Skeet Ulrich

Skeet Ulrich (pronounced Ul-rich; born Bryan Ray Trout; January 20, 1970) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in popular 1990s films, including Billy Loomis in Scream, Chris Hooker in The Craft and Vincent in As Good As It Gets. Since 2017, he has starred as FP Jones on The CW's Riverdale. His other television roles include Johnston Jacob "Jake" Green Jr. in the television series Jericho, and LAPD Detective Rex Winters, a Marine veteran from the Law & Order franchise.

Early life
Bryan Ray Trout was born on January 20, 1970, in Lynchburg, Virginia. His mother, Carolyn Elaine Wax (née Rudd), owns the special events marketing agency Sports Management Group, and his father is a restaurateur. His first stepfather was D. K. Ulrich, a NASCAR driver and team owner, whom he considers his father. In 1990, his mother remarried, to Edward Lewis Wax. Ulrich's maternal uncle is retired NASCAR driver Ricky Rudd, and his maternal grandfather was Alvin Ray Rudd, Sr., the president of Al Rudd Auto Parts.

Ulrich's father kidnapped him and his brother when he was six years old, and they spent the next three years moving from Florida to New York and then to Pennsylvania. They were reunited with their mother in North Carolina, where his father disappeared from his life.

The nickname "Skeet" originated from "Skeeter", a nickname he was given by his Little League coach because of his small stature and because he was fast as a mosquito. Along with his slight frame, he had poor health, including numerous bouts with pneumonia; he underwent open-heart surgery to repair a defective ventricle at the age of 10. Ulrich graduated from Northwest Cabarrus High School in North Carolina. After enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington to study marine biology, he switched to New York University, where he was noticed by playwright David Mamet.

Career
In his earliest screen appearances, Ulrich was an uncredited extra in films Weekend at Bernie's (1989) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990). After joining the Atlantic Theater Company as an apprentice, Ulrich performed with the group, which got him noticed by director Stacy Cochran. She cast him in a CBS Schoolbreak Special. With her help, he also received his first notable role on screen in 1996 as the loutish boyfriend of Winona Ryder in Boys. That same year, he appeared in The Craft opposite Robin Tunney and Neve Campbell. He was cast that same year to star alongside Campbell again in Wes Craven's hit slasher film Scream.

In 1997, he had a small role as an emotionally conflicted gay hustler in As Good as It Gets (along with fellow Scream actor Jamie Kennedy). He appeared in films like The Newton Boys (1998) and Chill Factor (1999). He starred as Juvenal, a young man with stigmata and healing powers in the Paul Schrader film Touch (1997), and he appeared in Ride with the Devil (1999), an American Civil War drama directed by Ang Lee. In 2000, he played computer hacker Kevin Mitnick in the film Takedown.

On television, Ulrich starred in the short-lived ABC series Miracles and appeared in TNT's multiple Emmy-nominated miniseries Into the West (2005 in the U.S., 2006 in the UK). Also in 2005, Ulrich acted with Keri Russell in the television film The Magic of Ordinary Days. He starred as Jake Green on the CBS post-apocalyptic drama Jericho, which premiered on September 20, 2006, and ended its run on March 25, 2008. The series was cancelled after its first season but was brought back due to fan outcry and support. Fans lobbied the studio, and the series was brought back for a shorted second season.

Ulrich is a recurring guest voice actor on the Adult Swim animated stop-motion sketch comedy series Robot Chicken. In sketches based on G.I. Joe, Ulrich voices the character Duke. Ulrich guest-starred in three episodes of CSI: NY as a complex and disturbed killer. As of 2017, he stars as Forsythe Pendleton Jones II, the father of Jughead Jones, in Riverdale on The CW, loosely based on the Archie comic book series. On February 23, 2020, Ulrich announced that he would be leaving Riverdale ahead of its fifth season, making season four his last on the show.

Ulrich appeared as Brian David Mitchell in the 2017 Lifetime film I Am Elizabeth Smart, based on the 2002 abduction and captivity of Elizabeth Smart. He also played as Brice in the 2017 horror movie Escape Room.

Personal life
In 1997, Ulrich married English actress Georgina Cates, whom he met at an Academy Awards party. Their wedding was a small ceremony held on their farmland in Madison County, Virginia, with only the preacher and their canine companions as guests. They have twins born in 2001. Ulrich and Cates separated in 2004 and filed for divorce in 2005, citing irreconcilable differences.

He married actress Amelia Jackson-Gray in 2012, and they divorced in 2015. In 2016, Ulrich became engaged to Brazilian model Rose Costa, but the couple split in November 2017.[citation needed]

He enjoys woodworking.

Film
1982 The Babysitter Murders Shawn Shadowmend

1996 The Craft Chris Hooker

1996 Last Dance Billy

1996 Boys Bud Valentine

1996 Albino Alligator Danny Boudreaux

1996 Scream Billy Loomis

1997 Touch Juvenal / Charlie Lawson

1997 As Good as It Gets Vincent

1998 The Newton Boys Joe Newton

1999 Chill Factor Tim Mason

1999 Ride with the Devil Jack Bull Chiles

2000 Track Down Kevin Mitnick

2001 Nobody's Baby Billy Raedeen

2001 Soul Assassin Kevin Burke

2001 Kevin of the North Kevin Manley

2009 For Sale by Owner Junior

2009 Armored Dobbs

2014 50 to 1 Chip Woolley

2014 The Girl on the Roof N/A Short film; director

2017 Austin Found Billy Fontaine

2018 Escape Room Brice

2021 Finch Sam Post-production

TBA Blood         Post-production

TBA Supercell Roy

Television films
1989 Killjoy: The Beginning Kip Roosevelt/Killjoy

1998 A Soldier's Sweetheart Mark Fossie

2005 The Magic of Ordinary Days Ray Singleton

2009 Back Richard Miles

2010 Gimme Shelter Billy Jost

2013 Anatomy of Violence Adrian Raines

Television
1994 CBS Schoolbreak Special Vinnie DiFazio Episode: "Same Difference"

2003 Miracles Paul Callan 13 episodes

2005 Into the West Jethro Wheeler TV miniseries

2006–2008 Jericho Jake Green 29 episodes

2007–2014 Robot Chicken Various voices 9 episodes

2009 CSI: NY Hollis Eckhart 3 episodes

2010 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Det. Rex Winters Episode: "Behave"

2010–2011 Law & Order: LA Det. Rex Winters 14 episodes

2015–2016 Unforgettable Eddie Martin 2 episodes

2017–2021 Riverdale FP Jones Recurring role (season 1) Main role (seasons 2–5)

2021 Bodyguard (American TV series) Detective Rex Ward Main Role

2020 #FreeRayshawn Sgt. Mike Trout Main role

Awards and nominations
1982 Black Moon Awards Movie of the Year Award The Babysitter Murders Won with the cast

1997 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Best Supporting Actor Scream Nominated

2006 Character and Morality in Entertainment Awards N/A The Magic of Ordinary Days Won

2006 Western Heritage Awards Into the West Television Feature Film Won

2021 Black Moon Awards Drama of the Year Award Bodyguard (American TV series) Won