John O'Hurley

John O'Hurley

Actor John O'Hurley's stately voice and brilliant silver mane have earned him many notable roles, but the one he's perhaps best known for is the quirky J. Peterman on the hit sitcom Seinfeld. Playing the real man behind the iconic catalogue full of exotic items supposedly discovered by the world-traveling adventurer, O'Hurley became such a hit with fans in the small role that the character became a regular part of the series. O'Hurley's other roles have included everything from family movies to erotic thrillers, and his interests outside of acting are varied as well. He's received classical training in voice and piano, he works in the non-profit sector to raise money for epilepsy research, and after his lauded appearance on Seinfeld, he was offered the chance to buy a portion of the real J. Peterman Company, which had been in a serious financial slump, but turned a new profit the year after O'Hurley came on board. In 2005, O'Hurley competed in the first season of the hit series Dancing with the Stars and, along with his partner Charlotte Jørgensen, was the runner up in a very close finale. Controversy arose because he was so popular with the public that many fans felt the competition had been rigged in favor of the official winner, soap star Kelly Monaco. O'Hurley won the resulting dance-off, earning over a hundred thousand dollars for the charity Golfers Against Cancer. Then in 2006, he took over hosting duties for the game show Family Feud, which was beginning its 30th year on television. O'Hurley has also appeared in numerous stage productions, including the Las Vegas production of the Monty Python musical Spamalot, for which he took on the the starring role of King Arthur. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide