Denis O'Hare
A character actor of chilling versatility, he steals scenes as aristocratic monsters, troubled historians, and every nuanced role in between.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American actor·Birthday: January 17·Baby Boomers
Biography
Denis O'Hare possesses the kind of face and talent that makes him instantly recognizable yet endlessly adaptable. A classically trained stage actor with a Tony Award to his name, he brings a formidable intelligence to every part. Television audiences know him best for a string of deliciously sinister roles: the ancient, scheming vampire king Russell Edgington on True Blood, the morally compromised historian Larry Harvey on American Horror Story, and the corrupt Judge Abernathy on The Good Wife. On film, he disappears into supporting parts in projects like Milk and Dallas Buyers Club. O'Hare's gift is his ability to find the human core—whether pathetic, terrifying, or hilarious—in characters that could easily become caricatures in lesser hands.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Denis was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Denis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Denis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out.
- Received a Primetime Emmy nomination for his performance as Larry Harvey in American Horror Story: Murder House.
- Played the memorable vampire king Russell Edgington across multiple seasons of HBO's True Blood.
- Had notable film roles in Best Picture nominees like Milk and Dallas Buyers Club.
Did You Know?
He is a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Communication.
O'Hare is openly gay and has been an activist for LGBTQ+ rights.
He is a skilled pianist and has performed musically on stage.
He played the role of Emperor Ferdinand I in the 2022 film The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die.
“I'm drawn to characters who are articulate about their damage.”
