Tim Matheson is an actor with years of experience in film, television and theater. He played President Josiah Bartlett’s body double in The West Wing, had parts on The X-Files and True Blood, and made memorable appearances in films like Cocoon and Animal House. In the 1990s, he starred as the lead character, Jack Smith, in the TV series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. But few people know that Matheson originally set his sights on being a doctor — not an actor — when he was growing up in Kansas City, Missouri. Tim Matheson: From The West Wing to Virgin River
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Introduction
Known for his role as President Josiah Bartlet on the Emmy award-winning television series, The West Wing, Tim Matheson has a long career in film and television. His work includes such films as Animal House, Pretty Woman, and A Few Good Men. He also starred in a series of Westerns based on Louis L’Amour’s novels as Marshal Matt Dillon. Before moving to Los Angeles at age 16, he had appeared in many theatrical productions with the New York Shakespeare Festival.
Matheson currently lives in Santa Monica, California with his wife Michelle and daughter Tess.
Recently I visited him at home where we talked about working on TV’s The West Wing before starring as Doc Mullins in the CBS drama series, Virgin River.
Background
Known for his role as President Josiah Bartlet in the Emmy Award-winning TV show, The West Wing, Tim Matheson has acted in over 100 movies and television shows. In 2005, he was nominated for a Golden Globe award and won the Emmy Award for his portrayal of the president. He’s also been active in politics and public service, working on Capitol Hill as an aide to U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright and later serving with the Peace Corps in India. After returning from India, he completed law school at George Washington University where he now teaches part time while continuing his acting career
Medical Education and Early Career
Matheson graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in history and literature. He was a member of the class of 1968, which established the first student-run morning newspaper in America, The Harvard Crimson. After graduating from college, he attended medical school at Cornell University Medical College where he earned his M.D. degree. Upon graduation from medical school, he pursued an internship at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
Career Highlights
Matheson is best known for his work on the NBC television series, The West Wing. He portrayed President Josiah Bartlet’s (Martin Sheen) father, a veteran of World War II. He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1999 as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He also played Dr. Henry Jones Sr., Indiana Jones’ father, in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Other notable films include Catch-22, Doomsday Machine, The Man Who Saw Too Much and Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes.
Later Career and Activism
Matheson’s career trajectory shifted in the early 1990s. He took on the role of Reverend Jeremiah Cloutier in the series Northern Exposure, which aired for six seasons, from 1990-95. During that time, he also starred in The West Wing as President Josiah Bartlet’s personal physician Dr. Walter Wallace.
What happened to Vernon Mullins on’Matheson’?
Mullins, a physician who lives in the fictional town of Virgin River, is known for being one of the few people who can deliver babies and perform other medical procedures. He is also known for his quick wit, which often gets him into trouble with others in town. The show premiered on Sept. 26, 2002 and ended its run on Aug. 24, 2007 with a total of 122 episodes aired.
Who plays Vernon Mullins on Virgin River?
Ever since Tim Matheson’s character, Dr.Westen from the hit TV series, The West Wing, he has become one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood. But it was his portrayal of Doc Mullins on the popular TV show, Virgin River that made him an icon in a small town full of characters and quirky personalities.
What other TV shows has Michael Matheson been in?
From The West Wing to Criminal Minds, Tim Matheson has had a long acting career. In 1993, he was cast as President Josiah Bartlet in NBC’s television series, The West Wing. This role led him to an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and two Golden Globe nominations. He has also appeared in CBS’s Criminal Minds, which aired from 2005-2017.
Is Tim Matheson in a relationship?
In the late 1980s, Tim Matheson married actress Donna Dixon. They have three children together. When the couple divorced in 1994, their daughter was six years old and their sons were four and two. Matheson met his current wife Diane Wilsey while playing golf at a charity tournament. Together they are raising three kids of their own (Diane’s from her first marriage).
