Why Teal Beck From Yellowstone Looks So Familiar
Paramount Network's "Yellowstone” continues to be one of television's most popular series, holding the attention of a large viewership since it first premiered back in June 2018 (via The Wall Street Journal). The show centers around John Dutton (Kevin Costner), the owner of the largest ranch in the United States, as he tries to keep his land out of the reach of corrupt politicians and those bordering it who may have the means or desire to take it away from him. The ranch is essentially one huge family operation, which means the show features an incredibly talented cast. Among the stars of "Yellowstone" are Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Gil Birmingham, Danny Huston, and Josh Lucas. Season 4 concluded at the beginning of January. It has gone over incredibly well with audiences and critics, earning a 2022 SAG nomination and having its fifth season greenlit with an expected release this fall (via Variety).
While Costner and Co. have remained firmly planted in the protagonist camp on "Yellowstone," plenty of screen veterans have cropped up to play antagonists over the seasons. This includes important characters from Season 2, like the Beck brothers. Neal McDonough plays Malcolm, one-half of the fraternal duo trying to build a casino on John's land. McDonough has been part of popular television and blockbuster films in supporting roles, including "Minority Report," "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Red 2," and "Arrow" (via IMDb). Malcolm's brother, Teal, is played by another veteran actor that has quite the film and TV resumé: Terry Serpico. Here's where you've likely seen Serpico before his time on "Yellowstone."
Serpico started his career with small roles in big films
First breaking into the entertainment industry back in 1992 on "All My Children" for a guest spot as Bernard Flater, Terry Serpico began getting more credits in some well-known blockbusters in the early 2000s and into the 2010s. It all started in 1997 with a small part as a strip club owner in "Donnie Brasco" starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. From there, Serpico would get a part in 2001's "Hannibal," starring Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Ray Liotta, and Gary Oldman.
The ball kept rolling, per Serpico's IMDb profile, as he would be a part of "The Interpreter," "The Departed," "Michael Clayton," "Righteous Kill," "The Men Who Stare at Goats," and "Man on a Ledge" by the time 2012 rolled around. It's possible the actor managed to keep good relationships with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood or known casting directors, as the 57-year-old has been part of multiple George Clooney and Al Pacino movies. Or perhaps it's hard not to think of him when you're looking to casting a steely, uber-masculine type.
Although he never really got the biggest supporting roles in these movies, Serpico securing this kind of work likely helped him continue to stay on the radars of many viewers, generally speaking, including larger guest spots or supporting characters in some of the most popular shows on television as well.
He has been part of Law & Order: SVU family for over 20 years
At the same time as some of his small roles in Hollywood blockbusters, Terry Serpico was also getting parts in some of the most well-known television series of all time. He had guest spots on "Law & Order," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "CSI: Miami," and even "Person of Interest" during the mid-2000s and into the 2010s. However, his time with "Law & Order: SVU" has recently graduated from guest spots to a major supporting part in recent years, as he now plays Chief Tommy McGrath. If you do the math, you'll realize he's had a connection to the world of "SVU" for over 20 years, from one-episode appearances to his current role.
All of this led to roles on other popular series during the late 2010s, including "Criminal Minds," "Blue Bloods," "Designated Survivor," "Star Trek: Discovery," "The Flight Attendant," and Netflix's "Cobra Kai," just to name a few. It's safe to say that Serpico has not only managed to have consistent work as an actor over his career but work that is involved with some of the most known and beloved shows of the past few decades.
He appeared in over 100 episodes of Army Wives
About six years before joining "Yellowstone" as Teal Beck, Terry Serpico was finishing one of his most involved roles to date as the character of Frank Sherwood on Lifetime's "Army Wives." The show follows the lives of one man and four women whose partners are serving in the United States Army. Serpico's Frank Sherwood is a colonel and the husband of Denise Sherwood (Catherine Bell), one of the main characters in the series. The character is also part of one of the show's most devastating events, as Denise and Frank's son, Jeremy (Richard Bryant), is killed during the events of Season 5.
Although "Army Wives" was a Lifetime series, it gained a lot of popularity over its run. The second season holds a 90% fresh critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. While Serpico secured this role decades into his career, it could be argued that his time with "Army Wives" was a breakout role, especially given that he definitively received larger parts after 2013, when the show wrapped with eight seasons in the books.
Serpico showed up in The Purge: Election Year
Although you may have recognized Terry Serpico from his numerous supporting roles in movies and television over the years, while watching "Yellowstone," you may remember him specifically from one of "The Purge" films — 2016's "The Purge: Election Year." As the third film in the series, "Election Year" follows Senator Charlie Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell), a presidential candidate who seeks to eliminate The Purge, as she tries to survive the night while being hunted by the opposing political party's special forces team. The leader of this team is Earl Danzinger, portrayed by none other than Serpico. Near the end of the film, Earl finally goes head-to-head in a fight against protagonist Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo), who is part of Charlie's security detail, and is killed by Leo.
Earl Danzinger is one of Serpico's larger supporting roles in the 2010s, and it ended up being one of his most recognizable roles. The fact that "The Purge: Election Year” wound up being incredibly profitable at the box office, earning over $100 million worldwide on a $10 million budget (via Box Office Mojo), likely helped with exposure for Serpico as well (not that he needed it). Either way, his performance was likely noticed by folks like Taylor Sheridan, leading to his role as Teal Beck and other major projects.
He played an important role on Homeland Season 8
Although taking place one year after his time with "Yellowstone," if you're just starting the series now, you may recognize Terry Serpico from the eight-time Emmy-winning show "Homeland." The 2011 Showtime series features actor Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a CIA agent who believes a prisoner of war was converted by al-Qaeda and is planning another attack on the United States sometime after the events of 9/11. Although the series ended in 2020, "Homeland features a stacked cast including Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson and Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody. Serpico joined "Homeland" during its final season as General Owens, a member of the U.S. Military operating and running missions in Afghanistan. Although only appearing in three episodes in "Homeland" Season 8, his part was pivotal in the events that would conclude the show.
"Homeland" wasn't the first time Serpico was cast in a military or law enforcement role either, given his time with "Army Wives," of course. He also plays law enforcement and military characters in "Hightown" and "The Good Fight," amongst many others in his career. He has also played people who exist outside of the law and even the villain in some of his most known roles, including Patrick Lloyd on "Designated Survivor."