John Diehl

About

John Henry Diehl (born May 1, 1950) is an American character actor. Noted for his work in avant garde theater, Diehl has performed in more than 140 films and television shows, including Land of Plenty, Stripes, City Limits, Nixon, Jurassic Park III, and the TV series Miami Vice, The Shield, and Point Pleasant.
Diehl has largely avoided the typecasting that is an accepted part of most character actors’ careers. He has been a member of The Actors Studio since 2004.

Diehl was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1950. His father, John A. Diehl, was a civil engineer, and his mother, Mary, was a social worker. Raised in a devoutly Roman Catholic family, he was educated at parochial schools, and graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1968.

In 1970, Diehl moved to New York City, encouraged by his sister, who had just graduated from the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. He spent 1971 squatting in Amsterdam and returned to New York City in 1972. In 1976, he moved to Los Angeles. He had always been interested in drawing and making things, and intended to pursue a career in the visual arts there. Initially, he supported himself in Los Angeles by moving furniture…