Share

Dylan McDermott biography

1 photo

Quick Facts

  • NAME: Dylan McDermott
  • OCCUPATION: Actor
  • BIRTH DATE: October 26, 1961 (Age: 51)
  • EDUCATION: Fordham University, The Neighborhood Playhouse
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: Waterbury, Connecticut
  • Full Name: Mark Anthony McDermott
  • AKA: Dylan McDermott
  • AKA: Mark McDermott
  • ZODIAC SIGN: Scorpio

Best Known For

Dylan McDermott is an American actor known for such films as Steel Magnolias and In the Line of Fire, and for TV's The Practice.

Quiz

Think you know about Biography?

Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.

Play Now

Synopsis

Dylan McDermott was encouraged in his acting career by his stepmother, playwright Eve Ensler. Once he started getting film roles,

McDermott swung from successes like Steel Magnolias to flops like Where Sleeping Dogs Lie. Highlights include In the Line of Fire with Clint Eastwood and Hamburger Hill. On television, McDermott had more success, spending several seasons on David E. Kelley's The Practice.

Early Life

Born Mark Anthony McDermott on October 26, 1961, in Waterbury, Connecticut, Dylan McDermott's mother passed away when he was 5 years old, leaving him in the care of his grandmother. At the age of 17, he moved to New York City to live with his father, who owned several Irish pubs in Greenwich Village.

McDermott's world opened up to the intrigue of theatre and acting when his father married successful playwright Eve Ensler. Sensing the potential of her stepson (whom she eventually adopted), Ensler wrote a part for the young McDermott into her play Believe It, See It, Survival. Shortly thereafter, he enrolled as a drama major at Fordham University, then continued studying with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

Broadway Debut

Upon completion of his studies, Dylan McDermott dove headfirst into the New York theatre scene, making his Broadway debut in a 1985 production of Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues. His impressive portrayal of Wykowski Selridge got him noticed, then cast in director John Irvin's raw Vietnam drama Hamburger Hill, for which he had to undergo several months of rigorous military training to prepare. Unfortunately, McDermott followed up his effective performance with several lukewarm roles: the 1988 comedies The Blue Iguana and Twister, and television's The Neon Empire and Into the Badlands were all duds. This would set the pattern of McDermott's roller-coaster ride of a career for the next few years-alternating successes with disappointments.

Career Ups and Downs

McDermott's next film role, in 1989's Steel Magnolias, pushed him into the spotlight as both the on-and-off-screen love interest of the comely Hollywood newcomer Julia Roberts. Their engagement following completion of the film ended abruptly when Roberts fell for co-star Keifer Sutherland on the set of her next film, Flatliners. Despite the incident, the movie's success made McDermott a recognizable Hollywood name. The actor subsequently weathered more flops with Hardware and Where Sleeping Dogs Lie to finally capture a small but exciting role alongside Clint Eastwood in the critically acclaimed action/drama, In the Line of Fire.

ADVERTISEMENT
9542247 9542247
profile id: 9542247
profile name: Dylan McDermott
profile occupation:
related profile id: 9542247
related profile name: Dylan McDermott
related profile occupation:
related profile img: /imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/M/Dylan-McDermott-9542247-1-402.jpg
related profile URL: /people/dylan-mcdermott-9542247
profile
pop
Your Connections

Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.

specific profile connection
See More Bio Connections
Your Friends' Connections
specific friend connection
Profile Connections
    Show More Connections
    Included In These Groups

    See all related groups

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Celebrity Connections

    Show More Connections
    Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!