Short Biography

Dylan McDermott (born Mark Anthony McDermott[1] on October 26, 1961) is an American actor, known for his role as lawyer and law firm head Bobby Donnell on the television legal drama The Practice.

McDermott was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, to Diane (neé Marino) and Richard McDermott.[2] His Italian American mother was fifteen and his Irish American father was seventeen when he was born.[1] By 1967, the couple had divorced, and Diane and her children were living with her mother.[1] On February 9, 1967,[2] his mother was accidentally shot and killed with her boyfriend`s gun; McDermott was five.[3] Her boyfriend reported to newspapers at the time that she picked up his gun and it went off.[2] He and his sister, Robin, then began to be raised by their maternal grandmother, Avis Marino, in Waterbury, CT.[1] The neighborhood was so rough that a burglar once stole their underwear.[2]

As a teenager, McDermott began taking trips to visit his father, who owned the West Fourth Street Saloon in New York City. The two would see movies together, and the younger McDermott would work in his father`s bar serving drinks and breaking up fights. He would also fast talk his way into the Mudd Club and Studio 54.[2] McDermott was uncomfortable with himself as a teenager, saying he had a "Dorothy Hamill hairdo". He began to imitate his acting heroes, such as Marlon Brando and Humphrey Bogart, to adopt their demeanor.[4] McDermott attended and graduated from Holy Cross High School in Waterbury Connecticut.

His father`s third wife was Eve Ensler (author of The Vagina Monologues) and she legally adopted McDermott when he was nineteen years old; she has since divorced his father. McDermott was encouraged by Ensler, with whom he has remained close, to pursue an acting career,[3] and began writing roles for him into her plays.[2] After Ensler suffered a miscarriage, he took on the name Dylan—the name of her unborn child.[citation needed] He attended acting school at the Jesuit-run Fordham University, as well as The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.

[edit] Career

McDermott starred as Chris in the 1989 film Twister about a man who tried to rescue his girlfriend and daughter from a crazy family.[5] The same year brought the Neon Empire, a movie about the rise and fall of one man in Las Vegas.[6] However, his first big break as an actor in the acclaimed hit film In the Line of Fire. Through his connection with Clint Eastwood, McDermott was able to land his first major gig in The Practice. The show expanded McDermott`s stardom, and he made People`s list of the "50 Most Beautiful People In The World 1998" with the magazine calling him a "a prime-time heartthrob".[4] He nabbed the distinction again in 2000.[7] Despite his success on The Practice, McDermott (and five other starring cast members) were cut from the show. Executive producer David E. Kelley cited "economic and creative realities" as a result of pressure from ABC to reduce costs.[8]

In 2004, McDermott starred alongside Julianna Margulies four-part mini-series The Grid, playing FBI Special Agent Max Canary in an anti-terrorist unit.[9]

In 2006, McDermott played a returned soldier suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder in the Ensler`s play The Treatment.[10]

In 2007, McDermott starred in the television series Big Shots. Due to low viewership, the show was cancelled in January 2008 after 11 episodes without completing the planned 13-epis

Miscellaneous Information

Friends and Family

Robin [Sister]

Avis Marino [Grandmother]

Eve Ensler [Step Mother]

Richard "Mac" McDermott [Father]

Diane McDermott [Mother] (died when Dylan was 5.)

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