A strikingly handsome and intense leading man, Skeet Ulrich’s natural talent and depth of character quickly put him on the map of young actors to watch. With chiseled cheekbones and an ardent stare often likened to Johnny Depp, Ulrich made his mark early on as crazed teen killer Billy Loomis in Wes Craven’s “Scream” (1996) and as bank robber Joe Newton in “The Newton Boys” (1998). A former stage actor and member of David Mamet’s Atlantic Theater Company, Ulrich went on to bring depth and acuity to his performances on screen. Taking on the medium of television in 2006, Ulrich landed a starring role in the CBS drama “Jericho.”
Born Bryan Ray Trout on Jan. 20, 1970 in Lynchburg, VA, Ulrich was raised in Concord, NC. Faced with a tumultuous childhood, Ulrich’s parents divorced when the actor was only three; he later had to undergo open-heart surgery at the age of 10 to repair a congenital defect. Earning the childhood nickname “Skeeter” from a Little League coach for being small and quick, Ulrich later shortened his name to Skeet and adopted his step-father’s surname. Though he was not particularly interested in academics while attending Northwest Cabarrus High School, Ulrich did go on to attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he studied marine biology. While working as an extra in the films “Weekend at Bernie’s” (1989) and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (1990) during college, Ulrich developed an interest in acting. Switching majors, he soon transferred to New York University to study drama, where he was asked to join David Mamet’s Atlantic Theater Company. Performing in a number of off-Broadway plays with the company, including Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” and Craig Lucas’ “Reckless,” Ulrich began to build a solid resume.
Appearing in his first television role of a teen whose relationship with a girl from another cultural background causes problems for their families in the 1994 ABC After-School Special “Same Difference,” doors began to open up for Ulrich. Landing a string of parts in feature films, all of which opened within a week of each other in 1996, Ulrich quickly became one of Hollywood’s new faces to watch. Turning in a number of performances, Ulrich portrayed Winona Rider’s boyfriend in the drama “Boys” (1996), appeared as death row inmate Sharon Stone’s brother in “Last Dance” (1996), and as a hostage in Kevin Spacey’s “Albino Alligator” (1996). That same year, Ulrich became a familiar face to younger audiences – particularly a favorite of the female sect – in the teen witchcraft flick “The Craft” (1996), as a smart-mouthed football player whose girlfriend becomes involved in witchcraft and, more importantly, as Neve Campbell’s murderous boyfriend Billy Loomis in Wes Craven’s horror-genre revival flick, “Scream” (1996). Exhibiting a natural talent on camera, Ulrich went on to land roles in Paul Schrader’s “Touch” (1997) and James L. Brooks’ Oscar-nominated, “As Good As It Gets” (1997), though a number of his scenes in the latter film were eventually cut. The film roles kept coming, with Ulrich portraying real-life bank robber Joe Newton opposite Ethan Hawke and Matthew McConaughey in Richard Linklater’s “The Newton Boys” (1998), starring in the less than memorable thriller “Chill Factor” (1999) opposite Cuba Gooding Jr., and working with award-winning director Ang Lee in the civil war-era drama, “Ride with the Devil” (1999).
Starring in his first series television role in 2003, Ulrich portrayed Paul Callan, an investigator of modern miracles, in the series “Miracles” (ABC, 2003). Though the series revolved around an intriguing premise, it was cancelled after only 13 episodes. Ulrich went on to star in the television movie “The Magic of Ordinary Days” (2005) opposite Kerri Russell and in the highly touted ensemble TNT mini-series, “Into the West” (2005). Returning to series television in 2006, Ulrich landed the lead role on the CBS series “Jericho,” portraying a man who returns to his hometown in Kansas just before it becomes isolated due to a mysterious explosion.