Garret Dillahunt is a prolific American actor who has been in countless hit movies and television shows including Burn Notice, Deadwood, and Raising Hope. Acting professionally since the early 1990s, the star has tried his hand at everything from soap operas to action flicks.
Most recently known for his considerable amount of work in the zombie genre, he has appeared in Zack Snyder’s zombie heist film Army of The Dead, and as the lovable John Dorie in AMC’s dystopian spin-off Fear the Walking Dead. Whether his goal is to terrify the audience or to endear them to him, Dillahunt never fails to impress.
The Mindy Project – 7.4
Created by and starring the multi-talented comedy writer Mindy Kaling of The Office fame, The Mindy Project follows a young OB/GYN as she struggles to keep a balance between her busy work schedule, and her personal and romantic life.
Dillahunt is featured in 38 episodes as the old-fashioned and discriminatory Jody Kimball-Kinney, otherwise known as "Dr. K," who joins Shulman & Associates during Mindy's maternity leave.
The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford – 7.5
Starring Casey Affleck, Brad Pitt, and Sam Shepard, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a historical crime drama that focuses around the relationship between Robert Ford and the classic Old West outlaw, Jesse James.
Dillahunt has a supporting role as a fellow outlaw in the gang that goes by the name of Ed Miller. Little else is known about the character as he existed in real life, but Dillahunt imbued the role with depth nonetheless.
Hand Of God – 7.5
Hand of God centers around a judge who, following a mental breakdown after the shocking death of his son, believes that he has been appointed by God to carry out vigilante justice, even if it means shirking the law. An Amazon Prime series, the show has a broad cast which includes stars Garret Dillahunt, Ron Perlman, and Emayatzy Corinealdi.
Garett Dillahunt plays KD, a violent ex-convict that helps the corrupt judge played by Ron Perlman. Dillahunt appears in 20 episodes of the series.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – 7.7
A television series set in a timeline sometime after Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles follows Sarah and John Connor struggle to stay alive and uncaptured in an effort to destroy Skynet for good and save the world from a bleak future run by machines.
Dillahunt features in 18 episodes as John Henry, a robot or AI, also known as GOFAI (Good Old Fashioned Artificial Intelligence).
The Book Of Daniel – 7.8
The Book of Daniel follows a reverend searching for direction who turns to a "hippie" incarnation of Jesus to help him on his personal journey and the various bumps along the way in religion, work, and fatherhood.
Dillahunt stars as Jesus Christ himself for the full 8 episode drama, but unfortunately, it was cancelled after only 4 episodes due to pushback in religious communities that found the content offensive.
Raising Hope – 8.0
Raising Hope is a kooky, off the wall, and endearing sitcom that takes on the topics of single parenthood and the importance of family.
Garret Dillahunt stars throughout the series as Burt Chance, a stereotypical "goofy dad". Though he gives off the impression of not being highly intelligent, despite his silly antics and immature escapades, he is a hard worker with a positive energy, and he loves his family more than anything.
12 Years A Slave – 8.1
Based on a true story, the historical drama 12 Years a Slave tells the story of Solomon Northrup, a free man who is kidnapped and sold into a life of slavery. Directed by Steve McQueen, and with an all star cast including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, and Brad Pitt, 12 Years a Slave won three Oscars at the Academy Awards.
Dillahunt played Armsby, a drunkard who is forced into hard labor and works alongside the other slaves in the cotton fields. Though he wasn't a major role, he did figure into Solomon's grander journey in the end.
No Country For Old Men – 8.1
No Country for Old Men is a Coen Brothers masterpiece that won four Oscars including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture. The film takes place in rural Texas and follows Llewelyn Moss, who stumbles upon a large sum of money that doesn't belong to him and finds himself tracked by the vicious killer, Anton Chigurh.
Dillahunt originally auditioned for the leading role of Moss. Though he lost the role to Josh Brolin, he is still featured in the Academy Award-winning film as Officer Wendell.
Justified - 8.6
A western crime drama starring Timothy Olyphant, the FX Network's drama Justified tells the modern tale of Deputy Raylan Givens as he hunts down criminals and upholds the law.
Garret Dillahunt guest stars in the show's sixth season as a special ops veteran named Ty Walker. He appears in 8 episodes before his character's demise at the hands of Deputy Givens, played by Timothy Olyphant.
Deadwood – 8.6
Deadwood first aired on HBO from 2004 until 2006. Many fans of the gritty Western starring Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane were disappointed with the show's cancellation. It was finally revived in 2019 when Deadwood: The Movie finally made it debut to finish off the series properly.
Dillahunt was a recurring guest star for 16 episodes in the original show. Though he did not reprise his role as Francis Wolcott in the movie, he did make an uncredited appearance as "drunk #2".
Honorable Mention: Fear The Walking Dead
One of Garret Dillahunt's most widely beloved and recognized roles is as the kindhearted John Dorie in Fear the Walking Dead. His love story with June (who he first knew as "Laura") in the midst of the zombie apocalypse was a welcome sweetness amongst the gloom and violence.
Though the show only ranks 6.9 according to IMDb ratings, John Dorie is one of Dillahunt's most popular characters that has resonated with fans everywhere.