Dylan McDermott

Dylan McDermott
Character(s)	Jack Larsen
Date of Birth	October 26, 1961
Origin	Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S.
McDermott IMDb profile

Dylan McDermott (born Mark Anthony McDermott; October 26, 1961) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as lawyer and law firm head Bobby Donnell on the legal drama series The Practice, which earned him a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award nomination. He is also well known for his roles in the first two seasons of American Horror Story, entitled American Horror Story: Murder House and American Horror Story: Asylum portraying Dr. Ben Harmon and Johnny Morgan, respectively. He also starred as Lt. Carter Shaw on the TNT series Dark Blue, and FBI Special Agent Duncan Carlisle in the CBS drama series Hostages. McDermott also had played the supporting role of David Lind in the 2003 film Wonderland. Lind was a member of the Wonderland Gang; a group of drug dealers involved in the Los Angeles cocaine trade.

Personal Life

McDermott (born Mark Anthony McDermott, but better known by his professional name of Dylan) was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, to Diane and Richard McDermott. His Italian-American mother and Irish-American father were 15 and 17, respectively, when he was born. In 1967, his parents divorced, and Dylan lived with his mother and sister at his grandmother's.

When he was five, his mother was accidentally shot and killed with her boyfriend's gun. Dylan and his sister were then raised by their maternal grandmother, Avis Marino.

As a teenager, McDermott began taking trips to visit his father, who owned the West Fourth Street Saloon in New York City. The two would see movies together, McDermott would work in his father's bar serving drinks and breaking up fights. As a teenager, McDermott was uncomfortable with himself, and began imitating his acting heroes (Marlon Brando and Humphrey Bogart) to adopt their demeanors. McDermott attended and graduated from Holy Cross High School in Waterbury. While in his teens, McDermott met Jessica Lange who worked as a waitress in a nearby bar.

McDermott's father's third wife was Eve Ensler (author of The Vagina Monologues). His father, Richard, met Eve through his job as a bartender; Eve was an alcoholic at the time. Richard, however, managed to get her sober. She adopted McDermott when he was 15 and she was 23; she and his father have since divorced. McDermott has remained close to Ensler, and encouraged him to pursue his acting career, even writing roles for him in her plays. After Ensler suffered a miscarriage, he took the name "Dylan", the name she had planned for her unborn child. Eve has said that Dylan taught her "how to love".

He attended acting school at the Jesuit-run Fordham University, as well as studying under Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse.

McDermott is noted for his rugged good looks and fashionable style, which he has been featured for in magazines, such as Men's Health. In 1999, he was one of a six-way tie for sixth place in GQ's "Man of the Year" issue.

McDermott married actress Shiva Afshar Rose, who is of half Irish and half Persian decent, on Novermber 19, 1995. They have two daughters; Colette (born 1996, 15 years old) and Charlotte Rose (born 2005, 6 years old). On September 27, 2007, People magazine confirmed that McDermott and Rose had separated. On May 16, 2008, CelebTV.com reported that McDermott had filed for divorce from Rose, and their divorce was finalized on January 2, 2009.

McDermott is a recovering alcoholic and has been sober for well over 20 years.