Jay Karnes was born in Omaha, Nebraska on June 27, 1963. Prior to his career, Karnes took up Theatre and Political Science at Kansas University. He developed his theater work after college, working with groups such as South Coast Repertory and Missouri Repertory Theatre. Film and television work came next, and his small screen stints include Chicago Hope and Fraiser. Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach is played by Jay Karnes on FX Network's police drama series The Shield. Dutch is a master detective and the partner of Detective Claudette Wyms. Other people regard Dutch as a nerd with poor social skills even though he is effective as a police detective.