Gordon Clapp

Gordon Clapp, born September 24, 1948, in North Conway, New Hampshire, is an American actor whose work spans television, film, and stage. He attended Williams College, graduating in 1971, where he crossed paths with actor David Strathairn and filmmaker John Sayles, both of whom became frequent collaborators. He also studied at the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in the fall of 1970.

Clapp is perhaps most widely recognized for his twelve-season run as Detective Greg Medavoy on the television drama NYPD Blue, a role he held from 1993 to 2005. His performance earned him an Emmy Award in 1998. Beyond NYPD Blue, his television work has included appearances on Check It Out!, Night Court, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ghost Whisperer, Criminal Minds, Cold Case, and Damages, in which he played the father of the character Ellen, portrayed by Rose Byrne. In 2014, he took on a recurring role as Chaplain Orlovsky on Chicago Fire, and in 2021 he appeared in the HBO series Mare of Easttown as Pat Ross.

His film career includes Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980), Running (1979), Matewan (1987), Eight Men Out (1988), in which he portrayed Chicago White Sox catcher Ray Schalk, Termini Station (1989), The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), Rules of Engagement (2000), Sunshine State (2002), The Game Plan (2007), and Flags of Our Fathers (2006), where he played United States Marine Corps General Holland Smith. He also voiced a character in the 2007 horror film Drive-Thru and provided the voice of General Peter Randall in the Prototype video game.

On Broadway, Clapp appeared in productions spanning 2005 to 2019. He starred in the 2005 revival of David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross, a performance that earned him both a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance and a Theatre World Award, as well as a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. He subsequently appeared on Broadway in The Great Society and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Clapp was previously married to actress Deborah Taylor from 1986 to 1999. On November 5, 2016, he married Elisabeth Gordon, whom he met through a mutual friend.