Michael O'Neill

Michael O'Neill

Known for
Acting
Born
May 29, 1951 (age 75)
Birthplace
Montgomery, Alabama, USA

Biography

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Michael O'Neill (born May 29, 1951) is an American actor. With a career stretching through three decades, he usually portrays senior law enforcement or military officers. He is perhaps best known for his role as Special agent Ron Butterfield, the head of President Josiah Bartlet's Secret Service detail, on The West Wing. He played CTU Administrative Director Richard Walsh in the first two episodes of 24. He played Sgt. Maj. Ron Cheals in the CBS action-drama series The Unit. He starred in the Season Six 2 part Finale of Grey's Anatomy as the broken widower who holds the hospital hostage with a 9mm while pursuing the doctors responsible for unplugging his wife. His most notable film performances occur in Seabiscuit, Secondhand Lions, Transformers, Dancer, Texas Pop 81, Traffic, Sea of Love, A Quiet Little Marriage, Nothing But the Truth, and Green Zone. O'Neill graduated from Auburn University in 1974. After attending Auburn he spent time under the tutelage of actor Will Geer and his daughter, Ellen, at Theatricum Botanicum in Los Angeles before moving to New York to pursue his career there.

Known For

Filmography

2025
War of the Worlds poster

War of the Worlds

Movie · as Secretary of Defense Walter Crystal

2025
Bride Hard poster

Bride Hard

Movie · as Frank

2025
Happy Face poster

Happy Face

TV · as D.A. Craig Calloway · 5 eps

2024
Happy's Place poster

Happy's Place

TV · as Jim Jackoway · 2 eps

2024
Tracker poster

Tracker

TV · as Buck Avery · 1 ep

2023
Air poster

Air

Movie · as Joe Dean

2022
Echoes poster

Echoes

TV · as Victor McCleary · 7 eps

2022
Fire Country poster

Fire Country

TV · as Harlan Denbo · 1 ep

2022
Outer Range poster

Outer Range

TV · as Judge Pettigrew · 2 eps

2021
Cold Call poster

Cold Call

Movie · as Christian

2020
The Stand at Paxton County poster

The Stand at Paxton County

Movie · as Dell Connelly

2020
Messiah poster

Messiah

TV · as Cameron Collier · 5 eps

2019
Clemency poster

Clemency

Movie · as Chaplain David Kendricks

2018
Indivisible poster

Indivisible

Movie · as Chaplain Rogers

2018
Danger One poster

Danger One

Movie · as Beckwith

2018
The Resident poster

The Resident

TV · as Joshua Williams · 1 ep

2018
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan poster

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan

TV · as Senator Mitchell Chapin · 5 eps

2018
The Romanoffs poster

The Romanoffs

TV · as Ron Hopkins · 1 ep

2017
S.W.A.T. poster

S.W.A.T.

TV · as Carl Luca · 3 eps

2016
This Is Us poster

This Is Us

TV · as Arlo · 1 ep

2016
11.22.63 poster

11.22.63

TV · as Arliss Price · 1 ep

2016
Shooter poster

Shooter

TV · as Ray Brooks · 3 eps

2014
The Grim Sleeper poster

The Grim Sleeper

Movie · as Detective Simms

2014
Extant poster

Extant

TV · as Alan Sparks · 13 eps

2014
Manhattan poster

Manhattan

TV · as Psychiatrist · 1 ep

2013
Dallas Buyers Club poster

Dallas Buyers Club

Movie · as Richard Barkley

2013
Bates Motel poster

Bates Motel

TV · as Nick Ford · 8 eps

2013
Rectify poster

Rectify

TV · as Senator Roland Foulkes · 15 eps

2012
Scandal poster

Scandal

TV · as Lonnie Mencken · 5 eps

2012
Vegas poster

Vegas

TV · as Mayor Ted Bennett · 4 eps

2011
J. Edgar poster

J. Edgar

Movie · as Senator McKellar

2010
Green Zone poster

Green Zone

Movie · as Colonel Bethel

2010
Flying Lessons poster

Flying Lessons

Movie · as Chief Dobbs

2010
The Glades poster

The Glades

TV · as Trent Staley · 1 ep

2010
Rizzoli & Isles poster

Rizzoli & Isles

TV · as Jonathan McKnight · 1 ep

2010
Law & Order: LA poster

Law & Order: LA

TV · as Jeb Monroe · 1 ep

2009
FlashForward poster

FlashForward

TV · as CIA Director Keller · 1 ep

2009
NCIS: Los Angeles poster

NCIS: Los Angeles

TV · as Ret. U.S. Army General Richard Collins · 1 ep

2008
A Quiet Little Marriage poster

A Quiet Little Marriage

Movie · as Bruce

2008
Nothing but the Truth poster

Nothing but the Truth

Movie · as CIA Director

2008
Crazy poster

Crazy

Movie · as Ralph Christianson

2008
Sons of Anarchy poster

Sons of Anarchy

TV · as Anthony Franklin · 1 ep

2008
The Mentalist poster

The Mentalist

TV · as Sheriff Nelson · 1 ep

2008
Fringe poster

Fringe

TV · as Sheriff Velchik · 1 ep

2008
Leverage poster

Leverage

TV · as Judge Roy · 1 ep

2007
Transformers poster

Transformers

Movie · as Tom Banacheck

2007
Army Wives poster

Army Wives

TV · as Reverend Bankerd · 2 eps

2006
The Nine poster

The Nine

TV · as Pete Burton · 3 eps

2006
The Unit poster

The Unit

TV · as Ron Cheals · 6 eps

2005
Ghost Whisperer poster

Ghost Whisperer

TV · as Nolan · 1 ep

2005
Grey's Anatomy poster

Grey's Anatomy

TV · as Gary Clark · 3 eps

2005
Prison Break poster

Prison Break

TV · as Herb Stanton · 1 ep

2005
Commander in Chief poster

Commander in Chief

TV · as Congressman Wilcox · 2 eps

2005
Criminal Minds poster

Criminal Minds

TV · as Det. Yarbough · 1 ep

2005
Numb3rs poster

Numb3rs

TV · as Boyd Keene · 1 ep

2005
Close to Home poster

Close to Home

TV · as Don Wheeler · 1 ep

2004
Around the Bend poster

Around the Bend

Movie · as Cowboy

2004
American Crime poster

American Crime

Movie · as Sheriff Smyth

2004
LAX poster

LAX

TV · as Alonso Mathews · 1 ep

2004
Boston Legal poster

Boston Legal

TV · as Dr. Robert McLean · 1 ep

2003
Dreamcatcher poster

Dreamcatcher

Movie · as Gen. Matheson

2003
Secondhand Lions poster

Secondhand Lions

Movie · as Ralph

2003
Seabiscuit poster

Seabiscuit

Movie · as Mr. Pollard

2003
NCIS poster

NCIS

TV · as Riley McCallister · 3 eps

2002
Without a Trace poster

Without a Trace

TV · as Thomas Shannon · 1 ep

2002
CSI: Miami poster

CSI: Miami

TV · as Jerry Blackburn · 1 ep

2001
24 poster

24

TV · as Richard Walsh, Richard Welsh · 1 ep

2001
Crossing Jordan poster

Crossing Jordan

TV · as Chris Benz · 1 ep

2000
The Legend of Bagger Vance poster

The Legend of Bagger Vance

Movie · as O.B. Keeler

2000
Traffic poster

Traffic

Movie · as Lawyer Rodman

2000
Boston Public poster

Boston Public

TV · as Dr. Bernard Colbert · 4 eps

1999
ATF poster

ATF

Movie · as ATF Asst. Director Ben Walker

1999
The Mod Squad poster

The Mod Squad

Movie · as Greene

1999
Roswell poster

Roswell

TV · as Philip Evans · 1 ep

1999
The West Wing poster

The West Wing

TV · as Ron Butterfield · 15 eps

1998
Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 poster

Dancer, Texas Pop. 81

Movie · as Mr. Lusk

1998
Virtual Obsession poster

Virtual Obsession

Movie

1998
Standoff poster

Standoff

Movie · as Cult Leader (Voice)

1997
The Shining poster

The Shining

TV · as Daniel Edwards (uncredited) · 1 ep

1997
Ally McBeal poster

Ally McBeal

TV · as Dr. Colbert · 1 ep

1997
The Practice poster

The Practice

TV · as Judge Robert Temple · 1 ep

1996
The Sunchaser poster

The Sunchaser

Movie · as Agent Moreland

1996
Millennium poster

Millennium

TV · as County Prosecutor Calvin Smith · 1 ep

1995
Bushwhacked poster

Bushwhacked

Movie · as Jon Jordan

1995
Awake to Danger poster

Awake to Danger

Movie · as Detective Brickman

1995
JAG poster

JAG

TV · as Commander Bradley · 1 ep

1994
Blind Justice poster

Blind Justice

Movie · as Spencer Heymen

1994
Beyond Betrayal poster

Beyond Betrayal

Movie · as Ray Pasquerello

1994
Chicago Hope poster

Chicago Hope

TV · as Bill Wyzinski · 1 ep

1994
One West Waikiki poster

One West Waikiki

TV · 1 ep

1994
ER poster

ER

TV · as Col. Ken Kilner · 1 ep

1993
For Their Own Good poster

For Their Own Good

Movie · as Clark Thompson

1993
Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story poster

Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story

Movie · as Dick Britton

1993
The X-Files poster

The X-Files

TV · as Patrol Captain Van Gelder · 1 ep

1993
Diagnosis: Murder poster

Diagnosis: Murder

TV · as Sheriff Buck O'Hara · 1 ep

1992
The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag poster

The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag

Movie · as Jergens

1992
Jennifer Eight poster

Jennifer Eight

Movie · as Serato

1992
Lorenzo's Oil poster

Lorenzo's Oil

Movie · as School Psychologist

1989
An Unremarkable Life poster

An Unremarkable Life

Movie · as Michael

1989
Sea of Love poster

Sea of Love

Movie · as Raymond Brown

1981
Ghost Story poster

Ghost Story

Movie · as Churchill