Lee Tergesen's career took off with his acclaimed portrayal of Tobias “Toby” Beecher on HBO's Oz.  He played a successful attorney who ran over a little girl while driving drunk.  This led to his conviction, facing a sentence of 15 years.  In prison, he was considered to be part of the outcast group, providing little disciplinary problems to both staff and other inmates.  Although a recluse, he endured a pool of emotional upheaval sparked by the brutal attacks and rape of Vern Schillinger (J. K. Simmons) inside the titular facility.  This unleashed Beecher's rampage and surged his thirst for revenge.  Apart from fighting back physically, he also maneuvered several schemes that made Schillinger's life miserable.  However, he became a victim of deceit when he fell in love with inmate Chris Keller (Christopher Meloni) who was working with Schillinger in his plot for vengeance.  At present, the 42-year-old actor remains in the limelight with both his upcoming television drama and miniseries.

This coming fall, the former Oz star will be appearing on the television series Cane.  Starring award-winning actor Jimmy Smits, the drama follows the lives and internal power struggles of a powerful Cuban-American family as they run a rum and sugar cane business.  The show premieres on Tuesday, September 25 on CBS.

In 2008, Lee Tergesen will be leading the principle cast of a miniseries based on the book written by Evan Wright entitled Generation Kill.  It chronicles the experiences of a marine (Tergesen) during the first wave of the American-led assault in Baghdad in 2003.

Following his stint on Oz, Lee Tergesen continuously landed work in both film and television.  His most notable appearances include roles on Rescue Me as Sully, Wanted as Eddie Drake and Desperate Housewives as Peter McMillan.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Image courtesy of Yahoo)