Xander Berkeley was born on December 16, 1955, in Brooklyn, New York, though he lived most of his life in New Jersey. He began acting as a child at a local experimental theater and made his first big-screen appearance in Mommie Dearest. By the mid-'80s roles were coming in fast. He was Tom Hanks' roommate in Volunteers, and in Terminator 2: Judgment Day he played John Connor's foster parent. He was Capt. Whitaker in Rob Reiner's A Few Good Men, and gave a good performance as Henry Hurt in Apollo 13. He had a great role as turncoat Secret Service agent Gibbs in Air Force One, and most recently has been doing a standout turn as George Mason in the TV series 24, a role that has brought him critical acclaim. Like many other actors, in the future he would like to take up directing.


Is an accomplished painter, sculptor, and make-up artist. In fact, he designed his own makeup on "24" (2001) when his character was suffering from the deteriorating effects of radiation sickness. He and Glenn Morshower both made guest appearances on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000) as Las Vegas sheriffs. They also both had recurring roles on "24" (2001), and they also starred together in Air Force One (1997). Appeared again with "24" (2001) co-star Reiko Aylesworth in Magma: Volcanic Disaster (2006) (TV). In "24," they played boss and subordinate, in "Magma"; they played husband and wife (they were both killed off on "24" by that time).