In the 2000s, he continued to star in romantic comedies such as “The Wedding Date,” “Must Love Dogs,” and “The Family Stone,” while also venturing into darker fare with acclaimed supporting roles in films like “Zodiac” and the Coen Brothers’ “Burn After Reading.” During the 2010s, he expanded into television with appearances in “Crisis,” “Pure Genius,” and recurring roles on “Shameless” and “Chicago Fire.” He also starred in films like “August: Osage County” and “Insidious: Chapter 3.” More recently, he appeared in “Scream VI” and the Marvel series “Secret Invasion.” An accomplished cellist, Mulroney was previously in the band Low and Sweet Orchestra and is currently in the band Cranky George. He has also played the cello on various songs and film scores, including Melissa Etheridge’s “Place Your Hand” and the soundtracks to two “Mission: Impossible” films.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Dermot Mulroney was born on Halloween in 1963 in Alexandria, Virginia. His mother, Ellen, was a regional theater actress, while his father, Michael, operated a private practice in tax law in Washington, D.C. Mulroney is of German and Irish descent and has four siblings: older brothers Sean and Conor, younger brother Kieran, and younger sister Moira. As a kid, Dermot went to Matthew Maury Elementary School and played cello in both the school and city youth orchestras. He also acted in community theater. Mulroney went on to attend George Washington High School before transferring to T. C. Williams High School. For his higher education, he enrolled at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, graduating with a degree in communications in 1985. While a senior in college, Dermot auditioned for WMA agent Barbara Gale, who subsequently offered him a contract and invited him to relocate to Hollywood. After a few months of further auditioning in Hollywood, Mulroney landed his first major role, playing the male lead in the 1986 CBS television film “Sin of Innocence.” The same year, he appeared in episodes of the series “Fame” and “CBS Schoolbreak Special.”
Film Career in the ’80s and ’90s
In 1988, Mulroney made his feature film debut with a supporting role in the mystery Western “Sunset.” He appeared in another Western that year, “Young Guns,” as part of a large ensemble cast including Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, and Lou Diamond Phillips, among others. Dermot was in three films in 1989: “Staying Together,” “Survival Quest,” and “Longtime Companion,” the latter of which was the first wide-release theatrical film to focus on the subject of HIV/AIDS. Mulroney was prolific on the big screen in the ’90s. Early in the decade, he was in “Bright Angel,” “Samantha,” the rom-com “Career Opportunities,” the crime thriller “Where the Day Takes You,” the Western horror film “Silent Tongue,” the action film “Point of No Return,” and the dramedy “The Thing Called Love.” Dermot had many memorable roles following this, including in the Western “Bad Girls,” the coming-of-age film “There Goes My Baby,” the sports fantasy “Angels in the Outfield,” the psychological thriller “Copycat,” and the independent comedy “Living in Oblivion.” Mulroney’s credits during the latter half of the ’90s include “Kansas City,” “The Trigger Effect,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” and “Goodbye Lover.”
Film Career in the 2000s and Beyond
In the early 2000s, Mulroney was in “Trixie,” “Where the Money Is,” “The Safety of Objects,” “Investigating Sex,” “Lovely & Amazing,” “About Schmidt,” and “Undertow.” He was subsequently in the comedies “The Wedding Date,” “Must Love Dogs,” and “The Family Stone,” all in 2005. Following this, Dermot had roles in the historical mystery thriller “Zodiac,” the dramedy “Georgia Rule,” and the sports drama “Gracie.” He closed out the decade with performances in “Jolene,” “Burn After Reading,” and “Flash of Genius.” Mulroney had a plethora of roles throughout the 2010s in various genres. His thriller and horror credits include “Inhale,” “Abduction,” “The Grey,” “Trade of Innocents,” “Stoker,” “Careful What You Wish For,” “Insidious: Chapter 3,” “I Still See You,” and “The Courier.” Among his drama credits are “J. Edgar,” “Big Miracle,” “Jobs,” “August: Osage County,” “Truth,” “Lavender,” and “The Mountain Between Us.” Meanwhile, Dermot was in such comedies as “The Family Tree,” “Struck by Lightning,” “A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III,” “The D Train,” and “Dirty Grandpa.” Among the actor’s more recent credits are “Hard Luck Love Song,” “The Blazing World,” “Deadly Illusions,” “Umma,” “Agent Game,” and “Scream VI.”
Television Career
Mulroney starred in many television films throughout the late ’80s and ’90s. They include “Daddy,” “Long Gone,” “Unconquered,” “The Heart of Justice,” “Family Pictures,” “The Last Outlaw,” and “Heroine of Hell.” In 2003, Dermot had a recurring role as Gavin Mitchell in the ninth season of the sitcom “Friends.” From 2007 to 2008, he voiced the Green Lantern on the animated series “The Batman.” This was followed by the television films “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” and “Silent Witness.”
Personal Life
In 1990, Mulroney married actress Catherine Keener, whom he had met while they were both filming “Survival Quest.” The couple had a son named Clyde in 1999. They separated in 2005 and were officially divorced in late 2007. In 2008, Dermot married Tharita Cesaroni-Catulle. They have two daughters named Mabel and Sally. In 2015, Tharita legally changed her name to Prima Apollinaare. In June 2025, Dermot filed for divorce from Prima after 15 years of marriage. Interestingly, in the divorce filing, he requested spousal support from Prima. The documents further state that the couple hasn’t determined “the nature and extent” of their community assets and that “all community earnings and accumulation during the marriage through the date of separation will be considered community property.”
Real Estate
In 2004, Dermot and Catherine paid $2.5 million for a Craftsman-style home in Santa Monica, California. She maintained this house after their divorce and appears to still own it today. In 2016, Dermot paid $1.66 million for a home in LA’s Hancock Park neighborhood. Two years later, he paid a little over $2 million for the property immediately next door. For whatever reason, Dermot decided to sell the latter property for $2.1 million in May 2021.
