Phillip P. Keene (born September 5, 1966) is an American actor. He is mostly known for playing Buzz Watson on the TV series The Closer and its spinoff, Major Crimes. He is fluent in Spanish and German.
Early life and education Keene was born in Los Angeles, California. He worked from an early age and between 1987 and 1991 was a flight attendant for Pan American World Airways. Keene later studied history and art history at the University of California. He also has a pilot's license.
Career Keene made his feature film debut in Role of a Lifetime (2002). Two years later, in 2004, he "received his first acting role in a small part on The D.A.." The show was an ABC legal drama television series.
From 2005 to 2012, Keene became known for portraying Buzz Watson, the LAPD civilian surveillance coordinator, in the TNT Series The Closer, an American police procedural television series co‑created by James Duff. In 2008, during the run of The Closer, he appeared in the short film The Truth Is Underrated, directed by Stacey K. Black.
Between 2012 and 2018, Keene continued his role as Buzz Watson in Major Crimes, a TNT Series spin‑off of The Closer. The series ran for six seasons with 105 episodes and ended in January 2018. He also took part in the 2013 feature film I Am Death. In 2018, Keene "returned to the big screen as the male lead of the anticipated MarVista Entertainment thriller Deadly Shores, opposite Carly Schroeder."
In 2019, Keene appeared in the thriller Her Secret Family Killer, directed by Lisa France. Subsequently, in 2025, Keene played Paul Anderson, Clara's father and the newly‑appointed American ambassador to the United Kingdom, in Sherlock & Daughter, an American mystery television series created by Brendan Foley and based on the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with James Duff as showrunner.
Personal life Keene is married to James Duff, creator of The Closer and Major Crimes, his partner since 1993."A Chat with Out Actor Phillip P. Keene of The Closer" . Los Angeles Daily News blog; interviewed by Greg Hernandez. October 22, 2008.
Filmography Year Film Role Notes2002Role of a LifetimeBartenderFilm2004The D.A.Reporter #2Episode: The People vs. Sergius Kovinsky2005–2012The CloserBuzz WatsonRecurring role: seasons 1-3Main role: seasons 4-7109 episodes2008The Truth Is UnderratedJonahShort Film2012–2018Major CrimesBuzz WatsonMain role, 105 episodes2013I Am DeathGreg MeyersFeature film2018Deadly ShoresRobert PalmerMain role - Lifetime Movie2019Her Secret Family KillerCliffThriller film2025Sherlock & DaughterPaul AndersonRecurring
Nominations Year Award Category Title of work Result 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series The Closer 2009 2010
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