With a career that spans nearly four decades, Dermot Mulroney has regularly appeared in some amazing movies and TV shows. Mulroney got his start in 1986, starring in the TV film Sin of Innocence while he was a senior in college. After that, he appeared in a number of dramas for the first decade of his career. But it wasn’t until 1997 that Dermot Mulroney had his first big breakout role in My Best Friend’s Wedding, playing opposite Julia Roberts.
Mulroney was featured in several great romantic comedies after that as well, including The Wedding Date and The Family Stone. In addition to his films, Mulroney has appeared in a variety of TV shows, playing side characters in popular shows like Friends, New Girl, and Shameless. He has also had roles in several big franchise projects, such as Insidious: Chapter 3, Scream VI, and Secret Invasion.
10
Lovely & Amazing (2001)
Dermot Mulroney as Kevin McCabe
Lovely & Amazing
- Release Date
-
August 31, 2001
- Runtime
-
91 minutes
- Director
-
Nicole Holofcener
- Producers
-
Anthony Bregman, Eric d’Arbeloff, Jason Kliot, Joana Vicente, Ted Hope, Michael Kafka, Charles J. Rusbasan, Michael Escott
Cast
-
Brenda Blethyn
Jane Marks
-
Catherine Keener
Michelle Marks
-
Emily Mortimer
Elizabebeth Marks
-
Lovely & Amazing was a strong sophomore outing for director Nicole Holofcener. Like most of Holofcener’s filmography, Lovely & Amazing concerns itself with the relationships between men and women, as well as focusing on the workings of mother-daughter dynamics. It results in a touching, subdued film that feels as natural as watching friends have a conversation. It’s quietly powerful, featuring a variety of complex characters who are just trying to figure everything out.
Dermot Mulroney doesn’t have that much screen time in Lovely & Amazing, as the focus is on the four main female characters, but he is an integral character in the story. He plays heartthrob actor Kevin McCabe, whom Emily Mortimer’s Elizabeth auditions alongside, eventually meeting for dinner and sleeping together despite her having a partner already. While he doesn’t have a lot of complexity as a character, Mulroney exhibits all the charm that made him so appealing as an actor at the time.
9
The Grey (2011)
Dermot Mulroney as Jerome Talget

The Grey
- Release Date
-
January 27, 2012
- Runtime
-
117 minutes
- Director
-
Joe Carnahan
- Writers
-
Joe Carnahan, Ian Mackenzie Jeffers
Underrated at the time of its release, The Grey is a gripping, survival thriller that stars Liam Neeson and ends with him fighting wolves. Released in 2011, The Grey tells of a group of oil men who are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after their plane crashes. Not only must they contend with the freezing temperatures, but they are being hunted by a pack of Canadian grey wolves. Tense all the way through, the film was a vehicle for Neeson to show his star power.

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While The Grey focuses heavily on Liam Neeson’s character, there are still a number of other important players. Among them is Dermot Mulroney’s Jerome Talget, an openly Christian man who speaks highly of his daughter back home. Unfortunately, like every character besides Neeson’s, Talget is eventually killed by the wolf pack after falling from a significant height. His death is one of the saddest in the film, as he pictures his daughter right before he dies.
8
Scream VI (2023)
Dermot Mulroney as Detective Wayne Bailey

Scream 6
- Release Date
-
March 10, 2023
- Runtime
-
122 Minutes
- Director
-
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
- Writers
-
James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick
Scream is one of the best horror franchises ever, and the original film is considered one of the most influential slashers of all time. After a successful trilogy and a fourth film a decade after that, the franchise was revived in 2022, with Scream 5, eventually taking the franchise to New York City in Scream 6. Despite being the sixth film in the series, Scream 6 was a strong one, containing all the meta-commentary and carnage fans of the series could hope for.
Scream 6 is the only film in the franchise where Neve Campbell didn’t return as Sidney, but she’ll be back for Scream 7.
Despite not appearing in a lot of horror films, Dermot Mulroney was an important character in Scream 6, playing Detective Wayne Bailey, who is assigned to work on the recent Ghostface case. Guessing who the killers are in a Scream film is part of the fun, and it was revealed that Mulroney was one of three this time around, working alongside his daughter and son to avenge his other son, Richie, one of the killers from Scream 5. It’s fun to see Dermot Mulroney reveal himself to be one of the film’s villains, and he’s clearly having a blast.
7
New Girl (2012-2018)
Dermot Mulroney as Russell Schiller

New Girl
- Release Date
-
September 20, 2011
- Network
-
FOX
- Showrunner
-
Elizabeth Meriwether
- Writers
-
Elizabeth Meriwether
Premiering in 2011, New Girl was a popular sitcom revolving around the quirky performance of Zooey Deschanel’s Jess as she moves into an apartment with three guys, finding love and friendship along the way. The series ran for seven seasons, and was incredibly funny, while also being heartfelt a lot of the time. The dynamics between the characters and their random humor are what made New Girl such an endearing show during its run.

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Dermot Mulroney plays Russell Schiller, a wealthy single father to one of Jess’ students. Introduced in season 1, Russell and Jess quickly start a relationship together, and he falls in love with her. Mulroney has all of his signature charm in the show, playing the older, more distinguished guy quite well. It’s no wonder Nick Miller looked up to him, and was also a bit jealous at the same time.
6
Longtime Companion (1989)
Dermot Mulroney as John

Longtime Companion
- Release Date
-
October 11, 1989
- Runtime
-
96 minutes
- Director
-
Norman René
- Writers
-
Craig Lucas
- Producers
-
Lindsay Law
One of the earliest films in Dermot Mulroney’s career, Longtime Companion chronicles the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. Telling the story over the course of nearly a decade, Longtime Companion is a heartbreaking look at the effects the epidemic had on gay men at the time, revolving around a group of friends. It’s a sympathetic look at an incredibly tragic period, resulting in a poignant, understanding film.
It’s a heartbreaking performance but one of the most important in his career.
Dermot Mulroney plays John, the first character to be diagnosed with AIDS, contracting pneumonia in the process. He dies shortly after being admitted to the hospital, changing things forever. Mulroney is incredible in Longtime Companion despite it being so early in his career, giving John so much depth, as he tries to navigate his new diagnosis. It’s a heartbreaking performance but one of the most important in his career.
5
Shameless (2015-2017)
Dermot Mulroney as Sean Pierce

Shameless
- Release Date
-
2011 – 2020
- Network
-
Channel 4
- Showrunner
-
John Wells
- Directors
-
John Wells
- Writers
-
Paul Abbott
First premiering in 2011, Shameless became one of the best modern television shows, running for a total of 11 seasons. The series revolves around the poor, dysfunctional Gallagher family, with William H. Macy’s Frank as the head of the household, neglectful of his six children. Shameless is a black comedy and drama series, regularly depicting harrowing situations with a sense of levity and humor, although it can get quite serious at times. It’s an incredible show that explores its characters in great depth.
Dermot Mulroney comes onto the show in season 5, playing Sean Pierce, a man recovering from heroin addiction who eventually begins a relationship with Fiona Gallagher, Frank’s oldest daughter and one of the most important characters on the show. Eventually, Sean and Fiona get engaged before they ultimately split due to Sean’s relapse. Mulroney is excellent in the role, tapping into the depth of Sean and how his past continues to inform his present.
4
Zodiac (2007)
Dermot Mulroney as Captain Marty Lee

Zodiac
- Release Date
-
March 2, 2007
- Runtime
-
157 minutes
- Writers
-
James Vanderbilt
Zodiac is one of the best films in David Fincher’s career, an impressive feat given how incredible his filmography is. Zodiac is based on the real life case of the Zodiac killer, who was active in San Francisco in the late-60s and early-70s. The movie revolves around the detectives desperately trying to solve the mystery of who the killer is, featuring incredible performances from Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr.

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Dermot Mulroney doesn’t have that big of a role in Zodiac, playing Marty Lee, the captain of the San Francisco Police Department. Despite not having a significant role, Mulroney fits right into the world that David Fincher crafted with Zodiac. He also had to wear a fat suit for his performance, given that Fincher thought he looked too fit for the role. Mulroney was fully committed to his character, even with the few scenes he had.
3
Friends (2003)
Dermot Mulroney as Gavin Mitchell

Friends
- Release Date
-
1994 – 2003
- Showrunner
-
Marta Kauffman
- Directors
-
David Crane, Marta Kauffman
- Writers
-
David Crane, Marta Kauffman
Friends is one of the most influential sitcoms of all time, and one of the best TV shows ever made. Enjoying immense popularity over the course of its 10-season run, Friends revolves around a group of six friends and their daily lives in New York City. The series is immensely funny, with some of the best-defined characters in the genre, with each playing a distinct role within the friend group. Few sitcoms have been able to recapture the magic of Friends.
Like most of his appearances on major TV shows, Mulroney doesn’t have that big of a role in Friends, only appearing in three episodes in season nine. Despite that, he still gives a great performance with all the signature charm he is known for. Mulroney plays Gavin Mitchell, a coworker of Rachel’s, and eventually starts a brief romantic fling with her.
2
My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997)
Dermot Mulroney as Michael O’Neal
Alongside being arguably the most important role in Dermot Mulroney’s career, My Best Friend’s Wedding is just a really great romantic comedy, led by a fantastic performance by Julia Roberts. Just a few weeks after her 28th birthday, Julia Roberts’ Julianne learns that her best friend is getting married, and discovers her feelings for him. After this realization, Julianne sets out to sabotage the wedding, leading to a hilarious series of events.
While Dermot Mulroney was regularly getting great roles prior to My Best Friend’s Wedding, it was the Julia Roberts-led film that gave him his major breakthrough in Hollywood, becoming a leading man in the romantic comedy genre. He plays Michael O’Neal, best friend to Julianne and engaged to Cameron Diaz’s Kimmy Wallace. His chemistry with Roberts is so good throughout, and Mulroney perfectly portrays the conflicted feelings Michael has throughout the movie.
1
Living In Oblivion (1995)
Dermot Mulroney as Wolf Überman

Living in Oblivion
- Release Date
-
July 21, 1995
- Runtime
-
90 minutes
- Director
-
Tom DiCillo
- Producers
-
Frank von Zerneck, Hilary Gilford, Marcus Viscidi
Just a few years before My Best Friend’s Wedding made Dermot Mulroney a major Hollywood name, he was in his best film, Living in Oblivion. The movie stars Steve Buscemi as a low-budget indie film director trying to keep the production of his film together while dealing with a variety of issues. Living in Oblivion is a hilarious satirical black comedy with some incredible performances from Buscemi, Catherine Keener, and Dermot Mulroney.
Dermot Mulroney plays Wolf Überman, the pretentious cinematographer for Buscemi’s film, who also happens to be immensely talented at his job. Mulroney is hilarious in the movie, really leaning into the character’s narcissism to great effect. Dermot Mulroney’s role as Wolf might not be his most emotionally demanding performance, but it is one of his best, showing his range as an actor with an incredibly funny turn as the character.