Timothy Olyphant

Timothy Olyphant (born May 20, 1968, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.) is an American actor who has appeared in a wide range of roles but is best known for portraying two lawmen on television: Sheriff Seth Bullock in Deadwood (2004–06) and Deadwood: The Movie (2019) and U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens in Justified (2010–15) and the miniseries Justified: City Primeval (2023).

Early life and career

Olyphant is one of three sons born to Katherine (née Gideon) Olyphant and John Vernon Bevan Olyphant, a wine executive who is a member of the Vanderbilt family of New York; Cornelius Vanderbilt is Timothy Olyphant’s fourth great-grandfather. Not long after Olyphant was born, the family moved from Hawaii to Modesto, California.

Olyphant was a competitive swimmer in high school, and he reached the finals in the 200-metre individual medley at the 1986 U.S. nationals. He subsequently was recruited for the swim team at the University of Southern California (USC) by legendary coach Peter Daland. Initially interested in architecture, Olyphant ultimately studied fine arts. He left school a few credits shy of graduating, but he finished his degree online in the early 2020s during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After leaving USC, Olyphant moved to New York City to explore career options. He tried stand-up comedy before deciding to become an actor. He studied at the William Esper Studio, and one of his first acting jobs was for a television pilot (1995) based on the classic series 77 Sunset Strip; the episode never aired. Olyphant also performed in Off-Broadway plays, and in 1996 he had a starring role in The Santaland Diaries, an hour-long monologue based on writer David Sedaris’s humorous essay about working at Macy’s department store as a Christmas elf. Olyphant received largely positive reviews for the role, and Ben Brantley of The New York Times noted that he did a “wonderful job” imitating other characters.

Scream 2, Sex and the City, and Go

In 1996 Olyphant made his feature-film debut with a supporting role in The First Wives Club, which starred Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, and Bette Midler. More bit parts followed, but his career gained momentum in 1997, when he appeared in the popular horror thriller Scream 2. The following year he had a prominent guest role on the HBO TV series Sex and the City, playing a love interest of Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Carrie Bradshaw. His credits from 1999 include a memorable turn as a drug dealer in the cult comedy Go. Continuing to highlight his versatility, Olyphant then landed a starring role in The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000), about a group of gay friends living in West Hollywood.

In 2000 Olyphant appeared in Gone in 60 Seconds, a popular crime thriller about car thieves; it starred Angelina Jolie and Nicolas Cage. Olyphant was then offered the lead role of Dominic Toretto in The Fast and the Furious (2001), an action thriller about street racers that launched a hugely successful franchise. However, Olyphant turned down the part that would later make Vin Diesel an international star.

Nevertheless, Olyphant remained busy. He subsequently appeared in Rock Star, a musical drama with Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston, and The Safety of Objects (both 2001), which was adapted from a short-story collection by A.M. Homes. In 2004 he received good reviews for his portrayal of a porn film producer in the comedy The Girl Next Door.

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Breakthrough: Deadwood and Justified

Olyphant’s popularity grew when he landed a starring role as Sheriff Seth Bullock on HBO’s critically acclaimed western series Deadwood (2004–06), which is set in South Dakota in the late 1800s. The San Francisco Chronicle’s Tim Goodman later said, “Olyphant’s steely gaze, Zen interior and matinee looks called to mind a younger Clint Eastwood.” The drama—which became known for its profanity-filled, Shakespearean dialogue and its violence—features an array of historical characters, though the laconic Bullock and crime boss Al Swearengen (played by Ian McShane) are the show’s center. The Emmy Award-winning show was abruptly canceled in 2006 after three seasons. However, much of the cast, including Olyphant, later returned for Deadwood: The Movie (2019), which concluded the series.

In 2006 Olyphant starred with Jennifer Garner in Catch and Release, a romantic dramedy. The following year he played the villain in Live Free or Die Hard, an installment in the popular Die Hard action series starring Bruce Willis. Olyphant’s other films from this period include Hitman (2007), in which he starred as the title character, and A Perfect Getaway (2009), a mystery thriller. In 2010 he played a sheriff in the horror film The Crazies, about a small town dealing with zombies. Olyphant also continued to appear on television. From 2009 to 2010 he had a recurring role on the legal drama series Damages, which starred Glenn Close. In addition, Olyphant had a funny turn as a salesman in two episodes (2010) of The Office.

In 2010 Olyphant began playing another iconic law officer, U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens on the modern western crime series Justified. He was praised by critics for his portrayal of the smooth-talking, witty lawman who is not afraid to push boundaries when dealing with assorted criminals in the hills of eastern Kentucky; Givens is based on a character created by crime novelist Elmore Leonard. Olyphant was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2011. The show ended in 2015 after six seasons, but Olyphant returned as Givens in the eight-part miniseries Justified: City Primeval (2023).

Later credits

In 2015–16 Olyphant had a recurring role on the comedy series The Grinder, winning acclaim for playing an exaggerated version of himself, a nemesis of the series star Rob Lowe. Olyphant returned to the theater in 2016, starring as a self-absorbed country music star in the world premiere of Kenneth Lonergan’s Hold On to Me Darling. Olyphant later starred with Drew Barrymore in the Netflix comedy horror series Santa Clarita Diet (2017–19). In 2019 he portrayed TV western star James Stacy in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, a hugely successful dramedy set in 1969 and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt.

Olyphant entered the Star Wars universe in 2020, cast as the heroic character Cobb Vanth in the space western series The Mandalorian, and he received an Emmy nomination for his performance. He played the character again in 2022 on the spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett. During this time Olyphant also made a guest appearance (2020) on Larry David’s comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm and appeared on the fourth season (2020) of Fargo, portraying a dogged U.S. marshal. In addition, he had a supporting role in David O. Russell’s Amsterdam (2022), a social satire about a fascist conspiracy to overturn the U.S. government in the 1930s. In 2023 Olyphant appeared in two miniseries: Steven Soderbergh’s Full Circle, about a kidnapping that goes wrong, and Daisy Jones & the Six, in which he played the road manager of a fictional 1970s band.

Personal life

Timothy Olyphant met his future wife, Alexis Knief, in college, and they married in 1991. The couple has three children, including Vivian Olyphant, who portrayed his daughter in Justified: City Primeval. Timothy Olyphant is an avid tennis player and has competed in celebrity events. Known for his dry sense of humor and easygoing manner, he is a popular guest on talk shows.