Born: December 31, 1947
Age: 76
Birthplace: Glendale, California, U.S.
Tim Matheson (born Timothy Lewis Matthieson; December 31, 1947) is an American actor, director and producer. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of the smooth-talking Eric "Otter" Stratton in the comedy film National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) and of Vice President John Hoynes in the NBC drama The West Wing. He has had a variety of other well-known roles, including providing the voice of the lead character in the animated series Jonny Quest.
At age 13, Matheson appeared as Roddy Miller in Robert Young's CBS nostalgia comedy series Window on Main Street during the 1961-1962 television season. In 1964, he provided the voice of the lead character in the animated series Jonny Quest. He was also the voice of Jace in the original animated series Space Ghost. In addition, he played the role of the oldest son, Mike Beardsley, in the film Yours, Mine and Ours (1968), which also starred Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda.
In 1969, Matheson joined the cast of NBC's television western The Virginian in the eighth season as Jim Horn. He had a guest role in the 14th episode of the second season of Night Gallery, in the story "Logoda's Heads". In the final season of the television western Bonanza in 1972-1973, Matheson played Griff King, a parolee who tries to reform his life as a worker at the Ponderosa Ranch under Ben Cartwright's tutelage. He portrayed a young motorcycle cop, Phil Sweet, in the film Magnum Force (1973). Matheson also appeared earlier in the CBS situation comedies My Three Sons and Leave It to Beaver. In 1975, he guest starred in CBS's short-lived family drama Three for the Road.
In 1976, Matheson appeared with Kurt Russell in the 15-episode NBC series The Quest, the story of two young men in the American West seeking the whereabouts of their sister, a captive of the Cheyenne. In 1978, he co-starred in National Lampoon's Animal House opposite John Belushi; the following year, he appeared opposite Belushi again in Steven Spielberg's 1941. Matheson starred in the comedy films Up the Creek (1984) and Fletch (1985).
Matheson appeared in the film To Be or Not to Be (1983) starring Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft.
Matheson and Catherine Hicks played Rick and Amanda Tucker, who operate a detective agency in Laurel Canyon in CBS' Tucker's Witch, which aired during the 1982-1983 season. In 1989, he starred in the short-lived sitcom Nikki and Alexander produced by Reinhold Weege.
Matheson, along with business partner Dan Grodnik, bought National Lampoon in 1989 when the magazine was facing financial decline. They were unable to reverse the magazine fortunes, however, and sold it in 1991.
Matheson had a recurring role as Vice President John Hoynes on The West Wing. His work on The West Wing earned him two Primetime Emmy award nominations.
In addition to playing Sheriff Matthew Donner in the short-lived Wolf Lake, he has directed episodes of Third Watch, Ed, The Twilight Zone, Cold Case, Without a Trace, The West Wing, Psych, The Good Guys, Shark, White Collar, Criminal Minds, Suits and Burn Notice (on which he also performed in a recurring role).
In 1996, Matheson took on the role of a con man who claims to be Carol Brady's thought-to-be-dead husband in A Very Brady Sequel. Matheson appeared in the movie Van Wilder (2002), playing the father of the title character, who was inspired by his own character in Animal House; Matheson's character even makes a veiled reference to the fun times he had had at Dartmouth, where the fraternity upon which Animal House is based is rumored to have "had a strong tradition of existence". He appeared in the auto-racing film Redline. He also appeared in a Volkswagen commercial in 2008.
In 2009, Matheson directed the pilot episode of Covert Affairs, premiered on USA Network in 2010. Matheson also directed the pilot episodes of The Good Guys (2010) for the Fox Network, Criminal Behavior (2011) for Lifetime, and "Wild Card" (2011) for USA Network. He played Dr. Brick Breeland on Hart of Dixie from 2011 to 2015.
Matheson was born in Glendale, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. In 2010, he was divorced from Megan Murphy Matheson after a 25-year marriage and three children. He was previously married to actress Jennifer Leak, whom he met on the set of Yours, Mine, and Ours. Matheson served a tour of duty in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1967 | Divorce American Style | Mark Harmon | |
1967 | Mystery of the Chinese Junk, TheThe Mystery of the Chinese Junk | Joe Hardy | |
1968 | Yours, Mine and Ours | Mike Beardsley | |
1969 | How to Commit Marriage | David Poe | |
1973 | Magnum Force | Phil Sweet | |
1978 | National Lampoon's Animal House | Eric 'Otter' Stratton | |
1978 | Almost Summer | Kevin Hawkins | |
1979 | Dreamer | Dreamer | |
1979 | Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, TheThe Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again | Private Jeff Reed aka Captain Phillips | |
1979 | 1941 | Captain Loomis Birkhead | |
1982 | Little Sex, AA Little Sex | Michael Donovan | |
1983 | To Be or Not to Be | Lieutenant Andre Sobinski | |
1984 | House of God, TheThe House of God | Roy Basch | |
1984 | Up the Creek | Bob McGraw | |
1984 | Impulse | Stuart | |
1985 | Fletch | Alan Stanwyck | |
1989 | Speed Zone | Jack O'Neill | |
1989 | Body Wars | Captain Braddock | |
1990 | Solar Crisis | Steve Kelso | |
1990 | Buried Alive | Clint Goodman | |
1991 | Drop Dead Fred | Charles | |
1991 | Sometimes They Come Back | Jim Norman | |
1996 | Black Sheep | Al Donnelly | |
1996 | Midnight Heat | Tyler Grey | |
1996 | Very Brady Sequel, AA Very Brady Sequel | Roy Martin / Trevor Thomas | |
1998 | Very Unlucky Leprechaun, AA Very Unlucky Leprechaun | Howard Wilson | |
1998 | Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Families | Adolf Althoff | |
1999 | She's All That | Harlan Siler | |
1999 | Story of Us, TheThe Story of Us | Marty | |
2000 | Chump Change | Simon 'Sez' Simone | |
2002 | Van Wilder | Vance Wilder Sr. | |
2003 | Where Are They Now?: A Delta Alumni Update | Dr. Eric 'Otter' Stratton, OB / GYN | |
2005 | Don't Come Knocking | Producer 1 | |
2005 | Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D | Houston Capcom | voice |
2007 | Redline | Jerry Brecken | |
2009 | Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia | Carl Dobbs | also director |
2009 | American Pie Presents: The Book of Love | Alumnus Guy No. 4 | |
2016 | Killing Reagan | Ronald Reagan | Television film |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1961-62 | Window on Main Street | Roddy Miller | First acting role |
1962-63 | Leave It to Beaver | Michael 'Mike' Harmon | Season 6, Ep 7 |
1962-63 | My Three Sons | Alan Edgerton | |
1963 | Ripcord | David | Season 2, Ep 7: "The Final Jump" |
1964-65 | Jonny Quest | Jonny Quest | voice |
1965 | Sinbad Jr. | Sinbad Jr. | voice |
1965 | O.K. Crackerby! | Huntington Hawthorne | |
1966 | Space Ghost | Jace | voice |
1966 | Thompson's Ghost | Eddie Thompson | |
1967 | Samson & Goliath | Samson | voice |
1967 | NBC Children's Theatre- WEEKEND (pilot) | Randy | |
1969 | Adam-12 | Leroy | |
1969-70 | Virginian, TheThe Virginian | Jim Horn | |
1970 | San Francisco International Airport | SFX | |
1970 | Bracken's World | Teek Howell | |
1971 | Matt Lincoln | ||
1971 | Room 222 | Jerry Cates | |
1971 | Hitched | Clarence Bridgeman | |
1971 | Owen Marshall, Counsellor at Law | Jim McGuire | |
1971 | Lock, Stock and Barrel | Clarence Bridgeman | |
1971 | D.A., TheThe D.A. | Howard Goodman | |
1971 | Bold Ones: The Lawyers, TheThe Bold Ones: The Lawyers | Miles Parker | |
1971 | Night Gallery | Henley | |
1972 | Here's Lucy | Peter Sullivan | |
1972 | Ironside | Darryl Podell | |
1972 | The Smith Family | Mark | |
1972-73 | Bonanza | Griff King | |
1972-78 | Insight | Chris | |
1973 | Wide World Mystery | Tommy | |
1973 | Medical Center | Sam Miller | |
1973 | Kung Fu | Lieutenant Bill Wyland | Season 2, Episode 8 "The Soldier" |
1974 | Magician, TheThe Magician | Jerry Purcell | |
1974 | Police Story | Allen Rich | |
1974 | Remember When | Warren Thompson | |
1975 | Last Day, TheThe Last Day | Emmet Dalton | |
1975 | Runaway Barge, TheThe Runaway Barge | Danny Worth | |
1975 | Three for the Road | Tom Aberling | |
1976 | Rhoda | Michael Stearns | |
1976 | Jigsaw John | Nick Pappas | |
1976 | Petrocelli | Mike Fisher | |
1976 | Quest, TheThe Quest | Quentin Beaudine | |
1976 | War Widow, TheThe War Widow | Amy's Husband | voice |
1976 | Visions | Leonard | voice |
1977 | Hemingway Play, TheThe Hemingway Play | Wemidge - Young Hemingway | |
1977 | Hawaii Five-O | Brent Saunders | |
1977 | Mary White | William L. White | |
1977 | What Really Happened to the Class of '65? | Jay Miller | |
1978 | Baa Baa Black Sheep | Bud Warren | |
1978 | How the West Was Won | Curt Grayson | |
1982 | Bus Stop | Beauregard 'Beau' Decker | |
1982-83 | Tucker's Witch | Rick Tucker | |
1983 | Listen to Your Heart | Josh Stern | |
1984 | Best Legs in the Eighth Grade, TheThe Best Legs in the Eighth Grade | Mark Fisher | |
1985 | Obsessed with a Married Woman | Tony Hammond | |
1985 | George Burns Comedy Week | "The Girl With Something Extra" | |
1986 | Blind Justice | Jim Anderson | |
1987 | Warm Hearts, Cold Feet | Mike Byrd | |
1987 | Bay Coven | Jerry Lebon | |
1987 | Trying Times | Mitch | |
1988 | Just in Time | Harry Stadlin | |
1989 | Nikki and Alexander | Alexander | |
1989 | Littlest Victims, TheThe Littlest Victims | Doctor James Oleske | |
1989 | Little White Lies | Dr. Harry McRae | |
1990 | Buried Alive | Clint Goodman | |
1990 | Joshua's Heart | Tom | |
1991 | Stephen King's Sometimes They Come Back | Jim Norman | |
1991 | Woman Who Sinned, TheThe Woman Who Sinned | Michael Robeson | |
1991 | Charlie Hoover | Charlie Hoover | |
1992 | Quicksand: No Escape | Scott Reinhardt | |
1993 | Relentless: Mind of a Killer | Dr. Peter Hellman | |
1993 | Dying to Love You | Roger Paulson | |
1993 | Batman: the Animated Series | D.A. Gil Mason | Shadow of the Bat, parts 1 & 2 |
1993 | Fallen Angels | Howard Hughes | |
1993 | Shameful Secrets | Daniel | |
1993 | Kiss to Die For, AA Kiss to Die For | William Tauber | |
1993 | Trial & Error | Peter Hudson | |
1993 | Harmful Intent | Dr. Rhodes | |
1994 | Breach of Conduct | Director | |
1994 | Target of Suspicion | Nick | |
1994 | While Justice Sleeps | Winfield 'Win' Cooke | |
1995 | Cybill | Teddy | |
1995 | Fast Company | Detective Jack Matthews | |
1995 | Tails You Live, Heads You're Dead | Detective McKinley | also director |
1995 | Jonny Quest Versus the Cyber Insects | 4-Dac | voice |
1996 | Unfinished Affair, AnAn Unfinished Affair | Alex Connor | |
1996 | Twilight Man | Jordan P. Cooper | |
1996 | Buried Secrets | Clay Roff | |
1996 | Christmas in My Hometown | Jacob (Jake) Peterson | Also known as Holiday For Love |
1997 | Legend of Calamity Jane, TheThe Legend of Calamity Jane | Captain John O'Rourke | |
1997 | Sleeping with the Devil | Dick Strang | |
1997 | Buried Alive II | Clint Goodman | also director |
1998 | Dead Man's Gun | Reverent Jeremiah Early | |
1998 | Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Families | Adolf Althoff | |
1998 | Forever Love | Alex Brooks | |
1998 | New Batman Adventures, TheThe New Batman Adventures | Michael Vreeland | |
1998 | Catch Me If You Can | Norm | |
1999 | At the Mercy of a Stranger | John Davis | |
1999 | In the Company of Spies | Director | |
1999-2006 | West Wing, TheThe West Wing | Vice President John Hoynes | Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (2002-03) |
2000 | Navigating the Heart | John Daly | |
2000 | Hell Swarm | Kirk Bluhdorn | |
2000 | Sharing the Secret | John Moss | |
2000 | Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis | John F. Kennedy | |
2001 | Second Honeymoon | George | |
2001-02 | Wolf Lake | Sheriff Matthew Donner | |
2002 | Mom's on Strike | Alan Harris | |
2002 | King of Queens, TheThe King of Queens | Dr. Farber | Saeson 4, Episode 24: "Two Thirty" |
2002 | Breaking News | Bill Dunne | |
2003 | Without a Trace | Dr. Aaron Morrison | |
2003 | Ed | Peter Evashavik | |
2003 | Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart | Andy Stewart | |
2003 | King and Queen of Moonlight Bay, TheThe King and Queen of Moonlight Bay | Al Dodge | |
2004 | Judas | Pontius Pilate | |
2004 | Justice League Unlimited | Maxwell Lord | Voice |
2006 | Prince, TheThe Prince | Soloman | |
2006 | Augusta, Gone | Ben Dudman | also director |
2007 | World According to Barnes, TheThe World According to Barnes | ||
2007 | Shark | Judge Andrew Bennett | |
2008 | Entourage | Steve Parles | |
2008 | To Love and Die | James White | |
2008 | True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet | Director | |
2008-2013 | Burn Notice | Larry Sizemore | Recurring role |
2009 | Batman: The Brave and the Bold | Jarvis Kord | |
2009 | Body Politic | Senator Webster | |
2010 | White Collar | Edward Walker | Season 2, Episode 1: "Withdrawal" |
2011 | Criminal Behavior | Director | |
2011-2015 | Hart of Dixie | Dr. Bertram "Brick" Breeland | Recurring role episodes 1-14; regular role episodes 15-76 |
2012-2013 | Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated | Brad Chiles | 13 Episodes |
2013 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Oliver Tate | 2 Episodes |
Charities
Tim Matheson supports the following charitable cause: Environment.