James Denton (born January 20, 1963) is an American film and television actor, best known for playing Mike Delfino in the television series Desperate Housewives.

Biography

Early life

James Thomas Denton, Jr. was born in Nashville, Tennessee and grew up in nearby Goodlettsville. His father, J.T. Denton (1930-1993), was a dentist who had served in the military.James Denton Biography His mother, Mary Jean Woolslair Denton, died from breast cancer in 2002.

Denton attended the University of Tennessee where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, majored in television/journalism and earned a degree in advertising. Before he became an actor, he sold advertising for two radio stations. He began acting at the age of 23, at a community theater in Nashville. He eventually moved to California to become a full time actor.

Career

Denton has appeared in several films, including That Old Feeling (1997), Face/Off (1997) and Primary Colors (1998).

He has also appeared in various television shows including Sliders, Dark Skies, Two Guys and a Girl, Ally McBeal, The West Wing, and JAG, and has had recurring roles in The Pretender, Philly, The Drew Carey Show and Reba. In 2003, he had the lead role of Special Agent John Kilmer in the short-lived crime thriller series Threat Matrix.

In 2004, Denton won his most famous role as plumber Mike Delfino on the series Desperate Housewives, in which he continues to appear.

Since first appearing in Desperate Housewives, Denton has continued to act in various made-for-TV and direct-to-DVD movies such as Assumption (2006), Beautiful Dreamer (2006), Undead or Alive (2007), Custody (2007), and Tortured (2008).

In 2009, Denton appeared in country star Phil Vassar's music video "Bobbi with an I".

Denton plays guitar in the charity band Band From TV along with Hugh Laurie and Desperate Housewives co-star Teri Hatcher, among others.

Personal life

Denton has been married twice. He and his first wife, actress Jenna Lyn Ward, were married from 1997 to 2000. He married for the second time on December 16, 2002 to Erin O'Brian. He and Erin have two children: a son named Sheppard (b. March 2003) and a daughter, Malin O'Brien (b. March 22, 2005). In the 2006 special "CMT Giants: Reba" he revealed that Reba McEntire gave his daughter an heirloom quilt for her birth.

Denton wore a Baltimore Orioles cap while playing in the 2009 Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game[1]. He is also part of the owners group of an independent minor league baseball team in Fullerton, the Orange County Flyers (part of the Golden Baseball League), who won the GBL Championship in 2008. The Orange County Flyers play at Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton, California.

Politics

Denton endorsed Democrat John Edwards for President in 2004 and 2008. He traveled to Iowa in the Fall of 2007 to campaign with Edwards' daughter, Cate.