Childhood & Early Life
Dylan Walsh was born Charles Hunter Walsh, on November 17, 1963, in Los Angeles, California, US, to parents who worked for the ‘United States Foreign Service.’ His parents had met in Ethiopia. Their professions led Dylan to spend a part of his childhood in places such as East Africa, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan. Frank P. Haven, the maternal grandfather of Dylan, served the ‘Los Angeles Times’ as a managing editor.
Dylan returned to the US with his family when he was 10 years old. They settled in Virginia, where he studied at the ‘Annandale High School’ in Annandale and graduated in 1982. Dylan started acting while in high school. He then attended the ‘University of Virginia’ and completed his graduation, obtaining a degree in English in 1986. Thereafter, Dylan relocated to New York City to commence his professional acting career.
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Career
Dylan started his acting career using his birth name, “Charles Hunter Walsh.” His first role was with noted American actor James Earl Jones in the TV movie ‘Soldier Boys.’ He continued working in other on-screen projects, using his birth name. Such projects included the film ‘Loverboy’ (1989) and the TV film ‘When We Were Young’ (1989). He began using the name “Dylan Walsh” in 1989.
His first notable role was that of ‘Louis Klein,’ which he essayed in the ‘ABC’ series ‘Gabriel's Fire.’ It aired from September 12, 1990, to June 6, 1991. In 1990, he appeared in the American romantic comedies ‘Betsy's Wedding’ and ‘Where the Heart Is.’
He starred as amateur marshal ‘Eric Desmond’ in the 1993 thriller ‘Arctic Blue.’ The same year, he featured as ‘Jesse Graham’ in the January 17-released TV film ‘Telling Secrets.’ Following this, he appeared in the 1994 blockbuster hit American comedy–drama film ‘Nobody's Fool.’ It starred Paul Newman, Bruce Willis, Jessica Tandy, and Melanie Griffith.
He starred in films such as ‘Radio Inside’ (1994) and ‘Congo’ (1995), before earning the role of ‘Officer Jimmy Doyle’ in the American ensemble police drama ‘Brooklyn South.’ It aired for a season, from September 22, 1997, to April 27, 1998, on ‘CBS.’
The Clint Eastwood film ‘Blood Work’ (2002), starring the legend himself, featured Dylan as ‘Detective John Waller.’ Dylan also appeared as ‘Capt. Robert Edwards’ in the March 1, 2002-released blockbuster hit American war film ‘We Were Soldiers,’ starring Mel Gibson.
He strengthened his fame on TV, playing the lead role of ‘Dr. Sean McNamara’ in the Ryan Murphy-created American medical drama ‘Nip/Tuck.’ Impressed by Dylan’s performance in ‘Nobody's Fool,’ Murphy approached Dylan to play ‘Dr. McNamara,’ while they were at a coffee shop. ‘Nip/Tuck’ aired on ‘FX’ for six seasons, from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. She also had international broadcasts in the UK, New Zealand, France, Canada, Ireland, and Australia. It gained Dylan widespread recognition.
Meanwhile, Dylan continued with his big-screen pursuits. He appeared in the sensational hit romantic drama ‘The Lake House,’ which released on June 16, 2006. The film starred Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. In the ensuing years, Dylan starred in several other films. Some of the notable ones include the comedy ‘Just Add Water’ (2008), co-starring Danny DeVito and Justin Long; the slasher film ‘The Stepfather’ (2009), co-starring Amber Heard, Sela Ward, Jon Tenney, and Penn Badgley; and the biographical sports drama ‘Secretariat’ (2010), co-starring Diane Lane. He will star as ‘Alan Schaeffer’ in the forthcoming thriller ‘Alter Ego.’
His next notable TV role was that of ‘Al Burns’ in the American police-procedural crime drama ‘Unforgettable.’ The series aired for four seasons, from September 20, 2011, to January 22, 2016.
Over the years, he has also featured in brief roles in several popular TV series. Some of them include ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ (2007), ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’ (2007), ‘Drop Dead Diva’ (2012), ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ (2012), and ‘NCIS: New Orleans’ (2015).
He worked as a trainee assistant director in the 2011 short ‘Confession.’ He wrote additional dialogue for the 2013 short ‘Dreams(TM): A Trayvon Martin Story.’ He was also associated with the costume departments of the shorts ‘Sinner’ and ‘Confession.’
Family & Personal Life
Dylan married actor Melora Walters on March 20, 1996. They have two children, Thomas Charles Walsh, born on April 30, 1996, and Joanna Marie Walsh, born on November 19, 1997. The couple divorced on July 29, 2003.
Dylan then married actor Joanna Going on October 10, 2004. Their daughter, Stella Haven, was born on November 22, 2003. However, on December 15, 2010, he announced that he had filed for his second divorce. The divorce was eventually finalized on December 17, 2012.
According to sources, the actor is romantically associated with Leslie Bourque since 2011. Sources mention that he and Leslie have a daughter named Amelie Belle, born in 2011, and a son (whose name has not been revealed yet), born in 2013.
