Dean Winters
Encyclopedia
Dean Winters is an American actor, who has portrayed Ryan O'Reily
on HBO's Oz
, Johnny Gavin
on FX Network's Rescue Me
, and Dennis Duffy on NBC
's 30 Rock
. He was selected to portray "Mayhem" in an Allstate
insurance advertising campaign that began airing in the summer of 2010.
, and Blair. Scott is also an actor, and portrayed Ryan O'Reily's brother Cyril
on Oz.
television series: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
, where he was a regular in the first season, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent
. He has also made guest appearances on Sex and the City
, Third Watch
, NYPD Blue
, CSI: Miami
and 30 Rock
as well as previously having a starring role in Rescue Me
. He also starred in the 1999 romantic comedy Undercover Angel
with Yasmine Bleeth
and the 2002 direct-to-video
horror film
Hellraiser: Hellseeker
. He played Tom in PS, I Love You. Winters played Detective Sam Tyler
's father in the US version of Life On Mars
. He also played Charley Dixon, Sarah Connor's love interest, in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Winters was cast in ABC
drama pilot Happy Town
from the creators of October Road
, but was replaced by Steven Weber
after shooting the pilot.
On June 20, 2010, Winters was introduced as "Mayhem," the recurring character in a new television and radio advertising campaign for Allstate Insurance
created by the agency
Leo Burnett Chicago
. In an analysis of the 15-second teaser spots, Stuart Elliott
, advertising columnist of The New York Times
, called Mayhem "a throwback to a kind of ad character that was once hugely popular: the bad guy who causes problems that the product being advertised solves," comparing Winters' character to the Noid
in ads for Domino's Pizza
in the 1980s, or the Spotmaker in early Calgon
ite ads.
in an ambulance, Winters' heart stopped beating for 2½ minutes. Paramedics were able to revive him, and Winters was hospitalized in intensive care for three weeks. Over the course of the next year, Winters developed gangrene
, requiring the amputation of two toes and part of a thumb (five-eighths) and ten subsequent operations. Aside from being replaced by Weber when the pilot was picked up for series production, Winters was away from acting until the spring of 2010, when Tina Fey
brought him back to 30 Rock and he started work on the Mayhem campaign.
Ryan O'Reily
Ryan O'Reily is a main character in the television series Oz. He was portrayed by Dean Winters from 1997 to 2003.-Character overview:Prisoner #97P904. Convicted July 12, 1997 - Two counts of vehicular manslaughter, five counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a controlled substance,...
on HBO's Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
, Johnny Gavin
Johnny Gavin (Rescue Me)
Johnny Gavin was a fictional character on the FX drama series Rescue Me. The character was played by Dean Winters.Johnny is Tommy's younger brother. He is a well-connected detective in the NYPD, who reluctantly helps Tommy out in terms of getting him out of trouble with the law and providing...
on FX Network's Rescue Me
Rescue Me (TV series)
Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...
, and Dennis Duffy on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
. He was selected to portray "Mayhem" in an Allstate
Allstate
The Allstate Corporation is the second-largest personal lines insurer in the United States and the largest that is publicly held. The company also has personal lines insurance operations in Canada. Allstate was founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and was spun off in 1993...
insurance advertising campaign that began airing in the summer of 2010.
Early life
Winters was born in New York City, and has three younger siblings: Bradford (a writer), Scott WilliamScott William Winters
Scott William Winters is an American actor.Winters has three siblings: older brother Dean Winters, who is 12.5 months older, Bradford , and sister Blair. He is best known for playing Cyril O'Reily in the HBO drama Oz opposite his brother, Dean Winters, who appeared as Cyril's brother, Ryan...
, and Blair. Scott is also an actor, and portrayed Ryan O'Reily's brother Cyril
Cyril O'Reily
Cyril O'Reily is a fictional character, played by American actor Scott William Winters, on the HBO drama Oz. He is also mentioned in the companion book , p. 58.-Character overview:...
on Oz.
Career
Winters has appeared in two of the Law & OrderLaw & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
television series: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
, where he was a regular in the first season, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
. He has also made guest appearances on Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, Third Watch
Third Watch
Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
, NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
, CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
and 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
as well as previously having a starring role in Rescue Me
Rescue Me (TV series)
Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...
. He also starred in the 1999 romantic comedy Undercover Angel
Undercover Angel
Undercover Angel, also known as Un vrai petit ange , is a 1999 film by writer/director Bryan Michael Stoller...
with Yasmine Bleeth
Yasmine Bleeth
Yasmine Amanda Bleeth is an American actress. Her television roles include Caroline Holden in the long-running series Baywatch.-Early life and career:...
and the 2002 direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Hellraiser: Hellseeker
Hellraiser
Hellraiser is a 1987 British and American horror film based upon the novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Hellraiser explores themes of sadomasochism and morality under duress and fear. The film spawned a series of sequels...
. He played Tom in PS, I Love You. Winters played Detective Sam Tyler
Sam Tyler
DCI/DI Sam Tyler is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars.In the original British version of Life on Mars, Tyler is played by John Simm and in the American version he is played by Jason O'Mara....
's father in the US version of Life On Mars
Life on Mars (U.S. TV series)
Life on Mars was a science fiction crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series of the same name produced by the BBC...
. He also played Charley Dixon, Sarah Connor's love interest, in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Winters was cast in ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
drama pilot Happy Town
Happy Town (TV series)
Happy Town is an American drama television series that premiered on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, and ended on June 16, 2010 on ABC. It was created by Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg...
from the creators of October Road
October Road (TV series)
October Road is an American television drama that debuted on ABC on March 15, 2007 following Grey's Anatomy. It follows Nick Garrett , who after a decade returns to his hometown, the fictional Knights Ridge, Massachusetts.The series is produced by ABC Studios and GroupM Entertainment; the latter is...
, but was replaced by Steven Weber
Steven Weber (actor)
Steven Robert Weber is an American actor. He is best known for his role in the television show Wings which aired throughout the 1990s on NBC.-Early life:...
after shooting the pilot.
On June 20, 2010, Winters was introduced as "Mayhem," the recurring character in a new television and radio advertising campaign for Allstate Insurance
Allstate
The Allstate Corporation is the second-largest personal lines insurer in the United States and the largest that is publicly held. The company also has personal lines insurance operations in Canada. Allstate was founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and was spun off in 1993...
created by the agency
Leo Burnett Chicago
Leo Burnett Worldwide
Leo Burnett Worldwide is an American advertising company, created in 1935 by Leo Burnett. The company was opened in Chicago in 1935. In 1950 the company started its two first major advertising projects, for Kellogg’s and P&G....
. In an analysis of the 15-second teaser spots, Stuart Elliott
Stuart Elliott
Stuart Elliott is a former Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a left-winger between 1998 and 2010...
, advertising columnist of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, called Mayhem "a throwback to a kind of ad character that was once hugely popular: the bad guy who causes problems that the product being advertised solves," comparing Winters' character to the Noid
Noid
The Noid is an advertising character for Domino's Pizza created in the 1980s. He was a villainous red-suited character with red rabbit ears who attempted to ruin Domino's pizza but was constantly thwarted. The Noid was created in 1986 by Group 243, the advertising agency for Domino's Pizza and was...
in ads for Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
in the 1980s, or the Spotmaker in early Calgon
Calgon
Calgon is a brand registered trademark of different corporations. The original product consisted of powdered sodium hexametaphosphate , which in water would complex with ambient calcium ion and certain other cations, preventing formation of unwanted salts and interference by those cations with the...
ite ads.
Personal life
Around June 19, 2009, after shooting the Happy Town pilot, Winters contracted a bacterial infection and collapsed upon arrival at his doctor's office, and while being transported across Central ParkCentral Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in an ambulance, Winters' heart stopped beating for 2½ minutes. Paramedics were able to revive him, and Winters was hospitalized in intensive care for three weeks. Over the course of the next year, Winters developed gangrene
Gangrene
Gangrene is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that arises when a considerable mass of body tissue dies . This may occur after an injury or infection, or in people suffering from any chronic health problem affecting blood circulation. The primary cause of gangrene is reduced blood...
, requiring the amputation of two toes and part of a thumb (five-eighths) and ten subsequent operations. Aside from being replaced by Weber when the pilot was picked up for series production, Winters was away from acting until the spring of 2010, when Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
brought him back to 30 Rock and he started work on the Mayhem campaign.
Films
- Conspiracy TheoryConspiracy Theory (film)Conspiracy Theory is a 1997 American action thriller film directed by Richard Donner.The original screenplay by Brian Helgeland centers on an eccentric taxi driver who believes many world events are triggered by government conspiracies, and the U.S...
(1997) - Lifebreath (1997)
- FirehouseFirehouse (1997 film)Firehouse is a 1997 drama film about the dealings of a crew at a firehouse. The group is attacked by an assassin and eventually must accept that the firehouse is to be consolidated with a rescue unit....
(1997) (TV film) - Undercover AngelUndercover AngelUndercover Angel, also known as Un vrai petit ange , is a 1999 film by writer/director Bryan Michael Stoller...
(1999) - Snipes (2001)
- Bullet in the Brain (2001)
- Hellraiser: HellseekerHellraiser: HellseekerHellraiser: Hellseeker is a 2002 horror film, directed by Rick Bota. It is the sixth film in the Hellraiser series. It also features the return of Kirsty Cotton, the heroine from Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II...
(2002) (direct-to-videoDirect-to-videoDirect-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
) - Strip Search (2004) (TV film)
- Brooklyn Bound (2004)
- Love Rome (2004)
- Bristol BoysBristol BoysBristol Boys is a 2007 film written and directed by Brandon David. Shot in Bristol, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts, the film is based on one of biggest drug busts of Connecticut's Statewide Narcotics Task Force, including the arrest of David's longtime friend Kevin Toolen in 2001...
(2005) - Dead Calling (2006)
- P.S. I Love YouP.S. I Love You (film)P.S. I Love You is a 2007 American drama film directed by Richard LaGravenese. The screenplay by LaGravenese and Steven Rogers is based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Cecelia Ahern. The film is dedicated to the memory of producer Molly Smith's sister Windland Smith Rice.-Plot:Holly and Gerry...
(20072007 in filmThis is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
) - Devil You Know (2009)
- Winter of Frozen DreamsWinter of Frozen DreamsWinter of Frozen Dreams was filmed in 2006 crime drama directed by Eric Mandelbaum, and starring Thora Birch, Keith Carradine, and Brendan Sexton III.Filmed in Schenectady N.Y...
(2009) - SplinterheadsSplinterheadsSplinterheads is a 2009 romantic comedy film written and directed by Brant Sersen. It stars Thomas Middleditch, Rachael Taylor, Christopher McDonald and Lea Thompson. The film opened in limited release in the United States on November 6, 2009....
(2009) - 7 to the Palace (2009)
- Today's SpecialToday's Special (2009 film)Today's Special is a 2009 independent comedy film loosely inspired by Aasif Mandvi's Obie Award-winning play, Sakina's Restaurant. The film was directed by David Kaplan...
(2009)
TV series
- Homicide: Life on the StreetHomicide: Life on the StreetHomicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
(1995–1996) - NYPD BlueNYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
(1996) - MillenniumMillennium (TV series)Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
(1997–1999) - OzOz (TV series)Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
(1997–2003) - New York UndercoverNew York UndercoverNew York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to...
(1998) - Sex and the CitySex and the CitySex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
(1999) - Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
(1999–2000) - Shyne- Bonnie and Shyne Music Video (2000)
- Deadline (2001)
- Third WatchThird WatchThird Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
(2002) - The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone (2002 TV series)The Twilight Zone is a 2002 revival of Rod Serling's acclaimed 1950/60s television series, The Twilight Zone. It aired for one season on the UPN network, with actor Forest Whitaker assuming Serling's role as narrator and on-screen host....
(2002) - CSI: MiamiCSI: MiamiCSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
(2005) - Rescue MeRescue Me (TV series)Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...
(2004–2011) - 30 Rock30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
(2006–present) ("Jack Meets DennisJack Meets Dennis"Jack Meets Dennis" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by co-executive producer Jack Burditt, and directed by Juan J. Campanella. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company in the United States on...
", "Tracy Does ConanTracy Does Conan"Tracy Does Conan" is the seventh episode of NBC's first season of 30 Rock. It was written by the series' creator and executive producer, Tina Fey and it was directed by one of the season's supervising producers, Adam Bernstein. It first aired on December 7, 2006 in the United States and November...
", "The Break Up", "Subway HeroSubway Hero"Subway Hero" is the twelfth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and thirty-third episode of the series. It was written by Jack Burditt, one of the series' co-executive producers, and executive producer Robert Carlock. It was directed by Don Scardino. It aired on April 17, 2008 on the NBC...
", "CooterCooter (30 Rock)"Cooter" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of 30 Rock and thirty-sixth episode of the series. It was written by series' creator Tina Fey and was directed by one of the season's producers, Don Scardino. The episode first aired on May 8, 2008 on the NBC network in the United States...
", "Apollo, ApolloApollo, Apollo"Apollo, Apollo" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 52nd episode of the series overall. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by Millicent Shelton. The episode originally aired on the National Broadcasting...
", "Anna Howard Shaw DayAnna Howard Shaw Day"Anna Howard Shaw Day" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 71st episode of the series overall. It was written by supervising producer Matt Hubbard and directed by Ken Whittingham. The episode originally aired on the National...
", "Operation Righteous Cowboy LightningOperation Righteous Cowboy Lightning"Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock. It was written by executive producer Robert Carlock. The director of this episode was Beth McCarthy-Miller. It originally aired on the National Broadcasting Company ...
", "100100 (30 Rock)"100" is a double-episode of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, covering the 20th and 21st episodes of the fifth season, and the 100th and 101st episodes overall of the series. It was written by Jack Burditt and the show's executive producers Robert Carlock and Tina Fey, who is also the...
") - Law & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
(2008) - Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009)
- Life on MarsLife on Mars (U.S. TV series)Life on Mars was a science fiction crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series of the same name produced by the BBC...
(2008–2009) - Happy TownHappy Town (TV series)Happy Town is an American drama television series that premiered on Wednesday, April 28, 2010, and ended on June 16, 2010 on ABC. It was created by Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg...
(2009)