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James Denton (actor)
Encyclopedia
James "Jamie" Thomas Denton, Jr. (born January 20, 1963) is an American
film
and television
actor, best known for playing Mike Delfino
in the television series Desperate Housewives
.
, and grew up in nearby Goodlettsville
. His father, J.T. Denton (1930–1993), was a dentist
who had served in the military. His mother, Mary Jean Woolslair Denton, died from breast cancer in 2002.
Denton attended the University of Tennessee
where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon
fraternity, majored in television/journalism and earned a degree in advertising. Before he became an actor, he sold advertising for two radio stations. He began acting at the age of 23, at a community theater in Nashville. He eventually moved to California to become a full-time actor. He was for a time credited as Jamie Denton, for example in the film That Old Feeling.
(1997) and Primary Colors (1998).
He has also appeared in various television shows including Sliders
, Dark Skies
, Two Guys and a Girl
, Ally McBeal
, The West Wing, and JAG
, and has had recurring roles in The Pretender
, Philly
, The Drew Carey Show
and Reba
. In 2003, he had the lead role of Special Agent John Kilmer in the short-lived crime thriller series Threat Matrix
.
In 2004, Denton won his most famous role as plumber Mike Delfino
on the series Desperate Housewives
, in which he continues to appear.
Since first appearing in Desperate Housewives, Denton has continued to act in various made-for-TV and direct-to-DVD movies such as Assumption (2006), Beautiful Dreamer
(2006), Undead or Alive
(2007), Custody
(2007), Tortured
(2008) and All-Star Superman
(2011).
In 2009, Denton appeared in country star Phil Vassar
's music video "Bobbi with an I".
Denton plays guitar in the charity band Band from TV
along with Hugh Laurie
and Desperate Housewives
co-star Teri Hatcher
, among others.
Denton has been cast in Killer in the Family alongside Holly Marie Combs
. The movie is currently in development and is scheduled to be released in 2011.
Denton is part of the owners group of an independent minor league baseball team in Fullerton, the Orange County Flyers (part of the Golden Baseball League
), who won the GBL Championship in 2008. The Orange County Flyers play at Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actor, best known for playing Mike Delfino
Mike Delfino
Michael "Mike" Delfino is the name of a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor James Denton.- Season 1 :...
in the television series Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
.
Early life
Denton was born in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, and grew up in nearby Goodlettsville
Goodlettsville, Tennessee
Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,780. Goodlettsville chose to remain autonomous in 1963...
. His father, J.T. Denton (1930–1993), was a dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
who had served in the military. His mother, Mary Jean Woolslair Denton, died from breast cancer in 2002.
Denton attended the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
fraternity, majored in television/journalism and earned a degree in advertising. Before he became an actor, he sold advertising for two radio stations. He began acting at the age of 23, at a community theater in Nashville. He eventually moved to California to become a full-time actor. He was for a time credited as Jamie Denton, for example in the film That Old Feeling.
Career
Denton has appeared in several films, including That Old Feeling (1997), Face/OffFace/Off
Face/Off is a 1997 action thriller film directed by John Woo, starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. The two both play an FBI agent and a terrorist, sworn enemies who assume the physical appearance of one another....
(1997) and Primary Colors (1998).
He has also appeared in various television shows including Sliders
Sliders
Sliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé...
, Dark Skies
Dark Skies
Dark Skies is an American UFO conspiracy theory-based sci-fi television series that aired from the 1996 to 1997 season for 18 episodes, plus a two-hour pilot episode. The success of The X-Files on Fox proved there was an audience for science fiction shows, resulting in NBC commissioning this...
, Two Guys and a Girl
Two Guys and a Girl
Two Guys and a Girl is an American sitcom created by Kenny Schwartz and Danny Jacobson. It ran on ABC from March 10, 1998 to May 16, 2001. 81 episodes were transmitted over four seasons....
, Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
, The West Wing, and JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
, and has had recurring roles in The Pretender
The Pretender (TV series)
The Pretender is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The series starred Michael T. Weiss as Jarod, a genius and former child prodigy with "the ability to become anyone he wants to be," i.e., to flawlessly impersonate anyone in virtually any line of work...
, Philly
Philly (TV series)
Philly is a television series created by Steven Bochco that focused on criminal defense attorney Kathleen Maguire . It lasted a full season and was canceled due to low ratings...
, The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
and Reba
Reba (TV series)
Reba is an American sitcom starring Reba McEntire, which ran from 2001 to 2007. For the show's first five seasons, it ran on The WB, with the show transitioning to The CW in its last year.-Synopsis:...
. In 2003, he had the lead role of Special Agent John Kilmer in the short-lived crime thriller series Threat Matrix
Threat Matrix
Threat Matrix is a 2003 American drama television series. It lasted 16 episodes. The plot consisted of the events in a United States Homeland Security anti-terrorism unit, led by Special agent John Kilmer....
.
In 2004, Denton won his most famous role as plumber Mike Delfino
Mike Delfino
Michael "Mike" Delfino is the name of a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor James Denton.- Season 1 :...
on the series Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
, in which he continues to appear.
Since first appearing in Desperate Housewives, Denton has continued to act in various made-for-TV and direct-to-DVD movies such as Assumption (2006), Beautiful Dreamer
Beautiful Dreamer (2006 film)
-Plot:Bomber pilot Joe Kelly crashes his plane, and is captured by enemy troops and loses his memory from a strike on his head after the crash. Joe is given a fallen comrade’s identity tags and assumes another identity. When Joe is not found in the wreckage, he is assumed missing in action. After...
(2006), Undead or Alive
Undead or Alive
Wanted: Undead or Alive is a 2007 comedy-horror Western film directed by Glasgow Phillips, it was written by Phillips and Scott Pourroy. The film stars Navi Rawat, Chris Kattan and James Denton.-Plot:...
(2007), Custody
Custody (film)
Custody is a 2007 Lifetime television movie, starring Rob Morrow, James Denton, and Kay Panabaker about a widower's fight for custody of his stepdaughter when her birth father who abandoned her returns. Aired on September 8, 2007. It was filmed in and around Ottawa, ON on locations such as the...
(2007), Tortured
Tortured (film)
Tortured is a 2008 crime thriller film written and directed by Nolan Lebovitz and starring Cole Hauser, Laurence Fishburne, and James Cromwell. It was released direct-to-DVD in the U.S. on September 16, 2008. The movie was filmed in Canada, in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Plot:FBI agent Kevin Cole...
(2008) and All-Star Superman
All-Star Superman (film)
All-Star Superman is a direct-to-video animated film based on the acclaimed comic book series All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. The film is the tenth in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line released by Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Animation and the first in the...
(2011).
In 2009, Denton appeared in country star Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw , Jo Dee Messina , Collin Raye , and Alan Jackson Phil Vassar (born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an...
's music video "Bobbi with an I".
Denton plays guitar in the charity band Band from TV
Band From TV
Band from TV is a charity cover band, whose members are all actors from American television series, who donate the proceeds of their performances and recordings to the charities of their choice.-Band history:...
along with Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
and Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
co-star Teri Hatcher
Teri Hatcher
Teri Lynn Hatcher is an American actress, writer, and presenter. She is known for her television roles as Susan Mayer on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and Lois Lane on the ABC comedy-drama series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman...
, among others.
Denton has been cast in Killer in the Family alongside Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs is an American film and television actress and producer whose roles have included a portrayal in Charmed as Piper Halliwell and another in Picket Fences, where she received a Young Artist Award for her role, as Kimberly Brock...
. The movie is currently in development and is scheduled to be released in 2011.
Personal life
Denton has been married twice. He was married to Jenna Lyn Ward from 1997 to 2000. On December 16, 2002 he married Erin O'Brien. They have two children: a son, Sheppard (b. March 2003) and a daughter, Malin O’Brien (b. March 22, 2005).Denton is part of the owners group of an independent minor league baseball team in Fullerton, the Orange County Flyers (part of the Golden Baseball League
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
), who won the GBL Championship in 2008. The Orange County Flyers play at Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Thieves Quartet Thieves Quartet -Cast:*Phillip Van Lear as Jimmy Fuqua*Joe Guastaferro as Art Bledsoe*Michele Cole as Jessica Sutter*James "Ike" Eichling as Mike Quinn*Richard Henzel as Morgan Luce*Jamie Denton as Ray Higgs*Dawn Maxey as Jill Luce... |
Ray Higgs | |
| 1995 | Hunter's Moon | Nick | |
| 1996 | Sliders Sliders Sliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé... |
Jack Bullock | 1 episode: 'The Good, the Bad and the Wealthy' |
| 1996 | Moloney | Rocky Talese | 1 episode: 'Friendly Fire' |
| 1996 | Dark Skies Dark Skies Dark Skies is an American UFO conspiracy theory-based sci-fi television series that aired from the 1996 to 1997 season for 18 episodes, plus a two-hour pilot episode. The success of The X-Files on Fox proved there was an audience for science fiction shows, resulting in NBC commissioning this... |
Robert Winter | 1 episode: 'Hostile Convergence' |
| 1996-2003 | JAG JAG (TV series) JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions... |
Geoffrey Roizman / Lieutenant Commander Bruce Carmichael | 2 episodes: 'Fortune Son', 'Hemlock' |
| 1997 | That Old Feeling | Keith Marks | |
| 1997 | Face/Off Face/Off Face/Off is a 1997 action thriller film directed by John Woo, starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. The two both play an FBI agent and a terrorist, sworn enemies who assume the physical appearance of one another.... |
Buzz | |
| 1997-2000 | The Pretender The Pretender (TV series) The Pretender is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The series starred Michael T. Weiss as Jarod, a genius and former child prodigy with "the ability to become anyone he wants to be," i.e., to flawlessly impersonate anyone in virtually any line of work... |
Mr. Lyle | Series regular |
| 1998 | Primary Colors | Mitch | |
| 2000 | Locked Up Down Shorty's | Danny | |
| 2000 | Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place | Dr. Howard Zaunaveld | 1 episode: 'The Monitor Story' |
| 2000 | Ally McBeal Ally McBeal Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia... |
Jimmy Bender | 1 episode: 'Do You Wanna Dance?' |
| 2000 | The West Wing | Tom Jordan | 1 episode: 'The midterms' |
| 2001 | The Pretender 2001 | Mr. Lyle | TV movie |
| 2001 | The Pretender: Island of the Haunted | Mr. Lyle | TV movie |
| 2001-2002 | Philly Philly (TV series) Philly is a television series created by Steven Bochco that focused on criminal defense attorney Kathleen Maguire . It lasted a full season and was canceled due to low ratings... |
Judge Augustus Ripley | Series regular |
| 2002 | The Drew Carey Show The Drew Carey Show The Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor.... |
2 episodes: 'The Man in the Iron Chair', 'Drew Tries Hot Salsa' | |
| 2003-2004 | Threat Matrix Threat Matrix Threat Matrix is a 2003 American drama television series. It lasted 16 episodes. The plot consisted of the events in a United States Homeland Security anti-terrorism unit, led by Special agent John Kilmer.... |
Special Agent John Kilmer | Series regular |
| 2004 | Jumbo Girl | Jack | Short film |
| 2004-2012 | Desperate Housewives Desperate Housewives Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W... |
Mike Delfino Mike Delfino Michael "Mike" Delfino is the name of a fictional character on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. The character is played by actor James Denton.- Season 1 :... |
Series regular Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2005, 2006) Nomination - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2007, 2008, 2009) Teen Choice award for Best TV actor |
| 2005-2006 | Reba Reba (TV series) Reba is an American sitcom starring Reba McEntire, which ran from 2001 to 2007. For the show's first five seasons, it ran on The WB, with the show transitioning to The CW in its last year.-Synopsis:... |
Dr. Morgan | 2 episodes: 'Date of Mirth', 'The Trouble with Dr. Hunky' |
| 2006 | Assumption | John | Short film ShockerFest Science Fiction Genre Award for Best Actor Fantasy / Science Fiction ShockerFest International Film Festival The ShockerFest International Film Festival is a Californian film and video festival for horror, fantasy and science fiction films since 2002.- ShockerFest 2009 :... |
| 2006 | Beautiful Dreamer Beautiful Dreamer (2006 film) -Plot:Bomber pilot Joe Kelly crashes his plane, and is captured by enemy troops and loses his memory from a strike on his head after the crash. Joe is given a fallen comrade’s identity tags and assumes another identity. When Joe is not found in the wreckage, he is assumed missing in action. After... |
Dr. Kessler | |
| 2007 | Ascension Day | Brother John | |
| 2007 | Undead or Alive: A Zombedy | Elmer Winslow | |
| 2007 | Masters of Science Fiction Masters of Science Fiction Masters of Science Fiction is an American television anthology series by the same creators as Masters of Horror. The show debuted on ABC on August 4, 2007 at 10PM for a run of four episodes... |
Barney Curran | 1 episode: 'The Discarded' |
| 2007 | Custody Custody (film) Custody is a 2007 Lifetime television movie, starring Rob Morrow, James Denton, and Kay Panabaker about a widower's fight for custody of his stepdaughter when her birth father who abandoned her returns. Aired on September 8, 2007. It was filmed in and around Ottawa, ON on locations such as the... |
John Sullivan | |
| 2008 | Tortured Tortured (film) Tortured is a 2008 crime thriller film written and directed by Nolan Lebovitz and starring Cole Hauser, Laurence Fishburne, and James Cromwell. It was released direct-to-DVD in the U.S. on September 16, 2008. The movie was filmed in Canada, in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Plot:FBI agent Kevin Cole... |
Agent Murphy | Direct-to-DVD |
| 2010 | Group Sex Group Sex (film) Group Sex is an American comedy film written by Lawrence Trilling and Greg Grunberg. Trilling also directs, while Grunberg co-stars alongside Josh Cooke and Odette Yustman-Plot:The story begins with two roommates and business partners, Andy and Jerry... |
Luke | Uncredited |
| 2011 | All-Star Superman All-Star Superman (film) All-Star Superman is a direct-to-video animated film based on the acclaimed comic book series All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. The film is the tenth in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line released by Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Animation and the first in the... |
Superman/Clark Kent (voice) | Direct-to-DVD |
| 2011 | Karaoke Man | Slim | Post-production |
| 2011 | The Book of Matthew | Pierce Kincaid | Pre-production |