You probably know the face, even if you can’t quite place the name—or maybe you know the dinosaur suit. Gregory James Cohan is one of those actors who spent years grinding in the background of prestige TV dramas before a low-budget movie about a priest who turns into a velociraptor turned him into an internet icon. It’s a wild career path. Honestly, most actors would kill for the kind of "cult hero" status he grabbed with The VelociPastor, but Cohan didn't just stop at the B-movie memes. He’s spent the last few years quietly moving into major blockbusters and massive Netflix hits, proving that he's got way more range than just "guy in a rubber lizard suit."
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the campy horror scene or you just saw him voicing a giant AI robot alongside Jennifer Lopez, the catalog of gregory james cohan movies is surprisingly deep and genuinely weird in the best way possible.
The VelociPastor: The Cult Classic That Started It All
We have to talk about the raptor in the room. In 2018, The VelociPastor hit the festival circuit and basically broke a certain corner of the internet. Cohan stars as Doug Jones, a Roman Catholic priest who travels to China after his parents die in a "VFX car fire"—yes, the movie literally uses a text overlay instead of a real explosion because the budget was basically a ham sandwich.
While there, he gets infected by an artifact and starts turning into a dinosaur. It’s ridiculous. It’s campy. It’s also surprisingly well-acted by Cohan. He plays the role with such straight-faced sincerity that it makes the absurdity of fighting ninjas actually work. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out on a movie that knows exactly what it is. Cohan’s chemistry with co-star Alyssa Kempinski (who plays a "hooker/law student" because why not?) is actually charming, which is a testament to his ability to find the heart in a script that features a man-eating dinosaur.
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Key Highlights from the Cult Era:
- The Transformation: Cohan’s performance during the "change" scenes is pure physical comedy gold.
- The Action: Watching a priest-turned-dinosaur fight "Christian Ninjas" is something you didn't know you needed.
- The Sequel Rumors: For years, fans have been begging for VelociPastor 2. Cohan has remained a good sport about the whole thing, often popping up at horror conventions to embrace the chaos.
From Indie Horror to Netflix Blockbusters: Atlas
If you skipped the indie horror scene and jumped straight to Netflix in 2024, you still heard Cohan, even if you didn't see him. In the sci-fi epic Atlas, Cohan plays a massive role—but he does it through a microphone. He is the voice of Smith, the AI entity that pilots the mech suit used by Jennifer Lopez’s character.
This was a huge pivot. Moving from a $35,000 indie movie to a multi-million dollar Netflix production is no small feat. Cohan provides the emotional backbone of the movie; his banter with Lopez is the primary driver of the plot. He managed to make a computer program sound empathetic, funny, and protective. It’s a "performance-only" role that required him to carry half the movie's dialogue without ever appearing on screen. If you’ve seen it, you know Smith is basically the heart of the film.
The "Hey, It’s That Guy!" TV Credits
Before he was fighting ninjas or voicing AI, Cohan was a staple of the New York and LA acting scenes. He’s one of those "utility" actors who shows up in your favorite procedurals and kills it for an episode or two. You’ve probably seen him in:
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- Blue Bloods: He appeared in the "Blackout" episode as a cop caught in the middle of a city-wide crisis.
- 9-1-1: Lone Star: He played Jim Dawson, a role that let him flex some of those dramatic muscles he’s known for in the indie circuit.
- The Blacklist: A brief but solid guest spot on the NBC hit.
- American Horror Stories: He popped up as a cop in this spin-off series, further cementing his ties to the horror genre.
He also has a massive background in voice acting. If you play video games, you might have heard his voice in Red Dead Redemption II. He’s also done work for Team Umizoomi and various animated projects. The guy is a workhorse. He doesn't just wait for the phone to ring; he’s constantly working across every medium available.
Why Cohan’s Career Is Actually a Lesson in Modern Acting
Most people look at gregory james cohan movies and see a funny dinosaur flick. But if you look closer, his career is a blueprint for how to survive in Hollywood today. He didn't turn his nose up at a weird indie script. He took The VelociPastor, gave it 100%, and used that visibility to bridge the gap into voice acting for AAA games and major streaming films.
He’s also incredibly versatile. In movies like A Little Water, he shows a much softer, more grounded side that is worlds away from the "Dragon Warrior." He’s a classically trained actor—he studied the Meisner technique and Shakespeare—and you can tell. Even when the script is about a dinosaur priest, his timing is impeccable.
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What to Watch Next: A Quick Roadmap
If you want to explore his filmography properly, don't just stick to the memes. Here is how I’d suggest you tackle it:
- For the laughs: The VelociPastor (obviously). It's the essential Cohan experience.
- For the sci-fi fans: Atlas. Pay attention to how he handles the rhythm of the dialogue. It's harder than it looks to act against nothing but a green screen and a voice recorder.
- For the indie drama lovers: A Little Water. This is where you see his "real" acting chops without the genre trappings.
- For the "Eagle-Eyed" viewers: Go back and find his guest spots on NCIS: Los Angeles or Bull. It’s fun to see him in the "suit and tie" roles before he went full-throttle into genre filmmaking.
Gregory James Cohan is a reminder that there’s no such thing as a "small" role. Whether he’s a background cop or a lead dinosaur, he brings a specific kind of energy that directors clearly love. He’s carved out a niche that is part-cult icon, part-reliable character actor, and part-blockbuster voice talent.
To get the most out of his filmography, start by streaming The VelociPastor on platforms like Amazon Prime or Tubi to understand his breakout appeal. After that, move to Netflix for Atlas to see how he translates that charisma into a high-budget environment. If you're interested in his dramatic range, look for his short films like Where There’s Smoke, which showcased his talent on the festival circuit long before the internet memes took over. Keeping an eye on his upcoming voice-acting credits in the gaming world is also a smart move, as he continues to be a frequent collaborator in that industry.