Tate Buckley Donovan (born September 25, 1963) is an American actor, comedian and television director. He is known for portraying Tom Shayes in ''

Damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognised at ...

'', Jimmy Cooper in '' The O.C.'', and the voice of the

title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...

in the 1997 Disney animated film ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

'', the animated television series of the same name and in a few ''

Kingdom Hearts is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya Nomura, a longtime Square ...

'' video games. He starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the 1992 film, '' Love Potion No. 9''. He also had supporting roles in films, such as '' Good Night, and Good Luck'' and ''

Argo In Greek mythology the ''Argo'' (; in Greek: ) was a ship built with the help of the gods that Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece. The ship has gone on to be used as a motif in a variety of ...

''. Donovan also played Brian Sanders in '' Hostages'' and White House Chief of Staff Mark Boudreau in '' 24: Live Another Day''. He has been a guest star in a number of television series, notably ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Li ...

''. He was nominated for the

Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male was one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards. It was first presented in 1987, with Morgan Freeman being the first recipient, for his role as Fast Black in '' Street Smart''. It was last pres ...

for his performance in the film ''

Inside Monkey Zetterland ''Inside Monkey Zetterland'' is a 1992 independent film written by the former child actor Steve Antin. Plot A struggling former child actor and now-adult screenwriter, "Monkey" Zetterland is working on a historical screenplay based around the def ...

''. He has also worked as a producer of

30 for 30 ''30 for 30'' is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This includes three "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series un ...

''Shorts'', for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series.

Early life

Donovan was born on September 25, 1963, in

Tenafly, New Jersey Tenafly () is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 census the borough had a population of 15,409,

, to John Timothy Donovan, a

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

, and Eileen Frances (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' McAllister), both Roman Catholics of Irish descent. Donovan is the youngest of six children. He attended Dwight-Englewood School in

Englewood, New Jersey Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which at the 2020 United States census had a population of 29,308. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from po ...

, before transferring to Tenafly High School and attending the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

. He has appeared on television since his teenage years.

Career

Film

Donovan's earliest film roles included Kevin Donaldson in ''

SpaceCamp ''SpaceCamp'' is a 1986 American science fiction adventure film inspired by the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Directed by Harry Winer, story by Patrick Bailey and Larry B. Williams, screenplay by Clifford Green (as W. W. Wicket) and ...

'' (1986), a recovering drug addict in ''

Clean and Sober ''Clean and Sober'' is a 1988 American drama film directed by Glenn Gordon Caron and starring Michael Keaton as a real estate agent struggling with a substance abuse problem. This film served as Keaton's first dramatic departure from comedies. The ...

'' (1988), 1st Lieutenant Luke Sinclair in '' Memphis Belle'' (1990) and Paul Matthews in '' Love Potion No. 9'' (1992). Donovan voiced the title character in the Disney animated film ''

'' (1997). Donovan played Jesse Zousmer in the Best Picture nominated film '' Good Night, and Good Luck'' (2005). In 2007, Donovan starred in the film ''

Nancy Drew Nancy Drew is a fictional character appearing in several mystery book series, movies, and a TV show as a teenage amateur sleuth. The books are ghostwritten by a number of authors and published under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Cre ...

'' alongside

Emma Roberts Emma Rose Roberts (born February 10, 1991 Additional on October 9, 2016) is an American actress. Known for her work in film and television projects of the horror and thriller genres, she has received various accolades, including a Young Arti ...

. Later, he played Bob Anders, one of the key supporting roles in the Oscar-winning film ''

'' (2012). In 2019, Donovan portrayed the role of Doug Weston in '' Rocketman''.

Television

Donovan portrayed Joshua, the love interest of

Rachel Green Rachel Karen Green is a fictional character, one of the six main characters who appeared in the American sitcom ''Friends''. Portrayed by Jennifer Aniston, the character was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and appeared in all of t ...

, for several episodes of Season 4 of ''

''. Ironically, he had recently broken up with

Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...

in real life. He also portrayed 'Cheanie' in 1997, who was a client of and also dated Ally McBeal in season 1 of the show. He later portrayed the priest-son of a large Catholic family in ''

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

'' (1998). He has appeared as a guest star in several television series, such as '' Magnum, P.I.'' (1986), ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' (2001), '' Mister Sterling'' (2003), ''

Exposed Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website Film and TV Film * ''Exposé'' (film), a 1976 thriller film * ''Exposed'' (1932 ...

'' (2003), and '' The O.C.'' (2003), where he appeared as Jimmy Cooper. From 2007 to 2010, he portrayed Tom Shayes on ''

''. In 2005, Donovan began directing episodic television when he directed an

episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption. The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek term ''epeisodion'' (), meaning th ...

of '' The O.C.''. In 2007 he guest starred on a season 6 episode of '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent''. In 2009, he directed an episode of the sixth season of ''

Medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation * Medium bomber, a class of war plane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium ...

''. He also directed two episodes of ''

'' in its third season and an episode of ''

Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...

'' in its sixth season. In 2010, Donovan directed the third episode in the sixth season of '' Weeds'', the tenth episode in the fourth season of '' Gossip Girl'', the fourth episode of the fifth season, and one episode of ''Damages'' from the third season. In 2011, Donovan directed the

Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...

- themed episode of '' Glee'' and the episode " I Kissed a Girl" in the third season. In March 2010, he joined the cast of ''

No Ordinary Family ''No Ordinary Family'' is an American television series that aired on ABC in the United States and CTV in Canada. The one hour science fiction comedy drama was produced by ABC Studios for the 2010–2011 television season. The series ran from ...

''. However, after only one season, the series was cancelled. Donovan guest appeared in the series, ''

Red Oaks The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera '' ...

''. Starting in 2017, Donovan appeared in CBS’s MacGyver as James MacGyver, father to the main character.

Stage

Donovan starred on stage with

Amy Ryan Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski, known professionally as Amy Ryan, is an American actress of stage and screen. A graduate of New York's High School of Performing Arts, she is an Academy Award nominee and two-time Tony Award nominee. Ryan began her pr ...

in the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

production of '' Rabbit Hole''. On Broadway, he played Alan Seymour in the 1994 Roundabout Theatre Company revival of ''

Picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

'' and appeared in ''Amy's View'' with

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

in 1999. Off Broadway, Donovan appeared with Glenn Fitzgerald in the 2001 production of '' Lobby Hero'' by

Kenneth Lonergan Kenneth Lonergan (born October 16, 1962) is an American film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He is the co-writer of the film ''Gangs of New York'' (2002), and wrote and directed '' You Can Count on Me'' (2000), ''Margaret'' (2011), and ' ...

, playing the role of the crooked cop Bill. Donovan has appeared in numerous productions at the

Williamstown Theater Festival The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. I ...

, including ''Once in a Lifetime'', ''Under the Blue Sky'', and ''

The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his Histrionic persona ...

''. He has also appeared at the Irish Repertory Theater in New York City. In 2011, he starred with Frances McDormand in the world premiere of David Lindsay-Abaire's play '' Good People'' at the Manhattan Theatre Club.

Other work

Donovan had a regular gig with traditional Irish band the McGuffins, with whom he released an album titled ''Wake Amusements''. He plays the

bodhrán The bodhrán (, ; plural ''bodhráin'' or ''bodhráns'') is a frame drum used in Irish music ranging from in diameter, with most drums measuring . The sides of the drum are deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or oth ...

and

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, the ...

. As of May 2011, Donovan voices radio and video advertising for

PNC Financial Services The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (stylized as PNC) is an American bank holding company and financial services corporation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its banking subsidiary, PNC Bank, operates in 27 states and the District of ...

and volunteers with the Young Storytellers Program.

Personal life

Donovan was in a relationship with

Sandra Bullock Sandra Annette Bullock (; born July 26, 1964) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, Bullock was the world's highest-paid actress in 2010 and 2014. In 2010 ...

from 1990 to 1994, and

for two and a half years from 1995 to 1998. He later married writer Corinne Kingsbury on a

Malibu, California Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malib ...

beach in 2005. They divorced in 2008. In 2008, Donovan announced his support and campaigned for

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

in the U.S. presidential election of 2008. Donovan also supported Obama in the 2012 presidential election.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
Tate Donovan Discusses "Damages"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donovan, Tate 1963 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American male video game actors American male voice actors American people of Irish descent American television directors Audiobook narrators Bodhrán players Catholics from New Jersey Dwight-Englewood School alumni Male actors from New Jersey Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners People from Tenafly, New Jersey Tenafly High School alumni USC School of Dramatic Arts alumni