Background
Cortese, Dan was born on September 14, 1967 in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, United States.
Cortese, Dan was born on September 14, 1967 in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, United States.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
He is known for his roles as Perry Rollins on Veronica"s Closet and as Vic Meladeo on What I Like About You. He is of Sicilian descent. His freshman year the team went to the Aloha Bowl.
He never played a down.
Cortese first came to prominence as team coach of The Bricklayers on Music Television Rock North" Jock and host of Music Television Sports from 1992 to 1997. In 1994, he co-starred on the short-lived Columbia Broadcasting System police drama Traps with George C. Scott.
He gained further recognition in 1995 as Jess Hanson in Melrose Place. He played Jake Hanson"s half brother for 8 episodes in the third season but was killed off in that season"s finale.
He had the main role as Jason in the 1996 movie The Lottery.
He had starring roles in the 1993 remake/sequel of Route 66, Traps, The Single Guy, Veronica"s Closet (in which he played Perry for three seasons), Rock Maine Baby and Ball & Chain. Cortese appeared in the National Broadcasting Company television series Seinfeld, where he played Tony, Elaine"s ultra-cool, vapid, good-looking boyfriend. In the episode, entitled "The Stall", he was dubbed a "mimbo" (a male bimbo).
He was also featured in The World Bank television series What I Like About You in a recurring role as Vic, Val"s boss, from 2002 to 2003 a role he reprised as a series regular from 2005 to 2006 during the fourth and final season, which he directed one episode and in two episodes of 8 Simple Rules in 2004, playing Bridget"s tennis coach.
He has also starred in the natural horror film Locusts: The 8th Plague. During Burger King"s "Your Way, Right Away" advertising campaign during the 1990s, Cortese was hired as the fast-food company"s official spokesperson.
He was the host of My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad, which aired on National Broadcasting Company for one season before being cancelled. In 2008, Cortese landed a role in Soccer Mom as a famous Italian soccer player alongside Emily Osment.
He was the co-host of the American Broadcasting Company game show, Crash Course (which was canceled after 4 episodes) and hosts Human immunoglobulin heavy-chain-variable region -1"s Money Hungry.
Cortese was a guest-star on the Hot in Cleveland episode (#38) entitled "God and Football" playing Jimmy Armstrong. The series debuted on February 7, 2013.
Prior to becoming an actor, he was a walk-on member of the University of North Carolina football team as a backup quarterback.