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Danny McCarthy

Danny McCarthy

Actor · Born February 9, 1969 (57) · St. Louis, Missouri, USA

St Louis born, ex-Chicagoan, now based in NYC, Danny's recurring TV roles include Ed George on Hulu's Furious, Agent Celetano on Elsbeth for CBS, Rick on HBO's Somebody Somewhere, Rick Mathers on Boss, and his breakout role as Special Agent Hale in FOX's Prison Break. Danny's profile has continued to rise with major roles in films including the 2024 Sundance breakout hit Good One, as well as The Exorcist: Believer, The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, Stronger, Elvis & Nixon, Killing Kennedy, The Drop, The Express, Fred Claus, Derailed, Proof, Flags of Our Fathers, Stranger Than Fiction, The Amityville Horror, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Danny's Broadway credits include the Tony-nominated The Minutes with Tracy Letts and Jessie Mueller, Aaron Sorkin's To Kill A Mockingbird with Jeff Daniels, The Iceman Cometh opposite Denzel Washington, and Grace with Michael Shannon and Paul Rudd. Off-Broadway, Danny has starred in the award-winning Well I'll Let You Go opposite his Furious co-star Quincy Tyler Bernstine, the world premiere of Kill Floor opposite Marin Ireland at Lincoln Center, and Annie Baker's The Antipodes and The Open House (Drama Desk Award Winner: Best Ensemble). Regional theater work includes several appearances at Chicago's acclaimed A Red Orchid Theater where he is a company member; The Minutes, The Flick, Middletown, The Pillowman, Take Me Out, and The Water Engine at Steppenwolf Theatre; David Cromer's visionary A Streetcar Named Desire at Writer's Theater of Glencoe, and Circle Mirror Transformation at The Repertory Theater of St. Louis, where his performance earned him a Kevin Kline Award nomination for Best Actor. Danny is also known for his featured role in AT&T's audience favorite "Dropped Call - The Butcher," which received the American Advertising Federation's National Gold Award, and the Cannes Lions TVC Bronze Award, among others. He was also featured as "The Brattender" in Johnsonville Brats' long-running and Effie Award-winning (Silver & Bronze) campaign.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Born
February 9, 1969 (57)
From
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
29 on Motif
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Up 42% in 30 days

What are Danny McCarthy's films like?

Across their 11 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Biography2 titlesTypical Motif score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Motif score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Motif score: 70th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
26%
Survival
23%
Society
21%
Self
18%
Bonds
7%
Power
3%
Ideas
3%
Grief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 1 · Dark 6

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 2 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 0 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 4

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 5

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Melancholic
8
Dread
4
Contemplative
5
Warm
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Hopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Danny McCarthy's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 29 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Pluto TV (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Danny McCarthy's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

29 credits, 29 with a Motif page.

  • The Debut(2026)

    as Male Testimonial

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Our Hero, Balthazar(2025)

    as Gore

    Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Furious(2026)

    Show as Ed George

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Running Man(2025)

    as YVA Manager

    Motif score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Lost Bus(2025)

    as Matt McKenzie

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Good One(2024)

    as Matt

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Elsbeth(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · as Fred Celetano

    Motif score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • The Exorcist: Believer(2023)

    as Stuart

    Motif score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Somebody Somewhere(2022)

    Show 7 episodes · as Rick

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Ballad of Buster Scruggs(2018)

    as Curly Joe's Brother (segment "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs")

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Stronger(2017)

    as Kevin Horst

    Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Drop(2014)

    as Detective Dexter

    Motif score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Chicago P.D.(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Mark

    Motif score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Killing Kennedy(2013)

    as Agent James Hosty

    Motif score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Elementary(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · as Detective Nash

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Underemployed(2012)

    Show as Paul

    Motif score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Boss(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · as Rick Mathers

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Transformers: Dark of the Moon(2011)

    as NEST Guard

    Motif score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Blue Bloods(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Jerrie Demarest

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • The Express(2008)

    as Bill Bell

    Motif score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Fred Claus(2007)

    as Salvation Army Santa

    Motif score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Stranger Than Fiction(2006)

    as Demolition Crew #1

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Flags of Our Fathers(2006)

    as Reporter (in Chicago) #1

    Motif score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Derailed(2005)

    as Correctional Officer Hank

    Motif score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Proof(2005)

    as Cop

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Prison Break(2005)

    Show 18 episodes · as Danny Hale

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Amityville Horror(2005)

    as Officer Greguski

    Motif score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Company(2003)

    as Bartender

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • ER(1994)

    Show 1 episode · as Firefighter James

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 96th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 27 titles, 26 of them dated from 1994 to 2026; peak year 2025.

Biggest box office

The Exorcist: Believer (2023)

$136M worldwide

Highest rated

Somebody Somewhere (2022)

Motif 96th

Most popular right now

Elsbeth (2024)

Film career

19942026

Peak 2025 · their film career is on the way up. Top draw in 2 Motif titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting27 of 27: 27 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Motif score82nd

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s9 · acting2010s9 · acting2020s7 · acting

Billing

usually 13th · top billed in 0% of 13 roles
0510

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Danny McCarthy's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 19; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 76th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Motif score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

19 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser19
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

The Exorcist: Believer (2023)

61st percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Somebody Somewhere (2022)

Motif 96th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the acting 79/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 57. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Danny McCarthy's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 Motif titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles28–76 · median 66 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles16–61 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 31
Profanity9 titles26–84 · median 66 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 35
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles21–66 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles10–79 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Danny McCarthy work with?

People who share at least 2 of Danny McCarthy's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Gordon Green shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Producers

Mixed roles