Dean McDermott
A Canadian actor whose real-life narrative of romance, reality TV, and personal struggle became more gripping than any scripted role.
Born 1966 (age 60)·Canadian actor·Birthday: November 16·Generation X
Biography
Dean McDermott's career is a tale of two distinct acts. First, he was a working actor, recognizable to Canadians as the earnest, slightly bumbling Constable Turnbull on 'Due South' and to foodies as the affable host of 'Chopped Canada'. Then, his marriage to Tori Spelling catapulted him into a different stratosphere of fame. The couple's life became a open book through reality series like 'Tori & Dean: Inn Love', documenting their attempts to build a family and business ventures amidst relentless media scrutiny. This public journey, marked by high-profile highs and tabloid-ready lows, often overshadowed his earlier professional work. McDermott's story reflects the modern trajectory of celebrity, where personal narrative can eclipse artistic output, and the struggle to maintain an identity within that whirlwind becomes the central, unscripted drama.
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.
Dean was born in 1966, 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 Dean Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Dean's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played the memorable supporting role of Constable Renfield Turnbull on the hit Canadian series 'Due South'.
- Hosted the Canadian adaptation of the competitive cooking show 'Chopped Canada' for multiple seasons.
- Starred with his then-wife Tori Spelling in several reality TV series that documented their family and business lives.
- Appeared in numerous television films and guest-starred on series like 'CSI: Miami' and '1-800-Missing'.
Did You Know?
He worked as a sous-chef before pursuing acting full-time.
He is a certified scuba diver.
He and Tori Spelling named their daughter 'Stella Doreen' after both of their mothers.
He was originally considered for the role of Wolverine in the first 'X-Men' film.
“The role you're given is less important than the truth you bring to it.”
