Who is Steven Culp? Meet the actor playing Jackson in Suits LA

By Kinette Sumadia

Modified Apr 20, 2025 09:52 GMT

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Steven Culp joined the slew of guest stars introduced in NBC's newest legal drama, Suits LA. So far, he has appeared in two back-to-back episodes as part of Stephen Amell's character Ted Black's backstory, which involves a case against Pellegrini in New York in 2010.

Before landing the guest-starring role in the Suits spinoff, Culp had already made a name for himself in show business. According to his IMDb page, he has over 130 acting credits and counting, including roles in TV shows such as The Last Ship, The Resident, The West Wing, JAG, and Desperate Housewives.

Read on to find out more about Steven Culp, his role in Suits LA, and his other works in film and television.

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Who did Steven Culp play in Suits LA?

Steven Culp first joined the cast of Suits LA in episode 7, titled Good Times, as Jack Johnson. He appeared to be Ted Black's boss, someone who holds the cards when it comes to how Ted wants to proceed with his case against Pellegrini (Anthony Azizi) now that his father is involved.

Jack Johnson in Suits LA (Image via NBC)

With Kevin's (Troy Winbush) encouragement, Ted asks Jack to allow him to be the one to prosecute his father and pursue making him testify against Pellegrini. However, Jack isn't confident about Ted's plan. While he allows Ted the chance, he also tells him that if things blow up, Ted will have to give him his resignation letter.

In Suits LA episode 8, titled Acapulco, Culp's Jack Johnson has a heated argument with Ted Black after Ted's key witness is caught lying on the stand. Disappointed, he tells Ted:

"You better be here to clean out your office because I heard what happened in court."

He also reminds Ted that he put his own career on the line for him, adding:

"You're gonna be the disgraced son of a convict, and I'm going to be the moron who gave you the chance."

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Steven Culp is known for his work in film and television

Steven Culp is from La Jolla in San Diego, California, and has made a name for himself in Hollywood by playing strong, domineering roles on TV. He began his career with guest-starring roles, making his acting debut in the long-running soap opera Another World in 1982. Early in his career, Culp also appeared in One Life to Live, Lincoln, and The Cosby Show.

He also played Detective John O'Brien in Philly and Detective Rick Frazier in Crossing Jordan. In the early 2000s, Steven Culp made history by becoming the first actor to appear as a recurring character in four TV shows simultaneously. He portrayed Dave Spencer in ER, Major Hayes in Star Trek Enterprise, Special Agent Clayton in JAG, and Speaker of the House Jeff Haffley in The West Wing.

Another notable role that Culp played in his career is Dr. Rex Van de Kamp in Desperate Housewives, the respected albeit controversial doctor and husband of the show's protagonist. He died in the series during the first season, thinking that his wife had poisoned him. However, Culp's character would return in the latter part of the show in flashback scenes.

Steven Culp was also a recurring character in the dystopian action-adventure Revolution, where he played the antagonist Edward Truman, a former corporal turned fugitive. He was also in the crime drama Bosch as Richard "Ricochet" O'Shea, the head of the LA District Attorney's Special Prosecution Section. He recently joined the cast of FBI: International as CIA agent Martin Russo.

In films, Culp has appeared in Thirteen Days, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and more.

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Catch Steven Culp in Suits LA, now streaming on Peacock.