Childhood & Early Life
Dermot Mulroney was born on October 31, 1963 in Alexandria, Virginia. His mother, Ellen was originally from Manchester and was a homemaker and amateur actress. His father, Michael Mulroney was originally from Elkader and was a law professor in Villanova University.
He has one sister, Moira, and three brothers, Conor, Kieran and Sean. Moira works in a non-profit industry and Kieran is an actor.
Dermot had a fondness for acting since his childhood which made him join a children’s community theatre followed by a stage performance in ‘Are Teachers Human’.
He had started playing the cello at the age of seven and began performing with youth orchestra. He completed his graduation in 1981 from T.C. Williams High School. He obtained his degree in Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) in 1985 from Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
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Career
Dermot Mulroney made his on-screen debut with a CBS Television movie ‘Sin of Innocence’ in 1986. He also portrayed a troubled teenager in two other television productions, ‘The Drug Knot’ (1986) and ‘Daddy’ (1987).
He is best known for his character Dirty Steve in ‘Young Guns’ (1988). He also starred in ‘Staying Together’ (1989) and ‘Survival Quest’ (1989) during this period. He gained critical acclaim for his work in ‘Longtime Companion’ (1989).
He was cast in ‘Bright Angel’ (1990), ‘Career Opportunities’ (1991) and ‘Where the Day Takes You’ (1992). He starred and played cello in the movie ‘Samantha’ which was released in 1992.
Dermot was cast opposite Bridget Fonda in ‘Point of No Return’ in 1993 followed by ‘The Thing Called Love’ the same years and ‘Silent Tongue’ in 1994.
Mulroney played the love interest of Madeleine Stowe in ‘Bad Girls’ in 1994. His films ‘There Goes My Baby’ and ‘Angels in the Outfield’ were also released in 1994. He appeared in ‘The Last Outlaw’ in 1994 which is still considered as a cult classic.
He played a smart cop in ‘Copycat’ in 1995. ‘How to Make an American Quilt’ (1995) opposite Winona Ryder gave him his nomination for best kiss in MTV Movie Awards.
His career witnessed a major boost with the release of ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ in 1997 opposite Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz. It was followed by another big screen production, ‘Goodbye Lover’ in 1999.
He began his film journey of the 21st century with ‘Trixie’ in 2000. It was followed by ‘Where the Money Is’ (2000), ‘The Safety of Objects’ (2001), ‘Investigating Sex’ (2001) and ‘Lovely & Amazing’ (2001).
His performance in ‘About Schmidt’ in 2002 as Randall Hertzel earned him a lot of appreciation from critics and audiences. ‘Undertow’ in 2004 was one of his few movies in the thriller genre.
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He returned to romantic comedies with ‘The Wedding Date’, ‘Must Love Dogs’ and ‘The Family Stone’ in 2005. ‘Griffin & Phoenix’ was his single release in 2006.
‘Dante’s Inferno’, ‘Zodiac’, ‘Georgia Rule’ and ‘Gracie’ were his movies in 2007 followed by ‘Jolene’, ‘Burn After Reading’ and ‘Flash of Genius’ in 2008. He did not have any release in the year 2009.
‘Inhale’ (2010), ‘Abduction’ (2011), ‘J. Edgar’ (2011), ‘The Family Tree’ (2011), ‘Struck By Lightning’ (2012), ‘The Grey’ (2012), ‘Big Miracle’ (2012), ‘Trade of Innocents’ (2012), ‘Space Warriors’ (2013) and ‘Stoker’ (2013) were his contributions to Hollywood in the early 2010s. He also starred in the psychological horror movie ‘The Rambler’ in 2013.
Dermot starred in ‘Jobs’ (2013), ‘August: Osage Country’ (2013), ‘Careful What You Wish For’ (2015) and ‘Truth’ (2015). He appeared in the third chapter of the horror movie series ‘Insidious’ in 2015. He also starred in ‘Dirty Grandpa’ and ‘Lavender’ in 2016.
Major Works
Dermot Mulroney is best known for his role in ‘Young Guns’ in 1988. He portrayed “Dirty Steve" Stephens in the movie. The film was a big hit and opened at no. 1 at the box office.
His movie ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ in 1997 opposite Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz earned more than $299 million worldwide.
His performance in Alexander Payne's ‘About Schmidt’ in 2002 earned Dermot a lot of critical praise and his worth as an actor rose considerably.
He also had a significant supporting act in the biopic of Steve Jobs ‘Jobs’ in 2013. In this film Mulroney appeared as Mike Markkula, an angel investor who provides financial support to Steve Jobs at the time of the founding of Apple Computer, Inc.
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Awards & Achievements
Dermot Mulroney won the Jury Special Prize in Artistic Achievement Award for ‘Bright Angel’ in 1990.
He won Golden Space Needle Award - Best Actor in Seattle International Film Festival for ‘Where the Day Takes You’ in 1992.
He was nominated for Best Kiss with Winona Ryder in MTV Movie Awards in 1996 for ‘How to Make an American Quilt.’
He won the Artistic Achievement Award at the Philadelphia Film Festival in 2007.
In 2013, he along with the other cast members of ‘August: Osage County’ were awarded the Hollywood Film Award for Ensemble of the Year.
*Personal Life & Legacy
He met his first wife, Catherine Keener, in 1987 during the shoot of ‘Survival Quest’ and married her in 1990. The couple had a son, Clyde Keener Mulroney, on June 21, 1999. They separated in May 2005 and filed for divorce in June 2007 which was finalized on October 31, 2007.
He married his second wife, Tharita Catulle, in 2008. The couple has two daughters, Mabel Ray Mulroney and Sally Mulroney.
Trivia
Dermot Mulroney shares his birthday with the funnyman Rob Schneider.
He is a good friend of the Hollywood Actor, Brad Pitt.
He joined a band with the name The Low & Sweet Orchestra.
Mulroney is a joint owner of The Double Door which is a popular club in Chicago.
