when he was about to receive an award for his acting skills, he found out there already existed an actor named Mark McDermott. He used the name Dylan, in honor of the name his adoptive mother, Eve, wanted to give to her unborn son, but suffered a miscarriage.
7. Dylan is very passionate about photography and opened his 1st photography exhibition in May 2013 at Avenue Art Gallery in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was titled THE DYLAN PROJECT, MAKE SOME NOISE, and was launched in collaboration with V-Day Organization that his adoptive mother leads.
8. In 2012, Dylan McDermott played the Logan Lerman‘s father in the drama The Perks of Being a Wallflower alongside Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd, Nina Dobrev, Mae Whitman, and Kate Walsh.
9. Dylan was an alcoholic in the past, but has successfully recovered and has been sober since the early 1990s.
10. He was a finalist in the “Man of the Year” issue by GQ magazine in 1999.
11. In 1995, Dylan was named one of the “100 Sexiest Stars in Film History” by Empire magazine.
12. In 1998, he was deemed one of the “50 Most Beautiful People” in the World by People magazine.
13. He’s a huge lover of rock music and has hosted 100 Greatest Songs of Rock and Roll on VH1 channel in 2000.
14. Dylan is a huge dog lover and has a terrier named Otis who has his own Instagram account.
15. His daughter, Colette McDermott, graduated from Barnard College in May 2018.
16. His co-stars in American Horror Story TV series (2011) were Connie Britton, Taissa Farmiga, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, Denis O’Hare, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Ben Woolf, and Christine Estabrook. In the 2nd season, Zachary Quinto, Chloe Sevigny, and Sarah Paulson joined the cast.
17. He was often mistaken for Dermot Mulroney, another well-known actor, but embraced it, and often played it off as a joke.
18. Dylan auditioned for the role of Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride (1987) starring Cary Elwes, André the Giant, and Robin Wright. The role ultimately went to Mandy Patinkin.
19. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Featured Image by Dylan McDermott / Instagram