John O'Hurley

Though he was acting on stage and television for years, John O’Hurley didn’t become a household name until 1995, when his signature character, J. Peterman, the pompous, effusive and foolhardy catalogue clothier (based in name only on the real thing), made his debut on the popular sitcom “Seinfeld” (NBC, 1989-1998). Speaking in flowery prose, much like the real J. Peterman catalogue, O’Hurley’s character—once described as cross between “[a] mock detective from 1940’s radio and a bad Charles Kurault”—entered the cultural zeitgeist and became part of television history. Though always possessing a flair for playing the fool, O’Hurley’s talents have been far-reaching—he has appeared in soap operas, MOWs and Broadway productions, and has been a corporate spokesman and a low-handicapped golfer. He even demonstrated fancy footwork on the surprise summer hit, “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC, 2005- ), a weekly competition that brought ballroom dancing back into fashion.

Born in Kittery, Maine, but raised in West Hartford, Connecticut, O’Hurley knew he wanted to be an actor at the tender age of 3. He would imitate his childhood idol, Lloyd Bridges, after watching episodes of “Sea Hunt” (Syndicated, 1958-1961), by reenacting scenes in the bathtub while dressed in Speedos, goggles and his father’s basketball shoes for flippers. O’Hurley also developed his sense of humor young, making his father laugh because “[He] had the funniest laugh we ever heard.” But the idea of an acting career raised uncertainty about money. So instead, O’Hurley decided to enter public relations after earning his theater arts degree from Providence College, working for the Yale medical facility and the Red Cross. When he was 24, however, his best friend died in an automobile crash, prompting O’Hurley to follow his heart and pursue his dreams.

Forty-eight hours after arriving in New York, O’Hurley landed his first gig on Broadway, and national tours with “The Pirates of Penzance” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” soon followed. He then began appearing in soap operas, starting with “The Edge of Night” (CBS-ABC, 1955-1985) in 1983. He then appeared in “Loving” (ABC, 1983-1996), playing twin brothers Keith Lane (the good one) and Jonathan Matalaine (the evil one). In nine months, O’Hurley’s evil side killed eleven characters, slept with every woman in sight and died twice. He moved on to a more wholesome character, Dr. James Grainger, on “The Young & the Restless” (CBS, 1973- ), while concurrently playing Steven Slade on “Santa Barbara” (NBC, 1984-1993), a show he left in 1991 due to a weak storyline.

His exposure on soap operas led to roles outside the trap of daytime television. After appearing in the two-part sci-fi miniseries, “Something Is Out There” (1988), he played Dolan in the made-for-TV western, “Billy the Kid” (1989), written by Gore Vidal. A small part in “White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd” (NBC, 1991)—a crime mystery postulating the theory that the 1930’s actress did not commit suicide—was followed by “Seduction: Three Tales from the Inner Sanctum” (ABC, 1992), an erotic thriller with Victoria Principal portraying different characters who become victims of seduction. O’Hurley continued the erotic trend with his feature film debut, “Night Eyes 2” (1992), a cheap thriller about a voyeur (Andrew Stevens) assigned to watch an ambassador’s beautiful wife (Shannon Tweed). Complications and simulated sex ensues.

After playing a minor part in the erotic thriller, “Mirror Images” (1992), O’Hurley returned to television in various primetime shows, as episodes of “Nurses” (NBC, 1991-1994), “Baywatch” (Syndicated, 1989-1999) and “Frasier” (NBC, 1993-2004) appeared on his resume. A regular role on “Scorch” (CBS, 1992), a mid-season pickup about a single father, his daughter and the puppet of a 1,300 year-old dragon, ended as soon as it began. O’Hurley went back to soap operas, landing a part on “Valley of the Dolls” (Syndicated, 1994), a thankfully short-lived series based on Jacqueline Susann’s trashy novel about the struggles for Hollywood success. He then found another regular gig as a dyspeptic anchorman on “A Whole New Ballgame” (ABC, 1995), another short-lived series that put the actor out of work in a couple of months.

After an evening of crying in his beer the night “A Whole New Ballgame” was canceled, O’Hurley got a call from his agent for a walk on as the fictional J. Peterman on “Seinfeld.” What was supposed to be a five minute part turned into a four year recurring role. Highlights included firing Elaine for testing positive for opium after eating poppy seed muffins, pondering why his mother’s dying word was “Bosco” (it was George’s ATM code) and sending Elaine to live in a cave in Tunisia for hating “The English Patient.” O’Hurley immediately became a hot commodity and was recognized by fans at airports and restaurants—though only as Peterman, not by his given name. Meanwhile, he began appearing on primetime more frequently, adding “Living Single” (Fox, 1993-1998), “Murder, She Wrote” (CBS, 1984-1996), “Baywatch Nights” (Syndicated, 1995-1996) and “Melrose Place” (Fox, 1992-1999) to his budding resume.

A return to long-form found O’Hurley in “My Son is Innocent” (ABC, 1996), “The Secret” (NBC, 1997) and “Murder Live!” (NBC, 1997). In episodic, he showed up on “Coach” (ABC, 1989-1997), “Mad About You” (NBC, 1992-1999) and “Boy Meets World” (ABC, 1993-2000). He next appeared on “The X-Files” (Fox, 1993-2002) as Dr. Pollidori in the Post-Modern Prometheus episode, a modern retelling of “Frankenstein” filmed in black and white. The 1997 episode was widely considered to be one of the series’ best. Also that year, he made appearances on “Life with Roger” (WB, 1996-1997), “Temporarily Yours” (CBS, 1997) and “Smart Guy” (WB, 1996-1999). He landed another regular gig on “Over the Top” (ABC, 1997), starring Tim Curry and Annie Potts, but this, too, was quick to be canceled.

As his stint on “Seinfeld” began to wind down following the announcement of the series finale in 1998, O’Hurley maintained a steady stream of appearances on television while delving into voiceover work for animated series. Episodes of long forgotten shows like “Style & Substance” (CBS, 1998), “Damon” (Fox, 1998) and “For Your Love” (WB, 1997-2002) padded his resume while he offered his deep and well-enunciated voice to “Disney’s Hercules” (Syndicated, 1998-2000), “Buzz Lightyear of Star Command” (Syndicated, 2000-2002) and “Family Guy” (Fox, 1999- ). In the late 1990’s, O’Hurley began hosting duties on various programs and specials. After briefly hosting “Extreme Courage” (Fox Family Channel, 1999), a reality series examining acts of heroism, and “Incredible Animals” (Fox, 1999), which featured funny pets and animal rescues, he became host of the game show remake, “To Tell the Truth” (Syndicated, 2000-2002).

He continued to appear in long-form throughout the late-90’s and early-00’s. After a small role in “Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story” (Lifetime, 1998), he starred opposite Susan Lucci in “Blood on Her Hands” (ABC, 1998), playing a wealthy husband murdered by his wife (Lucci) and her lover (Philip Casnoff). In “Three Secrets” (CBS, 1999), he played a cut-rate reporter in this melodrama about three women who believe that an 8 year-old boy—the sole survivor from an airline crash—was the son they gave up for adoption. After a performance in “Firetrap” (HBO, 2001), a heist thriller about a thief (Dean Cain) pulling one last job, O’Hurley returned to feature films with “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” (2002), a satirical look at the infamous Zambesi Glen retreat for the insanely rich and powerful.

In 2004, O’Hurley hosted the “National Dog Show” (NBC) for its third annual broadcast. Though he grew up thinking there were 10 breeds of dogs in the world, O’Hurley added his sharp humor to the competition without passing himself off as an expert. Designed not only to educate viewers about different breeds, the show aimed to enlighten owners about how best to take care of their canine friend. Meanwhile, O’Hurley appeared in what became 2005’s surprise hit, “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC, 2005- ), a live weekly dance contest that pitted celebrities paired with professional dancers against one another as they trained and performed a variety of ballroom dances, including the Fox Trot, Cha-Cha and Samba. O’Hurley and his partner, Charlotte Jorgensen, were early favorites to win and remained so throughout the contest. Then a stunning upset in the last episode by actress Kelly Monaco and her partner, Alec Mazo, who scored perfect 10s for their final routine, handed O’Hurley and Jorgensen a bitter defeat. After the finale, O’Hurley went public with the claim that there was a hidden “agenda” behind Monaco’s win. He offered no proof. However, when the network responded to the show's popularity and O'Hurley's controversy by scheduling a televised "dance-off" rematch, the actor and his partner Jorgenseen were at last triumphant. As a result of his newfound reputation as a hoofer, Hurley was invited to take over the role of lawyer Billy Flynn in the long-running revival of "Chicago" beginning Jan 2006.