Dylan McDermott

Born: 26th October 1961
Where: Waterbury, Connecticut

The Golden Globe-winning actor first came to attention in the Clint Eastwood thriller In The Line of Fire.

Other notable appearances include the war drama Hamburger Hill and the comedy drama Steel Magnolias with Dolly Parton and Sally Field.

The product of a troubled childhood - his father was a teenage pool hustler and his mother was accidentally shot dead when he was five - he was brought up by his grandmother.

He first developed an interest in acting at high school, encouraged by his stepmother and professional playwright, Eve Ensler.

Earning his drama degree at Fordham University, McDermott graduated from the Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York, where he went on to Broadway in Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues.

He made his feature debut in Hamburger Hill which he followed up with The Blue Iguana opposite Jessica Harper.

He finally gained some attention for his portrayal as Julia Roberts' husband in the Southern-set tearjerker Steel Magnolias. (McDermott was briefly engaged to Julia Roberts in 1990).

He met his wife, Shiva Afshar, at a coffee shop in Venice, California on the same day that he got his first big break, winning a part for In The Line Of Fire.

As a result of this connection with Eastwood, he attended a dinner where he met a TV executive who would later give him his Golden Globe winning role in The Practice.

He also stayed active on the New York stage, returning in 1995 with an Off-Broadway production of Floating Rhoda and the Glue Man, written by his stepmother.

Other film appearances have included The Cowboy Way, Richard Attenborough's remake of Miracle on 34th Street and Three to Tango with Matthew Perry.

Recent work has included an eyepatched New York club boss in the biopic of disco king Michael Alig Party Monster.