Jeff Perry (American actor)
A character actor's character actor, whose grounded presence has anchored everything from cult teen dramas to Washington's most ruthless political schemes.
Born 1955 (age 71)·American actor·Birthday: August 16·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jeff Perry built a career not on leading-man looks, but on a profound understanding of human complexity, delivered with a quiet, often unsettling intensity. A founding member of Chicago's famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company, he carried that ensemble's raw, truthful ethos to Hollywood. While millions first noticed him as the empathetic teacher Richard Katimski on 'My So-Called Life,' it was his later work as political fixer Cyrus Beene on 'Scandal' that showcased his mastery of moral ambiguity. Perry possesses a rare ability to make even the most manipulative characters strangely sympathetic, revealing the wounded humanity beneath the cunning. His film and television resume is a map of quality storytelling, from 'Nash Bridges' to 'Grey's Anatomy,' proving that the most memorable performances often come from the actors who truly listen.
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.
Jeff was born in 1955, 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 Jeff Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Jeff's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
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
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago alongside Gary Sinise and Terry Kinney.
- Portrayed the cunning White House Chief of Staff Cyrus Beene across seven seasons of the hit drama 'Scandal'.
- Played a pivotal role as Richard Katimski in the influential, albeit short-lived, teen drama 'My So-Called Life'.
Did You Know?
He is the ex-husband of actress Laurie Metcalf, and they have a daughter together, actress Zoe Perry.
He directed several episodes of 'Scandal' in addition to acting in the series.
His early stage work included performing in Sam Shepard's 'True West' at Steppenwolf.
“The most interesting characters live in the shadows of their own decisions.”
