Biography
Though Jason Gedrick is primarily a supporting actor, his first role was relatively impressive for a newbie; in 1983, he appeared as an extra in the cast of
Bad Boys with
Sean Penn, who encouraged Gedrick, then a Chicago high-school student, to further pursue acting. Penn's advice paid off fairly quickly, considering that by 1985, Gedrick had landed leading roles in
Iron Eagle,
The Zoo Gang, and
The Heavenly Kid. In 1988, Gedrick starred as a washed-out basketball player-turned-police officer opposite
Meg Ryan and
Kiefer Sutherland in
Promised Land, and went on to play small roles in
Born on the Fourth of July and
Backdraft. Between film roles, Gedrick kept busy with stage work, starring with
Helen Hunt and
Don Ameche in a Broadway production of Our Town, as well as an off-Broadway production of Mrs. Dally Has a Lover with
Judith Ivey.
Though Gedrick was less successful on the big screen during the mid-'90s, the actor was praised for his television work. In 1996 and 1997, Gedrick starred as a murder defendant in Steven Bochco's
Murder One, and later starred opposite
Ken Olin and
Joe Pantoliano in CBS's critically acclaimed series EZ Streets. Gedrick was also recognized for his work with
Danny Aiello and
Joe Mantegna in
The Last Don and
The Last Don II, both six-hour CBS miniseries. Gedrick enjoyed similar success for his lead role in the CBS drama
Falcone, which was based on the feature film
Donnie Brasco, and would go on to land a lead role alongside
Billy Baldwin and
Chazz Palminteri in One Eyded King (2002). Gedrick could also be seen in NBC's
Boomtown (2002) and the made-for-cable drama A Date With Darkness: The Trial and Capture of Andrew Luster. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide