Dean Joseph Norris (born April 8, 1963) is an American actor, best known for portraying DEA agent Hank Schrader on the AMC series Breaking Bad (2008–2013) and its spin-off Better Call Saul (2015–2022), as well as town selectman James "Big Jim" Rennie on the CBS series Under the Dome (2013–2015). He has also appeared in films such as Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Total Recall (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Starship Troopers (1997), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), and Evan Almighty (2007). Norris was born in South Bend, Indiana, to Jack, a furniture store owner, and Rosie Norris. He has four sisters. Norris graduated from Clay High School in 1981, where he says he got straight A's. He is a 1985 graduate of Harvard College, where he majored in social studies. He also attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Filmography

• 2026Confession
• Stuart Fails to Save the Universe — Captain Richard Williams
• 2026TERM — Senator Randall Murphy
• 2025Border Hunters — Abraham
• 2025The Parenting — Cliff
• 2024Carry-On — Phil Sarkowski
• 2024The Six Triple Eight — General Halt
• 2024Unfrosted — Khruschev
• 2023Fool's Paradise — Studio Head
• Liam and Michael — Michael's Father
• Ghosts — Frank
• Law & Order: Organized Crime — Randall Stabler
• United States of Al — Art
• 2019Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark — Roy Nicholls
• The Act — Russ
• 2019The Hustle — Howard Bacon
• 2018Beirut — Donald Gaines
• 2018Death Wish — Detective Rains
• Claws — Clay "Uncle Daddy" Husser
• 2017Fist Fight — Principal Richard Tyler
• Get Shorty — Bob Grace
• Girlboss — Jay
• 2017The Book of Henry — Glenn Sickleman
• Better Call Saul — Hank Schrader
• 2015Remember — John Kurlander
• 2015Secret in Their Eyes — Bumpy
• Sons of Liberty — Ben Franklin
• Superstore — Howard Fox
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt — Le Loup
• 2014Men, Women & Children — Kent Mooney
• 2014Small Time — Ash Martini
• 2013The Counselor — Buyer
• 2013The Frozen Ground — Sgt. Lyle Haugsven
• Under the Dome — James "Big Jim" Rennie
• 2012Get the Gringo — Bill
• Key & Peele — Mexican Drug Cartel Leader
• Scandal — Fenton Glackland
• Body of Proof — Special Agent Brendan Johnson
• Eagleheart — Deke
• Fairly Legal — Coach Gardner
• 2011Prom — Frank Prescott
• 2011Remember I'll Always Love You — Terry
• Whitney — Wayne
• 2010How Do You Know — Softball Coach
• Law & Order: LA — Bob Kentner
• The Defenders — Donnie Barrett
• The Glades — Michael Nelson
• The Good Guys — Pike
• 2010Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Chrimbus Special — Del Tong
• Castle — John Davis
• Dark Blue — Cahill
• Lie to Me — Dawkins
• Breaking Bad — Hank Schrader
• 2008Linewatch — Warren Kane
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles — Nelson
• The Mentalist — Sgt. Don Henderson
• True Blood — Leon
• 2007Evan Almighty — Officer Collins
• Saving Grace — Ross Ford
• The Big Bang Theory — Richard Williams
• 2007The Heartbreak Kid — Jodi's Father
• Justice
• 2006Little Miss Sunshine — State Trooper McCleary
• The Unit — Supervisor Marsh
• Windfall — Damien's Father
• American Dad! — Head of Security (voice)
• 2005American Gun — Terrence
• Bones — Don Timmons
• Grey's Anatomy — Vince
• Medium — Detective Rickey, Paul Scanlon
• 2005Mrs. Harris — Sporting Goods Clerk
• Over There — Mr. Parker
• Boston Legal — Byron Kaneb
• LAX — Danny
• Lost — Howard Gray
• Medical Investigation — David Weiner
• Cold Case — Wayne Nelson (1994 & 2006)
• Las Vegas — Ray Brennan
• NCIS — Vestman
• Nip/Tuck — Mark Noble
• The Lyon's Den
• Tremors — W.D. Twitchell
• American Dreams — Frank Moran
• Without a Trace — Tim Orley
• 24 — General Bowden
• Crossing Jordan — Liam Moore
• Six Feet Under — Detective Shea
• 2001The One — Sgt. Siegel
• 20003 Strikes — Officer Roberts
• Boston Public — Matthew Gordon
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Bob Durham, Phil Baker
• Curb Your Enthusiasm — Judge Whittaker
• 2000Sonic Impact — Agent McGee
• 2000The Cell — Cole
• The District — Charles N. Burke
• 1999Lansky — Naval Captain
• 1999My Little Assassin
• The West Wing — Steve Hodder
• Charmed — Dr. Stone
• 1998Mr. Murder — Victor 'Vic' Delorio
• 1998On the Line — Manny Denikolas
• 1998The Negotiator — Scott
• V.I.P. — Jackson Lasarr
• 1998Without Limits — Bill Dellinger
• 1997Gattaca — Cop on the Beat
• 1997Riot — Kalena
• 1997Starship Troopers — Commanding Officer
• The Practice — Detective
• 1996After Jimmy — Ray Johnson
• 1996Death Benefit — Rod Montgomery
• 1996Forgotten Sins — Detective Carl Messenger
• 1996Innocent Victims — Frank Sarezin
• Millennium — Agent Boxer
• Nash Bridges — Frank Maddigan
• Seduced by Madness — Detective Pike
• The Pretender — Tommy Larson, Sheriff Whalen
• 1995In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice — Levasseur
• 1995It Came from Outer Space II — Dave Grant
• 1995Money Train — Guard with Dooley
• Murder One — Rusty Arnold
• 1995Number One Fan — Graham Chandler
• 1995Safe — Mover
• 1995Texas Justice
• ER — Clark
• 1994Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee — Red Arrow
• 1994Playmaker — Detective Marconi
• 1994The Last Seduction — Shep
• 1993Barbarians at the Gate — 1st Scientist
• Fallen Angels — Allen
• 1993Full Eclipse — Fleming
• 1993It's Nothing Personal — Michael Dawson
• 1993Jailbait — Hershiser
• 1993The Firm — The Squat Man
• The X-Files — Marshal Tapia
• Walker, Texas Ranger — Deke Powell
• 1992From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One — Det. Russell Dahl
• 1992Secrets — Henderson
• 1992The Lawnmower Man — Director
• 1992Till Death Us Do Part — Matt Hobert
• 1991Locked Up: A Mother’s Rage — Mike
• 1991Murderous Vision — Lieutenant Martin
• 1991Terminator 2: Judgment Day — SWAT Team Leader
• 1990Desperate Hours — Maddox
• 1990Gremlins 2: The New Batch — SWAT Team Leader
• 1990Hard to Kill — Det. Sgt. Goodhart
• 1990Montana — Foreman
• 1990Total Recall — Tony
• 1990When You Remember Me — Bill
• 1989Disorganized Crime — Deputy Joe
• 1989Lethal Weapon 2 — Tim Cavanaugh
• 1989Police Academy 6: City Under Siege — Cop (uncredited)
• Police Story — Ralph Thomas
• 1988Question of Faith — Richard
• Beauty and the Beast — Biggs
• Married... with Children — Rodent
• The Equalizer — Martin
• Coyote — Chief Dennison
• Dubbels
• Elastic Hearts
• Minute Mark

Appearances as themselves (4)

• 2025WrestleMania 41: Sunday — Self
• In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin — Self
• 2013No Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad — Self
• Talking Bad — Self