Thomas Griffin Dunne (; born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, director, and producer. Known for his performances on film and television, he has received nominations for an Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Primetime Emmy Award.
Dunne is the oldest child of journalist Dominick Dunne and activist Ellen Beatriz and studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. He made his film-acting debut in The Other Side of the Mountain (1975). He portrayed Jack Goodman in the John Landis comedy horror film An American Werewolf in London (1981) and Paul Hackett in Martin Scorsese's black comedy After Hours (1985), for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He also acted in supporting roles in My Girl (1991), Straight Talk (1992), Quiz Show (1994), Dallas Buyers Club (2013), The French Dispatch (2021), and Caught Stealing (2025).
As a filmmaker, he made his directorial debut with the short Duke of Groove (1995), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. He made his feature-length directorial debut with Addicted to Love (1997) followed by Practical Magic (1998) and The Accidental Husband (2008). He also directed the Netflix documentary Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017). On television, he guest-starred on Frasier for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He also took guest roles in House of Lies (2013–2014), I Love Dick (2016–2017), This Is Us (2018–2022), Goliath (2019–2021), and Only Murders in the Building (2024).
Early life Thomas Griffin Dunne was born on June 8, 1955, in New York City. He is the oldest child of Ellen Beatriz (née Griffin) and Dominick Dunne. His father was born and raised in an Irish Catholic family, while his maternal grandfather was Irish-American and his maternal grandmother was from Sonora, Mexico. He is the older brother of Alexander and Dominique Dunne. His mother founded the victims' rights organization Justice for Homicide Victims after Dominique's murder in 1982. His father was a journalist, producer, writer, and actor. He is also a nephew of writers John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion. Raised in Los Angeles, Dunne attended the Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts, and Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, where he developed an interest in acting, appearing in many school plays. He was scheduled to perform in a school production of Othello, when on the eve of a performance, a teacher found him smoking marijuana. Dunne was subsequently expelled and moved back to New York City to pursue his acting interests. He studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre under Sanford Meisner.
Career
Acting Dunne began his professional acting career at age 19 with a small, supporting role in The Other Side of the Mountain in 1975. He has since appeared on both film and television, starring in An American Werewolf in London (1981) as Jack Goodman, Johnny Dangerously (1984) as Tommy Kelly, After Hours (1985) as Paul Hackett, Who's That Girl (1987) as Loudon Trott opposite Madonna, My Girl (1991) as Jake Bixler, Quiz Show (1994) as the Geritol Account Executive, Game 6 (2005) as Elliott Litvak, and I Like It Like That (1994) as Stephen Price. Dunne also played Dr. Vass, opposite Matthew McConaughey, in the Oscar-winning 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club.
Dunne's television appearances include Frasier (pilot episode "The Good Son" as caller Russell, and in season three, episode 11 "The Friend" as Bob), Saturday Night Live, Alias, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (episodes "Jones", "Country Crossover", and "Players"). He portrayed Tony Mink in the comedy Trust Me on TNT. In 2012, Dunne guest-starred as management consultant Marco Pelios in seven episodes of the premiere season of the Showtime TV series House of Lies.
In 2018, he joined the cast of This is Us, in which he starred as Nicky Pearson, Jack Pearson's brother, until the series concluded in 2022.
Producing Dunne's first experience as a producer was the successful 1982 film Chilly Scenes of Winter, an adaptation of the 1976 novel of the same name by Ann Beattie. Dunne and his co-producers, Amy Robinson and Mark Metcalf, had formed their production company, Triple Play Productions, in the late 1970s and optioned Beattie's book after agreeing to her stipulation that she be given a role. The film had a less-than-successful short run in theaters when it was released three years earlier with a "happy" ending and an alternate title, at the insistence of the distributor, United Artists. The trio persevered to have the film re-released with a more realistic ending and the same title as the book, which proved more successful. Dunne had a small part in the film, as Dr. Mark, a medical student. After Mark Metcalf left the company, Dunne and Robinson continued as producing partners. Their company, now called Double Play Productions, produced several films, including Baby It's You, After Hours, Running on Empty, and Game 6. In 1986, the company had signed an agreement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for a two-year production agreement.
Directing Dunne's directorial debut was the 1995 short film Duke of Groove. For it, Dunne received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film, along with producer Thom Colwell.
Since then, he has directed five feature films, including Addicted to Love (1997) and Practical Magic (1998). He also directed one segment of the 2013 anthology sex comedy film Movie 43, which later earned him a Razzie. Dunne produced and directed Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017), a documentary about his aunt, author Joan Didion, whom Dunne interviews and with whom he appears on screen.
Writing Dunne has written articles for The New York Times Travel section, Details magazine, and Porter magazine, and has a Kindle Single collection of short stories on Amazon called "Air Guitar". His NYT best-selling family memoir, The Friday Afternoon Club, was released on June 11, 2024.
Personal life Dunne was married to American actress Carey Lowell from 1989 to 1995. They had one daughter together, actress Hannah Dunne.Westarp, Elaine (April 12, 1990). "Producer leaves town with babe". The News and Observer. p. 1E – via Newspapers.com. "Hannah Beatriz Dunne, 8 pounds, 12 ounces made her Carolina debut at 3:17 a.m. Sunday at Rex Hospital."
He was married to Anna Bingemann, an Australian stylist, from 2009 to 2010.
Filmography Film Year TitleDirectorProducerNotes1979Chilly Scenes of Winter 1983Baby It's You 1985After Hours 1988Running on Empty1990White Palace 1991Once Around 1996Duke of GrooveShort film1997Addicted to Love1998Practical Magic2000Lisa Picard Is Famous2005Fierce PeopleGame 6 2006Your Product HereShort film 2008The Accidental Husband 2013Movie 43Segment: "Veronica" 2017Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold Documentary film 2021With/In: Volume 2Segment: "One Night Stand"
Executive producer Joe's Apartment (1996) Ex-Husbands (2023)
Acting roles Year TitleRoleNotes1975The Other Side of the MountainHerbie Johnson1979Chilly Scenes of WinterDr. Mark1981An American Werewolf in LondonJack GoodmanThe FanProduction Assistant 1983Baby It's YouCold FeetTom Christo 1984Johnny DangerouslyTommy Kelly1985After HoursPaul HackettAlmost YouAlex Boyer1987Amazon Women on the MoonDoctorSegment: "Hospital"Who's That GirlLoudon Trott1988The Big BlueDuffyMe and HimBert1991My GirlMr. Jake BixlerOnce AroundRob1992Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get EvenDavidStraight TalkAlan Riegert1993Naked in New YorkAuditionerThe PicklePlanet Cleveland ManUncredited1994I Like It Like ThatStephen PriceQuiz ShowGeritol Account Executive1995Search and DestroyMartin Mirkheim2000Lisa Picard Is FamousAndrew2001PiñeroAgentSam the ManMan in Bathroom200240 Days and 40 NightsJerry AndersonCheatsMr. Davis2003Stuck on YouHimself 2005Game 6Elliott Litvak 2006BondageDr. Simon2007Snow AngelsDon Parkinson 2008The Great Buck HowardJonathan Finerman2009ShrinkUncredited2010Last NightTruman2012The DiscoverersLewis Birch2013Broken CitySam LancasterBlood TiesMcNallyDallas Buyers ClubDr. Vass2014Rob the MobDave LovellFugly!Jefferey2015Touched with Fire GeorgeTumbledownUptonConsumedPeter 2016My Dead BoyfriendJoey Lucas / Nick McCrawley 2017War MachineRay Canucci2018Ocean's 8Parole Board OfficerSongbirdJoanne's Dad2019Bittersweet SymphonyGriffin2021With/In: Volume 2Segment: "One Night Stand"The French DispatchLegal Advisor2023Ex-HusbandsPeter Pearce2024JunctionLawrence2025Caught StealingPaul
Television Director YearTitleEpisode(s)2010The Good Wife "Ham Sandwich" "Battle of the Proxies" "A Material World" 2014 Red Band Society "Know Thyself"
Actor YearTitleRoleNotes1986Amazing StoriesDickEpisode: "Secret Cinema"Alfred Hitchcock PresentsKnollEpisode: "The Jar"Saturday Night LiveFrankie ToussaintEpisode: "William Shatner/Lone Justice"; uncredited1989Trying TimesDavidEpisode: "Hunger Chic"1990Secret WeaponMordechai VanunuTelevision film1992ScreenplayMichael TyneEpisode: "Buying a Landslide"1993Hotel RoomRobertEpisode: "Getting Rid of Robert"L.A. LawGerard SamuelsEpisode: "F.O.B."FrasierRussell (voice)Episode: "The Good Son"PartnersDean RobinsonTelevision film1995The Android AffairTeach / William1996FrasierBob ReynoldsEpisode: "The Friend"2001BlondeThe Playwright2 episodesLaw & Order: Criminal IntentHenry TalbottEpisode: "Jones"2002Warning: Parental AdvisoryFrank ZappaTelevision filmA Nero Wolfe MysteryNicolas Losseff2 episodesWhat Leonard Comes Home ToLeonardTelevision short2004AliasLeonid Lisenker2 episodes20063 lbsDr. Jerry Cole2006–07Law & Order: Criminal IntentSeamus Flaherty2009Trust MeTony Mink13 episodesLeverageMarcus StarkeEpisode: "The Two Live Crew Job"2010How to Make It in AmericaFresconiEpisode: "Crisp"White CollarWesley KentEpisode: "Company Man"The Good WifeJudge Jared QuinnEpisode: "Cleaning House"2011DamagesDean Gullickson3 episodes2012–14House of LiesMarco Pelios8 episodes2013GirlsThomas - John's FatherEpisode: "It's a Shame About Ray"The LeagueBurtEpisode: "The Von Nowzick Wedding"2014Red Band SocietyRuben Garcia3 episodes2015ManhattanWoodrow Lorentzen4 episodes2015–16Sex & Drugs & Rock & RollMusic Therapist2 episodes2016Law & Order: Special Victims UnitBenno GilbertEpisode: "Fashionable Crimes"2016–17I Love DickSylvère8 episodes2018ImpostersHerman2 episodesSuccessionDr. Alon ParfitEpisode: "Austerlitz"The RomanoffsFrank SheffliedEpisode: "Panorama"2018–22This Is UsNicky Pearson28 episodes2019Better ThingsDurhamEpisode: "The Unknown"2019–21GoliathGene Bennett7 episodes2021Search PartyRichard Wreck2 episodesThe L Word: Generation QIsaac Zakarian2 episodes2023BillionsGeorge Pike IV a.k.a. FourthEpisode: "The Owl"The Girls on the BusBruce TurnerRecurring roleOnly Murders in the BuildingProf. Dudenoff2 episodesThe SimpsonsCockroach Actor (voice)Episode: "Desperately Seeking Lisa"2026ElsbethElliott PopeEpisode "Murder, He Wrote"TBAMyron BolitarAlan BolitarRecurring role, upcoming series
Video game Year Title Voice Notes 1996 You Don't Know Jack Volume 2 Himself Gave a trivia question while driving on the freeway
Awards and nominations Year Title Association Category Result 1986After HoursGolden Globe AwardBest Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical1986Independent Spirit AwardBest Feature (shared with Robert F. Colesberry & Amy Robinson)1994Love MattersCableACE AwardActor in a Movie or Miniseries1996Duke of GrooveAcademy AwardBest Short Film – Live Action (shared with Thom Colwell)1996FrasierPrimetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series2000Lisa Picard Is FamousCannes Film FestivalUn Certain Regard Award2000Deep Ellum Film FestivalPioneer Filmmaker Award2013The DiscoverersSarasota Film FestivalAchievement in Acting2013Sedona International Film FestivalOutstanding Actor2014Movie 43Golden Raspberry AwardWorst Director
References
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