Pruitt Taylor Vince

Pruitt Taylor Vince
Born (1960-07-05) July 5, 1960
EducationLouisiana State University
OccupationActor
Years active1986–present
Spouses
Anne Schneider
(m. 1985, divorced)
    Julianne Mattelig
    (m. 2003, divorced)

    Pruitt Taylor Vince (born July 5, 1960) is an American actor. Often classified as a character actor, he made his film debut with a supporting role in Angel Heart (1987).

    After supporting roles in the films Mississippi Burning (1988), Jacob's Ladder (1990), and Natural Born Killers (1994), alongside his portrayal of Lee Bowers in the political thriller film JFK (1991), Vince gained attention with his starring roles in the films Heavy (1995) and Beautiful Girls (1996). He had his breakout with a recurring role as Clifford Banks on season 2 of the ABC legal drama television series Murder One (1997), which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Following his Murder One role, Vince had starring roles in the films The Legend of 1900 (1998) and Mumford (1999).

    In the 2000s, Vince had starring roles in the films Nurse Betty (2000), Simone (2002), Trapped (2002), Identity (2003), Constantine (2005), and Captivity (2007). He had a recurring role as Mose Manuel on the HBO Western series Deadwood (2005–2006).

    In the 2010s, Vince had starring roles in the films Flypaper (2011), 13 Sins (2014), The Devil's Candy (2017), and Bird Box (2018). He portrayed Angelo Ruggiero in the biographical crime film Gotti (2018). On television, he had recurring roles as J.J. LaRoche on the CBS series The Mentalist (2010–2013), Casper Abraham on the NBC series Heroes Reborn (2015), and Grill on the ABC superhero series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2017–2018). In the 2020s, he had a supporting role as Jonathan Kent in the superhero film Superman (2025) and a main role as Bob Bauer in the Apple TV+ miniseries Lady in the Lake (2024).

    Early life

    Vince was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 5, 1960. He attended Louisiana State University.[1]

    For most of his life, Vince has had a condition called nystagmus, the involuntary movement of the eye.[2]

    Career

    Vince made his film debut in Jim Jarmusch's Down by Law, but his scenes were edited out. He had prominent supporting roles in several major films, including a turn as a dimwitted Ku Klux Klan member in Mississippi Burning (1988), Lee Bowers in JFK (1991), and the main character's best friend in Nobody's Fool (1994). His first lead role was in James Mangold's independent film Heavy (1995), playing a sweet, silent overweight cook harboring a crush on a waitress played by Liv Tyler. He starred in Giuseppe Tornatore's film The Legend of 1900 (1998).

    Vince often alternates between heroic and villainous characters. Vince played a Southern policeman in the neo-noir psychological horror film Angel Heart (1987), a kidnapper's assistant in the crime thriller film Trapped (2002), and a deputy prison warden in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994). He played a lovable, small town pub owner in Beautiful Girls (1996); a mentally ill serial killer in the 2003 mystery thriller film Identity (a second collaboration with director Mangold); a pompous sheriff in Nurse Betty (2000); a gossip columnist in Simone (2002); and a dissolute Roman Catholic priest with psychic abilities in the 2005 supernatural horror film Constantine.[3] He can also be seen in the dramatic film Love from Ground Zero (1998) playing as Walter. Other film titles include the psychological horror film Jacob's Ladder (1990), the neo-noir film China Moon (1994), the action thriller film Homefront (2013), and the supernatural horror film The Devil's Candy (2015).

    Guest appearances on TV shows include Deadwood, Alias, The X-Files, Miami Vice, Quantum Leap, Chicago Hope, In the Heat of the Night, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Highlander: The Series, and the American remake of Touching Evil. In 2011, he appeared as Otis in the AMC television series The Walking Dead.[4] He also had a guest role playing a 600-lb. patient in Fox's medical drama House. From 2010 to 2014, he had a multi-episode appearance in The Mentalist.[5] In 2012, he appeared in a full episode of Justified.[6] He took a comic role as "Jelly" in Flypaper. In 2018, he appeared on an episode of The Blacklist as Lawrence Devlin.[7]

    Awards

    Vince received an Emmy Award, in 1997, for Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as serial killer Clifford Banks during the second season of the television series Murder One.[8]

    Filmography

    Film

    Year Film Role Notes
    1986 Down by Law (scenes deleted), First role
    1987 Angel Heart Det. Deimos
    Shy People Paul
    Barfly Joe
    1988 Red Heat Night Clerk
    Mississippi Burning Lester Cowens
    1989 K-9 Benny the Mule
    Homer and Eddie Cashier
    1990 Wild at Heart Buddy
    Fear Shadow Man
    Come See the Paradise Augie Farrell
    Jacob's Ladder Paul
    1991 JFK Lee Bowers
    1994 China Moon Daryl Jeeters
    City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold Bud
    Natural Born Killers Deputy Warden Kavanaugh
    Nobody's Fool Rub Squeers
    1995 Heavy Victor Modino
    Under the Hula Moon Bob
    1996 The Cottonwood Mark Salli
    Beautiful Girls Stanley 'Stinky' Womack
    1997 The End of Violence Frank Cray
    A Further Gesture Scott
    Cold Around the Heart Johnny 'Cokebottles' Costello
    1998 Dr. Dolittle Patient at Hammersmith Uncredited
    The Legend of 1900 Max Tooney
    Love from Ground Zero Walter
    1999 Mumford Henry Follett
    2000 Nurse Betty Ballard
    The Cell Dr. Reid
    2001 Mental Hygiene Mr. Adams Short
    2002 13 Moons Owen
    Rebellion Vito
    S1m0ne Max Sayer
    Trapped Marvin
    Trapped from Within Himself Video documentary short
    2003 Identity Malcolm Rivers
    Monster Gene / Stuttering "John"
    2005 Constantine Father Hennessey
    Drop Dead Sexy Spider
    Nobody Wants Your Film Himself Documentary
    2007 When a Man Falls in the Forest Travis
    Captivity Ben Dexter
    2008 The Echo Joseph
    2009 The Smell of Success Cleveland Clod
    In the Electric Mist Lou Girard
    Don McKay Mel
    Leaves of Grass Big Joe Sharpe
    2011 Stanley DeBrock Earl Wayne
    Flypaper Wyatt 'Jelly' Jenkins
    Cameraman Jeremy
    Drive Angry Roy
    On the Inside Ben Marshal
    Butter Ned Eaten
    Creature Grover
    2012 Bending the Rules Happy
    Jules Verne's Mysterious Island Gideon Spilett
    Brake Driver / Boss Terrorist (voice)
    2013 Broken Blood Earl Wayne
    The Making of Broken Blood Himself Video documentary short
    Homefront Werks
    Dark Tourist Carl Marznap
    Beautiful Creatures Mr. Lee[9]
    13 Sins Vogler[10]
    2015 The Devil's Candy Ray Smilie
    2016 59 Seconds Robert
    2018 Gotti Angelo Ruggiero
    ASIA A Noah Short
    Bird Box Rick
    2021 Crime Story Tommy
    2025 Superman Jonathan Kent
    TBA Reckoning Tommy Post-production

    Television

    Year Film Role Notes
    1988 Miami Vice Cruz Episode: "Bad Timing"
    1989 I Know My First Name is Steven Irving Murphy TV movie
    1990 In the Heat of the Night Leonard Grissom Episode: "Perversions of Justice"
    1991 Sweet Poison Coyle TV movie
    Dead in the Water Lou Rescetti TV movie
    1992 Till Death Us Do Part Michael Brockington TV movie
    Quantum Leap Hank Pilcher Episode: "Moments to Live - May 4, 1985"
    1993 Sisters Joe Abruzzia Episode: "Things Are Tough All Over"
    1995 Chicago Hope Walter Platt Episode: "Small Sacrifices"
    The Marshal Two-Cats Episode: "Buy Hard"
    Highlander Mikey Episode: "The Innocent"
    1996 The X-Files Gerry Schnauz Episode: "Unruhe"
    1997 Night Sins Olie Swain TV movie
    Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer Clifford Banks TV mini-series
    Murder One Clifford Banks 6 episodes
    2001 Gideon's Crossing James Tooley Episode: "The Lottery"
    Thieves Roy Lichter Episode: "Dey Got De Degas"
    2003 L.A. Confidential Sid Hudgens TV movie
    The Handler Ray / Sergei Episode: "Street Boss"
    Alias Campbell / Schapker Episode: "Breaking Point"
    2004 Touching Evil Cyril Kemp 5 episodes
    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Marty Gleason Episode: "Swap Meet"
    2005–2006 Deadwood Mose Manuel 10 episodes
    2006 House George Episode: "Que Sera Sera"
    2008 Canterbury's Law Louis Minot Episode: "Baggage"
    2010 Medium Peter Winant Episode: "Deja Vu All Over Again"
    Infamous The Patriarch 3 episodes, also director
    Memphis Beat Martin Matthews Episode: "I Want to Be Free"
    2010–2013 The Mentalist J.J. LaRoche 12 episodes
    2011 The Cape Goggles Episode: "Goggles and Hicks"
    The Walking Dead Otis 3 episodes
    2012 Justified Glen Fogle Episode: "Harlan Roulette"
    Bones Haze Jackson Episode: "The Prisoner in the Pipe"
    Hawaii Five-0 Richard Branche Episode: "Ha'alele"
    2014 True Blood Finn 5 episodes
    2015 Heroes Reborn Casper Abraham[11] 7 episodes
    2017 Stranger Things Ray Carroll 2 episodes
    2017–2018 Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Grill[12] Recurring; 4 episodes
    2018 The Blacklist Lawrence Devlin 2 episodes
    2024 Lady in the Lake Bob Bauer Miniseries

    Accolades

    Year Award Category Nominated work Result
    1997 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Murder One Won
    Viewers for Quality Television Awards Best Recurring Player Won

    References

    1. ^ "Pruitt Taylor-Vince Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on June 26, 2007.
    2. ^ "Famous People with Nystagmus". Nystagmus Network UK. Archived from the original on 2015-10-28.
    3. ^ Hansen, Regina (2011). "Mad Drunken Exorcists: The Decline of the Hero Priest". In Hansen, Regina (ed.). Roman Catholicism in Fantastic Film: Essays on Belief, Spectacle, Ritual and Imagery. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-7864-8724-0. LCCN 2011007859.
    4. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (22 June 2011). "Walking Dead Exclusive: Mentalist's Pruitt Taylor Vince Cops First Season 2 Role". TVLine. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
    5. ^ Keck, William (26 October 2010). "Keck's Exclusives: New Mentalist Character To Butt Heads with Jane". TVGuide.com.
    6. ^ "'Justified' Season 3, Episode 3: 'Harlan Roulette' Recap". ScreenRant.com. 1 February 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
    7. ^ "Will The Blacklist Kill Off Another Major Character In Season 5?". CINEMABLEND. 2018-05-03. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
    8. ^ "Pruitt Taylor Vince". emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
    9. ^ "Beautiful Creatures Interview - Pruitt Taylor Vince (2013)". Trailer Addict. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
    10. ^ "Ron Perlman, Pruitt Taylor Vince And More Sign On For Angry Little God - CINEMABLEND". CINEMABLEND. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
    11. ^ "Heroes Reborn adds Walking Dead actor". Digital Spy. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
    12. ^ "Agents of SHIELD announces new character in season 5". TheGlobalDispatch.com. 4 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.