Dash Mihok
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Dashiell Raymond Mihok (; born May 24, 1974) is an American actor and director known as Brendan "Bunchy" Donovan in Showtime's ''
Ray Donovan ''Ray Donovan'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ann Biderman for Showtime. The drama, starring Liev Schreiber in the title role, is set primarily in Los Angeles (during seasons 1–5) and in New York City (during seaso ...
''.


Early life

Mihok was born in New York City, the son of theater actors Andrea Mihok (née Cloak) and Raymond Thorne (né Mihok).Archived a
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He has two older sisters: Gwen Mihok, an actress, and Cecily Trenka, a science teacher. He is of
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
and
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
descent. Mihok grew up in
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
and lived in the artist community Westbeth on Bank Street. Mihok went to PS 3, a public elementary school in Manhattan, currently named the John Melser Charrette School. He attended the Center School (MS 243) for middle school. While attending
Bronx High School of Science The Bronx High School of Science is a State school, public Specialized high schools in New York City, specialized high school in the Bronx in New York City. It is operated by the New York City Department of Education. Admission to Bronx Science ...
, where he played baseball as a middle infielder, Mihok joined CityKids Repertory, and appeared in the short-lived TV show, '' CityKids,'' which featured local New York child actors and Jim Henson's
The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an surreal humor, absurdist, slapstick, burlesque, and self-referential humor, self-referential style of Musical theatre, musical Variety show, variety-sketch comedy. Cre ...
. Mihok also attended the Professional Children's School in Manhattan with best friend, actor Donald Faison.


Career


Acting

Mihok got his start doing guest spots in local New York City productions of ''
Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...
,'' ''
NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble ca ...
,'' and '' New York Undercover.'' In 1994, Mihok debuted in the independent film, ''Black is White.'' In 1995, Mihok appeared in the CBS movie of the week, ''Murderous Intent.'' In 1996, Mihok appeared in director
Barry Levinson Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Rain Man'' (1988). His other best-known works are ''Diner'' (1982), '' The Natural'' (1984 ...
's film '' Sleepers'', which was notable for its depiction of sexual abuse. The same year, Mihok also appeared in the
Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie ( ; born Angelina Jolie Voight, , June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Angelina Jolie, numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards ...
film, '' Foxfire.'' His breakout role was in the
Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...
and
Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. Prolific in film and television since her teens, she is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. In 2012, ''Time (magazine), Time'' named he ...
-starring ''
Romeo + Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet or Romeo & Juliet may also refer to: Ballets * ''Romeo and Juliet'', a ballet score by Constant Lambert * Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev), ''Romeo and Juliet'' (Prokofiev), a ...
''. To prepare for his audition, Mihok studied
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
and had five extensive audition sessions with director
Baz Luhrmann Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann (born 17 September 1962) is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor whose various projects extend from film and television into opera, theatre, music, and the recording industries. He is regarded by ...
before landing the role of
Benvolio Benvolio Montague () is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. He is Lord Montague's nephew and Romeo's cousin. Benvolio serves as an unsuccessful peacemaker in the play, attempting to prevent violence betwe ...
. In 1998, for Terrence Malick's '' Thin Red Line,'' Mihok said he spent an intensive six months working on the film, with the amount of footage constituting a starring role, but during editing was reduced to an ensemble part as Private First Class Doll. In 1996, Mihok was a featured regular in the role of Joey in the Rhea Perlman CBS sitcom ''
Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...
.'' In 1999, he appeared on
The WB The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...
series '' Felicity,'' where he portrayed Lynn, a competitive swimmer, in multiple episodes. He has been featured in roles in films such as '' The Day After Tomorrow'', '' The Perfect Storm'', '' I Am Legend'', and ''
Silver Linings Playbook ''Silver Linings Playbook'' is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by David O. Russell. The film is based on Matthew Quick's 2008 novel '' The Silver Linings Playbook''. It stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawre ...
''.Archived a
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He has had starring roles in independent features such as '' Telling You'' and '' Loveless in Los Angeles''. In 2006, Mihok appeared in the film '' Hollywoodland'' and in 2007 in the film, '' Firehouse Dog''. In 2008, he played Detective Martin Soap in the film '' Punisher: War Zone''. In 2011, Mihok directed a short film called ''Abby.'' The film stars his sister, Gwen. He also directed the 2006 short film called ''That Guy.'' As part of the 2011 straight-to-video film, '' Lifted,'' Mihok and the actor who plays his son in the film, Uriah Shelton, recorded a song called "I Miss You." The film features many musical and dance performances by Mihok.Archived a
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In 2013, Mihok portrayed the character "Gage" in ''
Payday 2 ''Payday 2'' is a Cooperative video game, cooperative first-person shooter video game developed by Overkill Software and published by 505 Games. The game is a sequel to 2011's ''Payday: The Heist''. It was released in August 2013 for Microsoft Wi ...
'' web series. Since 2013, Mihok has co-starred as Brendan "Bunchy" Donovan in the Showtime drama ''
Ray Donovan ''Ray Donovan'' is an American crime drama television series created by Ann Biderman for Showtime. The drama, starring Liev Schreiber in the title role, is set primarily in Los Angeles (during seasons 1–5) and in New York City (during seaso ...
''. Bunchy had been sexually abused by a priest as a child and is an alcoholic and has sexual anorexia. For the show the cast works out at the
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
boxing gym Wild Card West with boxer Rob Garcia. Mihok was slated to direct an episode in 2017, as he said he has been directing pilots to prepare. He directed the season 7 episode "An Irish Lullaby" which aired December 15, 2019. In 2014, he portrayed Whelan, in the horror-thriller film, '' Before I Wake,'' co-starring in the Mike Flanagan-directed film Annabeth Gish, Thomas Jane and Kate Bosworth. In 2016, Mihok appeared in the film, '' So B. It,'' which stars
Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard ( ; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. Known for portraying strong-willed and dignified roles on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and three Scree ...
, Cloris Leachman, Jacinda Barrett, and John Heard. In 2017, Mihok appeared in the independent film, '' The Girl Who Invented Kissing'', as Victor, a man who becomes mentally disabled after being in a car accident. He stars opposite Suki Waterhouse and Vincent Piazza, who plays his younger brother. In 2017, Mihok played a car salesman in the film '' Car Dogs'', which features Patrick J. Adams, Octavia Spencer, Josh Hopkins, among others. In 2022, he played Derek, an intellectually disabled man, in ''Wildflower''.


Music

When he was 12 years old, Mihok started a band with his friends called S.D.C. (Sam, Dash, Chris aka Strictly Devastating Crew). In 2004, Mihok appeared on Sicilian-Puerto Rican New York-based rapper Sabac Red's record '' Sabacolypse: A Change Gon' Come,'' on the track "I Have A Dream." The lyrics refer to tics that people exhibit as symptoms of
Tourette syndrome Tourette syndrome (TS), or simply Tourette's, is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. Common tics are blinkin ...
. For the 2005 movie '' Green Street Hooligans,'' Mihok wrote the title track "Test of a Man." During this time he also collaborated with Daniel Freedman, a jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer on various music projects. Since 2015, Mihok has been in the band Diz and the Fam.Archived a
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Members of Diz and the Fam are Mike Choi, Kenny Echizen, Justin Frazier, Sharlotte Gibson, Morris Hayes, Joel Hellman, Brett Nolan, and Elliot Yamin. The band has released three singles. The 2015 video for ''Love (feat. Jeff Taylor)'' features many actors from ''Ray Donovan.''Archived a
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Other work

Mihok studied dance. He can be seen dancing opposite then-girlfriend
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, she became a cultural phenomenon during the mid 199 ...
in her music video " So Pure". Mihok is also a photographer. His photography of Morissette is used on the back cover of her " Thank U" single and is credited for '' Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie.''


Personal life

Mihok was named after writer Dashiell Hammett, the author of ''
The Thin Man ''The Thin Man'' (1934) is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in a condensed version in the December 1933 issue of '' Redbook''. It appeared in book form the following month. A film series followed, featuring the main ...
'', '' The Glass Key'' and '' The Maltese Falcon''. His Czech surname is pronounced "my"-Hawk. Mihok was diagnosed with
Tourette syndrome Tourette syndrome (TS), or simply Tourette's, is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. Common tics are blinkin ...
at age six, and is a spokesperson and is on the board for the nonprofit Jaylen's Challenge, founded by the then 9-year-old, Jaylen Arnold. He is an active supporter of the Tourette Syndrome Association. Mihok's two older sisters both have Tourette's; it is often genetic. Mihok once stated that an early reason he became an actor was because he had so much experience in hiding his Tourette's. He said the focus required of acting allows him to mask many of his tics. Mihok says the biggest misconception about Tourette's Syndrome is about vocal tics, called
coprolalia Coprolalia ( ) is involuntary swearing or the involuntary utterance of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks. The word comes from the Ancient Greek language, Greek (), meaning "dung, feces", and () "speech", from () "to ...
. Not everyone with Tourette's does that: "Tics tend to wax and wane, not everybody's screaming obscenities all the time." Mihok said he took medication during high school for the Tourette's. In 1997, Mihok met
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, she became a cultural phenomenon during the mid 199 ...
through mutual friend
Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...
during a trip to Cuba. The lyrics to the songs " So Pure" from '' Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie'' and "That Particular Time" from ''
Under Rug Swept ''Under Rug Swept'' is the fifth studio album and third internationally released album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. It was released in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2002, and in the United States the following day by Mav ...
'' are about him. In 2009, Mihok married singer Valeria Mason. They have two children and live in Los Angeles. Mihok has said that he is a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
.


Awards

* 1999: Satellite Awards, Special Achievement Award, Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble for '' The Thin Red Line'' * 2014:
Tourette Association of America Tourette syndrome (TS), or simply Tourette's, is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) tic. Common tics are blinkin ...
, Shining Star Award * 2017: Beverly Hills Film Festival, Best Actor for ''The Girl Who Invented Kissing''


Filmography


Film


Television


Music videos


Theater

* 1985: ''
Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' by
Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...
,
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spr ...
,
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...
* 1987: ''Carrying School Children'' by Thomas Babe, Theater for the New City


Miscellaneous

*


Discography

* 2004: '' Sabacolypse: A Change Gon' Come'' by Sabac Red – track called "I Have A Dream" ft. Dash Mihok & Cenophia Mitchell * 2005: "Test of a Man" by Dash Mihok – from the film '' Green Street Hooligans'' * 2009: "I Miss You" by Uriah Shelton and Dash Mihok – from the film '' Lifted'' * 2009: " Sunshine (Ft. Dash Mihok)" sung by Uriah Shelton featuring Dash Mihok – from the film '' Lifted'' * 2015: "Stolen Hearts" by Dash Mihok – from ''
Payday 2 ''Payday 2'' is a Cooperative video game, cooperative first-person shooter video game developed by Overkill Software and published by 505 Games. The game is a sequel to 2011's ''Payday: The Heist''. It was released in August 2013 for Microsoft Wi ...
'' ; DIZ and The Fam * 2015: ''Love (feat. Jeff Taylor)'' – Single (DIZ Music Inc) * 2015: ''The Evil That Men Do'' – Single (Diz and The Fam) – featured on ''Ray Donovan'' * 2016: ''Be Better'' – Single (DZE Music)


References


External links

* *
Diz and the Fam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mihok, Dash 1974 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American people of British descent American people of Czech descent Living people Male actors from Manhattan People with Tourette syndrome The Bronx High School of Science alumni Catholics from New York (state)