Peter Gallagher Biography

Fast Facts

• Awarded the P․T․ Barnum Award by Tufts University in 2005, an honor bestowed upon notable alumni
• Serves as host to the annual Sandy Cohen Awards held at U․C․ Berkeley each year that awards a scholarship to a law student at the school who wishes to become a public defender, the same career of his character from "The O․C․"
• Graduated from Tufts University where he was active in the school's theater and drama department
• Quote: "If I have a choice between a nice, bland hero or a really interesting, detestable character, I'd rather do the detestable one․ Good guys can be pretty boring․ I love playing characters who celebrate the power and joy and beauty of greed․ As the bad guy, you have less moral and behavioral restrictions․ There's no burden of being liked․ It's real freedom for the actor․"
• Following a string of supporting film roles including "While You Were Sleeping" and "American Beauty", he would revert back to television appearances after landing a lead role on FOX's "The O․C․" in 2003, a role he would portray for four years
• While not acting, he enjoys recording songs under the Sony label under which he released his debut album in 2005
• After making his feature film debut in 1980, he would continue to pursue theater work back in New York, eventually gaining widespread recognition for his work on Broadway throughout the 1980s
• His "The O․C․" character Sandy Cohen was voted one of the Best TV Dads of All Time in 2004