John Getz

Personal Info

Known ForActing
Born1946-10-15
BirthplaceDavenport, Iowa, U.S.

John Getz

Acting

Biography

​John Getz (born October 15, 1946) is an American actor. Getz dropped out of college to attend the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. While working in a winery, he helped found the Theater Company in Napa County, California. His location in the grape-growing Napa Valley led to Getz's television debut in a made-for-television horror film Killer Bees. Killer Bees starred Gloria Swanson, Craig Stevens, Kate Jackson, and Edward Albert. Getz then moved to New York City, where he became active in local theater while doing an 18-month stint as Neil Johnson on the soap opera Another World.

Getz appeared in The Happy Hooker and followed up with several other roles before starring in the Coen Brothers' neo-noir thriller Blood Simple. He played the doomed lover of a married woman (Frances McDormand) who woefully misinterprets his increasingly complex circumstances.

Getz also appeared in The Fly and The Fly II as Stathis Borans, a science magazine editor who pays a heavy price for his curiosity. Also in 1989, he played a Marine Corps Major in Born on the Fourth of July. In 1991, Getz appeared as the unpleasant boyfriend of professional women in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and Curly Sue. In 1990, Getz appeared as a crime boss in the Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez spoof Men At Work. In 1994, he appeared in the film Playmaker, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Rubin.

In 2007, he had a role in David Fincher's film Zodiac. Also in 2007, he appeared in Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman's documentary film Nanking as George Ashmore Fitch, head of the local YMCA and administrative director of the International Committee for the Nanking Safety Zone. Getz also had a role in Fincher's film The Social Network, about the founding of Facebook. He appeared in the suspense thriller Elevator as a Wall Street executive trapped in an elevator with a group of strangers, one of whom has a bomb. Written and produced by Marc Rosenberg and directed by Stig Svendsen, Elevator was released in July 2012. He appeared in Trumbo (2015) as director Sam Wood.

Through the decades, Getz has guest-starred in many television series, including Barney Miller and Three's Company, where he played Lee Tripper, brother of Jack Tripper. He has guest-starred in How I Met Your Mother, Prison Break, The King of Queens and Private Practice, and had recurring roles in Homeland, Timeless and Bosch.

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Notable Works

Prominent titles featuring John Getz

Filmography

Acting (58)

2024
The Dead Don't Hurtas Reverend Simpson
6.5
2019
5.0
2018
4.3
2016
Certain Womenas Sheriff Rowles
6.0
2015
Trumboas Sam Wood
7.2
2015
5.7
2013
2013
Jobsas Paul Jobs
6.1
2013
4.6
2013
Elevatoras Henry Barton
4.9
7.4
2008
A Line in the Sandas Captain McClenon
7.0
2008
Superhero Movieas Lunatic Editor
5.3
2007
Hard Fouras Blazedell Woodruff
4.9
2007
Zodiacas Templeton Peck
7.5
2007
Nankingas George Fitch
7.1
2005
5.5
2004
A Day Without a Mexicanas Senator Abercombie
5.9
2003
Hunger Pointas David Hunter
4.3
2001
Zenon: The Zequelas General Hammond
5.6
2000
Held for Ransomas Mr. Kirkland
5.1
1998
Some Girlas Claire's Father
5.1
1997
Painted Heroas Sheriff Acuff
5.3
1996
Mojave Moonas Police Officer
4.9
1996
A Friend's Betrayalas Dennis Hewitt
5.6
1996
The Late Shiftas Brandon Tartikoff
6.4
1995
Awake to Dangeras Steve Murdock
6.8
1994
Fortunes of Waras Franklin Hewitt
4.2
1994
4.4
1994
5.9
1994
Playmakeras Eddie
5.9
6.5
1992
Majority Ruleas Paul Taylor
6.0
1992
In My Daughter's Nameas Michael Elias
7.0
1991
Curly Sueas Walker McCormick
6.4
1990
Men at Workas Maxwell Potterdam III
5.7
1989
Born on the Fourth of Julyas Marine Major - Vietnam
7.0
1989
The Fly IIas Stathis Borans
5.8
1988
Police Story: Burnoutas Sgt. Jack Leland
7.0
1986
The Flyas Stathis Borans
7.4
1985
I Want to Go Homeas Thomas Sanders
7.0
1985
7.2
1984
Thief of Heartsas Ray Davis
5.5
1984
Concrete Beatas Mickey Thompson
6.0
1982
7.5
1982
8.5
1981
Tattooas Buddy
5.0
1981
Rivkin: Bounty Hunteras Lester Dederow
9.0
1981
Kent Stateas Prof. Ted Arnold
6.0
1977
The Sentinelas Film Crew (uncredited)
6.1
1975
The Happy Hookeras Trout Fisherman
3.9
1974
Killer Beesas Attendant
4.4