Josh Hopkins

Born in Lexington, KY, William Joshua Hopkins was the son of a former Republican Congressman who later ran unsuccessfully for governor of the state. Always active in theater, he graduated from Auburn University and debuted as the Broadway understudy for Kyle Chandler in a 1994 revival of "Picnic." He appeared on an episode of "Law & Order" (NBC, 1990-2010) but made a bigger impression as one of the Navy SEALs in training alongside Demi Moore in Ridley Scott's "G.I. Jane" (1997). The following year, he joined the cast of "New York Undercover" (Fox, 1994-98) as a new detective, but the show ended before he could make much of an impression. Following a turn as a college football player accused of harassment in "Silencing Mary" (NBC, 1998), Hopkins portrayed Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in the heavily buzzed-about "Pirates of Silicon Valley" (TNT, 1999), as well as appeared in the Alanis Morissette music video as one of the recipients of her letters "Unsent."The actor then scored a recurring role as a newscaster vying for Amanda Peet's affections on the sitcom "Jack & Jill" (The WB, 1999-2001) and filmed juicy roles in two films. First, he played a helicopter rescuer in the George Clooney/Mark Wahlberg real-life disaster film "The Perfect Storm" (2000) and showed off his considerable comic chops as a goodhearted but self-absorbed actor who frustrates a lovelorn journalist (Famke Janssen) in the delightful indie romantic comedy "Love & Sex" (2000). His rising profile earned the actor his own showcase: the short-lived detective series "Fling" (Fox, 2001) which was cancelled relatively quickly. A consolation prize arrived in the form of a recurring bit on "Ally McBeal" (Fox, 1997-2002) for its final season, in which he as portrayed attorney Raymond Millbury, a potential love interest for the titular lawyer.Hopkins collected a pair of guest spots on "Without a Trace" (CBS, 2002-09) before slipping into the role Russell Crowe made famous in the TV adaptation of "L.A. Confidential" (Fox, 2003), but the project never made it to series. He recurred on the soapy "North Shore" (Fox, 2004-05) and the first season of the crime procedural "Cold Case" (CBS, 2003-2010) before guesting as a former flame of Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) on "Bones" (FOX, 2005-). Again revealing his knack for comedy and willingness to send up his leading man good looks, Hopkins charmed as a womanizing news anchor on the Rebecca Romijn sitcom "Pepper Dennis" (The WB, 2006) and played it more serious as a man with a mysterious connection to the missing woman at the center of "Vanished" (Fox, 2006). He recurred on "Brothers & Sisters" (ABC, 2006-2011) and then landed one of the starring roles as a straitlaced family man flummoxed by the sexual revolution in the scandalous, 1970s-set "Swingtown" (CBS, 2008). Very much in demand, the actor recurred on both "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 2002-12) and "Private Practice" (ABC, 2007-13), but landed a long-term starring role on the Bill Lawrence sitcom "Cougar Town" (ABC, 2009-12; TBS, 2013-15). As Grayson Ellis, a local bar owner and newly divorced man, Hopkins mixed comedy with romantic drama as his character pined after Jules Cobb (Courteney Cox) before eventually winning her heart. Although the show started off on uneven footing, it quickly reinvented itself as an incredibly charming depiction of adult friendship, winning over a slew of critics and fans. Buoyed by his stardom bump as one of the show's "Cul-de-Sac Crew," Hopkins filmed the Kristin Chenoweth-powered "12 Men of Christmas" (Lifetime, 2009), a holiday confection most memorable for the ample beefcake on display, most notably an oft-shirtless Hopkins. Despite his network success, the actor still found time to star in the indie "Lebanon, Pa." (2010) as a man reconnecting with his past after he returns to his hometown to bury his father.