Gary Michael Cole is an American television and film actor. Born in Park Ridge, Illinois and a graduate of Illinois State University, Cole began his professional acting career on stage with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. On television, he had starring roles in the series Midnight Caller, American Gothic, and Crusade. On film, he appeared in supporting roles in The Brady Bunch Movie, Office Space, Dodgeball, and Talladega Nights. Cole was born in Park Ridge, Illinois. His father was a school administrator and his mother was a director of finance. Cole attended Rolling Meadows High... School, where his first dramatic appearance was as Snoopy in a high school production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He later attended Illinois State University, where he majored in theater alongside actors Laurie Metcalf and John Malkovich. Cole began his professional career in 1983 as a stage actor in Chicago, where he joined the ensemble of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. He also appeared in several off-Broadway productions in New York City.
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