Pruitt Taylor Vince

Biography

Pruitt Taylor Vince (born July 5, 1960, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States) is an American character actor known for his distinctive screen presence and versatile performances in films and television. He is particularly recognised for portraying J.J. LaRoche, an investigator with the California Bureau of Investigation, in the CBS crime drama The Mentalist. He has also appeared in numerous acclaimed films and television productions, including Angel Heart, Mississippi Burning, JFK, Heavy, Identity, Constantine, Deadwood, and Stranger Things.

Vince attended Louisiana State University before pursuing a professional career in acting. He initially developed an interest in performing during his school years and eventually moved into film and television. His first screen appearance came in Jim Jarmusch's film Down by Law (1986), although his scenes were removed before its release. He subsequently made appearances in Barfly (1987) and Angel Heart (1987), beginning his career with supporting roles in feature films.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Vince gained attention through supporting performances in several notable films. These included Mississippi Burning (1988), Come See the Paradise (1990), Jacob's Ladder (1990), Wild at Heart (1990), and JFK (1991), in which he portrayed Lee Bowers, a witness connected to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He later appeared in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994) and the comedy-drama Nobody's Fool (1994).

One of his breakthrough performances came in the independent drama Heavy (1995), directed by James Mangold, in which he played Victor Modino, a lonely restaurant cook. He followed this with a supporting role in Beautiful Girls (1996), further establishing his reputation as a character actor. In 1997, he portrayed Clifford Banks, a serial killer, in the second season of the legal drama Murder One. His performance received widespread recognition and earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Vince continued his film career with prominent roles in The Legend of 1900 (1998), Mumford (1999), Nurse Betty (2000), Simone (2002), and Trapped (2002). In 2003, he portrayed Malcolm Rivers in the psychological thriller Identity, one of his notable film performances. He subsequently appeared as Father Hennessy in the supernatural action film Constantine (2005) and also featured in Captivity (2007).

On television, Vince became known for his recurring portrayal of Mose Manuel in the HBO Western drama Deadwood (2005–2006). He later appeared in the crime drama The Mentalist as J.J. LaRoche, an enigmatic internal affairs investigator who becomes involved in several important investigations involving Patrick Jane and the CBI team. His performance in the series brought him further recognition among television audiences.

His other television credits include The Walking Dead, in which he played Otis, True Blood, Heroes Reborn, Stranger Things, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. In Stranger Things, he appeared as Ray Carroll, while in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. he portrayed Grill. He also played Bob Bauer in the 2024 Apple TV+ miniseries Lady in the Lake, starring Natalie Portman.

In recent years, Vince appeared as Jonathan Kent (Pa Kent) in the superhero film Superman (2025), directed by James Gunn. His extensive filmography demonstrates his ability to portray a wide range of characters in crime dramas, psychological thrillers, horror films, independent productions, and television series.