Tate Donovan
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Tate Buckley Donovan began making television appearances while still in his
teens, most often cast as angst-ridden high schoolers in such
made-for-TV films such as Not My Kid (1985) and Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder (1987).
Donovan was born to a large family
in Tenafly, New Jersey, the son of Eileen Frances (McAllister) and John Timothy Donovan, a surgeon. He is of Irish descent. Donovan moved to Los Angeles to be closer to
the television industry while he attended college at USC, where he also
met several fellow actors who became longtime friends, such as Grant Heslov
and George Clooney, with whom he still parties with to this day (he also had a
fairly substantial part in their smash film, Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005). Although not
quite as active as his friend Clooney in the romantic arena, confirmed
bachelor Donovan has been engaged to both film star Sandra Bullock and
television icon Jennifer Aniston, and has dated a diverse group of women such as
socialite Plum Sikes (2000), stage actress Whitney Allen (2001) and
television actress Lauren Graham, whom he met when they both appeared in the
play "Once in a Lifetime" at the Williamstown Theater Festival in 2002.
After graduating from college, Donovan gained prominent notice for his
portrayal of the charismatic yet self-centered co-pilot in the ensemble
period drama Memphis Belle (1990). Prior to that, Donovan had appeared as the cocky
elder camper in SpaceCamp (1986) and as a recovering drug addict in Clean and Sober (1988). His
first leading role was in the charming but minor Love Potion No. 9 (1992), costarring
Bullock, to whom he became engaged (their relationship ended in 1994).
He then appeared in several independent features as sullen, withdrawn
types before following up with a role in the Disney family comedy,
Holy Matrimony (1994). He returned to Disney for perhaps his highest-profile effort
to date, the animated Hercules (1997), for which he provided the voice for the
adult version of the title character. His small-screen work has
included a Cable ACE-nominated turn in the HBO series Vietnam War Story II (1988) (V). He
joined the parade of film stars who turned to sitcoms, heading the cast
of Partners (1995) opposite Jon Cryer. When that failed to catch on, he joined
with his "Memphis Belle" co-stars Eric Stoltz and Reed Diamond to play three
brothers in a memorable episode of NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) and had a recurring
role as a client and potential love interest for Calista Flockhart's titular
lawyer Ally McBeal (1997). Switching networks, he had a recurring role as a love
interest opposite his then-girlfriend Jennifer Aniston in NBC's Friends (1994) and
donned clerical garb to play the priest son of a large Irish Catholic
family in the short-lived NBC drama Trinity (1998). More recently he has
appeared as a guest star in several shows such as The Guardian (2001), as well as
Mister Sterling (2003) and in the new show The O.C. (2003).
teens, most often cast as angst-ridden high schoolers in such
made-for-TV films such as Not My Kid (1985) and Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder (1987).
Donovan was born to a large family
in Tenafly, New Jersey, the son of Eileen Frances (McAllister) and John Timothy Donovan, a surgeon. He is of Irish descent. Donovan moved to Los Angeles to be closer to
the television industry while he attended college at USC, where he also
met several fellow actors who became longtime friends, such as Grant Heslov
and George Clooney, with whom he still parties with to this day (he also had a
fairly substantial part in their smash film, Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005). Although not
quite as active as his friend Clooney in the romantic arena, confirmed
bachelor Donovan has been engaged to both film star Sandra Bullock and
television icon Jennifer Aniston, and has dated a diverse group of women such as
socialite Plum Sikes (2000), stage actress Whitney Allen (2001) and
television actress Lauren Graham, whom he met when they both appeared in the
play "Once in a Lifetime" at the Williamstown Theater Festival in 2002.
After graduating from college, Donovan gained prominent notice for his
portrayal of the charismatic yet self-centered co-pilot in the ensemble
period drama Memphis Belle (1990). Prior to that, Donovan had appeared as the cocky
elder camper in SpaceCamp (1986) and as a recovering drug addict in Clean and Sober (1988). His
first leading role was in the charming but minor Love Potion No. 9 (1992), costarring
Bullock, to whom he became engaged (their relationship ended in 1994).
He then appeared in several independent features as sullen, withdrawn
types before following up with a role in the Disney family comedy,
Holy Matrimony (1994). He returned to Disney for perhaps his highest-profile effort
to date, the animated Hercules (1997), for which he provided the voice for the
adult version of the title character. His small-screen work has
included a Cable ACE-nominated turn in the HBO series Vietnam War Story II (1988) (V). He
joined the parade of film stars who turned to sitcoms, heading the cast
of Partners (1995) opposite Jon Cryer. When that failed to catch on, he joined
with his "Memphis Belle" co-stars Eric Stoltz and Reed Diamond to play three
brothers in a memorable episode of NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street (1993) and had a recurring
role as a client and potential love interest for Calista Flockhart's titular
lawyer Ally McBeal (1997). Switching networks, he had a recurring role as a love
interest opposite his then-girlfriend Jennifer Aniston in NBC's Friends (1994) and
donned clerical garb to play the priest son of a large Irish Catholic
family in the short-lived NBC drama Trinity (1998). More recently he has
appeared as a guest star in several shows such as The Guardian (2001), as well as
Mister Sterling (2003) and in the new show The O.C. (2003).