Bio
Steven Culp is an American actor best known for his television roles as Special Agent Clayton Webb in the military drama series JAG (1997-2004), and as Rex Van de Kamp, husband of perfectionist Bree Hodge, on the dramedy Desperate Housewives, from 2004-2007.
Culp was born in La Jolla, California to a naval officer father. During his childhood, his parents divorced and his mother, Ohio-born Mary Ann "Anjo" Joseph, re-married to John Raymond Grabinsky.
Culp attended First Colonial High School in Virginia. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1978 with a major in English literature and also studied at the University of Exeter in England.
Culp is known for his recurring roles as CIA Agent Clayton Webb on JAG (1997–2004) and Major Hayes on Star Trek: Enterprise (2003–2004). He had the unusual misfortune to have both of those characters killed off in the same week, in the shows' season finales (though Webb turned up very much alive in the subsequent season premiere of JAG).
During the year 2004, Steven became the first actor to appear as a recurring character in four television series simultaneously: The West Wing, Star Trek: Enterprise, JAG and ER.
Culp has played Robert F. Kennedy twice; once in the film Thirteen Days (2000) and again in the TV movie Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996).
He also played Commander Martin Madden in Star Trek Nemesis (2002), a character written to replace William Riker as Enterprise first officer. However due to the film running too long, Culp's scenes (along with other scenes) were cut from the final film, so Madden can now only be seen in the Nemesis DVD deleted scenes.
Culp also played Richard Stewart in the English As A Second Language educational video series Family Album USA.
Other performances include his role as Peter Drummond in the campy television movie How to Make a Monster in which nerdy computer game programmers accidentally give life to a deadly AI. Members of the software company take turns attempting to beat the game in order save their own lives.
He played Rex Van de Kamp, husband of perfectionist Bree Hodge, played by Marcia Cross, on the TV show Desperate Housewives for one season. Once again, his character was killed off at the end of the season.
He also played Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Jeff Haffley on the TV show The West Wing. Culp also starred in a few episodes of 24 during the second season as secret service agent Ted Simmons.
In 2007 he starred as Special Agent in Charge Fred Chambers on the sci-fi drama Traveler, and had a guest roles on NCIS as Navy Commander William Skinner. He also acted in the Stargate Atlantis episode "Miller's Crossing".
On the morning of January 1, 2006, his half sister, Kathryn Harvey, along with her husband and two children, were murdered in Richmond, Virginia. The accused killer, Ricky Javon Gray, has been convicted and received the death penalty.
Culp is married to costumier Barbara Ayers. The couple have twins, Joe and Katie.