Dan Bucatinsky

Dan Bucatinsky Headshot

Actor • Writer • Producer

Birth Date: September 22, 1965

Age: 59 years old

Birth Place: New York, New York

As an actor, writer, producer, and web TV innovator, Dan Bucatinsky has taken on many roles throughout his show business career. Although he began his career as primarily an actor, having appeared in guest spots on shows such as "Party of Five" (Fox, 1994-2000), "Cybill" (CBS, 1995-98) and "Chicago Hope" (CBS, 1994-2000), by the early 2000s, he started adding writer and producer to his growing list of credits.

Along with writing, producing, and starring in the 2001 romantic comedy "All Over the Guy," Bucatinsky co-created the largely improvised Internet series "Web Therapy" (2008-15) with Lisa Kudrow, which in 2011 was adapted to a show on Showtime. When he's not writing and producing, Bucatinsky stars as a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist on ABC's hit political drama, "Scandal" (2012- ), lending further credence to his status as one of Hollywood's most widely versatile multi-hyphenates.

Born and raised in New York City, Bucatinsky began acting while attending Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. After graduating in the early 1990s, Bucatinsky moved back to the city to embark on his professional acting career. Before long he was landing guest spots on TV shows such as "Party of Five" and "Cybill," as well features such as "The Opposite of Sex," which was written and directed by Bucatinsky's future husband, Don Roos.

Feeling somewhat limited by the roles he was being offered, in the late '90s Bucatinsky wrote a play called "All Over the Guy," which was later turned into the 2001 romantic comedy of the same name. In addition to writing the screenplay for the film, Bucatinsky also played the lead role of Eli, a gay man who embarks on multiple blind dates in search of "the one." Bucatinsky continued to act in both movies and on TV throughout the 2000s, having appeared on the hit cable comedies "Weeds" (Showtime, 2005-2012) and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO, 2000- ), before teaming up with Lisa Kudrow as a producer on the HBO mockumentary, "The Comeback" (2005), in which he also appeared.

Despite being trumpeted by a few TV critics, however, the series was cancelled by HBO abruptly after 13 episodes.

Undeterred, Bucatinsky re-teamed with Kudrow in 2008 as co-creator of the Internet series "Web Therapy." Although formatted as a single-camera comedy, the show was largely improvised and featured a rotating list of prominent guest stars, including Conan O'Brien, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Meryl Streep. Already popular on the Internet, in 2011 "Web Therapy" premiered as a half-hour comedy on Showtime, with Bucatinsky retaining his role as executive producer and head writer.

In addition to his work on "Web Therapy," in 2012 Bucatinsky joined the cast of ABC's "Scandal," playing James Novak, a lauded former journalist that has now been relegated to the duties of a stay-at-home father. Bucatinsky reprised his role as Novak when the third season of "Scandal" premiered in the fall of 2013.

Credits

Making of a Game Show: 25 Words or Less

Self
Show
2024

ElsbethStream

Guest Star
Kidder Hawes
Series
2024
91%

Our Little SecretStream

Actor
Leonard
Movie
2024

Access Daily With Mario & Kit

Guest
Show
2022

Who Do You Think You Are?

Executive Producer
Show
2022

PictionaryStream

Self
Game Show
2021

RebelStream

Guest Star
Professor Jason Erickson
Series
2021
44%

The Baker and the BeautyStream

Actor
Lewis
Series
2020
89%

All RiseStream

Guest Star
Tim Landy
Series
2019

Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas

Executive Producer
Movie
2019

25 Words or LessStream

Executive Producer
Game Show
2018

25 Words or LessStream

Guest Star
Game Show
2018

25 Words or LessStream

Self
Game Show
2018

Second ActStream

Actor
Arthur Coyle
Movie
2018
44%

Every Act of Life

Voice
Dr. Jason Pepper
Movie
2018

Will & GraceStream

Guest Star
Series
2017
74%

24: LegacyStream

Actor
Andy Shalowitz
Series
2017
60%

The $100,000 PyramidStream

Contestant
Game Show
2016

24: Legacy: Extras

Actor
Show
2016

Grace and FrankieStream

Guest Star
Arnold
Series
2016
90%

SuperstoreStream

Guest Star
Steve
Series
2015
93%

Chicago MedStream

Guest Star
Richard Evans
Series
2015

Marry MeStream

Guest Star
Series
2014
79%

Celebrity Name Game

Contestant
Game Show
2014

Hollywood Today Live

Guest
Show
2014

MomStream

Guest Star
Arthur
Series
2013

The Arsenio Hall Show

Guest
Show
2013

The Ricki Lake Show

Guest
Talk
2012

ScandalStream

Actor
James Novak
Series
2012
93%

ScandalStream

Guest Star
Series
2012
93%

Oprah's Next Chapter

Guest
Show
2012

Web TherapyStream

Executive Producer
Series
2011

Web TherapyStream

Guest Star
Series
2011

Access Hollywood Live

Guest
Show
2010

Who Do You Think You Are?Stream

Executive Producer
Reality
2010

Watch What Happens Live With Andy CohenStream

Guest
Talk
2009

In Plain SightStream

Guest Star
Fred Zeitlin
Series
2008

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

Actor
Movie
2006

WeedsStream

Guest Star
Max
Series
2005
70%

The ComebackStream

Executive Producer
Series
2005
73%

The ComebackStream

Guest Star
Billy
Series
2005
73%

Hell's KitchenStream

Guest
Reality
2005

Grey's AnatomyStream

Guest Star
Series
2005
84%

Grey's AnatomyStream

Writer
Series
2005
84%

LatiNation

Guest
Show
2004

Call Waiting

Producer
Movie
2004

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Guest
Talk
2003

Picking Up and Dropping Off

Executive Producer
Movie
2003

All Over the Guy

Actor
Eli Wyckoff
Movie
2001

All Over the Guy

Producer
Movie
2001

All Over the Guy

Writer
Movie
2001

Curb Your EnthusiasmStream

Guest Star
Man on the cell phone
Series
2000
92%

Will & GraceStream

Guest Star
Neil
Series
1998

Maggie

Guest Star
Show
1998

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

High Incident

Guest Star
Show
1996

CybillStream

Guest Star
Series
1995

FriendsStream

Guest Star
Waiter
Series
1994
78%

Chicago Hope

Guest Star
Series
1994

NYPD BlueStream

Guest Star
PAA David 'Dave' Moore
Series
1993
83%

FrasierStream

Guest Star
Jewelry Clerk
Series
1993
95%

Today

Guest
News
1952

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