Tate Donovan Biography

Tate Buckley Donovan (born September 25, 1963) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role in the FX drama Damages, as Tom Shayes, and for his role as Jimmy Cooper in the American teen drama television series The O.C.. He voiced the title character Hercules in Disney's thirty-fifth animated feature film, in the animated television series and in the video game Kingdom Hearts II. He currently stars as Brian Sanders on the CBS drama Hostages.

Early life

Tate Buckley Donovan, the youngest of seven children, was born in New York City, New York, the son of Eileen Frances (née McAllister) and John Timothy Donovan, who was a surgeon. He is of Irish Catholic background. Donovan attended Dwight-Englewood School, in Englewood, New Jersey (graduates of which include actors Brooke Shields and Mira Sorvino, and chef Anthony Bourdain), before transferring to a public high school in Tenafly, New Jersey. He has been appearing on television since his teens. He attended the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles, where he met his now long-time friends, actors Grant Heslov and George Clooney.

Career

Film career

His earliest film roles included teenager Kevin Donaldson, in SpaceCamp (1986), co-starring Lea Thompson and Kate Capshaw; in the 1988 film Clean and Sober, he played a recovering drug addict, costarring with Michael Keaton and Kathy Baker. He also had a role in the 1990 film Memphis Belle in which he played 1st Lieutenant Luke Sinclair. He also starred in the 1992 romantic comedy Love Potion No. 9 as Paul Matthews opposite Sandra Bullock. In the recent years, Donovan has played one of the key supporting roles in Argo as Bob Anders, one of the six US diplomats who evaded capture in the Iranian hostage crisis.

Television career

Donovan played the role of Joshua, the boyfriend of Jennifer Aniston's character, Rachel Green, in a few episodes of Season 4 of the sitcom Friends. He played the priest-son of a large Irish Catholic family in the short-lived NBC drama Trinity (1998). He has appeared as a guest star in several series such as Magnum, P.I. (1986), The Guardian (2001), Mister Sterling (2003), Exposed (2003) and The O.C. (2003), where he appeared as Jimmy Cooper. From 2007 to 2010 he played lawyer Tom Shayes on the series Damages.

In March 2010, Donovan joined the cast of the ABC pilot No Ordinary Family. The series was canceled after only one season.

Donovan began directing episodic television in 2005, when he directed an episode of The O.C.. Then, in 2009, he directed an episode of the sixth season of Medium. He also directed two episodes of Damages in its second season and an episode of Nip/Tuck in its sixth season. In 2010, he directed the third episode in the sixth season of Showtime's hit show Weeds, "A Yippity Sippity"; the tenth episode of Gossip Girl's fourth season; as well as the fourth episode of fifth season; and one episode of Damages (Season 3). In 2011, he directed the Valentine's Day-themed episode of Glee and the episode "I Kissed a Girl" in the third season.

Stage career

He starred on stage with Amy Ryan in the Los Angeles production of Rabbit Hole. On Broadway, Donovan appeared as Alan Seymour in the revival of Picnic in 1994; he also appeared opposite Judi Dench in Amy's View (1999). Off Broadway, Donovan appeared with Glenn Fitzgerald in the 2001 production of Lobby Hero by Kenneth Lonergan, playing the role of the crooked cop Bill. Donovan has appeared in numerous productions at the Williamstown Theater Festival, including Once in a Lifetime, Under the Blue Sky and The Glass Menagerie. Donovan 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.

Music career

He had a regular gig with traditional Irish band The Descendants, with whom he released an album titled Wake Amusements. Donovan plays the bodhrán and fiddle.

Other professional work

As of May 2011, Donovan voices radio and video advertising for PNC Financial Services. Donovan has also volunteered as an actor with the Young Storytellers Program.

Personal life

Donovan was formerly engaged to Sandra Bullock (1994) and to Jennifer Aniston. He married writer Corinne Kingsbury in a Catholic ceremony on a Malibu, California, beach, in 2005. Kingsbury and Donovan divorced in 2008.

Political activism

In 2008, Donovan announced his support and campaigned for Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential election of 2008.

Donovan supported Barack Obama for re-election in the 2012 presidential election.

Filmography

• No Small Affair (1984)
• North Beach and Rawhide (1985) (TV)
• Into Thin Air (1985) (TV)
• Not My Kid (1985) (TV)
• SpaceCamp (1986)
• Magnum, P.I. - Episode: "Summer School" (1986) (TV)
• A Case of Deadly Force (1986) (TV)
• Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder (1987) (mini) TV Series
• Dangerous Curves (1988)
• Vietnam War Story II (1988)
• Clean and Sober (1988)
• Dead Bang (1989)
• Rising Son (1990/I) (TV)
• Memphis Belle (1990)
• Little Noises (1991)
• Love Potion No. 9 (1992)
• Equinox (1992)
• Inside Monkey Zetterland (1992)
• Ethan Frome (1993)
• Holy Matrimony (1994)
• Partners (1995) TV Series
• America's Dream (1996) (TV)
• Homicide: Life on the Street
• The Only Thrill (1997)
• Ally McBeal (1997)
• Hercules (1997) (voice of Hercules)
• Murder at 1600 (1997)
• The Thin Pink Line (1998)
• Godzilla: The Series (1998)
• Waiting for Woody (1998)
• October 22 (1998)
• Trinity (1998) TV Series
• Hercules: The Animated Series (1998) TV Series
• Friends (1998)
• Tempting Fate (1998) (TV)
• 4 a.m.: Open All Night (1999)
• Hercules: Zero to Hero (1999)
• Jesus & Hutch (2000)
• The Office Party (2000)
• G-Men from Hell (2000)
• Outer Limits- Episode: Glitch (2000)
• Drop Back Ten (2000)
• Get Well Soon (2001)
• Swordfish (2001)
• House of Mouse (2001) TV Series
• West of Here (2002)
• Exposed (2003/I)
• Mister Sterling (2003) TV Series
• The O.C. (2003"2007) TV Series
• Silver Bells (2005)
• Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
• The Pacifier (2005)
• Kingdom Hearts II (2006) (video game)
• Neal Cassady (2007)
• Nancy Drew (2007) as Carson Drew
• Shooter (2007)
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2007) (TV Series) - Episode: Rocket Man (as Commander Luke Nelson)
• Damages (2007"2010) TV Series
• Gossip Girl (2010)
• Below the Beltway (2010)
• No Ordinary Family (2010)
• Glee (2011)
• Kingdom Hearts coded (2011) (video game)
• Argo (2012)
• Deception (2013) TV Series
• Hostages (2013-Present) TV Series