Peter Horton (born August 20, 1953) is an American actor and director. He played Professor Gary Shepherd on the television series Thirtysomething from 1987 until 1991.

Life Horton was born in Bellevue, Washington, to a father who worked in the shipping business. He attended Redwood High School in Marin County, California, and Principia College in Illinois. He later attended University of California, Santa Barbara, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition.

During his run on Thirtysomething, People magazine named him one of the "50 Most Beautiful People." Horton acted in television shows including St. Elsewhere, The White Shadow, Dallas, Eight Is Enough, In Treatment and The Geena Davis Show, played the lead in the short-lived series Brimstone, and played Crane McFadden in the one-season series (1982–1983) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. He played Jacob in the 1982 feature film Split Image, Father Mahoney in the 1986 feature film Where the River Runs Black, Roy Fox in the 1996 film Two Days in the Valley, and played Burt in the 1984 Stephen King movie Children of the Corn. He had a minor role in Cameron Crowe's Seattle romantic comedy, Singles. He played Harry Landers in the "Hospital" skit from Amazon Women on the Moon opposite wife Michelle Pfeiffer, whom he had previously directed in the ABC Afterschool Special One Too Many in 1985. Horton also appeared in the 1997 TV movie version of the Jon Krakauer book Into Thin Air: Death on Everest, playing Scott Fischer, the leader of the disastrous 1996 climb on Mount Everest. He was also in the movie Sideout (1990) as Zach Barnes, a down-and-out ex-volleyball champ. As a director he has worked on several television series including The Shield, Thirtysomething, The Wonder Years, Once and Again, and directed the pilot for Grey's Anatomy as well as pilots for Class of '96, Birdland, Dirty Sexy Money, The Philanthropist and Reconstruction. He directed the 1990 film for television Extreme Close-Up as well as the 1995 feature film The Cure. As a producer, he produced Reconstruction (which he co-created), Lone Star, The Philanthropist, The Body Politic (which he also co-created), Grey's Anatomy, Six Degrees and Murder Live (for which he wrote the story).

He appeared in Who Killed the Electric Car? and is on the board of directors of the Environmental Alliance.

As of 2010, Horton is an executive producer and director of Grey's Anatomy on ABC, and produced and directed NBC's The Philanthropist. In 2015, he signed a deal with Universal TV. His production company is Pico Creek Productions. Horton co-created the 2015 series American Odyssey.

In the late 1970s, Horton dated actress Valerie Harper.Actress Valerie Harper and actor Peter Horton attend the Seventh Annual American Film Institute (AFI) Lifetime Achievement Award Salute to Alfred Hitchcock on March 7, 1979 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.. Getty Images Horton has been married twice. His first marriage was to Michelle Pfeiffer, whom he met in Milton Katselas's acting class.D. Thompson, Pfeiffer: Beyond the Age of Innocence, London, Warner Books, 1995, p. 45. The couple married in 1981. Of their relationship, Pfeiffer reflected, "I broke one of my own Ten Commandments never to date an actor, especially one you study with. Then I married one!"Thompson, Pfeiffer, p. 47. The couple divorced in 1988. The divorce was amicable, with Horton saying both his and Pfeiffer's devotion to their careers affected the marriage.Thompson, Pfeiffer, pp. 92-3.

Filmography Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1980SerialCult Member 41980Fade to BlackJoey1982Split ImageJacob1984Children of the CornBurt1986Where the River Runs BlackFather Mahoney1987Amazon Women on the MoonHarry Landers1990Side OutZack Barnes1992SinglesJamie1995The Baby-Sitters ClubPatrick19962 Days in the ValleyRoy Foxx1997The End of ViolenceBrian1998T-Rex: Back to the CretaceousDr. Donald Hayden2004The Dust FactoryLionel2005Happy EndingsTed the UrologistUncredited2005The Naked Brothers Band: The MoviePeter Horton2018FamilyCharlie

Television YearTitleRoleNotes1979The White ShadowRaymond CollinsEpisode: "One of the Boys"1979KazRonEpisode: "Trouble on the South Side"1979DallasWayne2 episodes1979The RunawaysSam BarnardEpisode: "Throwaway Child"1979She's Dressed to KillTony SmithTelevision film1979Eight Is EnoughMarty / Eric2 episodes1981Miracle on IceJack O'CallahanTelevision film1981FreedomBill1981Flamingo RoadScottEpisode: "The Victim"1982–1983Seven Brides for Seven BrothersCrane McFadden22 episodes1983St. ElsewhereBarry DornEpisode: "Lust Et Veritas"1983Choices of the HeartDougTelevision film1983Sawyer and FinnTom Sawyer1987–1991ThirtysomethingGary Shepherd85 episodes1993Class of '96Professor HartmanEpisode: "Pilot"1994Children of the DarkJim HarrisonTelevision film1994The GiftJoe1996Death BenefitSteven Keeney1996Crazy HorseGeorge Armstrong Custer1997Murder Live!Lt. Clay Maloney1997GunJack KeyesEpisode: "Columbus Day"1997Into Thin Air: Death on EverestScott FischerTelevision film1998From the Earth to the MoonDocumentary DirectorEpisode: "We Have Cleared the Tower"1998–1999BrimstoneEzekiel Stone13 episodes2000–2001The Geena Davis ShowMax Ryan22 episodes2003Karen SiscoRay NicoletteEpisode: "The One That Got Away"2003ThoughtcrimesDr. Michael WellesTelevision film2003, 2004Line of FireNick Brustin2 episodes2004While I Was GoneEli MayhewTelevision film2004LAXAlexEpisode: "Abduction"2007Six DegreesGuy at Lunar EclipseEpisode: "A Simple Twist of Fate"2007Brothers & SistersWarren SalterEpisode: "Unaired Pilot"2008In TreatmentZackEpisode: "Sophie: Week Nine"2010Life UnexpectedGrant CassidyEpisode: "Father Unfigured"2012CSI: NYCade ConoverEpisode: "2,918 Miles"2018New AmsterdamCardiologistEpisode: "Pilot"

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