# David Andrews (actor)
**David Andrews** (birth name Stanley David Andrews; born 1952) is an American character actor from [Baton Rouge, Louisiana](https://www.edgepedia.org/baton-rouge-louisiana), whose screen career began in the early 1980s and spans Hollywood films such as *Apollo 13* (1995), *Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines* (2003), and *Fair Game* (2010), along with a long list of television series roles[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_andrews) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/david-andrews/credits/3030086221/). Before acting, he trained and briefly practiced as a lawyer[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; birth name Stanley David Andrews[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_andrews) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/david-andrews/credits/3030086221/) |
| Education | Summa cum laude graduate of Louisiana State University; law study at Duke University and a degree from Stanford Law School; member of the California bar[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/) |
| Career start | Early 1980s, with a small part in *A Nightmare on Elm Street* (1984)[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/) |
| Signature TV roles | Larry Summers in *Pulaski: The TV Detective* (1987); Major General Gordon "Biff" Cresswell in *JAG* (2004–2005); Frank Borman in *From the Earth to the Moon* (1998)[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/) |
| Notable films | *Apollo 13* (1995, as Pete Conrad), *Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines* (2003, as Robert Brewster), *Fair Game* (2010, as Scooter Libby)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_andrews) |
| Recent work | President Steven Calhoun in Amazon's *The Boys* (2019–2024); Judge Cecil Lafayette in *Queen of the South*[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/12819/david-andrews) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/) |
## Education and move to acting
Andrews was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He graduated summa cum laude from [Louisiana State University](https://www.edgepedia.org/louisiana-state-university), studied law at [Duke University](https://www.edgepedia.org/duke-university), and earned his degree from Stanford Law School. After becoming a member of the California bar and practicing law for a short time, he left the legal profession for an acting career[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/). Profiles of his career describe him as a versatile character actor who attended law school during the 1970s and moved in front of the camera after landing a few guest-starring roles[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/).
## Film career
Andrews began working steadily in movies and series in the early 1980s. His early credits include a small part in *A Nightmare on Elm Street* (1984) and the lead role of Sam Treadwell in the science-fiction film *Cherry 2000*, which IMDb dates to 1987 and Fandango and TV Insider list as 1988[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/) • [6](https://www.fandango.com/people/david-andrews-18079). He played John Hall in the [Stephen King](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephen-king) adaptation *Graveyard Shift* (1990)[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/).
His highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes is *Apollo 13* (1995), in which he played astronaut [Pete Conrad](https://www.edgepedia.org/pete-conrad); the site calls it his biggest box office success to that point, and it was followed by small parts in *Fight Club* (1999) and *Hannibal* (2001)[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_andrews). In *Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines* (2003) he played Robert Brewster, a lieutenant general, a role a Netflix film catalog identifies as his best-known film part[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_andrews) • [7](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/david-andrews-2). In *Fair Game* (2010), about the betrayal of covert agent [Valerie Plame](https://www.edgepedia.org/valerie-plame), he played [Scooter Libby](https://www.edgepedia.org/scooter-libby), a performance for which he was singled out by critics[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/). Later film work includes *World War Z* (2013) and *Jessabelle* (2014)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_andrews).
## Television career
Andrews has been a series regular and a frequent guest and recurring performer across four decades. In 1987 he played the lead, Larry Summers, in the British detective series *Pulaski: The TV Detective*, receiving an ACE Award nomination for Best Actor in the title role; the series is now considered a classic[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/) • [4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/). He then starred as a series regular in *Mann & Machine* (1992), *The Antagonists* (1991), *The Monroes* (1995), HBO's *12 Miles of Bad Road* (2008), and *Queen of the South* (2019–2021)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/).
His best-known television parts have military ties. In HBO's miniseries *From the Earth to the Moon* (1998) he played astronaut [Frank Borman](https://www.edgepedia.org/frank-borman), earning critical acclaim[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/) • [4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/) • [8](https://www.sagawards.org/files/sagawards/16_SAG_PressKit_100114.pdf). From 2004 to 2005 he played Major General Gordon "Biff" Cresswell, a high-ranking judge, in *JAG*[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/). He also appeared in HBO's *Band of Brothers* (2001) as General Elbridge G. Chapman[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/).
Recurring and guest roles include President Steven Calhoun in Amazon's *The Boys* (2019–2024), *House of Cards* (2013), *Justified* (2010), *Shooter* (2016), *Murder in the First* (2014), *The Catch* (2016), *Crisis* (2014), *The Whispers* (2015), *Necessary Roughness* (2011), the CSI franchise, *Covert Affairs* (2010), *Brothers & Sisters* (2006), and *Murder One* (1995)[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/) • [5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/12819/david-andrews). On *For All Mankind* (2019) he guest-starred as Admiral Scott Uken, and on *Watchmen* (2019) as Deputy Director Farragut[5](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/12819/david-andrews).
## Writing and later work
Andrews has co-written feature film scripts; his second, *Bushido*, is an action-adventure story of self-discovery set in Japan during the final days of World War II[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/). His recent screen credits include *The Black Hamptons* (2022) and the film *The Gardener* (2026)[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/).
## References
1. [David Andrews Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_andrews)
2. [David Andrews List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/david-andrews/credits/3030086221/)
3. [David Andrews (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0028625/)
4. [David Andrews - Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/david-andrews/)
5. [David Andrews, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/12819/david-andrews)
6. [David Andrews List of All Movies & Filmography, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/david-andrews-18079)
7. [David Andrews Movies on Netflix, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/david-andrews-2)
8. [16 SAG PressKit 100114.pdf, sagawards.org](https://www.sagawards.org/files/sagawards/16_SAG_PressKit_100114.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Character actors, B-movie and genre-circuit performers › American performers, recent era*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license