Jesse Lee Soffer

Last updated

Jesse Lee Soffer
Born
Education The Gunnery
Alma mater New York University
Occupation(s)Actor, director
Years active1990–present

Jesse Lee Soffer is an American actor and television director. He is known for portraying Will Munson on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, and received three Emmy nominations for his work on the show. [1] [2] [3] [4] From 2014 to 2022, he starred as Jay Halstead on the NBC drama Chicago P.D. and guest-starred on Chicago P.D. crossover episodes with Chicago Med and Chicago Fire , as part of the main cast. He is also known for his role as Bobby Brady in the comedy The Brady Bunch Movie and its sequel A Very Brady Sequel .

Contents

Early life and education

Jesse Lee Soffer was born in Ossining, New York, to Jill Hindes (née Bruning) and Stan Soffer. His father died in 1993, when he was nine-years-old. Soffer has two younger half-sisters, Shayne and Jenna Hindes, from his mother's second marriage. He also has two older half-siblings from his father's first marriage, Craig and Melissa Soffer. [5] [6] Soffer spent part of his childhood in Tarrytown, New York, and later moved to Newtown, Connecticut, at age 10. [7]

Soffer boarded at The Gunnery, graduating in 2003. [8] He played soccer in school and was named to the all-star team (prep school category) during his senior season. [9] He took classes at New York University (NYU). [10]

Career

Soffer's acting career began at age 6 when he landed a Kix cereal commercial. [11] In 1993 aged eight, he made his feature film debut with John Goodman and Cathy Moriarty in the comedy Matinee .

In 1994, Soffer co-starred as Percival in the drama Safe Passage . In 1995, Soffer co-starred as Bobby Brady in the comedy The Brady Bunch Movie and reprised his role in A Very Brady Sequel a year later. [12] Continuing the pattern of working with Oscar-calibre and A-list talent, Soffer starred as a runaway-turned-sleuth Jamie Kincaid in the TV movie From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler . He worked with director Richard Shepard in the AMC TV movie The Royale. In 1998, Soffer was cast as Taylor Donovan with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on the ABC sitcom Two of a Kind . He also originated the role of Max Nickerson on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light in 1999. After four months on the show, he left to focus on his studies.

After graduating from high school, Soffer returned to his television career. In 2004, he took over the role of troubled youth Will Munson on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns . He played the role until April 4, 2008. As of 2008, he was nominated three times for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his work on ATWT as well as a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Lead Actor in 2005. In 2007, Soffer returned to his film career and co-starred with Carly Schroeder in Davis Guggenheim's sports drama Gracie , based on a true story. In July 2010, Soffer reprised his role as Will Munson on As the World Turns . During his time on As the World Turns, he was cast in an episode of Dick Wolf's Law & Order: SVU. However, he was unable to film due to a clash in filming commitments. [13] In 2011, Soffer co-starred in the dystopian science fiction action thriller In Time .

Since then, he has guest-starred on a number of television series including CSI: Miami , The Mentalist and Rizzoli & Isles . In 2012, he co-starred with Jordana Spiro in the short-lived Fox medical drama The Mob Doctor as Nate Devlin, the streetwise brother of Dr. Grace Devlin (Spiro). [14] [15] Later that year, he co-starred as Travis Alexander in Lifetime's original movie Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret . [16] [17]

In June 2013, it was reported Soffer had joined the cast of the NBC police procedural drama Chicago P.D. , the first spin-off show from the drama Chicago Fire as Det. Jay Halstead. [18] [19] Halstead was introduced in the second season premiere of Chicago Fire. [20] Chicago P.D. premiered on January 8, 2014. [21] On March 19, 2014, NBC renewed the series for a second season. [22] NBC officially announced that the second season would premiere on September 24, 2014. Soffer does his own stunts on the show. [23] [24]

On September 24, 2014, Soffer appeared in the second-season premiere of the YouTube comedy/talk webseries Talking Marriage with Ryan Bailey .

On November 16, 2021, Soffer joined Will Lowery and Doug Smith on the podcast Beyond the Fairway to discuss the similarities between acting and golf, how he got into the game, discovers Will hits cross handed, and much more! [25]

On August 30, 2022, it was announced that season 10 of Chicago PD will be the last one for Soffer. [26] His last appearance was on October 5, 2022, on episode 3. [27]

On October 20, 2022, Variety announced Soffer will be back to Chicago P.D. as a director. He directed episode 16 titled "Deadlocked", which aired on March 22, 2023. This episode marked his directorial debut. [28] On Marh 2024, it was announced that Soffer would direct another episode of Chicago P.D. [29]

Personal life

Soffer was in a relationship with Chicago P.D. co-star Sophia Bush from May 2014 to November 2016. [30]

Soffer began dating Chicago Med star Torrey DeVitto, officially confirming their romance in August 2018, after a year of dating. The pair announced they had ended their relationship in May 2019. [31] [32]

Filmography

Actor

Film

YearFilmRoleOther notes
1993 Matinee Dennis LoomisCredited as Jesse Lee
The Silent AlarmBoyShort film [33]
1994 Safe Passage Percival, age 9 and 10Credited as Jesse Lee
1995 The Brady Bunch Movie Bobby Brady Credited as Jesse Lee
1996 A Very Brady Sequel Bobby Brady Credited as Jesse Lee
2007 Gracie Johnny Bowen 
2011 In Time Webb 

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995 Wings Bobby BradyEpisode: "A House to Die For" (credited as Jesse Lee)
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler Jamie Kincaid (James)Television film (credited as Jesse Lee)
1996The RoyaleBillyTelevision film (credited as Jesse Lee)
1998 Two of a Kind Taylor DonovanRecurring role; 6 episodes
1999 Guiding Light Max Nickerson #1Recurring role (credited as Jesse Lee)
2004–2008; 2010 As the World Turns Will Munson Regular role; 502 episodes
2008 The Awakening of Spring MichaelTelevision film
CSI: Miami Shane HuntingtonEpisode: "And How Does That Make You Kill?"
2009 The Philanthropist Dean FitzsimmonsEpisode: "San Diego"
2010 The Whole Truth Young loverEpisode: "Young Love"
2011 The Mentalist Alan DinklerEpisode: "Strawberries and Cream: Part 1"
Rizzoli & Isles Jacob WilsonEpisode: "Remember Me"
2012–2013 The Mob Doctor Nate DevlinMain role; 13 Episodes
2013Hatfields & McCoysPatrick McCoyUnaired pilot [34] [35]
Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret Travis Alexander Television film
2013–2022 Chicago Fire Jay Halstead Recurring role; 18 episodes
2014–2023 Chicago P.D. Main role; 189 Episodes
2014–2015 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Guest role; 2 episodes
2015–2022 Chicago Med Recurring role; 28 episodes

Director

YearTitleNotes
2023 Chicago P.D. Season 10, Episode 16: “Deadlocked”

Awards and nominations

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Aniston</span> Greek-American actor (1933–2022)

John Anthony Aniston was an American actor who played Victor Kiriakis on the NBC daytime drama series Days of Our Lives, which he originated in July 1985 and played on and off for 37 years, until his death in 2022. His portrayal earned him a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2017 and he received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. He was the father of actress Jennifer Aniston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Flannery</span> American actress

Susan Flannery is an American actress and director. She made her screen debut appearing in the 1965 Western film Guns of Diablo and later appeared in some television series. From 1966 to 1975, Flannery starred as Laura Horton on the NBC daytime soap opera, Days of Our Lives for which she received her first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Jackson (actor)</span> American actor, musician, and author

Jonathan Stevens Jackson is an American actor, musician, and author. He is best known for his role as Lucky Spencer in the television soap opera General Hospital, which won him five Daytime Emmy Awards. He is also known for his roles in the films The Deep End of the Ocean (1999), Tuck Everlasting (2002), Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004), and Riding the Bullet (2004), as well as the television series Nashville (2012–2018), for which he received a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination.

Linda Dano is an American actress and television host. She began her career appearing in film and prime time television, before in 1978 was cast as Rae Cummings on the ABC daytime soap opera, One Life to Live (1978–80). From 1983 to 1999, Dano starred as Felicia Gallant in the NBC soap opera Another World. She returned to One Life to Live starring in show from 1999 to 2004. Dano was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award seven times, winning once for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1993 for her work on Another World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbi Morgan</span> American actress

Deborah Ann Morgan is an American film and television actress. Morgan has appeared in a number of film and TV productions, and may be best known for the role of Angie Baxter–Hubbard on the ABC soap opera All My Children. Morgan was the first African American to win the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as Angie in 1989. She is also known for her role as the Seer in the fourth and fifth seasons of Charmed. In film, her performance as Mozelle Batiste-Delacroix in Eve's Bayou (1997) earned critical acclaim and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. More recently she played a recurring role as Estelle Green in the starz crime drama series Power and its spinoff Power Book II: Ghost from 2014 to 2021, and also co-starred in the Fox drama series Our Kind of People.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eileen Davidson</span> American actress, author and television personality

Eileen Marie Davidson is an American actress, author, television personality and former model. Davidson is best known for her roles in soap operas as Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks on NBC's Days of Our Lives and Ashley Abbott on CBS's The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finola Hughes</span> British actress

Finola Hughes is a British actress, best known for her role as Anna Devane on the ABC soap operas General Hospital and All My Children, and her portrayal of Laura in the 1983 film Staying Alive, the sequel to Saturday Night Fever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian LeBlanc</span> American actor (born 1958)

Christian Jules LeBlanc is an American actor, best known for his role as Michael Baldwin on The Young and the Restless.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristoff St. John</span> American actor (1966–2019)

Kristoff St. John was an American actor best known for playing Neil Winters on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless from 1991 until his death in 2019. Playing the role of Neil earned him two Daytime Emmy Awards from eleven nominations, and ten NAACP Image Awards. He was also known for his role as Adam Marshall in the NBC soap opera Generations, for which he received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations; and his role as a young Alex Haley on the ABC miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Vaughan</span> American actor and model

James Gregory Vaughan Jr. is an American actor and former fashion model, known for his on and off appearances in roles on the soap operas The Young and the Restless (2002–03), General Hospital (2003–09), and Days of Our Lives (2012–). Vaughan also starred as Dan Gordon on the second season of the supernatural series Charmed (1999-2000). In 2016, Vaughan began starring in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series Queen Sugar as Detective Calvin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Hartley</span> American actor (born 1977)

Justin Scott Hartley is an American actor. He has played Fox Crane on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions (2002–2006), Oliver Queen on the WB/CW television series Smallville (2006–2011), and Adam Newman on the CBS daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless (2014–2016) which earned him a Daytime Emmy nomination. He also had recurring roles in the third season of the television drama series Revenge (2013–2014) and in the final three seasons of the drama series Mistresses (2014–2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeanne Cooper</span> American actress (1928–2013)

Wilma Jeanne Cooper was an American actress, best known for her role as Katherine Chancellor on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless (1973–2013). At the time of her death, she had played Katherine for over 40 years, and her name appears on the list of longest-serving soap opera actors in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darin Brooks</span> American actor

Darin Lee Brooks is an American actor. He is known for portraying Max Brady on the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives, Alex Moran on the Spike TV series Blue Mountain State, and Wyatt Spencer on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Martsolf</span> American actor

Eric Martsolf is an American television actor. Since November 2008, he has played the role of Brady Black on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives for which he won a Daytime Emmy in 2014. He also played the role of Ethan Winthrop in the NBC soap opera Passions from 2002 to 2008.

Julie Marie Berman is an American actress. She is known for her role as Lulu Spencer on the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital, for which she received three Daytime Emmy Awards, and for her role on the Golden Globe nominated Hulu comedy series Casual as Leia, Valerie's receptionist.

<i>Chicago P.D.</i> (TV series) American police procedural drama television series

Chicago P.D. is an American police procedural action drama television series created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead and is the second installment of Wolf's Wolf Entertainment's Chicago franchise. The series premiered on NBC as a mid-season replacement on January 8, 2014. The show follows the uniformed patrol officers and the Intelligence Unit of the 21st District of the Chicago Police Department as they pursue the perpetrators of the city's major street offenses.

<i>Days of Our Lives</i> American daytime soap opera (1965–present)

Days of Our Lives is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television network NBC from 1965 to 2022, is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday since November 8, 1965. A co-production of Corday Productions and Sony Pictures Television, the series was created by husband-and-wife team Ted Corday and Betty Corday. During Days of Our Lives' early years, Irna Phillips served as a story editor for the program and many of the show's earliest storylines were written by William J. Bell, who would depart the series in 1975 to focus full-time on The Young and the Restless, which he created for CBS in 1973. Following the 2007 cancellation of Passions, Days of Our Lives remained the only soap opera airing on NBC. On August 3, 2022, NBCUniversal announced that it would relocate the series exclusively to its Peacock streaming service beginning September 12 after 57 years on the network and leaving NBC as the only Big Three network without a daytime serial.

Casey Allen Moss is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing the role of JJ Deveraux on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mishael Morgan</span> Trinidadian-Canadian actress (born 1986)

Marie-Charms Mishael Morgan known professionally as Mishael Morgan, is a Trinidadian-Canadian actress known for the roles of Hilary Curtis and Amanda Sinclair on CBS Daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless, the latter for which she became the first Black actress to win the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2022.

<i>The Bay</i> (web series) Crime drama

The Bay is American crime-drama series. The show streams on Peacock in the United States, 10 Play in Australia, SABC in South Africa and Planet TV in Europe.

References

  1. "As the World Turns – Awards". The New York Times .
  2. "The National Television Academy Announces 33rd Annual Daytime Emmy Award Nominations". emmyonline.com. February 8, 2006.
  3. "34th Annual Daytime Emmy Winners". CBS. March 14, 2007.
  4. "The National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences Announces 35th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Award Nominations". emmyonline.com. April 30, 2008. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  5. Vix, Bill (22 November 2019). "10 Things You Didn't Know about Jesse Lee Soffer". TVOvermind. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  6. "Jesse Lee Soffer". FamilyTron. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  7. Valenta, Kaaren. "By Kaaren Valenta". The Newtown Bee. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  8. "Class Notes". The Gunnery Bulletin. The Gunnery. Autumn 2013. p. 40.
  9. "Soccer All-stars". Hartford Courant . November 28, 2002.
  10. Lenhart, Jennifer (2004). "Articles-Jesse Soffer". Soap Opera Digest Weekly Online.
  11. Martindale, David (January 18, 2014). "Five questions with actor Jesse Lee Soffer". DFW.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014.
  12. "SI Now:Jesse Lee Soffer on why soap opera fans are crazier than sport fans". Sports Illustrated. May 13, 2014.
  13. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : ""Chicago P.D." Star Jesse Lee Soffer Goes Over Season Seven Of The NBC Series". YouTube .
  14. Wightman, Catriona (February 23, 2012). "James Carpinello, Jesse Lee Soffer join Fox medical drama pilot". US TV News.
  15. "The Mob Doctor - Jesse Lee Soffer - Nate Devlin's Troubles". Synergistic Productions, Inc. September 17, 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  16. Andreeva, Nellie (April 17, 2013). "Lifetime's Jodi Arias Movie Casts Tania Raymonde and Jesse Lee Soffer". DEADLINE.
  17. "Exclusive Jodi Arias movie news!". HLN. June 11, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  18. Ausiello, Michael (June 13, 2013). "Exclusive: NBC's Chicago Fire Spin-Off Drops Melissa Sagemiller, Adds Jesse Lee Soffer". TV Line.
  19. "Actor Jesse Lee Soffer speaks on first season of NBC's 'Chicago PD'". click2houston.com. January 9, 2014. Archived from the original on February 25, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  20. Longeretta, Emily (January 8, 2014). "'Chicago PD' Star Jesse Lee Soffer Interview - Talks Action, Love & Hank Voight". Hollywood Life.
  21. Bibel, Sara (October 18, 2013). "'Ironside' & 'Welcome to the Family' Canceled by NBC; 'Community' to Premiere January 2, 'Chicago P.D.' January 8". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  22. Bibel, Sara (March 19, 2014). "'Chicago Fire', 'Chicago P.D.' & 'Grimm' Renewed; NBC Confirms Renewals of 'Parks & Recreation' & 'Celebrity Apprentice'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  23. "Jesse Lee Soffer Dishes on Chicago P.D., Stunts". Veria Living Live. May 20, 2014. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014.
  24. Sarran, Emma (September 23, 2014). "'Chicago PD' Star Jesse Lee Soffer Talks About Police Training and His Role in 'The Brady Bunch Movie'". MICHIGAN AVENUE.
  25. , Actor Jesse Lee Soffer Beyond the Fairway.
  26. , Jesse Lee Soffer to Exit ‘Chicago P.D.’ in the Fall — Season 10 Will Be His Last (EXCLUSIVE).
  27. , How Jesse Lee Soffer’s Character Jay Halstead Was Written Off ‘Chicago P.D.’.
  28. , Jesse Lee Soffer Returning to ‘Chicago P.D.’ to Direct in Season 10 (EXCLUSIVE)’.
  29. Dumaraog, Ana (25 March 2024). "Jesse Lee Soffer Confirms Chicago PD Season 11 BTS Return With New Set Image". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  30. "Sophia Bush & Jesse Lee Soffer Spark Romance Rumors Again". E! Online. September 28, 2015. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  31. "Torrey DeVitto, Jesse Lee Soffer Split After 8 Months". Us Weekly. 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  32. "Chicago P.D.'s Jesse Lee Soffer Opens Up About Torrey DeVitto Relationship". Us Weekly. 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
  33. "Pat Metheny Film Scores: The Silent Alarm". PatMethenyMedia. August 28, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
  34. Kenneally, Tim (February 22, 2013). "'As the World Turns' Star Jesse Lee Soffer Joins NBC's 'Hatfields & McCoys' Pilot". TheWrap.
  35. "NBC Will Not Pick Up 'Hatfields And McCoys': Network Passes On Charlize Theron-Produced Pilot And Six Others". Huffpost TV. May 8, 2013.
  36. "Emmy noms wide Eyed". Variety.com. February 8, 2006.
  37. "Daytime Emmy Awards (2007)". imdb. June 14, 2007.
  38. "Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced!". BWW News Desk. April 30, 2008.