From ‘The Practice’ to ‘Steel Magnolias’, Check Out Our 10 Favorite Dylan McDermott Movies & TV Shows
From crime to drama to horror, the actor can do it all!
The smolder-y look that Dylan McDermott possesses has been capturing our hearts since the late 80s — on the big screen in some of our favorite movies to the small screen in some of our favorite TV shows. From lawyer Bobby Donnell on The Practice to his far more unsettling performance in American Horror Story, the 62-year-old Connecticut born actor has got range.
His very first role came in 1987’s Hamburger Hill and by 1989, he was starring alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names in Steel Magnolias.
It wouldn’t be long before he found his footing, taking on films like The Neon Empire (1989), In the Line of Fire (1993), Miracle on 34th Street (1994) and in 1997, he began his reign over The Practice, for which he earned the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama.
The actor has continued making waves in the TV and film industry. Here, take a look at our ranking of the best Dylan McDermott movies and TV shows.
Dylan McDermott movies and TV shows, ranked
10. Hostages (2013 — 2014)
McDermott starred alongside Toni Collette in Hostages. His character of Duncan Carlisle makes Collette’s character, a surgeon, and her family, hostages. The catch? He’ll spare she and her family, as long as she agrees to kill the president during the upcoming surgery she’s performing on him.
9. Dark Blue (2009 — 2010)
McDermott shines in this police drama as Carter Shaw, who leads an undercover team a part of the Los Angeles Police Department. His success in the field has cost him in his personal life, including his relationship with his wife. The series follows the ins and outs of he and his team’s operations.
8. Stalker (2014 — 2015)
McDermott stars alongside Maggie Q in Stalker. Their two characters work together as a a part of LAPD’s Threat Assessment Unit, where they tackle crimes involving stalking of different kinds.
While McDermott’s character of Jack Larsen is known to have a unique temperament, it just might come in handy in his new gig as they pursue the dangers that lurk in their city.
7. The Clovehitch Killer (2018)
A boy named Tyler is disturbed to find evidence that links his unassuming father (Dylan McDermott) to the murder of multiple girls in the years prior.
With the help of a local girl named Kassi, they connect the dots between the gruesome murders and Tyler’s father, while discovering more evidence in the process that tarnishes the version of him he thought he knew.
6. Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is a Secret Service agent. While on the job, a car accident forces him to save the president, while the First Lady tragically dies. Reassigned from his position, he must step up once again in the midst of a terrorist attack that puts the president’s life at risk.
Dylan McDermott plays the role of Dave Forbes, a member of the South Korean Prime Minister’s security team.
5. FBI: Most Wanted (2020 —)
This popular crime drama follows the Fugitive Task Force, a group of individuals responsible for tracking down those on the FBI’s most wanted list. McDermott joined the cast in season 3 and plays Supervisory Special Agent Remy Scott.
4. In the Line of Fire (1993) Dylan McDermott movies and TV shows
Clint Eastwood stars in In the Line of Fire as Frank Horrigan, a Secret Service agent who wasn’t able to protect President Kennedy from his assassination. When a threat on the current president arises, Horrigan steps up to the plate to ensure the man’s safety.
McDermott plays Al D’Andrea, one of Horrigan’s colleagues, and the film served as one of his first big breaks in Hollywood.
3. American Horror Story (2011 — 2019)
McDermott made his American Horror Story debut in the first season as Ben Harmon, the patriarch of the Harmon family, who just relocated to a new home as a fresh start in the wake of his infidelity to his wife.
What they don’t expect is that their new home is still occupied by its previous residents — and they aren’t exactly of this world (or very nice for that matter).
McDermott reprised this initial role in a later season, but took on different parts over the years. The debut season also features Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Connie Britton and more.
MUST-READ: Connie Britton TV Shows: Why She’s One of the Small Screen’s Brightest Stars
2. Steel Magnolias (1989) Dylan McDermott movies and TV shows
Steel Magnolias tells a heartwarming story of six women who exemplify the power of friendship. The story begins they all prepare for Shelby’s (Julia Roberts) marriage to Jackson (Dylan McDermott), and after the big day, life proves to take them through all of the good and bad it has to offer.
MUST-READ: From ‘Mystic Pizza’ to ‘Erin Brockovich,’ Our 10 Favorite Julia Roberts Movies, Ranked!
Despite the tragedy to comes their way over the years, their bond remains unbroken in this tale of unconditional love and the power of friendship.
1. The Practice (1997 — 2004) Dylan McDermott movies and TV shows
Dylan McDermott led The Practice as Bobby Donnell, senior partner at his law firm. The show chronicled the work of he and his team as they tackled case after case, all while their personal lives became intertwined in their work, like any good legal drama.
The show was nominated for 41 Emmys, winning 15, and Dylan McDermott won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama Series in 1999.
