Find out which soap opera Peter Hermann began his career on back in 1997
He’s hotshot lawyer Jack Boyle on Blue Bloods, and a high-priced defense attorney on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, but Peter Hermann has appeared on more than a few memorable series. In his early days, he was a regular on the soap opera Guiding Light as Dr. Michael Burke. In time for the series finale of Blue Bloods next Friday, December 13, Get to know more about Hermann’s vast career and see which TV shows you remember him from.
Peter Hermann’s early acting days: from Germany to the soap opera scene
The actor was born on August 15, 1967, in New York City, but his family relocated back to their home country of Germany when Hermann was just two months old. He lived there until he was 10.
Once Hermann moved back to the States, he went on to attend Yale University, majoring in English, and became an English teacher through Teach for America. But by 1997, Hermann had transitioned from teaching to acting, booking his debut role on the aforementioned soap opera.
Afterwards, he appeared on a few episodes of different TV shows, including Get Real (1999) and Law & Order (2000). By 2002, Hermann landed another role that would be big for his career and his personal life: Trevor Langan in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Although he would only appear in about 35 episodes over the next 20 years, Hermann went on to meet his current wife and star of SVU, Mariska Hargitay. The two clicked immediately upon meeting on set and they have been together ever since, welcoming three children along the way.
Hargitay’s co-star, Christopher Meloni, shared his perspective on when Hermann and Hargitay first met. “The whole time, the [thought] bubble in my head was just: ‘You’ll be married within five months.’ That’s all I was thinking. I knew. I knew.”
Joining the Reagan Family: Hermann’s role on ‘Blue Bloods’
Over the next few years, Hermann continued to be cast in minor roles on popular TV shows, including 30 Rock (2007), Fringe (2008), The Good Wife (2010) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (2011). He also booked multiple movies such as United 93 (2006), Edge of Darkness (2010) and Philomena (2013).
Hermann joined the Blue Bloods family in 2012 as Jack Boyle, ex-husband to Erin Reagan (Bridget Moynahan) and father to Nicky Reagan (Sami Gayle). He has been appearing on the show since, most recently in an October 2024 episode.
In 2015, Hermann became Charles Brooks on the series Younger, alongside Sutton Foster and Hilary Duff. The show follows the newly-single Liza (Sutton Foster), who attempts to reignite her career, but finds obstacles re-entering the workforce at 40. Liza decides to try and pass herself off as a 26-year-old to snag a job at a publishing house, gaining confidence along the way, hoping that nobody discovers her secret.
“At Younger, we [also] tell women’s stories — but in a much brighter way,” Hermann said. “And I think the strongest aspect of our female characters is how they root for and support each other…because laughter heals, we can also contribute to helping out a bad day.”
Beyond acting: Hermann’s venture into writing and other projects
Along with his love of acting, Hermann’s teaching career has paved the way for him to become a published author. In 2018, the actor released his own children’s picture book, If the S In Moose Comes Loose.
“It came out of play, the fun of rhyming, and the idea that language is a lot of different things,” Hermann shared. “And one of the things that it can be is a playground. I think that’s a beautiful place to play.”
Following the end of Younger in 2021, Hermann appeared in a few projects, among them 13: The Musical (2022), Goodnight Mommy (2022) and an episode of the Sex and the City sequel, And Just Like That… (2023).
