Jack Coleman (actor)
The actor who mastered the art of the protective, morally complex father figure as the horn-rimmed glasses-wearing Noah Bennet on Heroes.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American actor and screenwriter·Birthday: February 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jack Coleman played Noah Bennet, aka 'H.R.G.,' on NBC's 'Heroes' (2006-2010), delivering a layered performance as a government agent with a file on superhumans. Behind horn-rimmed glasses and crisp suits, he portrayed a man whose fierce protection of his adoptive daughter Claire clashed with cold corporate duties. Coleman first gained attention in the 1980s as Steven Carrington on the primetime soap 'Dynasty,' navigating the character's groundbreaking gay storyline. He has since become a reliable television actor on shows including 'The Office' and 'Castle,' bringing quiet intensity and specificity to each role.
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.
Jack was born in 1958, 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 Jack Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Jack's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
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
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
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
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed the complex and beloved character Noah Bennet across all four seasons of the hit series Heroes.
- Played Steven Carrington on Dynasty, a role involving one of television's first major gay storylines.
- Had a recurring role as State Senator Robert Lipton on The Office during its later seasons.
- Has maintained a continuous acting career in television and film for over four decades.
Did You Know?
He is 6'4" tall.
His role on Heroes was originally intended to be a one-episode part but was expanded due to fan and producer response.
He is married to actress Beth Toussaint.
He worked as a screenwriter in addition to his acting career.
“I've played a lot of men who keep their cards close to the vest.”
