Joseph Patrick Breen (born October 26, 1960) is an American actor, playwright and screenwriter.
Early life
Breen was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 26, 1960.
Career
He has acted primarily on TV but has also appeared in numerous films, as well as on Broadway and Off Broadway.
In 2010, he starred on Broadway in Next Fall. He is currently playing Andrew Munsey, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, on the CBS drama Madam Secretary.
He voiced all the characters in Britt Allcroft’s television series Magic Adventures of Mumfie, and was originally hired to voice Splatter and Dodge in Thomas and the Magic Railroad, but the roles were instead recast to Neil Crone and Kevin Frank.
Breen appeared regularly in Netflix’s adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events, which premiered in 2017.
Personal life
In a July 2012 interview with Metro Weekly Patrick Breen stated, “I identify as one of the LGBT people” and agreed with the interviewer who referred to Breen coming out as bisexual.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Day One | Richard Feynman | |
| 1990 | Nobody’s Perfect | Andy | |
| 1992 | Passed Away | Father Hallahan | |
| 1993 | For Love or Money | Gary Taubin | |
| 1995 | Call of the Wylie | Ezra | Also writer |
| 1996 | Sweet Nothing | Greg | |
| 1995 | Get Shorty | Resident Doctor | |
| 1996 | Phinehas | Billy | Also writer |
| 1997 | Beverly Hills Ninja | Desk Manager | Uncredited |
| 1997 | Men in Black | Reggie Redgick | |
| 1997 | Colin Fitz | Gnu Fan | |
| 1998 | One True Thing | G.A. Tweedy | |
| 1999 | Just the Ticket | San Diego Vinnie | |
| 1999 | Galaxy Quest | Quellek | |
| 1999 | Cross Words | Guy | Short film |
| 1999 | Advice from a Caterpillar | Hunter #1 | |
| 2000 | East of A | Peter Parker | Also writer |
| 2002 | Stark Raving Mad | Jeffrey Jay | |
| 2002 | Just a Kiss | Peter | Also writer |
| 2003 | Radio | Tucker | |
| 2004 | Christmas with the Kranks | Aubie | |
| 2007 | The Neighbor | Clint | |
| 2008 | Space Chimps | Dr. Bob (voice) | |
| 2009 | Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant | Mr. Kersey | |
| 2010 | Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back | Dr. Bob (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| 2010 | Rio Sex Comedy | Frank | |
| 2011 | The Bleeding House | Nick | |
| 2014 | Draft Day | Bill Zotti | |
| 2014 | Mumfie’s Quest: The Movie | Narrator (voice) | |
| 2014 | A Most Violent Year | Instructor | |
| 2017 | After Louie | Jeffrey | |
| 2020 | Milkwater | Roger |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Spenser: For Hire | Bobby Olak | Episode: “And Give Up Show Biz?” |
| 1987 | My Sister Sam | Scotty | Episode: “Club Dread” |
| 1987 | The Cavanaughs | Tommy | Episode: “The Arrangement” |
| 1987 | Gimme a Break! | Keith Dudley | Episode: “Parents’ Week: Part 1 & 2” |
| 1987 | 21 Jump Street | Johnny Hartman | Episode: “Low and Away” |
| 1987 | Just in Time | Nick Thompson | |
| 1990 | Monsters | Danny | Episode: “Museum Hearts” |
| 1990 | Kojak: None So Blind | Reporter #1 | TV movie |
| 1991 | Sunday Dinner | Kenneth Benedict | |
| 1992 | Fool’s Fire | The Ministers | |
| 1993 | Melrose Place | Cameron | |
| 1993 | Fallen Angels | Doc | Episode: “The Quiet Room” |
| 1993 | Big Wave Dave’s | Richie Lamonica | |
| 1995–2013 | Magic Adventures of Mumfie | Narrator | |
| 1995–1996 | Simon | Mitch | |
| 1996 | Law & Order | Andrew Gellis | Episode: “Slave” |
| 1996–1997 | One Life to Live | Winslow Freeman | |
| 1998 | Jenny | Richard Marino | Episode: “A Girl’s Gotta Merger” |
| 1998 | Party of Five | Kevin Quoss | |
| 1999 | Oz | Robbie Gerth | |
| 1999 | Sex and the City | Dr. Bradley Meego | Episode: “Twenty-Something Girls vs. Thirty-Something Women” |
| 2001 | Jack & Jill | Ken | |
| 2001 | Ally McBeal | Kevin Stoller | Episode: “In Search of Barry White” |
| 2001 | Frasier | Phillip | Episode: “A Day in May” |
| 2001 | Judging Amy | D.A. Levy | Episode: “The Last Word” |
| 2001 | The Tick | Friendly Fire | Episode: “Couples” |
| 2001 | Will & Grace | Mitchell | Episode: “Stakin’ Care of Business” |
| 2001 | Kristin | Nicholas Dupres | Episode: “The Rift” |
| 2002 | Angel | Nev | Episode: “Birthday” |
| 2002 | The West Wing | Kevin Kahn | Episode: “The Black Vera Wang” |
| 2002 | Do Over | Mr. Jenkins | Episode: “Investing in the Future” |
| 2003–2004 | Rock Me Baby | Richard Crandall | |
| 2003–2004 | Joan of Arcadia | Sammy | |
| 2004 | Law & Order | Kevin Hobart | |
| 2004 | Monk | Jeffery Sweeney | Episode: “Mr. Monk Gets Married” |
| 2004–2005 | Kevin Hill | George Weiss | |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Mr. Phillipe | Episode: “Way to Go” |
| 2006 | Boston Legal | A.D.A. Otto Beedle | |
| 2007 | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Edmund | Episode: “Strange Bedfellows” |
| 2007 | Notes from the Underbelly | Pale Husband | Episode: “Pilot” |
| 2007 | Pushing Daisies | Leo Gaswint | Episode: “Pie-lette” |
| 2008 | Eli Stone | Paul Sweren | |
| 2008 | ER | Felix | Episode: “Another Thursday at County” |
| 2009 | Captain Cook’s Extraordinary Atlas | Phinneas Malloy | TV movie |
| 2009 | Ghost Whisperer | Duff Faraday | |
| 2009 | Three Rivers | Dr. Joseph Breen | |
| 2010 | Nurse Jackie | Martin | |
| 2010–2016 | The Good Wife | Lt. Terrence Hicks | |
| 2011–2015 | Whole Day Down | Patrick Breen | Web series Co-creator and writer |
| 2012 | CSI: Miami | Henry Duncan | Episode: “No Good Deed” |
| 2013 | Criminal Minds | Peter Harper | Episode: “The Gathering” |
| 2013 | Major Crimes | Dr. Jason Field / Jim Gilmer | Episode: “D.O.A.” |
| 2014 | Blue Bloods | Joseph Scott | Episode: “Open Secrets” |
| 2014 | Those Who Kill | Burkhart | Episode: “Insomnia” |
| 2014 | Royal Pains | Bob | |
| 2014 | The Mysteries of Laura | Erik Walden | Episode: “Pilot” |
| 2014–2015 | Madam Secretary | Andrew Munsey | |
| 2015 | The Slap | Malcolm | Episode: “Connie” |
| 2015 | Elementary | Vance Ford | Episode: “T-Bone and the Iceman” |
| 2015 | Show Me a Hero | Paul W. Pickelle | |
| 2016 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Doug Nelson | Episode: “Forty-One Witnesses” |
| 2016 | BrainDead | Cole Stockwell | |
| 2017 | Conviction | Clark Sims | Episode: “Black Orchid” |
| 2017 | The Blacklist: Redemption | James Burton | Episode: “Hostages” |
| 2017–2019 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | Larry Your-Waiter | Recurring role |
