Peter Killian Gallagher
(born August 19, 1955) is an American actor, musician and writer. Since 1980, Gallagher has played many roles in numerous Hollywood films. He starred as Sandy Cohen in drama The O.C.
from 2003 to 2007.
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Biography
Early life
Gallagher was born in
New York City, New York, the son of Mary, a
bacteriologist, and Tom Gallagher, an advertising executive.
[1] He is of
Irish Catholic background
[2] and was raised in
Armonk, New York. Gallagher graduated from Tufts University, where he was very visible in the performance scene on campus, appearing in such shows as
Stephen Sondheim's
Company
and singing with the all-male
a cappella group the Beelzebubs.
Career
Gallagher appeared on Broadway with
Glenn Close in
Tom Stoppard's
The Real Thing
, but first achieved fame for his role in
Steven Soderbergh's
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
(1989). He also starred as Sky Masterson in the 1992 Broadway Revival of
Guys and Dolls
.
Gallagher played a potential career threat to
Tim Robbins' studio executive in
The Player
(1992); the comatose "fiancé" of
Sandra Bullock in
While You Were Sleeping
(1995); an egotistical real estate salesman having an affair with
Annette Bening in
American Beauty
(1999); a villainous media executive in
Mr. Deeds
(2002); and a political reporter exposing media ethics during a presidential debate in
The Last Debate
.
From 2003 to 2007, Gallagher starred as
Sandy Cohen, a
Jewish public defender and corporate lawyer, on the
Fox television show
The O.C.
, a show which has introduced him to a whole new generation of TV viewers. He hosts an annual award ceremony named "The Sandy Cohen Awards" or
The Sandys
, which, in honor of his character on
The O.C.
, gives a scholarship to a
law school student at
UC Berkeley who wants to become a
public defender.
Gallagher released an album entitled
7 Days in Memphis
in 2005, on the
Sony BMG label. This includes a studio recording of his performance of "Don't Give Up On Me" (originally by
Solomon Burke), which was featured in an episode of
The O.C.
He also has a video for his single "Still I Long For Your Kiss", in which he starred with his TV-wife
Kelly Rowan. Gallagher is also a keen video gamer. He has completed the "Career Mode" in Top Spin for the Xbox and is known to anonymously enter online competitions.
On April 5, 2007, Gallagher received the Light on the Hill award at
Tufts University. The award is given to notable alumni from Tufts who have demonstrated ambition, achievement, and active citizenship. Gallagher sang with the Beelzebubs and gave a speech to a full crowd in Cohen Auditorium.
Personal life
Gallagher is married to Paula Harwood since 1983. They have two children: a son James (born 1990) and a daughter, Kathyrn, (born 1993).
Filmography
- 1980: The Idolmaker
- 1982: Summer Lovers
- 1985: Dreamchild
- 1986: My Little Girl
- 1987: Long Day's Journey Into Night
- 1988: High Spirits
- 1988: The Murder of Mary Phagan
- 1989: Sex, Lies, and Videotape
- 1990: Tune in Tomorrow...
- 1991: An Inconvenient Woman
- 1992: The Player
- 1993: Watch It
- 1993: Short Cuts
- 1993: Malice
- 1994: The Hudsucker Proxy
- 1994: Mr. Hula Hop
- 1994: Mother's Boys
- 1995: While You Were Sleeping
- 1996: Titanic
(TV)
- 1996: Last Dance
- 1996: To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday
- 1997: The Man Who Knew Too Little
- 1997: Path to Pardise
- 1998: Brave New World
- 1998: Johnny Skidmarks
- 1999: House on Haunted Hill
- 1999: American Beauty
- 1999: Brotherhood of murder
- 2000: The Last Debate
- 2000: Center Stage
- 2002: Contest Searchlight
- 2002: Mr. Deeds
- 2002-2003: Page to Screen
(TV)
- 2003: How to Deal
- 2003-2007: The O.C.
(TV)
- 2008: "Center Stage:Turn It Up"
- 2009: Adam
- 2009:
References
- Peter Gallagher Biography (1955?-)
- Peter Gallagher - News