Michael O'Neill

Michael O'Neill

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Michael O'Neill (born May 29, 1951) is an American actor. With a career stretching through three decades, he usually portrays senior law enforcement or military officers. He is perhaps best known for his role as Special agent Ron Butterfield, the head of President Josiah Bartlet's Secret Service detail, on The West Wing. He played CTU Administrative Director Richard Walsh in the first two episodes of 24. He played Sgt. Maj. Ron Cheals in the CBS action-drama series The Unit. He starred in the Season Six 2 part Finale of Grey's Anatomy as the broken widower who holds the hospital hostage with a 9mm while pursuing the doctors responsible for unplugging his wife. His most notable film performances occur in Seabiscuit, Secondhand Lions, Transformers, Dancer, Texas Pop 81, Traffic, Sea of Love, A Quiet Little Marriage, Nothing But the Truth, and Green Zone. O'Neill graduated from Auburn University in 1974. After attending Auburn he spent time under the tutelage of actor Will Geer and his daughter, Ellen, at Theatricum Botanicum in Los Angeles before moving to New York to pursue his career there.

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Known For

Filmography

2025

Bride Hard
Bride Hard
Movie - Released: 6/19/2025

2024

Happy's Place
Happy's Place
as Jim Jackoway
TV - Released: 10/18/2024

2023

Air
Air
as Joe Dean
Movie - Released: 4/5/2023

2022

Echoes
Echoes
as Victor McCleary
TV - Released: 8/19/2022
Fire Country
Fire Country
as Harlan Denbo
TV - Released: 10/7/2022
Outer Range
Outer Range
as Judge Pettigrew
TV - Released: 4/14/2022

2021

Cold Call
Cold Call
as Christian
Movie - Released: 2/4/2021

2020

The Stand at Paxton County
The Stand at Paxton County
as Dell Connelly
Movie - Released: 5/2/2020
Messiah
Messiah
as Cameron Collier
TV - Released: 1/1/2020

2019

Clemency
Clemency
as Chaplain David Kendricks
Movie - Released: 12/27/2019

2018

Indivisible
Indivisible
as Chaplain Rogers
Movie - Released: 10/26/2018
Danger One
Danger One
as Beckwith
Movie - Released: 9/14/2018
The Resident
The Resident
as Joshua Williams
TV - Released: 1/21/2018
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan
as Senator Mitchell Chapin
TV - Released: 8/30/2018
The Romanoffs
The Romanoffs
as Ron Hopkins
TV - Released: 10/11/2018

2017

S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T.
as Carl Luca
TV - Released: 11/2/2017

2016

This Is Us
This Is Us
as Arlo
TV - Released: 9/20/2016
11.22.63
11.22.63
as Arliss Price
TV - Released: 2/15/2016
Shooter
Shooter
as Ray Brooks
TV - Released: 11/15/2016

2014

The Grim Sleeper
The Grim Sleeper
as Detective Simms
Movie - Released: 3/15/2014
Extant
Extant
as Alan Sparks
TV - Released: 7/9/2014
Manhattan
Manhattan
as Psychiatrist
TV - Released: 7/27/2014

2013

Dallas Buyers Club
Dallas Buyers Club
as Richard Barkley
Movie - Released: 11/1/2013
Bates Motel
Bates Motel
as Nick Ford
TV - Released: 3/18/2013
Rectify
Rectify
as Senator Roland Foulkes
TV - Released: 4/22/2013

2012

Scandal
Scandal
as Lonnie Mencken
TV - Released: 4/5/2012

2011

J. Edgar
J. Edgar
as Senator McKellar
Movie - Released: 11/9/2011

2010

Green Zone
Green Zone
as Colonel Bethel
Movie - Released: 3/11/2010
The Glades
The Glades
as Trent Staley
TV - Released: 7/11/2010
Rizzoli & Isles
Rizzoli & Isles
as Jonathan McKnight
TV - Released: 7/12/2010
Law & Order: LA
Law & Order: LA
as Jeb Monroe
TV - Released: 9/29/2010

2009

FlashForward
FlashForward
as CIA Director Keller
TV - Released: 9/24/2009
NCIS: Los Angeles
NCIS: Los Angeles
as Ret. U.S. Army General Richard Collins
TV - Released: 9/22/2009

2008

A Quiet Little Marriage
A Quiet Little Marriage
as Bruce
Movie - Released: 10/18/2008
Nothing But the Truth
Nothing But the Truth
as CIA Director
Movie - Released: 12/19/2008
Crazy
Crazy
as Ralph Christianson
Movie - Released: 3/2/2008
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
as Anthony Franklin
TV - Released: 9/3/2008
The Mentalist
The Mentalist
as Sheriff Nelson
TV - Released: 9/23/2008
Fringe
Fringe
as Sheriff Velchik
TV - Released: 9/9/2008
Leverage
Leverage
as Judge Roy
TV - Released: 12/7/2008

2007

Transformers
Transformers
as Tom Banacheck
Movie - Released: 6/27/2007

2006

The Nine
The Nine
as Pete Burton
TV - Released: 10/4/2006
The Unit
The Unit
as Ron Cheals
TV - Released: 3/7/2006

2005

Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer
as Nolan
TV - Released: 9/23/2005
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
as Gary Clark
TV - Released: 3/27/2005
Prison Break
Prison Break
as Herb Stanton
TV - Released: 8/29/2005
Commander in Chief
Commander in Chief
as Congressman Wilcox
TV - Released: 9/27/2005
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
as Det. Yarbough
TV - Released: 9/22/2005

2004

Around the Bend
Around the Bend
as Cowboy
Movie - Released: 10/8/2004
American Crime
American Crime
as Sheriff Smyth
Movie - Released: 4/6/2004
LAX
LAX
as Alonso Mathews
TV - Released: 9/13/2004

2003

Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatcher
as General Matheson
Movie - Released: 3/21/2003
Secondhand Lions
Secondhand Lions
as Ralph
Movie - Released: 9/19/2003
Seabiscuit
Seabiscuit
as Mr. Pollard
Movie - Released: 7/22/2003
NCIS
NCIS
as Riley McCallister
TV - Released: 9/23/2003

2002

Without a Trace
Without a Trace
as Thomas Shannon
TV - Released: 9/26/2002

2001

24
24
as Richard Walsh
TV - Released: 11/6/2001
24
24
as Richard Welsh
TV - Released: 11/6/2001
Crossing Jordan
Crossing Jordan
as Chris Benz
TV - Released: 9/24/2001

2000

The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Legend of Bagger Vance
as O.B. Keeler
Movie - Released: 11/2/2000
Traffic
Traffic
as Lawyer Rodman
Movie - Released: 12/27/2000
Boston Public
Boston Public
as Dr. Bernard Colbert
TV - Released: 10/23/2000

1999

ATF
ATF
as ATF Asst. Director Ben Walker
Movie - Released: 9/6/1999
The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad
as Greene
Movie - Released: 3/26/1999
Roswell
Roswell
as Philip Evans
TV - Released: 10/6/1999
The West Wing
The West Wing
as Ron Butterfield
TV - Released: 9/22/1999

1998

Dancer, Texas Pop. 81
Dancer, Texas Pop. 81
as Mr. Lusk
Movie - Released: 5/1/1998
Virtual Obsession
Virtual Obsession
Movie - Released: 2/1/1998

1997

The Shining
The Shining
as Daniel Edwards (uncredited)
TV - Released: 4/27/1997
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal
as Dr. Colbert
TV - Released: 9/8/1997

1996

The Sunchaser
The Sunchaser
as Agent Moreland
Movie - Released: 5/29/1996
Millennium
Millennium
as County Prosecutor Calvin Smith
TV - Released: 10/25/1996

1995

Bushwhacked
Bushwhacked
as Jon Jordan
Movie - Released: 8/4/1995
Awake to Danger
Awake to Danger
as Detective Brickman
Movie - Released: 3/12/1995
JAG
JAG
as Commander Bradley
TV - Released: 9/23/1995

1994

Blind Justice
Blind Justice
as Spencer Heymen
Movie - Released: 6/25/1994
Beyond Betrayal
Beyond Betrayal
as Ray Pasquerello
Movie - Released: 10/11/1994
Chicago Hope
Chicago Hope
TV - Released: 9/18/1994
One West Waikiki
One West Waikiki
TV - Released: 8/4/1994
ER
ER
as Col. Ken Kilner
TV - Released: 9/19/1994

1993

For Their Own Good
For Their Own Good
as Clark Thompson
Movie - Released: 4/5/1993
Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story
Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story
as Dick Britton
Movie - Released: 11/9/1993
The X-Files
The X-Files
as Patrol Captain Van Gelder
TV - Released: 9/10/1993
Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder
as Sheriff Buck O'Hara
TV - Released: 10/29/1993

1992

The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag
The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag
as Jergens
Movie - Released: 8/21/1992
Jennifer Eight
Jennifer Eight
as Serato
Movie - Released: 11/6/1992
Lorenzo's Oil
Lorenzo's Oil
as School Psychologist
Movie - Released: 12/30/1992

1989

An Unremarkable Life
An Unremarkable Life
as Michael
Movie - Released: 10/12/1989
Sea of Love
Sea of Love
as Raymond Brown
Movie - Released: 9/15/1989

1981

Ghost Story
Ghost Story
as Churchill
Movie - Released: 12/18/1981

Unknown

Movie