A striking surfer boy, Brian Van Holt moved from modeling to small roles in "A Very Brady Sequel" (1996) and a slew of television shows, including "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004) and a starring turn in the short-lived sitcom "Love & Money" (CBS, 1999-2000). Although he made the occasional foray into comedy, including "Whipped" (2000) with then-girlfriend Amanda Peet, and into horror, including the Paris Hilton vehicle "House of Wax" (2005), he was mostly cast as soldiers or cops in films such as "Black Hawk Down" (2001), "Windtalkers" (2002), "Basic" (2003) and "S.W.A.T." (2003). After an acclaimed turn as Butchie Yost, a heroin-addicted surfer haunted by his own personal demons on "John from Cincinnati" (HBO, 2007), Van Holt won the role of goofy good ole' boy Bobby Cobb, the delightfully dimwitted ex-husband of Jules (Courteney Cox) on "Cougar Town" (ABC, 2009- ). Effortlessly stealing scenes but also supplying much of the show's heart, Van Holt's profile enjoyed a subsequent substantial boost. Talented and handsome, Brian Van Holt may have proved massively charming as less-than-brilliant characters, but he grounded all his performances with an impressive humanity.
Born July 6, 1969 in Waukegan, IL, Brian Van Holt was raised in California and grew to embody the surfer boy ideal. Discovered at an Orange County strip mall, Van Holt entered and won a sportswear-modeling contest, earning a contract. He put himself through UCLA thanks to modeling work and began to amass small credits, including guest spots on "Flipper" (syndicated, 1995-2000), "Beverly Hills, 90210" (Fox, 1990-2000) and in the big screen comedy "A Very Brady Sequel" (1996). Working steadily, Van Holt booked jobs on "Spin City" (ABC, 1996-2002), "Homicide: Life on the Street" (NBC, 1993-99) and "Sex and the City" (HBO, 1998-2004), where he played a movie star who adds Charlotte (Kristin Davis) to his entourage. He replaced Dash Mihok as the romantic male lead of the rich girl/poor boy sitcom "Love & Money" (CBS, 1999-2000) and shot a small role in the mean-spirited, battle-of-the-sexes comedy "Whipped" (2000), which starred his then-girlfriend Amanda Peet.
A series of action-heavy roles as soldiers or similarly tough guys followed, with Van Holt appearing in "Black Hawk Down" (2001), "Windtalkers" (2002), "Basic" (2003) and "S.W.A.T." (2003). He flexed his comedic muscles in the Tommy Lee Jones sorority comedy "Man of the House" (2005) and then did double duty as a pair of murderous twins in the Paris Hilton-starring horror flick "House of Wax" (2005). Van Holt played another military operative in the sci-fi series "Threshold" (CBS, 2005-06), but earned his best reviews to date as the heroin-addicted, tormented professional surfer Butchie Yost on the mystical-tinged drama "John from Cincinnati" (HBO, 2007). Riding high, Van Holt booked another flurry of guest spots, including episodes of "Sons of Anarchy" (FX, 2008- ), "Entourage" (HBO, 2004- ), "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 2002- ) and "Burn Notice" (USA Network, 2007- ).
His profile hit a peak when he was cast as Bobby Cobb, the quasi-homeless, good ole' boy ex-husband of Jules (Courteney Cox) on "Cougar Town" (ABC, 2009- ). Although the premise of the series involved Jules's return to dating after divorcing the unfaithful Bobby, Van Holt's charm helped make his character a lovable and vital addition to the show's "Cul-de-sac Crew," and he managed to nail both the comedy and drama of his sweet-but-stupid character's relationship with his gawky son Travis (Dan Byrd). Grounding his goofiness in an unexpected amount of heart, Van Holt proved enormously charming both onscreen and off, sparking rumors that he and Cox were dating in real-life.