You probably know him as the guy with the guitar. Or maybe you know him as the guy who married Jenna Dewan. Honestly, if you’ve spent any time at all watching prestige TV or keeping up with Broadway over the last decade, you’ve definitely seen Steve Kazee. He’s one of those actors who seems to pop up everywhere, usually playing a character that’s either incredibly charming or deeply, frustratingly complicated.
But here’s the thing. Most people put him in a box. They see the Tony Award on his shelf and assume he’s just a "theater guy" who occasionally does a guest spot. That’s a mistake. When you actually look at the full list of steve kazee movies and tv shows, you start to see a career built on a weirdly specific kind of versatility. He’s gone from a bassist in Chicago to a survivalist in the zombie apocalypse, and he’s done it without ever really losing that soulful, slightly weary energy that made him famous in the first place.
The Roles That Put Him on the Map
Before we get into the gritty TV stuff, we have to talk about the elephant in the room: Once.
If you weren't following Broadway in 2012, it’s hard to explain how big of a deal he was. He played "Guy," the heartbroken Irish musician, and he was so good he walked away with a Tony for Best Actor. He didn't just act; he played the guitar and sang live on stage every single night. That raw, folk-rock vibe became his calling card.
It’s actually the reason he ended up in some of your favorite shows later on. Producers realized he could do "tortured artist" better than almost anyone else in Hollywood.
Shameless: The Gus Pfender Era
For a lot of TV fans, their first real introduction to Kazee was in Shameless. He played Gus Pfender, the bassist who—in typical Shameless fashion—marries Fiona Gallagher after knowing her for about five minutes.
It was a brilliant bit of casting. Gus was supposed to be the "nice guy" alternative to the chaos of the South Side, but Kazee played him with enough edge that you actually felt bad for him when the marriage inevitably went off the rails. He stayed on the show for about 14 episodes across seasons 5 and 6, and even though he wasn't a series regular forever, he’s still one of the most memorable of Fiona’s long list of exes.
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Expanding the Steve Kazee Movies and TV Shows List
Once he broke out of the Broadway bubble, Kazee started filling his resume with a surprising mix of genres. He didn't just stick to musicals or romantic dramas. He went for the procedurals, the thrillers, and even the horror-adjacent stuff.
The Rookie and The Walking Dead
In 2019, he took a sharp turn into the world of The Walking Dead. He appeared in the episode "Omega" as Frank, a character seen in flashbacks. It wasn't a massive, multi-season arc, but it showed he could fit into a gritty, high-stakes environment without looking out of place.
More recently, he’s been a recurring presence on The Rookie. Playing Jason Wyler, the abusive and manipulative ex-husband of Bailey Nune (played by his real-life partner, Jenna Dewan), he showed a much darker side. It’s a far cry from the sweet, singing busker in Once. Seeing him play a genuine villain was a bit of a shock to the system for long-time fans, but he nailed the "charming-but-terrifying" vibe perfectly.
The Procedural Grind
Like every hardworking actor in the 2000s and 2010s, Kazee did his time in the procedural trenches. If you go back and watch old episodes of CSI, NCIS, or Elementary, you’ll find him lurking there.
- NCIS (2008): He played Michael Locke.
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2009): He showed up as Dominic Humphreys.
- Elementary (2013): He was Jeff Hines in the episode "We Are Everyone."
These roles aren't the ones he'll be remembered for, sure. But they were the building blocks. They proved he could handle the fast-paced, "explain the crime" dialogue of network TV just as well as he could handle a three-minute ballad.
The "Almost" Big Hits and Cult Favorites
Not everything he’s done has been a massive hit. That’s just the nature of the business. But some of his less-discussed projects are actually where he does his best work.
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Take Legends, for instance. This was a TNT thriller starring Sean Bean. Kazee played Curtis Ballard, a series regular in the second season. It was a dense, spy-heavy show that didn't get the viewership it deserved, but Kazee’s performance as a dedicated FBI agent was solid.
Then there’s Working Class. This was a short-lived sitcom on CMT back in 2011 where he played Nick Garrett. It’s a weird footnote in his career because it was a multi-cam comedy—totally different from the heavy drama he usually does. It showed he has comic timing, even if the show itself didn't last more than a season.
Movies and Voice Work
While he’s primarily a TV and stage guy, Kazee has dipped his toes into film. He had a small part in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, though he was more involved in the soundtrack than the actual plot. He also starred in the TV movie Tempting Fate (2019) alongside Alyssa Milano. It’s a classic Lifetime-style drama, but hey, work is work, and he brings a level of gravitas to it that most actors wouldn't bother with.
Why His Performance Style Actually Works
Kazee has this "everyman" quality that is actually really hard to pull off. He doesn't look like a polished Hollywood Ken doll. He looks like a guy you’d meet at a dive bar who happens to be incredibly talented.
When you look at the steve kazee movies and tv shows filmography as a whole, the common thread is vulnerability. Whether he’s playing a husband who was cheated on in Shameless or a musician trying to find his voice, he always feels like he’s one bad day away from a breakdown. That’s what makes people connect with him. He’s not playing superheroes; he’s playing guys who are trying to figure things out.
Steve Kazee’s Career Breakdown
If you're looking for a quick reference, here's how the big projects shake out.
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The Essentials:
- Once (Broadway): The role of Guy. This is the foundation.
- Shameless: Gus Pfender. His biggest mainstream TV breakout.
- The Rookie: Jason Wyler. His most recent and most villainous role.
The "If You're a Superfan" List:
- Nashville: He played Riff Bell, a country star who left the spotlight for a quiet life. It allowed him to use his actual singing voice on screen.
- Blindspot: He had a two-episode guest spot as Clem.
- Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders: He played Elijah Ward.
What’s Next for Him?
He’s currently at a point where he can be picky. Between his life with Jenna Dewan and their kids, he seems to be focusing on roles that actually interest him rather than just taking everything that comes his way. There’s always talk of him returning to the stage—he did a run of Pretty Woman: The Musical in Chicago and on Broadway a few years back—but TV seems to be his steady home for now.
The industry has changed. We’re in an era where "musical theater actors" aren't sidelined anymore. Thanks to shows like The Rookie and The Walking Dead, Kazee has successfully transitioned into a character actor who happens to have a world-class voice in his back pocket.
If you want to catch up on his work, start with Shameless to see his charm, then jump to The Rookie to see his range. It’s a wild ride watching a guy go from singing love songs to being a genuine TV menace.
Keep an eye on casting announcements for the next year. He’s frequently linked to new pilots, and given his history, it’s only a matter of time before he lands another series regular role that lets him flex both his acting and musical muscles. For now, digging through his guest appearances on streaming platforms is a great way to see how he built one of the most consistent careers in the business.