# Peter Hermann (actor)
**Peter Hermann** (full name Karl Peter Frederic Albert Hermann) is an American actor and children's author, born in 1967, best known for playing publishing executive Charles Brooks on [TV Land](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-land)'s *Younger*, defense attorney Trevor Langan on NBC's *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, and John "Jack" Boyle on CBS's *Blue Bloods*. He is married to actress [Mariska Hargitay](https://www.edgepedia.org/mariska-hargitay), whom he met on the set of *Law & Order: SVU*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/bio/) • [2](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a73700465/who-is-peter-hermann-mariska-hargitay-husband/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1967; IMDb lists New York City, while IBDB and Playbill list Greenwich, Connecticut[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/bio/) • [3](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/peter-hermann-80834) |
| Childhood | Moved to Germany as an infant by his German parents and lived there until about age 10[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/bio/) |
| Signature TV roles | Trevor Langan on *Law & Order: SVU* (2002–2026, 36 episodes per IMDb); Charles Brooks on *Younger* (2015–2021); Jack Boyle on *Blue Bloods* (2012–2024, 21 episodes)[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/?showAllCredits=true) • [2](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a73700465/who-is-peter-hermann-mariska-hargitay-husband/) |
| Broadway credits | *Judgment at Nuremberg* (2001), *Talk Radio* (2007), *War Horse* (2011), and the 24 Hour Plays benefits of 2007 and 2008[3](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/peter-hermann-80834) |
| Marriage | Married Mariska Hargitay on August 28, 2004; three children, August, Amaya, and Andrew[3](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/peter-hermann-80834) • [5](https://as.com/us/tikitakas/asi-luce-en-la-actualidad-mariska-hargitay-la-actriz-que-interpreta-a-olivia-benson-on-law-order-svu-n/) |
| Author | Children's picture book *If the S in Moose Comes Loose*, published by HarperCollins in March 2018, illustrated by Matthew Cordell[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Peter-Hermann/) |
| Languages | English, German, Spanish, and French[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/bio/) |
## Early life and education
Hermann was born in 1967. Born to German parents, he was still a baby when his family relocated to Germany, where he remained until about age 10, at which point he went back to the United States.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/bio/) • [2](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a73700465/who-is-peter-hermann-mariska-hargitay-husband/) He has described himself as "a person from two places," and in a 2019 interview said that when he moved back to the U.S. the only English words he knew were "yes," "no," "orange," "chest of drawers," and "shut up."[2](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a73700465/who-is-peter-hermann-mariska-hargitay-husband/) • [7](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/peter-hermann-25-things-you-dont-know-about-me/) He has said he did no speech or vocal work to remove his German accent, attributing his unaccented English to the age at which language patterns solidify for him.[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/)
He majored in English at Yale University. After earning his bachelor's degree, he worked with Teach For America, teaching ESL and special education, and then worked as a fact-checker at Vanity Fair in the mid-1990s, where he also tried writing features.[2](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a73700465/who-is-peter-hermann-mariska-hargitay-husband/)
## Television career
Hermann began his television career on the CBS soap opera *Guiding Light*, playing Dr. Michael Burke from 1997 to 1998.[2](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a73700465/who-is-peter-hermann-mariska-hargitay-husband/) Guest appearances followed on series including *Sex and the City* (as David), *Spin City*, *Law & Order*, *Get Real*, and *Curb Your Enthusiasm*.[9](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/peter-hermann/)
**Trevor Langan.** In 2002 he began the recurring role of defense attorney Trevor Langan on *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, appearing opposite Mariska Hargitay's Olivia Benson. IMDb lists 36 episodes through 2026.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/?showAllCredits=true) He returned to the role in the series' 27th season.[10](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/when-dann-florek-left-law-and-order-svu-he-opened-up-passing-baton-mariska-hargitay)
**Charles Brooks.** From 2015 to 2021, Hermann starred as publishing executive Charles Brooks on TV Land's *Younger*, alongside [Sutton Foster](https://www.edgepedia.org/sutton-foster), Hilary Duff, and [Debi Mazar](https://www.edgepedia.org/debi-mazar), across the show's seven-season run.[2](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a73700465/who-is-peter-hermann-mariska-hargitay-husband/) The series moved to [Paramount+](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount) for its final season in 2021.[11](https://www.etonline.com/latest/people/peter-hermann)
**Other series work.** He starred as Davis Draper on ABC's short-lived *Cashmere Mafia*, played Harrison Curtis in five episodes of CBS's *A Gifted Man*, and appeared as [Erin Reagan](https://www.edgepedia.org/erin-reagan)'s ex-husband John "Jack" Boyle on *Blue Bloods* in 21 episodes between 2012 and 2024.[12](https://www.sidewalkstv.com/interview-peter-hermann/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/?showAllCredits=true) Other credits include *The Good Wife* (as Judge Graham Shickel), *White Collar*, *Elementary*, *30 Rock*, *[The Michael J. Fox Show](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-michael-j-fox-show)*, *Instinct*, *Modern Love*, and a 2023 appearance as George Campbell on *And Just Like That...*[9](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/peter-hermann/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/?showAllCredits=true) Since the late 2010s he has also been the face of Persil ProClean detergent in commercials.[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Peter-Hermann/)
## Film and stage work
Hermann's film roles include [Jeremy Glick](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeremy-glick) in *United 93* (2006), Sanderman in *Edge of Darkness* (2010), Greg in *[Trouble with the Curve](https://www.edgepedia.org/trouble-with-the-curve)* (2012), Pete Olsson in *Philomena* (2013), Tremblay in *All Is Bright* (2013), the Father in *Goodnight Mommy* (2022), and Joel in Netflix's *13: The Musical* (2022).[8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/?showAllCredits=true)
On Broadway, he appeared in the original productions of *Judgment at Nuremberg* (2001), where he played the Court Interpreter and a Waiter and understudied three principal roles; [Eric Bogosian](https://www.edgepedia.org/eric-bogosian)'s *Talk Radio* (2007) as Dan Woodruff; and *War Horse* (2011), playing the Priest and Hauptmann Friedrich Müller and understudying two other roles.[3](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/peter-hermann-80834) He also performed in the 24 Hour Plays benefit productions of 2007 and 2008.[3](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/peter-hermann-80834)
## Writing
In March 2018, [HarperCollins](https://www.edgepedia.org/harpercollins) published Hermann's children's picture book *If the S in Moose Comes Loose*, illustrated by Matthew Cordell. He described it as "a book about friendship and a book about persevering for friendship and the lengths that we will go through to put those we love back together when they come apart."[6](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Peter-Hermann/) • [2](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a73700465/who-is-peter-hermann-mariska-hargitay-husband/)
## Personal life
Hermann met Mariska Hargitay when he guest-starred on *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit*, and they married on August 28, 2004.[3](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/peter-hermann-80834) They have three children: son August, born in 2006, and Amaya and Andrew, whom the couple adopted in 2011.[5](https://as.com/us/tikitakas/asi-luce-en-la-actualidad-mariska-hargitay-la-actriz-que-interpreta-a-olivia-benson-on-law-order-svu-n/) IMDb lists his height as 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/bio/)
## References
1. [Peter Hermann – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/bio/)
2. [Get to Know Peter Hermann, Mariska Hargitay's Husband of More Than 20 Years, Elle](https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a73700465/who-is-peter-hermann-mariska-hargitay-husband/)
3. [Peter Hermann – Broadway Cast & Staff, IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/peter-hermann-80834)
4. [Peter Hermann (I) – Full credits, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/?showAllCredits=true)
5. [Así luce en la actualidad Mariska Hargitay, Diario AS](https://as.com/us/tikitakas/asi-luce-en-la-actualidad-mariska-hargitay-la-actriz-que-interpreta-a-olivia-benson-on-law-order-svu-n/)
6. [Peter Hermann (Actor) – Broadway & Theatre Credits, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Peter-Hermann/)
7. [Peter Hermann: 25 Things You Don't Know About Me, Us Weekly](https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/peter-hermann-25-things-you-dont-know-about-me/)
8. [Peter Hermann (I), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0379282/)
9. [Peter Hermann – Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/peter-hermann/)
10. [Dann Florek on passing the baton to Mariska Hargitay, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/when-dann-florek-left-law-and-order-svu-he-opened-up-passing-baton-mariska-hargitay)
11. [Peter Hermann – Exclusive Interviews, Entertainment Tonight](https://www.etonline.com/latest/people/peter-hermann)
12. [Interview: Peter Hermann, Sidewalks Entertainment](https://www.sidewalkstv.com/interview-peter-hermann/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames He to Hs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; 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