Why Lee From Worth Looks So Familiar
After a Sundance premiere in 2020, director Sara Colangelo is poised to bring her film "Worth" to Netflix this weekend. The biographical film tells the true story of an attorney navigating the aftermath of 9/11 in Washington D.C. It has assembled a massive list of beloved character actors, including, but not limited to, "Batman" actor Michael Keaton, "The Office" star Amy Ryan, and "Captain America: The First Avenger" actor Stanley Tucci.
One character in the film who might seem familiar to discerning viewers is Lee Quinn. The character is portrayed by actor Tate Donovan, who has developed a long resume of films and TV shows over the course of his career. Considering his lengthy IMDb credits list, let's dive in and take a look at some of the biggest and best roles you may recognize him from over the years before you catch him in the film's Netflix debut on September 3.
Tate Donovan dated Rachel on Friends
Tate Donovan has appeared on numerous TV series over the course of his career, but arguably no show he has appeared on is as iconic as "Friends." The actor appeared on the series for a five-episode guest star arc in 1994. Portraying Joshua Burgin, briefly becoming romantically entangled with Rachel after meeting her at her job as a personal shopper. Seeing potential love with the recent divorcee, Rachel undergoes numerous schemes in an attempt to seduce him. As one can probably imagine: the two do not end up together in the long run.
Things get even juicier when we look behind the scenes. Not only did Tate Donovan play Rachel's love interest for a brief period of time, but he actually dated Jennifer Aniston as well. In fact, in an interview with Us Weekly, Donovan addressed the complicated five-episode arc on the legendary series and explained how difficult it was for him to pay Burgin on the series. This is because, at the time of his role, Donovan and Anniston were in the process of breaking up.
He played Jimmy Cooper on The OC
One of Tate Donovan's best-known performances is that of Jimmy Cooper in the hit FOX TV series, "The O.C." Introduced as the husband to Julie Cooper and the father to Marissa and Kaitlin Cooper, Jimmy is an unassuming stockbroker whose nefarious activities behind the scenes eventually get him in trouble with the SEC. Throughout the season, he is a morally-complicated figure and continuously framed as a foil to Peter Gallagher's Sandy Cohen.
Though Tate Donovan played a central role in the first season of "The O.C.," his role became less prominent in the following seasons. His legal troubles in Newport Beach force him to leave the titular Southern California paradise. From there, he would occasionally pop up on the series, including his attendance at his daughter's funeral and in a holiday episode depicting what life would've been like if Ryan had never gone to live with the Cohens. Having said that, he still had a presence throughout each of the show's four seasons, even if one of his appearances wasn't fully canon.
Donovan practiced law on Damages
In 2007, Tate Donovan made the jump from Fox to FX for a supporting role in "Damages" alongside Rose Byrne and Glenn Close. On the series, he played Tom Shayes – a close confidante to Close's Patty Hewes. Donovan starred as Shayes for 39 episodes before the character's death came in Season 3.
The death of Tom Shayes on "Damages" arguably proved to be one of the show's best storytelling plays as it entered its third season in 2010. Shayes' death was revealed in the season premiere flash-forward, raising numerous questions among fans as to how and why Tom had been killed – as well as whether or not the death was real. Alas, the death was legit, and Tom Shayes was truly pronounced dead by the end of Season 3. However, the show continued for two more seasons, and Donovan returned to the series behind the camera to direct multiple episodes after his departure.
He portrayed one of the hostages in Argo
Not only has Tate Donovan appeared in numerous TV series, but he has also delved into Oscar territory as well. One of his most well-known performances to date is Bob Anders in Ben Affleck's "Argo," which debuted in theaters in 2012 and won Best Picture at The Academy Awards in 2013. The film tells the story of the CIA operation to rescue six Americans who narrowly avoided getting captured by the Iranians in Tehran during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979.
Like many of the characters depicted "Argo," Tate Donovan's Robert Anders is based on a real person who went through the Iran hostage crisis. In the years since "Argo" hit theaters, Anders has stood out as one of the individuals who has highlighted some of its inaccuracies from what happened during the Iranian hostage crisis. One major, specific point of contention has to do with the level of involvement the Canadian government played in the rescue, which the film largely undercuts.
Donovan ran the Troubador in Rocketman
Ben Affleck's "Argo" isn't the only awards darling that Tate Donovan has acted in during his career. In fact, one of the actor's most recent and prominent acting roles came in 2019's "Rocketman." A fantastical biopic about the life and career of Sir Elton John (Taron Egerton), the film explores his journey from humble beginnings to rock and roll superstardom, as well as the personal and relationship struggles that accompanied that journey.
In the film, Tate Donovan plays Doug Weston, the owner of the famous Troubadour club in Los Angeles. A key fixture in the Los Angeles music scene during the 1960s and 1970s, Weston played a major role in launching the prolific careers of musicians such as Elton John (hence his place in "Rocketman"), The Eagles, Carole King, and others. Weston was known for his charismatic and eccentric personality, which is something Donovan brought to his supporting role in "Rocketman."