Why Harry Gifford From Marshals Looks So Familiar

"Marshals" sets Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) on a fresh path away from one of the best neo-western TV shows, "Yellowstone," as he becomes a U.S. Marshal in Montana. The story sees him tackling human traffickers, militias, and a dangerous cartel. While the former rancher and Navy SEAL isn't a loose cannon, his boss, Chief Deputy Harry Gifford, doesn't exactly trust him, either. If you're wondering where you recognize Gifford from while you wait for "Marshals" Season 2, he's played by Brett Cullen, an actor with numerous TV roles under his belt, as well as a handful of superhero movies. 

One of Cullen's biggest early roles was as Dan Fixx in the long-running CBS soap, "Falcon Crest," about warring families in the wine industry. He made an impression on NBC's "The West Wing" as West Virginia Governor, Ray Sullivan, the conservative politician who helped balance out Senator Arnold Vinick's presidential race as his running mate. The "Marshals" star also played Goodwin Stanhope in "Lost," one of the best ABC shows of all time. Stanhope is one of the Others who appears in Season 5, which explores how the shady group infiltrates the survivors of Oceanic flight 815. Stanhope pretends to be one of the passengers who survived in the tail section of the flight, but is killed by Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriquez) when she discovers that he's a spy.

Before he played Harry Gifford in "Marshals," Brett Cullen starred as Thomas Wayne — Batman's father — in 2019's "Joker" movie. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) approaches him in a bathroom because he thinks the wealthy socialite is also his long-lost father. Although Wayne denies it, the audience is left to decide whether Joker and Batman are secretly half-siblings. This wasn't the first time Cullen stepped foot in Gotham City, as he played the sleazy Congressman Gilley in "The Dark Knight Rises," who took a liking to Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway). 

Cullen also had brushes with the Marvel universe, playing Johnny Blaze's (Nicolas Cage) doomed father in 2007's "Ghost Rider" movie, and a brief appearance as a young athlete in the fifth season of "The Incredible Hulk" TV series, opposite Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. Bixby even gave Cullen advice that has stuck with him throughout his career. "He told me to always expect when success hits, your feet won't touch the ground for a few months. But then you come back to earth and you realize the garbage still has to be taken out," Cullen told NY Castings. "I love that idea. Being famous or being successful has nothing to do with what kind of man or woman you are. Or how you are as a good father or husband or wife or partner. You can't let the machinations of the industry shape you."