Lee Allen Tergesen (; born July 8, 1965) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayals of Chett Donnelly on USA Network's Weird Science (1994–1998), Tobias Beecher on HBO's Oz (1997–2003), Peter McMillan on the second season of Desperate Housewives (2006), and Evan Wright in the 2008 miniseries Generation Kill. Tergesen's film credits include Point Break (1991), Wayne's World (1992), Wayne's World 2 (1993), Shaft (2000), Monster (2003), The Forgotten (2004), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006), Red Tails (2012), and The Collection (2012).
Early life, family and education Lee Allen Tergesen was born in Ivoryton, Connecticut and graduated from Valley Regional High School in nearby Deep River.
He moved to New York City to become an actor. He graduated from the two-year program at American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in Manhattan.
Career From 1986 to 1989, he worked at the Empire Diner. "I wasn't a great waiter. I was funny, but I gave a lot of attitude", he told Rosie magazine in March 2002. He added: "The place is like a vortex for me". He met Tom Fontana, the future creator of Oz, at the diner.
He performed on stage during this time. "I was doing plays all the time, but there's no money in it", Tergesen said in a 1995 Los Angeles Times article. "After graduation, I thought I'd be making a living at it." He went to Los Angeles to help Fontana move into his house. While dining at a restaurant on the day after arriving in LA, a casting director and friend of Fontana's asked Tergesen if he was an actor. "He told me there was a part in this movie and at that time, I couldn't imagine what it could be," Tergesen told the L.A. Times. The movie turned out to be Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. "It was the beginning of me never having to do anything else but act", he told LT.com in 1990.
Tergesen landed a bit role in the 1991 pilot Acting Sheriff which aired during primetime. He then appeared in Wayne's World (1992) and Wayne's World 2 (1993), in the 1994 series Weird Science as Chester "Chett" Donnelly, and had a recurring role in the first season of Homicide: Life on the Street.
He portrayed Tobias Beecher on HBO's Oz in 1997, a critically acclaimed role he played until the series ended in 2003. His film credits include Shaft, Monster, The Forgotten, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Cast A Deadly Spell and Wild Iris. He has made several appearances in TV shows such as ER, Rescue Me, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Criminal Minds, The 4400, House, Law & Order and two of its spin-offs, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He played a murderous Navy SEAL, Andrew Larrick, in Season 2 of The Americans on the FX television network.
He played an Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor in the second season of Desperate Housewives, becoming romantically involved with Bree Van de Kamp. He appeared in the USA Network series Royal Pains and in Seasons 4–5 of the Lifetime series Army Wives. He played Evan Wright in the HBO mini-series Generation Kill.Lee Tergesen, Generation Kill, leetergesen.com; accessed September 28, 2016.
He has appeared on stage in the Off-Broadway productions of Long Lost (2019) by Donald Margulies and Rapture, Blister, Burn in 2012 at Playwrights Horizons, among others.
Personal life Tergesen is married to Yuko Otomo. They have a daughter.
Awards and nominations
Year Association Category Nominated work Result1997Online Film & Television AssociationBest Drama SeriesHomicide: Life on the Street1998Online Film & Television AssociationBest Ensemble in a Cable SeriesOz2002Bordeaux International Festival of Women in CinemaGolden Wave for Best ActorBark!2007Online Film & Television AssociationBest Ensemble of a Motion Picture or MiniseriesBury My Heart at Wounded Knee2008Online Film & Television AssociationBest Ensemble of a Motion Picture or MiniseriesGeneration Kill2017Best Shorts CompetitionAward of Excellence for Actor SupportingNorman Pinksi Come Home2017IndieFEST Film AwardsAward of Merit for Supporting ActorNorman Pinski Come Home
Filmography Film
Year Title Role Notes1987Mind Benders"Crash" Hopkins1991Point Break"Rosie"Session ManNealShort1992Wayne's WorldTerry1993Wayne's World 2Terry1997George B.Frank1999InfernoLuke2000ShaftDetective Luger2001Ben Thorpe (age 33)Mergers & AcquisitionsIsaac2002Bark!Peter2003MonsterVincent Corey2004Al Petalis2005Extreme DatingHack2006Holden2008PineappleBruce2010Helena from the WeddingAlex Javal2011Silver TonguesGerry2ND TakeBobby2012Red TailsColonel Jack TomlinsonNo One LivesHoagLucello2014Desert CathedralPeter Collins2015TookenBryan Millers2016EquityRandall2017Jim MurphyNorman Pinski Come HomeDr. VanderwalShort
Television
Year Title Role Notes1990Law & OrderClemensEpisode: "Prescription for Death"1991The Killing MindRon DonohoTV filmActing SheriffRobbieUnsold TV pilotCast a Deadly SpellLarry Willis / Lilly SirwarTV film1993–1997Homicide: Life on the StreetChris ThormannRecurring role (seasons 1, 3, 5)1994Up All NightChett DonnellyEpisode: "Zapped Again!/H.O.T.S."Philly HeatIvan LokiTV series1994–1998Weird ScienceChester "Chett" DonnellyMain role1995JAGGunnery Sergeant GentryEpisode: "Brig Break"1996Hudson StreetLarry FetchkoEpisode: "In the Line of Duty"DuckmanChester "Chett" Donnelly (voice)Episode: "Color of Naught"1997Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV ShowCarterEpisode: "Honey, the House Is Trying to Kill Us"CrackerDan GreenEpisode: "Sons and Lovers"1997–2003OzTobias BeecherRecurring role (season 1), main (seasons 2–6)1998Touched by an AngelBlake ChapmanEpisode: "Lady of the Lake"1999Saturday Night LiveTobias BeecherEpisode: "Jerry Seinfeld/David Bowie"2000Steve DoriganRecurring role2001Wild IrisLud Van EppyTV filmShot in the HeartFrank Gilmore Jr.TV film2002Third WatchJared McKinleyEpisode: "Sex, Lies & Videotape"HackCarl GinleyEpisode: "Pilot"ERDemerol Junkie / Mr MullinsEpisode: "Insurrection"2003Queens SupremeTommy RyanEpisode: "One Angry Man"Law & Order: Criminal IntentKeith RamseyEpisode: "Baggage"2004Randall ElliotTV filmOliver KnoxEpisode: "Becoming"2005Walter RhodesTV filmCSI: Crime Scene InvestigationMartin HawkinsEpisode: "Compulsion"Rescue Me"Sully" Sullivan Episodes: "Voicemail", "Harmony", "Balls"Law & OrderAttorney HellerEpisode: "Ghosts"WantedEddie DrakeMain role2006Desperate HousewivesPeter McMillanGuest role (season 2 & Season 7-ep 17)Alex DeckardEpisode: "Extreme Rendition"Southern Comfort"Blue"TV film2007Masters of HorrorLayneEpisode: "We All Scream for Ice Cream"Law & Order: Criminal IntentJosh LemleEpisode: "30"Bury My Heart at Wounded KneeDaniel RoyerTV filmCaneLamont SamuelsEpisode: "Pilot"A.M.P.E.D.Brian SpicerTV film2008Generation KillEvan 'Scribe' WrightTV miniseriesLife on MarsLee CrockerEpisodes: "The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler", "The Man Who Sold the World"2009CupidClintEpisode: "The Great Right Hope"Todd WatskiEpisodes: "Notes on a 7th Grade Scandal", "The Old Maid of Honor"Detective Nick CareyEpisode: "Products of Discovery"Royal PainsZack KingsleyEpisode: "The Honeymoon's Over"HouseRoyEpisode: "Instant Karma"Criminal MindsDale ShraderEpisode: "Retaliation"2010Law & Order: Special Victims UnitBilly SkagsEpisode: "Savior"Lie to MeGordon CookEpisode: "Black and White"2010–2011Army WivesOfficer Clayton BooneRecurring role (seasons 4–5)2010, 2015CastleMarcus GatesEpisodes: "3XK", "Reckoning"2011Law & Order: LAPatrick DentonEpisode: "Big Rock Mesa"2012Paul CurtisEpisode: "In Case of Letting Go"Russ LandryEpisodes: "Peaches", "Dr. Emmet Cole"KirbyRecurring role (season 3)2013Red WidowMike TomlinMain roleDrop Dead DivaSid PenarEpisode: "The Real Jane"CopperPhilomen KeatingEpisodes: "I Defy Thee to Forget", "A Morning Song"Person of InterestDetective PetersonEpisode: "The Crossing"2013–2014LongmireEd GorksiRecurring role (seasons 1–3)2014KurtEpisode: "Sacrifice"Andrew LarrickRecurring role (season 2)ForeverHans KoehlerEpisode: "Pilot"Frank HylandEpisodes: "Lord Baltimore", "Dr. Linus Creel"Hawaii Five-0Gordon BristolEpisode: "Ka No'eau"Alpha HouseColonel Eugene DrakeEpisodes: "The Contest", "Shelter in Place", "The Nuptials"American Horror Story: Freak ShowVinceEpisodes: "Bullseye", "Test of Strength", "Blood Bath"2015DefianceGeneral Rahm TakRecurring role (season 3)2016NCIS: New OrleansMike SparEpisode: "Father's Day"High MaintenanceLeoEpisode: "Museebat"TardiEpisodes: "First Born", "Gone But Not Forgotten", "The Battle of Central Park"ElementaryCray FielderEpisode: "Folie a Deux"BlindspotPatrick O'MalleyEpisode: "Condone Untidiest Thefts"2016–2017Inspector MoachEpisodes: "Seek Those Who Fan Your Flames", "Only from Exile Can We Come Home"OutcastBlake MorrowGuest role (seasons 1–2)PowerBailey MarkhamEpisodes: "In My Best Interest", "The Kind of Man You Are", "We're in This Together"2017DoubtMichael SlaterEpisode: "Pilot"2017–2018GoneMel FosterRecurring role2018Jack RyanStanleyEpisode: "Black 22"Joe OwensMain roleDaredevilPaxton Page2 episodes2019BullProsecutorEpisode: "Into the Mystic" (season 4)Watchmen"Mr. Shadow"Episode: "She Was Killed by Space Junk"2020The Plot Against AmericaAgent Don McCorkle2 Episodes2021Law & Order: Special Victims UnitErik GarrisonEpisode: "What Can Happen in the Dark"2022The EqualizerDeputy BarnesEpisode: "D.W.B"A Friend of the FamilyMr. HorstmanEpisode: "Son of Perdition"2024Blue Bloods QuinnEpisodes: "Loyalty", "Dropping Bombs", "Fear No Evil"Tracker Ashton Shaw, Colter's father2025FBIMarshal Brad KimbleEpisode: "Unearth"
References
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