With a career that spans nearly four decades,Dermot Mulroneyhas regularly appeared in some amazing movies and TV shows. Mulroney got his start in 1986, starring in the TV filmSin of Innocencewhile he was a senior in college. After that, he appeared in a number of dramas for the first decade of his career. But it wasn’t until 1997 that Dermot Mulroney had his first big breakout role inMy Best Friend’s Wedding,playing opposite Julia Roberts.
Mulroney was featured in severalgreat romantic comediesafter that as well, includingThe Wedding DateandThe Family Stone. In addition to his films, Mulroney has appeared in a variety of TV shows, playing side characters inpopular shows likeFriends,New Girl, andShameless. He has also had roles in several big franchise projects, such asInsidious: Chapter 3,Scream VI, andSecret Invasion.
Lovely & Amazing
Cast
Lovely & Amazing is a film directed by Nicole Holofcener that focuses on the complexities of an eccentric family, exploring the lives of four women as they navigate personal challenges and aspire for redemption. Set against a backdrop of emotional turbulence, the story provides insight into their intertwined and tumultuous relationships.
Lovely & Amazingwas a strong sophomore outing fordirector Nicole Holofcener. Like most of Holofcener’s filmography,Lovely & Amazingconcerns itself with the relationships between men and women, as well as focusing on the workings of mother-daughter dynamics. It results in a touching, subdued film that feels as natural as watching friends have a conversation. It’s quietly powerful, featuring a variety of complex characters who are just trying to figure everything out.
Dermot Mulroney doesn’t have that much screen time inLovely & Amazing, as the focus is on the four main female characters, but he is an integral character in the story. He plays heartthrob actor Kevin McCabe, whom Emily Mortimer’s Elizabeth auditions alongside, eventually meeting for dinner and sleeping together despite her having a partner already. While he doesn’t have a lot of complexity as a character,Mulroney exhibits all the charm that made him so appealing as an actor at the time.
The Grey
The Grey follows a group of oil workers who fend off a pack of hungry wolves in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash leaves them stranded in the Alaskan wilderness. The cast includes Liam Neeson, Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, Dallas Roberts, Nonso Anozie, and Joe Anderson.
Underrated at the time of its release,The Greyis a gripping, survival thriller that stars Liam Neeson and ends with him fighting wolves. Released in 2011,The Greytells of a group of oil men who are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after their plane crashes. Not only must they contend with the freezing temperatures, but they are being hunted by a pack of Canadian grey wolves. Tense all the way through, the film was a vehicle for Neeson to show his star power.
The Grey Ending Explained: Liam Neeson Vs The Alpha Wolf
The Grey’s post-credit scene offers some closure as to Liam Neeson’s fate with the alpha wolf, but it’s incidental in the broader context of the film.
WhileThe Greyfocuses heavily on Liam Neeson’s character, there are still a number of other important players. Among them is Dermot Mulroney’s Jerome Talget, an openly Christian man who speaks highly of his daughter back home. Unfortunately, like every character besides Neeson’s, Talget is eventually killed by the wolf pack after falling from a significant height.His death is one of the saddest in the film, as he pictures his daughter right before he dies.
Scream VI
Scream VI, the next installment in the Scream horror franchise, follows four survivors of the latest Ghostface killings as they leave Woodsboro in search of a new beginning. Released in 2023, the film explores their efforts to escape their past while facing new threats in a different setting.
Screamis one of thebest horror franchisesever, and the original film is considered one of the most influential slashers of all time. After a successful trilogy and a fourth film a decade after that, the franchise was revived in 2022, withScream 5, eventually taking the franchise to New York City inScream 6. Despite being the sixth film in the series,Scream 6was a strong one, containing all the meta-commentary and carnage fans of the series could hope for.
Scream 6is the only film in the franchise where Neve Campbell didn’t return as Sidney, but she’ll be back forScream 7.
Despite not appearing in a lot of horror films, Dermot Mulroney was an important character inScream 6, playing Detective Wayne Bailey, who is assigned to work on the recent Ghostface case. Guessing who the killers are in aScreamfilm is part of the fun, and it was revealed that Mulroney was one of three this time around, working alongside his daughter and son to avenge his other son, Richie, one of the killers fromScream 5.It’s fun to see Dermot Mulroney reveal himself to be one of the film’s villains, and he’s clearly having a blast.
New Girl
New Girl is a television series that debuted in 2011, centering on Jessica Day, an eccentric young woman. Following a breakup, she moves in with three single men, navigating her quirky personality and forming unexpected friendships in her new living situation.
Premiering in 2011,New Girlwas a popular sitcom revolving around the quirky performance of Zooey Deschanel’s Jess as she moves into an apartment with three guys, finding love and friendship along the way. The series ran for seven seasons, and was incredibly funny, while also being heartfelt a lot of the time. The dynamics between the characters and their random humor are what madeNew Girlsuch an endearing show during its run.
New Girl: All 7 Of Jess Day’s Boyfriends Explained
New Girl saw Jess moving on from a painful break-up, and before settling down, she dated various men, all with a different story. Let’s take a look.
Dermot Mulroney plays Russell Schiller, a wealthy single father to one of Jess' students. Introduced in season 1, Russell and Jess quickly start a relationship together, and he falls in love with her.Mulroney has all of his signature charm in the show, playing the older, more distinguished guy quite well. It’s no wonder Nick Miller looked up to him, and was also a bit jealous at the same time.
Longtime Companion
Longtime Companion, released in 1989, is a drama depicting a group of friends in New York grappling with the emergence of the AIDS crisis during the summer of 1981. The film chronicles the impact of the epidemic on their lives as they confront fear, loss, and enduring bonds.
One of the earliest films in Dermot Mulroney’s career,Longtime Companionchronicles the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. Telling the story over the course of nearly a decade,Longtime Companionis a heartbreaking look at the effects the epidemic had on gay men at the time, revolving around a group of friends. It’s a sympathetic look at an incredibly tragic period, resulting in a poignant, understanding film.
It’s a heartbreaking performance but one of the most important in his career.
Dermot Mulroney plays John, the first character to be diagnosed with AIDS, contracting pneumonia in the process. He dies shortly after being admitted to the hospital, changing things forever. Mulroney is incredible inLongtime Companiondespite it being so early in his career,giving John so much depth, as he tries to navigate his new diagnosis. It’s a heartbreaking performance but one of the most important in his career.
Shameless
Shameless is a Black Comedy, Family Drama created by Paul Abbott and starring William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, and Justin Chatwin. The premise follows the Gallagher family and their closest friends as they deal with a not-so-helpful father, Frank Gallagher. His children each find their own path, growing into their own flawed people without much guidance or help from the family patriarch.
First premiering in 2011,Shamelessbecame one of the best modern television shows, running for a total of 11 seasons. The series revolves around the poor, dysfunctional Gallagher family, with William H. Macy’s Frank as the head of the household, neglectful of his six children.Shamelessis a black comedy and drama series, regularly depicting harrowing situations with a sense of levity and humor, although it can get quite serious at times. It’s an incredible show that explores its characters in great depth.
Dermot Mulroney comes onto the show in season 5, playing Sean Pierce, a man recovering from heroin addiction who eventually begins a relationship with Fiona Gallagher, Frank’s oldest daughter and one of the most important characters on the show. Eventually, Sean and Fiona get engaged before they ultimately split due to Sean’s relapse.Mulroney is excellent in the role, tapping into the depth of Sean and how his past continues to inform his present.
Zodiac
Zodiac is a crime thriller directed by David Fincher, detailing the true story of the unsolved Zodiac Killer case. Centered on journalist Paul Avery, detective David Toschi, and cartoonist Robert Graysmith, the narrative follows their intersecting paths as they attempt to uncover the identity of the elusive murderer.
Zodiacis one of the best films in David Fincher’s career, an impressive feat given how incredible his filmography is.Zodiacis based on the real life case of the Zodiac killer, who was active in San Francisco in the late-60s and early-70s. The movie revolves around the detectives desperately trying to solve the mystery of who the killer is, featuring incredible performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr.
Every David Fincher Movie, Ranked From Worst To Best
Over the course of his 28 year long career, David Fincher has crafted a distinct style that taps into humanity’s most sinister and primal urges.
Dermot Mulroney doesn’t have that big of a role inZodiac, playing Marty Lee, the captain of the San Francisco Police Department. Despite not having a significant role, Mulroney fits right into the world that David Fincher crafted withZodiac.He also had to wear a fat suit for his performance, given that Fincher thought he looked too fit for the role. Mulroney was fully committed to his character, even with the few scenes he had.
Friends
Friends is a television sitcom that debuted in 1994, revolving around six young New Yorkers navigating the complexities of adulthood. The series highlights their friendship as they support each other through personal and professional challenges, encapsulating the ups and downs of life in a comedic and relatable manner.
Friendsis one of the most influential sitcoms of all time, and one of the best TV shows ever made. Enjoying immense popularity over the course of its 10-season run,Friendsrevolves around a group of six friends and their daily lives in New York City. The series is immensely funny, with some of the best-defined characters in the genre, with each playing a distinct role within the friend group. Few sitcoms have been able to recapture the magic ofFriends.
Like most of his appearances on major TV shows, Mulroney doesn’t have that big of a role inFriends, only appearing in three episodes in season nine.Despite that, he still gives a great performance with all the signature charm he is known for. Mulroney plays Gavin Mitchell, a coworker of Rachel’s, and eventually starts a brief romantic fling with her.
My Best Friend’s Wedding
Upon hearing of her friend Michael’s engagement, Julianne Potter realizes she loves him and schemes to disrupt his wedding to win his heart.
Alongside being arguably the most important role in Dermot Mulroney’s career,My Best Friend’s Weddingis just a really great romantic comedy, led by a fantastic performance by Julia Roberts. Just a few weeks after her 28th birthday, Julia Roberts' Julianne learns that her best friend is getting married, and discovers her feelings for him. After this realization, Julianne sets out to sabotage the wedding, leading to a hilarious series of events.
While Dermot Mulroney was regularly getting great roles prior toMy Best Friend’s Wedding,it was the Julia Roberts-led film that gave him his major breakthrough in Hollywood, becoming a leading man in the romantic comedy genre. He plays Michael O’Neal, best friend to Julianne and engaged to Cameron Diaz’s Kimmy Wallace. His chemistry with Roberts is so good throughout, and Mulroney perfectly portrays the conflicted feelings Michael has throughout the movie.
Living in Oblivion
Living in Oblivion follows Nick, a beleaguered director managing the chaotic production of a low-budget indie film. He contends with challenges including an insecure actress, a demanding star, a pretentious director of photography, and lackluster catering, all contributing to the ongoing turbulence on set.
Just a few years beforeMy Best Friend’s Weddingmade Dermot Mulroney a major Hollywood name, he was in his best film,Living in Oblivion. The movie stars Steve Buscemi as a low-budget indie film director trying to keep the production of his film together while dealing with a variety of issues.Living in Oblivionis a hilarious satirical black comedy with some incredible performances from Buscemi, Catherine Keener, and Dermot Mulroney.
Dermot Mulroney plays Wolf Überman, the pretentious cinematographer for Buscemi’s film, who also happens to be immensely talented at his job.Mulroney is hilarious in the movie, really leaning into the character’s narcissismto great effect.Dermot Mulroney’srole as Wolf might not be his most emotionally demanding performance, but it is one of his best, showing his range as an actor with an incredibly funny turn as the character.
