This supporting player of theater, TV and film is best known for his portrayal of Laura Palmer's murderous father on David Lynch's cult series "Twin Peaks" (ABC, 1990-91) and in its feature incarnation, "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" (1992). Wise got his professional start onstage, in such plays as "The Subject was Roses" and Sam Shepard's "The Tooth of Crime" (for which he won an OBIE in 1983), and toured in various classics ("Romeo and Juliet", "Tartuffe").
Wise played Jamie Rollins on the CBS soap "Love of Life", and made his TV-movie debut in a 1978 PBS version of "Tartuffe". Not all of his follow-ups were quite as intellectual; they included "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders II" (ABC, 1980), the remake of "Madame X", with Tuesday Weld (NBC, 1981), and the thriller "Seduced" (CBS, 1985). Wise had his first starring role--as an international agent--in "Condor" (ABC, 1986), and co-starred in "The Taking of Flight 487" (NBC, 1988).
Wise's TV roles also include supporting roles in the comedy "The Secret Life of Archie's Wife" (CBS, 1990), "Fire in the Dark" (CBS, 1991), "The Secrets of Lake Success" (NBC, 1993), and the series "Savannah" (The WB, 1996-97). In the 1995 miniseries "Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story" (NBC), Wise was Husband Number 3, Mike Todd, opposite former "Twin Peaks" co-star Sherilyn Fenn as Taylor. He also made guest appearances on "Dallas", "The Colbys", "Knott's Landing" and "Moonlighting".
Wise made his big-screen debut as the scientist who creates Wes Craven's "Swamp Thing" (1982). He had good roles as Natty's dad in "The Journey of Natty Gann" (1985), "Robocop" (1987), as a creepy patriarch in the dark "Season of Fear" (1989) and in the sports drama "Race for Glory" (1989). After his stay in Twin Peaks, Wise demonstrated a flair for comedy as political P.R. spin doctor Chet MacGregor in Tim Robbins' "Bob Roberts" (1992). He has been busy in recent years, playing a senator in "Rising Sun" (1993), Kristy Swanson's wealthy dad in the crime comedy "The Chase" (1994) and a school official in "Powder" (1995). Wise then spent time slipping between series television--with countless guest appearances on top shows and regular and recurring roles on the brief lived nighttime soap "Savannah" (1996-1997), "Resurrection Blvd" (2000-2002)--and films--including the relationship comedy "Two Can Play That Game" (2001) and as the elading man in the thriller "Dead End" (2003)--and even video games--as President Michael Dugan, a recurring character in the "Command & Conquer" series.
Wise's visibility in the youth market got a goose when he appearedas the obligatory adult in the teen-oriented horror sequel "Jeepers Creepers 2" (2003) and as Amy Smart's eclectic father in the second "Project Greenlight" feature, "The Battle of Shaker Heights" (2003), a role tailored expressly for him by his friends, directors Efram Potelle and Kyle Rankin.