Jim Fitzpatrick (actor)

Early life

Fitzpatrick is from Seminole, Florida. He began acting at age 13 when he appeared in his first school play, A Thousand Clowns, at Seminole High School in Florida. He accepted a football scholarship to Illinois State University, where he was a theater major. While living in Illinois, he became involved with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, founded by Gary Sinise and John Malkovich.

Athletic career

Fitzpatrick pursued a career in professional football. He was a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1981. Thereafter he played for short stints with the National Football League (NFL) Chicago Bears (1981) and the Baltimore Colts (1982). He retired from pro football in 1985, after spending three seasons with the Tampa Bay Bandits in the USFL (1983–85).

Acting career

Before moving to Los Angeles, he landed supporting roles in the feature films Cocoon, and D.A.R.Y.L. His first television acting credit was on Miami Vice.

Filmography