Eric Close is an American actor, best known for his roles in television series, particularly as FBI agent Martin Fitzgerald in the CBS mystery drama Without a Trace (2002–2009) and Teddy Conrad in the ABC musical drama Nashville (2012–2017).

Eric Close
Close at the 16th Annual MovieGuide Faith and Values Awards in 2008
Born
Alma materUniversity of Southern California (BA)
OccupationActor
Years active1991–present
SpouseKeri Close (m. 1995)
Children2

Early life

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Close was born in Staten Island, New York. Close's father is an orthopedic surgeon. Close is the eldest of three brothers. His family moved to Indiana, then to Michigan, and finally settled in San Diego when Close was seven years old.

Close was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and graduated with a B.A. in communications from the University of Southern California in 1989.[1]

Career

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Close was interested in acting from an early age and had some stage experience in school, but did not decide to pursue an acting career until after college. His first role was in a theater production Rat Songs in L.A., after which he was offered parts in the crime drama American Me (1992) and the TV movie Safe House directed by Elena Mannus. He had a brief stint in daytime television when he played Sawyer Walker on the NBC daytime soap opera Santa Barbara from 1992 to 1993. He received a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Male Newcomer for his role as Sawyer Walker on Santa Barbara.[1] Close later starred on short-lived primetime shows such as McKenna (1994–1995), Dark Skies (1996–1997), The Magnificent Seven (1998–1999), Now and Again (1999–2000), and the Steven Spielberg miniseries production, Taken (2002). He starred on storyline online and read When Pigasso met Mootisse.[2]

Close is best known for his role as Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Martin Fitzgerald on the CBS mystery drama Without a Trace. The show ran for seven seasons from September 26, 2002, to May 19, 2009.[1] From 2011 to 2015, Close had a recurring role as Travis Tanner in the USA legal drama Suits, and starred as Michael Dorset in the short-lived CBS comedy-drama Chaos.[3] In 2012, Close began co-starring with Connie Britton in the ABC musical drama Nashville as Teddy Conrad, initially the husband of country singer Rayna Jaymes (Britton) and later the mayor of Nashville.[4][5]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1991 Keeping Secrets Young Michael (uncredited) Television movie
1992 American Me Juvie Hall Attacker
1993 Taking Liberty Adam
1994 Hercules and the Lost Kingdom Telamon Television movie
1994 Without Consent David Mills Television movie
1995 Long Island Fever Scott Parks Television movie
1995 The Stranger Beside Me Chris Gallagher Television movie
2001 Follow the Stars Home Mark McCune Television movie
2001 Liberty, Maine Unknown
2001 The Sky Is Falling Mike
2003 Alvarez & Cruz Charlie
2004 NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323 N'Tom Price Television movie
2007 Saving Angelo Dad Short film
2010 Unanswered Prayers Ben Beck Television movie
2014 American Sniper DIA Agent Snead
2017 Christmas Crime Story Randal Edwards
2017 Christmas in the Air Robert Trent Television movie
2018 Indivisible Ltc. Jacobsen
2018 Legal Action Casey McKay
2021 The Mulligan Paul McAllister Currently Filming
2024 Average Joe Joe Kennedy Post-Production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1991 MacGyver Guard Episode: "The Prometheus Syndrome"
1992 Major Dad Jim Episode: "The 'L' Word"
1992–93 Santa Barbara Sawyer Walker 25 episodes
1994–95 McKenna Brick McKenna 13 episodes (5 aired)
1995–96 Sisters William 'Billy' Griffin 12 episodes
1996–1997 Dark Skies John Loengard 19 episodes
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television
1998–2000 The Magnificent Seven Vin Tanner 22 episodes
1999–2000 Now and Again Michael Wiseman 22 episodes
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television
2002 Taken John 4 episodes
2002–09 Without a Trace Martin Fitzgerald 160 episodes
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2005 Kim Possible Crash Cranston (voice) Episode: "Team Impossible"
2010 Seven Deadly Sins Jack Powell 2 episodes
2010 Criminal Minds Det. Matt Spicer Episode: "Our Darkest Hour"
2011 Chaos Michael Dorset 13 episodes
2011–15 Suits Travis Tanner 7[6] episodes
2011 American Horror Story: Murder House Hugo Langdon 2 episodes
2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Colin Barnes Episode: "Father Dearest"
2012–18 Nashville Teddy Conrad 65 episodes; Main Role (Seasons 1–3), Guest (Seasons 4–6)
2019 A Christmas Love Story Shane Hallmark Movie; Also director
2019 Angel Falls: A Novel Holiday Anthony Hallmark Movie

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Eric Close Biography". Tvguide.com. Retrieved 2013-12-08.
  2. ^ "Storyline Online - Home".
  3. ^ "Eric Close Set to Reprise Role on USA's 'Suits' (Exclusive)". Hollywoodreporter.com. 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2013-12-08.
  4. ^ "Eric Close boards ABC pilot 'Nashville' - US TV News". Digital Spy. 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2013-12-08.
  5. ^ James Hibberd (May 11, 2012). "ABC orders 10 shows: Connie Britton, Alyssa Milano, Sarah Chalke, Terry O'Quinn star". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  6. ^ Suits Season 5 episode 5
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