Thomas Francis Duffy (born November 9, 1955) is an American actor. He has appeared as the

sadistic Sadism may refer to: * Sadomasochism, the giving or receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation * Sadistic personality disorder, an obsolete term proposed for individuals who derive pleasure from the s ...

rapist Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or agai ...

Charles Wilson in ''

Death Wish II ''Death Wish II'' is a 1982 American vigilante action film directed and co-edited by Michael Winner. It is the first of four sequels to the 1974 film '' Death Wish''. It is the second installment in the ''Death Wish'' film series. In the story ...

'', the paleontologist Dr. Robert Burke in '' The Lost World: Jurassic Park'', and as the football-loving dad in '' Varsity Blues''.

Early life

Thomas was born in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Woodbridge, New Jersey Woodbridge Township is a township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is both a regional hub for Central New Jersey and a major bedroom suburb of New York City in the New York metropolitan area located within the ...

. While attending Woodbridge High School, he played football, ice hockey, tennis, and track and was active in drama and vocal music. He was originally a pre-law student at

Ohio University Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subseq ...

, where he also played football and ice hockey. Duffy auditioned for an opera, was cast, and finally graduated with a BFA in acting. He was a member of Ohio's 1979 MCHL championship hockey team. He also was selected for the 1979 summer company of the Monomoy Theater, in Chatham, Massachusetts, on

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...

1980s

Thomas arrived in Hollywood in 1980, and was cast in an episode of ''

CHiPs ''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The seri ...

'', which he never filmed, because the next day he was set to co-star as Dave Christian, a member of the 1980 gold medal Olympic hockey team in '' Miracle on Ice'', a mini-series. Duffy made his feature film debut as

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

, Charles Bronson's chief nemesis in ''

''. He went on to appear in such films as '' To Live and Die in L.A.'', ''

The Abyss ''The Abyss'' is a 1989 American science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron and starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. When an American submarine sinks in the Caribbean, a US search and recovery tea ...

'', ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'' and '' State of Grace'' and guest starred on ''

Night Court ''Night Court'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984 to May 31, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan municipal court presided over by a young, unorthodox judge, Harold "Harry" T. Stone (portray ...

'', ''

The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who mo ...

'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'', ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...

'', and recurred on ''

A Year in the Life ''A Year in the Life'' is an American dramatic series that ran on NBC from September 16, 1987 to April 13, 1988, during the 1987–1988 television season, created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey. The series began as a three-part miniseries whi ...

'' on television.

Career

Duffy appeared in the 1992 film ''

The Waterdance ''The Waterdance'' is a 1992 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Neal Jimenez and Michael Steinberg (filmmaker), Michael Steinberg and starring Eric Stoltz, Wesley Snipes, William Forsythe (actor), William Forsythe, and He ...

'', an acclaimed but oft overlooked feature that won the 1992 Sundance Festival Audience award and the 1993 Independent Spirit Best Picture award, with good friend, William Forsythe. Duffy played Dr. Robert Burke in Steven Spielberg's 1997 blockbuster, '' The Lost World: Jurassic Park''. He prepared for the role by watching Dr.

Robert Bakker Robert Thomas Bakker (born March 24, 1945) is an American paleontologist who helped reshape modern theories about dinosaurs, particularly by adding support to the theory that some dinosaurs were endothermic (warm-blooded). Along with his mentor ...

and traveled to Wyoming to work on a dig with Bakker. In 1999, Duffy played Sam Moxon in '' Varsity Blues'', a film about Texas high school football. Duffy was almost killed when his car was struck by a hit-and-run driver, while filming in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. Other films Duffy completed in the 1990s were '' Independence Day'', ''

Mercury Rising ''Mercury Rising'' is a 1998 American action thriller film starring Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin. Directed by Harold Becker, the movie is based on Ryne Douglas Pearson's 1996 novel originally published as ''Simple Simon'', which was the worki ...

'', '' Poodle Springs'', '' The Fan'', ''

The River Wild ''The River Wild'' is a 1994 American adventure thriller film directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, John C. Reilly, Benjamin Bratt, and Joseph Mazzello as Roarke. It is about a family on a whitewate ...

'', ''

Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

'', ''

Out for Justice ''Out for Justice'' is a 1991 American neo-noir vigilante action thriller film directed by John Flynn and co-produced by and starring Steven Seagal as Gino Felino, a veteran police detective who sets out to avenge his partner Bobby's murder by ...

'', ''

The Mambo Kings ''The Mambo Kings'' is a 1992 musical drama film based on the 1989 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ''The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love'' by Oscar Hijuelos. The film was directed and produced by Arne Glimcher, and stars Armand Assante, Antonio B ...

'' and ''

Let the Devil Wear Black ''Let the Devil Wear Black'' is a 1999 crime thriller film directed by Stacy Title, co-written by Title and her husband, actor Jonathan Penner. The film is a modern retelling of the classic play ''Hamlet''. Background The film is a modern-day ve ...

''. He guest starred on ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...

'' as Jeffrey Cahn in episode " Alpha", ''

Tales From the Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...

'', '' NYPD Blue'', ''

High Incident ''High Incident'' was a police drama television series produced by DreamWorks Television for the ABC network. The show was created by Steven Spielberg, Michael Pavone, Eric Bogosian, and Dave Alan Johnson. It aired from March 4, 1996, to May ...

'', ''

The Magnificent Seven ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay by William Roberts is a remake – in an Old West–style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film ''Seven Samurai'' (itself initially relea ...

'', '' Chicago Hope'', '' Matlock'', ''Chicken Soup for the Soul'', TV movies, ''If Looks Could Kill'', ''Nothing Lasts Forever'' and ''White Dwarf'' and recurring roles on ''

Picket Fences ''Picket Fences'' is an American family drama television series about the residents of the town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS televis ...

'', '' Days of Our Lives'', and ''

In Living Color ''In Living Color'' is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Keenen Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in ...

''.

Personal life

His father, Peter T. Duffy, was killed by a drunk driver in his hometown of Woodbridge, New Jersey, in 1992. Thomas was filming ''

'' at the time, and the producers cut a scene so he could return home. His youngest sister, Patricia, was also killed by a drunk driver in Woodbridge, in 1990. Thomas was filming '' Wagons East!'' in 1994 with

John Candy John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian known mainly for his work in Hollywood films. Candy rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the Toronto branch of the Second City and its '' SCTV'' seri ...

in Durango, Mexico, when John died from a heart attack.

2000s

Thomas appeared in the features '' Scorcher'', ''The Standard'', and ''

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...

'' for Oliver Stone. Thomas appeared in two roles in ''WTC'', as the Command Center cop, and as the Ground Zero fireman who pulls John McLoughlin (

Nicolas Cage Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. Born into the Coppola family, he is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Gui ...

) from the rubble. Guest starring television appearances included ''

Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...

'', '' ER'' and ''

G vs E ''G vs E'' (later retitled ''Good vs Evil'') is an American supernatural comedy-drama television series that had its first season air on USA Network during the summer and autumn of 1999. For the second season the series switched to Sci-Fi Chann ...

'', recurring roles on '' Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family'', '' The Agency'', and ''

Family Law Family law (also called matrimonial law or the law of domestic relations) is an area of the law that deals with family matters and domestic relations. Overview Subjects that commonly fall under a nation's body of family law include: * Marriage ...

''.

2010s

Thomas appears in the film ''

Rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, an ...

'', which opened in the US in 2011 from

Magnet Releasing Magnolia Pictures is an American film distributor. It is a subsidiary of Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner's 2929 Entertainment. Magnolia was formed in 2001 by Bill Banowsky and Eamonn Bowles, and specializes in both foreign and independent films. Mag ...

. ''Rubber'' is a 2010 French horror comedy film about a tire that comes to life and kills people with its psychic powers. It was directed and written by Quentin Dupieux. The film premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Duffy was seen in the Paramount feature '' Super 8'', directed by filmmaker J. J. Abrams, produced by Steven Spielberg, and released on June 10, 2011, in both conventional and IMAX 3D theatres. On television, Thomas is recurring on the hit ABC comedy series '' The Middle'' as Jack Meenahan, the Hecks neighbor. He also guest starred on '' Law & Order: Los Angeles'', and the Showtime pilot '' Shameless''. In 2010, Thomas plays the role of executive Whitman Hayes in the film ''The Candidate'', to be released in 2011.

Filmography

* '' Miracle on Ice'' (1981, TV Movie) as Dave Christian * ''

'' (1981, TV) as Nick * '' Today's FBI'' (1981, TV) as Bob Tenner * ''

'' (1982) as Charles 'Nirvana' Wilson * ''The Fall Guy'' (1982, TV) as Pump Jockey * ''

T.J. Hooker ''T. J. Hooker'' is an American police drama television program starring William Shatner in the title role as a 15-year veteran police sergeant. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement on March 13, 1982, on ABC and ran on the network un ...

'' (1982, TV) as Morgan * ''

Baby Sister "Baby Sister" is a 1985 single by American singer La Toya Jackson, the first taken from her fourth album '' Imagination''; which was released the following year. The single was released in a 7" format in Japan and later in the United States. Bac ...

'' (1983) as Michael Fancher * '' Whiz Kids'' (1984, TV) as Carter * ''Getting Physical'' (1984, TV Movie) as Killer * ''

Space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually cons ...

'' (1985, TV Movie) as Brad * ''Command 5'' (1985, TV Movie) as Lew * '' To Live and Die in L.A.'' (1985) as Credit Card Counterfeiter * ''

'' (1985, TV) as Businessman (segment "Night of the Meek") * ''

The Last Precinct ''The Last Precinct'' is an American sitcom television series that premiered on NBC January 26, and then aired weekly from April 11 to May 30, 1986 on Friday nights at 9:00pm. The series stars Adam West as Capt. Rick Wright, leading a group of ...

'' (1986, TV) as Harvey * ''Casebusters'' (1986, TV) * ''Divorce Court'' (1986, TV) * '' Outlaws'' (1987, TV) as Gil * ''

'' (1987, TV) as Corey * ''

'' (1988, TV) as Ross * ''

'' (1989, TV) as Dale Coderko * ''Danger Zone II'' (1989) as Dumptser * ''The Abyss'' (1989) as Construction Worker * ''

Nasty Boys The Nasty Boys are a group of supervillain Mutant (Marvel Comics), mutants appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. This group exists in Marvel's shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. These characters are the pers ...

'' (1990, TV) * '' State of Grace'' (1990) as Frankie's Man * ''

Almost an Angel ''Almost an Angel'' is a 1990 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by John Cornell and starring Paul Hogan. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre. The film was a critical and commercial failure. Plot Terry Dean (Paul Hog ...

'' (1990) (uncredited) * ''

'' (1991) as O'Kelly * ''

My Life and Times ''My Life and Times'' is an American drama television series that aired on ABC from April 24, 1991 to May 30, 1991. The series co-starred Helen Hunt. Premise Set in 2035 and 2036, the series focused on 85-year-old former journalist Ben Miller. ...

'' (1991, TV) as Josh Kincaid * ''Guilty as Charged'' (1991) as Evans * '' Matlock'' (1991, TV) as Bartender * ''

'' (1992) as Dr. Harrison * ''

Two-Fisted Tales ''Two-Fisted Tales'' is an anthology war comic published bi-monthly by EC Comics in the early 1950s. The title originated in 1950 when Harvey Kurtzman suggested to William Gaines that they publish an adventure comic. Kurtzman became the editor o ...

'' (1992, TV Movie) as Scorby (segment "Showdown") * ''

'' (1992) as Mulligan * ''

Tales from the Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...

'' (1992, TV) as Deputy Wilson * ''To Protect and Serve'' (1992) as Stewart * ''

'' (1992–1993, TV recurring) as Officer Murphy / Senator Watson * ''Eye of the Stranger'' (1993) as Ballack * ''

'' (1994, TV) as Deputy Tully * ''

'' (1994) as Tom * '' Wagons East!'' (1994) as Clayton Ferguson * ''

'' (1994) as Ranger * ''

White Dwarf A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes ...

'' (1995, TV Movie) as Fisherman with Parasite * '' Chicago Hope'' (1995, TV) as Ralph King * ''Nothing Lasts Forever'' (1995, TV Movie) as Bill Lomax * ''If Looks Could Kill'' (1996, TV Movie) as Officer Bryant (uncredited) * '' Independence Day'' (1996) as Lieutenant * '' The Fan'' (1996) as Figgy * ''

'' (1997, TV Series) as Billy * '' The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' (1997) as Dr. Robert Burke * ''

'' (1998) as Audey (uncredited) * ''Poodle Springs'' (1998, TV) as Fat Cop * ''

'' (1999) as Bartender * '' NYPD Blue'' (1999, TV) as Vic's Killer * ''Varsity Blues'' (1999) as Sam Moxon * ''

'' (1999, TV) as Jeffrey Cahn * ''

'' (1999, TV) as Johnson * ''Chicken Soup for the Soul'' (1999, TV) as Paul * ''Runaway Virus'' (2000, TV Movie) as Coyote * ''

'' (2000, TV) as Mr. Burly * Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family (2000, TV) as FBI Superintendent Coswell * ''

'' (2001, TV) as Carl Layton * '' Scorcher'' (2002) as Anderson * '' ER'' (2002, TV) as Detective Henderson * '' The Agency'' (2003, TV) as Chief of Station Cruz * ''The Drone Virus'' (2004) as Russell Wheeler * ''Gone But Not Forgotten'' (2005, TV Movie) as Chief O'Malley * ''

'' (2005, TV) as Bob * ''The Standard'' (2006) as Dylan's Father * ''

'' (2006) as NYC Command Centre Operator * ''Funniest Commercials of the Year:2008'' (2008, TV Movie) as Chainsaw Man * '' The Middle'' (2009-2011) as Jack Meenahan * ''Rubber'' (2010) as Cop Xavier * '' Law & Order: Los Angeles'' (2010, TV) as Mel Wilcox * ''The Candidate'' (2010, Short) as Whitman Hayes * '' Shameless'' (2011, TV) as Tommy * '' Super 8'' (2011) as Rooney * '' Supremacy'' (2014) as Deputy Lansing

References

External links

*
Duffy at Film Reference.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duffy, Thomas F. 1955 births Male actors from Newark, New Jersey American male film actors American male television actors American people of Irish descent Living people Ohio University alumni Writers from Newark, New Jersey People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey Woodbridge High School (New Jersey) alumni 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors