A. J. Buckley
A versatile character actor best known for bringing tech-savvy humor to CSI: NY and gritty intensity to SEAL Team.
Born 1977 (age 49)·Canadian actor·Birthday: February 9·Generation X
Biography
A. J. Buckley didn't arrive in Hollywood via a typical path; he was a hockey player from Dublin (by way of Canada) whose athletic career was cut short by injury. That pivot led him to acting, where he found his niche not as a leading man, but as a memorable and reliable character actor with a knack for blending technical specificity with human warmth. For eight seasons, he was the quick-witted, slightly nerdy lab tech Adam Ross on 'CSI: NY,' providing crucial scientific insights and comic relief in equal measure. He then transformed completely into the hardened, physically imposing Navy SEAL Sonny Quinn on 'SEAL Team,' a role that demanded a new level of physical and emotional intensity. Buckley's career is a study in range, moving seamlessly from voice work in animated films like 'The Good Dinosaur' to recurring roles on genre staples like 'Supernatural,' building a respected body of work by fully inhabiting the experts, soldiers, and oddballs in the background who make stories feel real.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
A. was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When A. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
A.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played the recurring role of lab technician Adam Ross across 68 episodes of the hit procedural 'CSI: NY' from 2005 to 2013.
- Portrayed Special Warfare Operator Sonny Quinn, a main character, for seven seasons on the military drama 'SEAL Team'.
- Voiced the pterodactyl Nash in Pixar's 2015 animated film 'The Good Dinosaur'.
- Appeared in multiple episodes of 'Supernatural' as the time-traveling hunter Ed Zeddmore.
Did You Know?
He was born in Dublin, Ireland, but grew up in Vancouver, Canada, and holds dual citizenship.
He was a promising junior hockey player before a back injury ended his athletic aspirations.
He is an avid outdoorsman and fisherman, which aligned well with his role on 'SEAL Team'.
His first major acting role was in the 1998 teen horror film 'Disturbing Behavior.'
“I played a lab tech on 'CSI: NY' for nine years, and people still call me Adam.”
