Background
Berkeley was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 16, 1955, but has lived most of his life in New Jersey.
Berkeley was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 16, 1955, but has lived most of his life in New Jersey.
He attended Hampshire College and worked in the theaters at the five college system which Hampshire was a part of, including Smith, Mount Holyoke, Amherst, and the University of Massachusetts.
He is known for his television roles of George Mason on the political thriller series 24, Percy Rose on the action thriller series Nikita and Sheriff Thomas McAllister on the crime drama The Mentalist. In films, he is known for having portrayed a wide range of supporting and character roles in The Fabulous Baker Boys, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Candyman, Apollo 13, Gattaca, Taken, Safe, Kick-Ass, Air Force One, Shanghai Noon, If These Walls Could Talk, Five, and Sid and Nancy. Berkeley worked in the Regional and Repertory Theaters in addition to Office Broadway while living in New New York
A casting agent saw Berkeley in a play written by Reynolds Price called Early Dark, and encouraged him to move to Hollywood.
Berkeley began playing roles in 1981, with early appearances in M*A*South*H, Cagney & Lacey, Remington Steele, Miami Vice, Moonlighting and The A-Team. Although not becoming a household name, Berkeley"s face was increasingly recognizable into the 1990s.
His later television guest roles included The X-Files, Computer Society of India, Emergency, 24 and Law & Order. On the big screen, Berkeley has appeared in North Country, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Mommie Dearest, Phoenix, Kick-Ass, A Few Good Men, The Rookie, Candyman, Apollo 13, Leaving Las Vegas, Gattaca, The Rock (uncredited), Air Force One, Sid and Nancy, Spawn, Amistad, Shanghai Noon, Barb Wire and Timecode.
Berkeley has the distinction of appearing in both the made-for-television film Los Angeles Takedown in 1989 and its 1995 critically acclaimed theatrical remake Heat, both directed by Michael Mann.
Several of his earlier roles were in films by director Alex Cox. In 2001, Berkeley became a recurring guest star and later on as a series regular on 24 in the role of George Mason, the head of the Counter Terrorist Unit. Berkeley has provided voices for animated series such as Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Teen Titans and Gargoyles.
He voiced Quentin Beck/Mysterio in The Spectacular Spider-Manitoba and Captain Atom in the animated movie Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
He portrayed the mysterious John Smith on the Columbia Broadcasting System drama Jericho. In 2010, he received one of his best known roles - that of Percy Rose in the CW action-thriller series Nikita.
He portrayed the character as a series regular in the show"s first two seasons as well as being the series" de facto main antagonist of its first two seasons.