* 19 august 1955, Armonk, New York -

Education:Tufts University, MA (economics); Actors Studio

Accomplished stage performer with piercing blue eyes, thick black hair and strong, handsome features. After appearing in the 1977 Broadway revival of Hair and the hit musical Grease, Gallagher made his film debut as a Fabian-like singer in THE IDOLMAKER (1980). He won a Theatre World Award for the short-lived 1982 Broadway musical A Doll's Life, a Clarence Derwent Award for his brief role in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing (1984) and a Tony nomination for his portrayal of Edmund Tyrone in Jonathan Miller's controversial production of Long Day's Journey Into Night, presented in 1987 on Broadway, in London's West End and on cable TV.

Gallagher is best known as the arrogant, adulterous yuppie lawyer in Steven Soderbergh's SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE (1989) and as aggressive Hollywood executive Larry Levy in Robert Altman's THE PLAYER (1992). Back on Broadway, he triumphed as Sky Masterson in the successful 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls.

A handsome, brooding actor equally at home in mainstream Hollywood fare and in American independent projects -- as well as on the theatrical stage --

While attending Tufts University, he spent his summers appearing with area theater groups, and after graduating in 1977 appeared on Broadway in a revival of Hair. Gallagher then starred as Danny Zuko in Grease, a performance which led to his portrayal of a 1950s-era pop singer in his film debut, 1980's The Idolmaker. Summer Lovers followed two years later, but proved such a miserable experience that Gallagher fled Hollywood to return to the stage; he won a Theatre World Award that same year for his work in the Broadway musical A Doll's Life, and earned a Clarence Derwent Award in 1984 for his turn in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing.
In 1985 Gallagher returned to film in the Dennis Potter-scripted Dreamchild, followed in 1987 by My Little Girl; after garnering a Tony nomination for his work in a controversial revival of Long Day's Journey into Night, he enjoyed his motion picture breakthrough as an adulterous attorney in Steven Soderbergh's influential 1989 debut sex, lies and videotape. The performance earned Gallagher considerable credibility within the independent filmmaking community, but his next several efforts were more mainstream productions like 1990's Tune in Tomorrow and the television drama Love and Lies. However, a subsequent turn in Peter Sellars' 1991 avant-silent The Cabinet of Dr. Ramirez brought acclaim from art-house audiences, and with a lead role in Robert Altman's 1992 comeback The Player Gallagher's stock rose even higher. Over the following years he split his time between edgier material (Tim Robbins' Bob Roberts, Altman's Short Cuts, and Soderbergh's The Underneath) and lighter, more glossy projects (Malice, While You Were Sleeping, and To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday.)

Filmography :

1980   THE IDOLMAKER       song performer, performer

Peter Gallagher en zijn publiek

1980   SKAG 

1982   PRIVATE CONTENTMENT    

1982   SUMMER LOVERS     

1984   TERRIBLE JOE MORAN        

1985   DREAMCHILD 

1986   MY LITTLE GIRL      

1988   THE CAINE MUTINY COURT-MARTIAL       

1988   HIGH SPIRITS

1988   I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS      

1988   THE MURDER OF MARY PHAGAN     

1989   SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE

1990   LOVE AND LIES       

1990   MILENA—THE BELOVED/MILENA     

1990   TUNE IN TOMORROW…       

1991   THE CABINET OF DR. RAMIREZ – collaboration, performer        

1991   AN INCONVENIENT WOMAN 

1991   LATE FOR DINNER    

1992   BOB ROBERTS

1992   THE PLAYER  

1993   MALICE        

1993   SHORT CUTS 

1993   WATCH IT

Peter Gallagher met Suzy Amis

1994   THE HUDSUCKER PROXY     

1994   MOTHER'S BOYS      

1994   MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE   

1994   UNDERNEATH

1995   WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

1996   LAST DANCE 

HOUSE ON HAUTED HILL

Peter Gallagher met Geoffrey Rush