Biography for
Tate Donovan More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

25 September 1963, Tenafly, New Jersey, USA

Birth Name

Tate Buckley Donovan

Height

6' (1.83 m)

Mini Biography

Tate Donovan began making television appearances while still in his teens, most often cast as angst-ridden high schoolers in such made-for-TV films such as Not My Kid (1985) (TV) and "Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder" (1987). Born to a large family in Tenafly, New Jersey, Donovan moved to Los Angeles to be closer to the television industry while he attended college at USC, where he also met several fellow actors who became longtime friends, such as Grant Heslov and George Clooney, with whom he still parties with to this day (he also had a fairly substantial part in their smash film, Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005). Although not quite as active as his friend Clooney in the romantic arena, confirmed bachelor Donovan has been engaged to both film star Sandra Bullock and television icon Jennifer Aniston, and has dated a diverse group of women such as socialite Plum Sikes (2000), stage actress Whitney Allen (2001) and television actress Lauren Graham, whom he met when they both appeared in the play "Once in a Lifetime" at the Williamstown Theater Festival in 2002. After graduating from college, Donovan gained prominent notice for his portrayal of the charismatic yet self-centered co-pilot in the ensemble period drama Memphis Belle (1990). Prior to that, Donovan had appeared as the cocky elder camper in SpaceCamp (1986) and as a recovering drug addict in Clean and Sober (1988). His first leading role was in the charming but minor Love Potion No. 9 (1992), costarring Bullock, to whom he became engaged (their relationship ended in 1994). He then appeared in several independent features as sullen, withdrawn types before following up with a role in the Disney family comedy, Holy Matrimony (1994). He returned to Disney for perhaps his highest-profile effort to date, the animated Hercules (1997), for which he provided the voice for the adult version of the title character. His small-screen work has included a Cable ACE-nominated turn in the HBO series Vietnam War Story II (1988) (V). He joined the parade of film stars who turned to sitcoms, heading the cast of "Partners" (1995) opposite Jon Cryer. When that failed to catch on, he joined with his "Memphis Belle" co-stars Eric Stoltz and Reed Diamond to play three brothers in a memorable episode of NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street" (1993) and had a recurring role as a client and potential love interest for Calista Flockhart's titular lawyer "Ally McBeal" (1997). Switching networks, he had a recurring role as a love interest opposite his then-girlfriend Jennifer Aniston in NBC's "Friends" (1994) and donned clerical garb to play the priest son of a large Irish Catholic family in the short-lived NBC drama "Trinity" (1998). More recently he has appeared as a guest star in several shows such as "The Guardian" (2001), as well as "Mister Sterling" (2003) and in the new show "The O.C." (2003).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Donovan Fan

Spouse

Corinne Kingsbury

(26 November 2005 - 2008) (divorced)

Trivia

Dated actress Jennifer Aniston.

Dated socialite Plum Sykes. [2000]

Dated actress Whitney Allen. [2001]

He plays the fiddle. Displayed this skill on the "The New Tom Green Show" (2003).

He is hoping to become a television director, and is learning how to do it by "trailing" the directors on his series "The O.C." (2003).

In addition to fiddling, he can sing and play the bodhran (a hand-held Irish drum). He used to play a regular gig with a local band in Los Angeles.

Is the youngest of six children in an Irish-Catholic fmily.

Attended Dwight-Englewood High School in New Jersey, the same school attended by Brooke Shields, Mira Sorvino and Lesley Gore.

Participated in the 2005 ING New York City Marathon - finish time was 3:28:49.

Uncle of Ari Weiss and Marnika Weiss.

Was considered for the role of George McFly in Back to the Future (1985).

Personal Quotes

When I told everybody I was doing "Hercules", they felt really sorry for me. They thought I was so down on my luck that I was having to do extra work on the TV series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" (1995).

[on his former love, Jennifer Aniston) She likes top-notch hotels and luxury, and I like bed and breakfasts and riding my bike. That's the most shallow version of it, but it's indicative of our personalities.

[on his film Love Potion No. 9 (1992)) It's a movie about that one true love everyone is supposed to have. But I don't know if I believe in that.

Where Are They Now

(September 2006) Starring with Amy Ryan in the West Coast production of "Rabbit Hole".

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