Mitch Pileggi

Early life and education

Pileggi was born in Portland, Oregon, the son of Maxine, a homemaker, and Vito Pileggi, a defense contractor. Pileggi's family moved frequently because of his father's occupation, and Pileggi lived in Oregon, California, and Texas before spending most of his adolescence in Turkey.

Career

Pileggi began acting while he was a high school student in Turkey, playing musical theater. After returning to Austin from Iran, he performed in local theaters and continued his acting career with small roles in B-movies and guest roles in television series, such as Dallas, China Beach, Code of Vengeance, and Walker, Texas Ranger.

In the 1980s, Pileggi starred in several films, including Three O'Clock High, as Duke "The Duker" Herman, an overzealous tough-as-nails high school parking lot security guard. In 1988, he starred in "Brothers In Arms" as one of the villains (Caleb) and in Shocker as body-possessing serial killer Horace Pinker. The latter was directed by horror icon Wes Craven. Pileggi played the villain in the 1991 television film, Knight Rider 2000, a sequel to the original television series Knight Rider. He also appeared briefly in the 1992 film Basic Instinct as an investigating police officer in the interrogation scene of Michael Douglas. He also appeared in the 1995 vampire film Vampire in Brooklyn (also directed by Craven) as an Italian mobster.

His most notable role was as the FBI's Assistant Director Walter Skinner on The X-Files. The role was originally recurring, but the part expanded, and in 2001 he became a regular member of the cast. The character gradually became the most integral character besides the two leads. He remained with the series until its end in 2002. Pileggi played the character in the 1998 The X-Files film and in the 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe. He also reprised the role in the 2016 miniseries.

Pileggi's later work has included starring in the short-lived series Tarzan and co-starring with Barbara Hershey and Oliver Hudson in the short-lived series The Mountain. He played the recurring role of character Colonel Steven Caldwell, Commander of the Earth Battlecruiser, Daedalus, in the second (2005) and subsequent seasons of the television series Stargate Atlantis. He also appeared in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and in 2006 had a regular guest role on Day Break as Robbery/Homicide Detective Spivak. Pileggi also appeared on the Cold Case episode "Offender", as a father accused of molesting and murdering his own son, who then threatens to murder one child sex offender per day until the case is reopened and solved. Pileggi also played the role of Larry Jennings, chairman of the board of the hospital, in Grey's Anatomy. In a first-season episode of That '70s Show he played Red Forman's swinger, navy buddy, Bull, alongside his real life wife, Arlene.

Pileggi appeared in two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as DEA agent Jack Hammond. Since 2008, Pileggi has played Ernest Darby, the head of a white supremacist gang called the "Nordics", in the FX drama Sons of Anarchy . He also played spree killer Norman Hill (AKA The Road Warrior) on a season four episode of Criminal Minds, titled "Normal". Pileggi has also done some voice acting. His voice was featured as the githzerai Dak'kon in the video game Planescape: Torment. He voices Commissioner James Gordon on the Kids' WB series The Batman. Pileggi also hosted the Fox specials Breaking the Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed and Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?. He also played the recurring role of Sam and Dean Winchester's maternal grandfather, Samuel Campbell, in the TV series Supernatural.

Pileggi starred in the TNT drama series Dallas as Harris Ryland. He was promoted to series regular in the second season.

As of 2014, Pileggi is on the advisory board of Sci-Fest, the first annual Los Angeles Science Fiction One-Act Play Festival, held in May 2014.

Since 2021, Pileggi has played Bonham Walker, the father of the titular Cordell Walker, in The CW crime drama series Walker reboot.

Filmography

Films

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. ((Editors of Chase's)). (24 September 2019). "Chase's Calendar of Events 2020: The Ultimate Go-to Guide for Special Days, Weeks and Months". Rowman & Littlefield.
2. "Pileggi, Mitch 1952– {{!".
3. (2012-11-28). "Mitch Pileggi Biography". Tvguide.com.
4. "Mitch Pileggi - SCIFIPEDIA".
5. (3 October 2012). "Supernatural to See the Return of Mitch Pileggi?". Dread Central.
6. Connolly, Kelly. (April 20, 2015). "Mitch Pileggi to reprise role as Walter Skinner in ''X-Files'' revival". [[Time Inc..
7. Published Friday, Sep 7 2012, 09:53 BST. (2012-09-07). "'X-Files' star Mitch Pileggi made 'Dallas' series regular – Dallas News – US TV". Digital Spy.
8. "Sci-Fest Team".
9. Petski, Denise. (February 21, 2020). "Mitch Pileggi To Co-Star In 'Walker, Texas Ranger' 'CW Reboot". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
10. (27 May 2021). "'American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally' Review: Thin, Costumey Account of a Wartime Collaborator's Postwar Fate".
11. "Mitch Pileggi (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.
12. (15 November 2006). "'Daybreak' Aims for Viewers Through Deja Vu".
13. (8 January 2019). "'NCIS' Is Introducing a Controversial Guest Star Who's Trying to Arrest Torres and McGee".
14. Boucher, Geoff. (September 19, 2019). "'Supergirl': Mitch Pileggi And Cara Buono Join Season 5 Cast".
15. (14 April 2022). "Walker's Mitch Pileggi On One Last Run, Jared Padalecki, And Memories Of Supernatural - Exclusive Interview".