John Carroll Lynch
John Carroll Lynch

John Carroll Lynch

Born: August 1, 1963 (62 years)
Boulder, Colorado, USA

John Carroll Lynch (born August 1, 1963) is an American actor, known for his role as Drew Carey's cross-dressing brother on The Drew Carey Show, and for his role as Norm, the unassuming husband of Margie Gunderson (Frances McDormand) in Fargo. In the fall of 2003, he starred in the CBS show The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire, with Randy Quaid, Chris Penn, Mare Winningham, Elizabeth McGovern, and Ann Cusack. The show was cancelled after only a few episodes. He also had a recurring role in the HBO show Carnivàle, playing escaped convict Varlyn Stroud. Lynch appeared as a district attorney in the CBS series Close to Home and as NASA official Bob Gilruth in the HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon. Lynch appeared in the 2003 thriller Gothika and the 2007 biopic Zodiac.

Movies Directed (3)
Movies as Actor (79)
The Whisper Man

The Whisper Man

Aug 28, 2026

Family Movie

Family Movie

as Bill

Mar 13, 2026

She Rides Shotgun

She Rides Shotgun

as Houser

Jul 31, 2025

Sorry, Baby

Sorry, Baby

as Pete

Jun 27, 2025

Cattywampus

Cattywampus

as Barry

Apr 1, 2025

Babes

Babes

as Dr. Morris

Mar 9, 2024

Outlaw Posse

Outlaw Posse

as Carson

Mar 1, 2024

The Trial of the Chicago 7

The Trial of the Chicago 7

as David Dellinger

Sep 25, 2020

Kiss Me Kosher!

Kiss Me Kosher!

as Ron Shalev

Sep 10, 2020

Be Absolute for Death

Be Absolute for Death

Apr 21, 2020

The Highwaymen

The Highwaymen

as Lee Simmons

Mar 15, 2019

Private Life

Private Life

as Charlie Grimes

Oct 5, 2018

Anything

Anything

as Early Landry

May 11, 2018

The White Orchid

The White Orchid

as Sheriff Mann

Feb 1, 2018

Jackie

Jackie

as Lyndon B. Johnson

Dec 2, 2016

The Founder

The Founder

as Mac McDonald

Nov 24, 2016

Shangri-La Suite

Shangri-La Suite

as Colonel Tom Parker

Oct 28, 2016

The Architect

The Architect

as Conway

May 20, 2016

The Invitation

The Invitation

as Pruitt

Apr 8, 2016

Miracles from Heaven

Miracles from Heaven

as Pastor Scott

Mar 17, 2016

Ted 2

Ted 2

as Tom Jessup

Jun 25, 2015

Hot Pursuit

Hot Pursuit

as Captain Emmett

May 8, 2015

Camp X-Ray

Camp X-Ray

as Col. Drummond

Oct 17, 2014

The Pretty One

The Pretty One

as Frank

Feb 7, 2014

Hoke

Hoke

as Bill Henderson

Jan 1, 2014

Highland Park

Highland Park

as Rory

Jun 8, 2013

Lay the Favorite

Lay the Favorite

as Dave Greenberg

Jun 22, 2012

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

as Bernie

Jul 29, 2011

Paul

Paul

as Moses Buggs

Feb 14, 2011

Sympathy for Delicious

Sympathy for Delicious

as Evangelist Carroll

Apr 9, 2010

Shutter Island

Shutter Island

as Deputy Warden McPherson

Feb 14, 2010

Hesher

Hesher

as Larry

Jan 22, 2010

Love Happens

Love Happens

as Walter

Sep 18, 2009

Gran Torino

Gran Torino

as Barber Martin

Dec 12, 2008

The Prince of Motor City

The Prince of Motor City

as Paul Riley

Jul 9, 2008

Things We Lost in the Fire

Things We Lost in the Fire

as Howard Glassman

Sep 26, 2007

Zodiac

Zodiac

as Arthur Leigh Allen

Mar 2, 2007

Full of It

Full of It

as Mr. Leonard

Mar 1, 2007

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World

as Stewart

Jan 20, 2006

Mozart and the Whale

Mozart and the Whale

as Gregory

Sep 10, 2005

Freak Weather

Freak Weather

as Ed

Feb 2, 2005

On the Set of 'Gothika'

On the Set of 'Gothika'

as Self

Mar 23, 2004

Painting with Fire

Painting with Fire

as Self

Mar 23, 2004

Catch That Kid

Catch That Kid

as Mr. Hartman

Feb 6, 2004

Gothika

Gothika

as Sheriff Ryan

Nov 21, 2003

Confidence

Confidence

as Grant Ashby

Apr 25, 2003

Live from Baghdad

Live from Baghdad

as Josh Holliman

Dec 7, 2002

The Good Girl

The Good Girl

as Jack Field, Your Store Manager

Aug 7, 2002

Par 6

Par 6

as Dour O'Dowell

Apr 16, 2002

Bug

Bug

as Wallace

Feb 28, 2002

Bubble Boy

Bubble Boy

as Mr. Livingston

Aug 24, 2001

Gone in Sixty Seconds

Gone in Sixty Seconds

as Impound Manager

Jun 9, 2000

Waking the Dead

Waking the Dead

as Father Mileski

Mar 24, 2000

The Next Best Thing

The Next Best Thing

as Abbie's Lawyer

Mar 3, 2000

Tuesdays with Morrie

Tuesdays with Morrie

as Walter

Dec 5, 1999

Anywhere but Here

Anywhere but Here

as Jack Irwin

Nov 12, 1999

The Minus Man

The Minus Man

as Bartender (uncredited)

Sep 24, 1999

Restaurant

Restaurant

as John English

Jul 24, 1999

Late Last Night

Late Last Night

as Sgt. Van Wyck

Jun 20, 1999

Pushing Tin

Pushing Tin

as Doctor Freeze (uncredited)

Apr 23, 1999

The Naked Man

The Naked Man

as Driver

Aug 2, 1998

Mercury Rising

Mercury Rising

as Martin Lynch

Apr 3, 1998

A Thousand Acres

A Thousand Acres

as Ken LaSalle

Sep 19, 1997

Face/Off

Face/Off

as Prison Guard Walton

Jun 27, 1997

Volcano

Volcano

as Stan Olber

Apr 25, 1997

Dead Men Can't Dance

Dead Men Can't Dance

as Plonder

Apr 18, 1997

Feeling Minnesota

Feeling Minnesota

as Cop

Sep 13, 1996

The Fan

The Fan

as Shopkeeper

Aug 15, 1996

Shaughnessy: The Iron Marshal

Shaughnessy: The Iron Marshal

Jun 20, 1996

A Friend's Betrayal

A Friend's Betrayal

as Mr. Franks

May 19, 1996

Voice from the Grave

Voice from the Grave

as Prosecutor O'Gane

Mar 20, 1996

Fargo

Fargo

as Norm Gunderson

Mar 8, 1996

Beautiful Girls

Beautiful Girls

as Frank Womack

Feb 9, 1996

In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice

In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice

as The Major

Oct 1, 1995

The Cure

The Cure

as Skipper #1

Apr 21, 1995

Grumpy Old Men

Grumpy Old Men

as Moving Man

Dec 25, 1993

Fade to Black

Fade to Black

as Wayne

The Grand Strand

The Grand Strand

as Pop

Triumph of the Will

Triumph of the Will

TV Shows as Actor (45)
Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord

Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord

as Nico Deemis (voice)

Apr 6, 2026

The Beauty

The Beauty

as Meyer Williams

Jan 21, 2026

Ballard

Ballard

as Thomas Laffont

Jul 9, 2025

Elsbeth

Elsbeth

as Edwin Dousant

Feb 29, 2024

White House Plumbers

White House Plumbers

as John Mitchell

May 1, 2023

Gaslit

Gaslit

as L. Patrick Gray

Apr 24, 2022

American Horror Stories

American Horror Stories

as Larry Bitterman

Jul 15, 2021

Big Sky

Big Sky

as Wolfgang 'Wolf' Legarski, Rick Legarski

Nov 17, 2020

Perfect Harmony

Perfect Harmony

as Pastor Magnus

Sep 26, 2019

Evil

Evil

as Henry Stick

Sep 26, 2019

The Good Cop

The Good Cop

as Sherman Smalls

Sep 21, 2018

One Dollar

One Dollar

as Bud Carl

Aug 30, 2018

Crawford

Crawford

as Owen

Feb 2, 2018

Channel Zero

Channel Zero

as John Sleator

Oct 11, 2016

Billions

Billions

as Mr. Gilbert

Jan 17, 2016

Manhattan

Manhattan

as Daniel Ellis

Jul 27, 2014

Do No Harm

Do No Harm

as Will Hayes

Jan 31, 2013

The Americans

The Americans

as Fred

Jan 30, 2013

Veep

Veep

as Lloyd Hennick

Apr 22, 2012

Talking Dead

Talking Dead

as Self

Oct 16, 2011

American Horror Story

American Horror Story

as John Wayne Gacy, Twisty the Clown, Benjamin Richter

Oct 5, 2011

Body of Proof

Body of Proof

as Det. Bud Morris

Mar 29, 2011

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead

as Eastman

Oct 31, 2010

The Glades

The Glades

as Mike Ogletree

Jul 11, 2010

Lie to Me

Lie to Me

as Mr. Reed

Jan 21, 2009

K-Ville

K-Ville

as Captain James Embry

Sep 17, 2007

Big Love

Big Love

as Officer Chuck Tuttle

Mar 12, 2006

Close to Home

Close to Home

as Steve Sharpe

Sep 20, 2005

American Dad!

American Dad!

as Acl-Lou / Mr. Simms / Monkey (voice)

Feb 6, 2005

The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire

The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire

Sep 24, 2003

Carnivàle

Carnivàle

as Varlyn Stroud

Sep 14, 2003

Monk

Monk

as Kurt Pressman

Jul 12, 2002

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

as Buddy Arnold

Oct 6, 2000

The West Wing

The West Wing

as Jack Reese

Sep 22, 1999

Family Law

Family Law

Sep 20, 1999

L.A. Doctors

L.A. Doctors

as Gus (uncredited)

Sep 21, 1998

From the Earth to the Moon

From the Earth to the Moon

as Bob Gilruth

Apr 5, 1998

The Visitor

The Visitor

as Joe York

Sep 19, 1997

The Practice

The Practice

as Dr. Robert Larson

Mar 4, 1997

Life's Work

Life's Work

Sep 17, 1996

Murder One

Murder One

as Officer Carl Bickley

Sep 20, 1995

The Client

The Client

as Frank

Sep 17, 1995

The Drew Carey Show

The Drew Carey Show

as Steve Carey

Sep 13, 1995

Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager

as Gerald Moss

Jan 16, 1995

Frasier

Frasier

as Franklin

Sep 16, 1993