Peter Krause wears many hats in the entertainment industry despite trying different careers before acting. The American actor dropped out of his pre-medical program to pursue an acting career. Krause also excelled in sports as a teenager. However, a career-ending injury thwarted his plans of becoming an athlete in his youth. Krause then focused on honing his acting skills in college and beyond.
While pursuing his acting career in the budding stage, Peter Krause worked as a bartender at the Palace Theater alongside Aaron Sorkin who has also made a name for himself in the industry. The duo collaborated on Sports Night (1998-2000). So far, Krause has played leading roles on notable television series, including Six Feet Under, Dirty Sexy Money, Parenthood, and 9-1-1. The award-winning actor has added producer and director to his portfolio. This article explores Peter Krause’s career trajectory.
Peter Krause’s Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born in Alexandria, Minnesota, on August 12, 1965, Peter Krause grew up in Roseville, Minnesota with two siblings, Amy and Michael. His parents, William Popham “Bill” Krause and Wanda Marie Krause (née Johnson) worked as teachers in Minnesota. Krause graduated from Roseville’s Alexander Ramsey High School in 1983, participating in school gymnastics and track and field. He later became a pre-medical student at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter before he caught the acting bug.
Peter Krause was in his junior year when he switched his major to English Literature and graduated in 1987. He performed in stage productions of Story Theatre, Cloud 9, and The Dumb Waiter in college. In 1990, Krause earned a Master of Fine Arts from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. During this time, he performed in plays such as Macbeth, Uncle Vanya, and Arms and the Man. After graduating from Tisch School of the Arts, Krause moved to Los Angeles to focus on his career.
Peter Krause Made His Feature Film Debut In 1987
While studying for his M.F.A., Peter Krause appeared in his first feature film, portraying Scott in the American slasher piece, Blood Harvest (1987). His next film role came in the 1996 romantic comedy Lovelife where he played Tim. Krause rounded up the 1990s with three films in 1989, including The Truman Show led by Jim Carey in the title role.
Krause began the 2000s with a role in the short film It’s a Shame About Ray and played notable roles in We Don’t Live Here Anymore (2004) as Hank Evans and Civic Duty (2006) as Terry Allen. In 2011, Krause starred in Daniel Barnz’s Beastly alongside a star-studded cast comprising Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Neil Patrick Harris. He played William Campbell in the 2016 romantic comedy Night Owls and Matthew in Judy Wood‘s biographical film Saint Judy (2018). He has not appeared in any feature film since then.
Peter Krause Has an Extensive Television Career
The same year he earned his M.F.A. from Tisch School of the Arts, Peter Krause moved to Los Angeles to join Carol Burnett‘s comedy anthology series Carol & Company as a series regular. His early 1990s were spent on TV shows such as Seinfeld, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Ellen. Many television roles came his way in 1996, including a recurring role as Kevin Manning on Cybill. Others include Tom on Brotherly Love, Elliot on If Not for You, and Crosby Caufield III on The Great Defender.
Peter Krause portrayed Casey McCall on the ABC comedy Sports Night from 1998 to 2000 but the show was axed after two seasons. He also appeared on Party of Five during this time. In 2001, Krause joined the Six Feet Under main cast as Nate Fisher which attracted critical acclaim. After the show’s run, Krause landed another main role in 2006, portraying Detective Joe Miller on The Lost Room. He continued to appear in major roles on notable television shows such as Dirty Sexy Money, Parenthood, and The Catch. Krause has been portraying Captain Bobby Nash on 9-1-1 since 2018.
Other Career Exploits
Beyond film and television, Peter Krause has performed on stage. He made his Broadway debut in the production of After the Fall in 2004. Krause added director to his resume with his directorial debut in 2012 on three episodes of Parenthood. As a producer, Krause worked on the movie Civic Duty in 2006. From 2008 to 2009, he produced the TV series Dirty Sexy Money. Krause also serves as executive producer on 9-1-1.
Awards and Nominations
In 2000, Peter Krause shared the Screen Actors Guild Awards nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series with the Sports Night cast. He was nominated for Best Actor in a Quality Comedy Series at the Viewers for Quality Television for his role on the show. From 2002 to 2006, Krause earned 12 award nominations for his performance in Six Feet Under, including two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor – Television Series Drama. He won three awards for the role. Meet the 9-1-1 cast.
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