Tom Verica (born May 13, 1964) is an American actor, director, and producer, best known for his role as Sam Keating in the ABC drama How to Get Away with Murder (2014-2020). He also played Jack Pryor in the NBC critically acclaimed drama American Dreams from 2002-2004. As a director, he is known for Shonda Rhimes' dramas. He currently is an executive producer and director of the Netflix drama Bridgerton. From 2012 to 2018, Verica served as executive producer and director of ABC Scandal.

Life and career

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Verica was born on May 13, 1964, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to real estate agent parents. He is of Italian descent on his father's side and German descent on his mother's side.[1][2] His first television role was on the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children in 1987. He later had a recurring role in L.A. Law, and guest-starred on Home Improvement, Picket Fences, and NYPD Blue. In film, he appeared in Die Hard 2, Fathers' Day, Red Dragon, and Zodiac.

Verica was a regular cast member of the CBS primetime soap opera Central Park West from 1995 to 1996. He played astronaut Dick Gordon in the HBO miniseries From The Earth To The Moon (1998), appeared in The Naked Truth and Providence, and from 2002 to 2005 starred opposite Gail O'Grady in the NBC family drama, American Dreams.[3] After the series was canceled, Verica guest-starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, House, Boston Legal, Grey's Anatomy, and The Closer, and had recurring roles in The 4400 and The Nine.

In the early 2000s, Verica began his career as a television director. He directed the episodes of over 20 television shows, such as American Dreams, Boston Legal, Dirty Sexy Money, Ugly Betty, Army Wives, The Mentalist, and Body of Proof. He was a recurring director of Shonda Rhimes' dramas Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and Scandal.[4] In Scandal he has served as co-executive producer since 2012. In 2014, he was cast opposite Viola Davis in the ShondaLand series, How to Get Away with Murder.[5] From 2018 to 2019, he also produced For the People.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1990 Die Hard 2 Kahn
1993 Eight Hundred Leagues Down the Amazon Manoel
1997 Fathers' Day Peter
Loose Women Detective Laurent
1999 Love American Style Ron Segment: "Love and the Heimlich Maneuver"
Making Contact
2002 Murder by Numbers Asst. D.A. Al Swanson
Red Dragon Charles Leeds
2006 Flags of Our Fathers Lieutenant Pennell
2007 Zodiac Jim Dunbar

Television films

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 Donato and Daughter Bobby Keegan
1994 The Babymaker: The Dr. Cecil Jacobson Story Greg Bennett
Breach of Conduct Lt. Ted Lutz
1995 Not Our Son Randy Litchfield
1996 The Assassination File Jack Byrne
1998 Lost in the Bermuda Triangle Brian Foster
2009 Princess Protection Program Joe Mason

Television series

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Year Title Role Notes
1987 All My Children Duncan Unknown episodes
1989 Quantum Leap Impala Episode: "Camikazi Kid - June 6, 1961"
1991 L.A. Law Billy Castroverti 9 episodes
1992 Home Improvement Charlie Episode: "Luck Be a Taylor Tonight"
Picket Fences Brian Ronick Episode: "The Snake Lady"
1993 South Beach Brooke Wyatt Episode: "Stake Out"
Moon Over Miami Jake Episode: "Black River Bride"
Seinfeld Doctor Episode: "The Conversion"
1995 NYPD Blue Dr. Paul Druzinski Episode: "Travels with Andy"
Matlock Craig Browning Episode: "The Scam"
1995–1996 Central Park West Mark Merrill 18 episodes
1996 The Big Easy Tyrell Episode: "Hotshots"
1997 Gun The Quick Talking Agent Episode: "The Shot"
Almost Perfect Steven Ecstacy Episode: "This Is What Happens When You Don't Watch PBS"
1997–1998 The Naked Truth Jake Sullivan 22 episodes
1998 From the Earth to the Moon Dick Gordon 3 episodes
1999 Providence Kyle Moran 13 episodes
1999–2002 Will & Grace Danny 2 episodes
2001 Frasier Jim Episode: "A Day in May"
Citizen Baines Andy Carlson 4 episodes
2001–2004 State of Grace Tommy Austin 6 episodes
2002 Crossing Jordan Mitch Weyland Episode: "Blood Relatives"
Baby Bob Jake Episode: "The Tell-Tale Art"
Touched by an Angel Brian Episode: "The Bells of St. Peters"
2002–2005 American Dreams Jack Pryor 61 episodes
2005 The Bad Girl's Guide Keith Episode: "The Guide to in and Out"
The 4400 Dr. Max Hudson 3 episodes
2006 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Jake Hunter Episode: "Blast"
House Martin Episode: "Skin Deep"
Boston Legal A.U.S.A. Carl Newell Episode: "Trick or Treat"
2006–2007 The Nine Ed Nielson 10 episodes
2008 Grey's Anatomy Michael Norris Episode: "Rise Up"
2009 Lie to Me Paul Aronson Episode: "Love Always"
Medium Detective Aaron Carver Episode: "The Future's So Bright"
2010 The Closer Det. Steve Hayward Episode: "Jump the Gun"
2014–2020 How to Get Away with Murder Sam Keating 23 episodes

Recurring (season 1-2, 6), guest (season 3-5)

2017 Dropping the Soap Mitch Gatlin Episode: "Spontaneous Coma"

Director

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Year Title Notes
2004 American Dreams 2 episodes
2007 What About Brian Episode: "What About Strange Bedfellows...?"
Six Degrees Episode: "Objects in the Mirror"
2007–2008 Boston Legal 2 episodes
2007–2011 Grey's Anatomy 9 episodes
2008 Men in Trees Episode: "Read Between the Minds"
The Cleaner Episode: "Rebecca"
My Own Worst Enemy Episode : #1.10
2008–2012 Private Practice 7 episodes
2009 Ugly Betty 2 episodes
The Beast Episode: "Mercy"
Dirty Sexy Money Episode: "The Facts"
Army Wives Episode: "As Time Goes By"
Eastwick Episode: "Red Ants and Black Widows"
2010 The Deep End Episode: "White Lies, Black Ties"
No Ordinary Family Episode: "No Ordinary Family"
2011–2012 The Mentalist 3 episodes
2011–2012 Harry's Law 2 episodes
2012 Body of Proof Episode: "Going Viral, Part 2"
2012–2018 Scandal 16 episodes; also executive producer
2017 Still Star-Crossed Episode: "Hell is Empty and All the Devils Are Here"
2018–2019 For the People 6 episodes; also executive producer
2020 Station 19 Episode: "No Days Off
The Umbrella Academy 2 episodes
2020–2024 Bridgerton 6 episodes; also executive producer
2021 Inventing Anna 2 episodes
2023 Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 6 episodes; also executive producer

References

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  1. ^ "Tom Verica | Movies and Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  2. ^ Sklar, Ronald (June 13, 2003). "Tom Verica". PopEntertainment. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  3. ^ 06/10/2013 11:56 am EDT (June 10, 2013). "'American Dreams' Reunion: Unaired Alternate Ending Showed Where The Pryors Ended Up". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 20, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Tom Verica: Director, ABC's Scandal". The New Potato. October 5, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2014. In 2009 he played Joe Carter in “The Princess Protection Program”
  5. ^ "Tom Verica Cast In ABC Pilot 'How To Get Away'; Morgan Spector In NBC's 'Coercion'". Deadline. 10 March 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
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