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Michael O'Keefe is an American actor who portrayed John Redmond on Homeland.

Biography[]

Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Michael O'Keefe is an actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He also writes poems, song lyrics and short stories, some of which are published.

Michael O'Keefe, originally christened Raymond Peter O'Keefe, Jr., is the eldest of seven children born to a Roman Catholic family of Irish descent. O'Keefe's father was a law professor at Fordham University and also lectured at St. Thomas University. O'Keefe himself attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and New York University. He also has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Bennington College.

O'Keefe made his debut in a 1970 commercial for Colgate toothpaste. His television career began in 1974 with an episode of "The Texas Wheelers". He caused a sensation in the cinema with his role in "The Great Santini" (1979), for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and a Golden Globe nomination. The film, which starred Robert Duvall, was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. He was also seen opposite Chevy Chase in 1980's Caddyshack. O'Keefe has twice starred opposite Jack Nicholson, once as his son in 'Milk Milk' (1987) and again as the father of a murdered girl in 'The Promise' (2001). His film Frozen River was in competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

O'Keefe is known from TV series such as "Roseanne", "Against the Law", "Middle Ages" and "Homeland". He starred in Roseanne as Jackie Harris' (Laurie Metcalf) husband Fred for two years. O'Keefe starred as Simon MacHeath on "Against the Law" and starred as Ron Steffey on "Middle Ages." On "Homeland" in season four, he played CIA agent and assistant station chief in Islamabad, John Redmond. He also played recurring supporting roles in "Life's Work", "King & Maxwell", "Vanished" and "Brothers & Sisters".

In addition to working in film and television, O'Keefe has appeared on various theater stages. On Broadway, for example, he played in the plays "Side Man", which won a Tony Award, "Mass Appeal" or "Reckless" alongside "Weeds" star Mary-Louise Parker. What O'Keefe likes about the theater is the spontaneity and the high level of focus it takes.

In his spare time, O'Keefe has practiced Zen Buddhism since 1986 and enjoys hiking and rock climbing. He has been married to Emily Donahoe since September 18, 2011. The two have a child together. He was previously married to Bonnie Raitt in the '90s. Both are also active in the entertainment industry, Donahoe as an actress and Raitt primarily as a rock and blues singer. For the latter he wrote two songs, one of which, "Longing in Their Hearts", was awarded a Grammy.

Trivia[]

Filmography[]

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