Muse Watson
Encyclopedia
Muse Watson is an American stage and screen actor
. He most recently appeared (2006–2011) as the recurring character Mike Franks in the television drama NCIS
.
. He attended Louisiana Tech on a music stipend
for two years before transferring to Berea College
in Berea, Kentucky
, where he performed for the first time on stage as Petruchio in a production of Shakespeare
's The Taming of the Shrew
. During and after his years at Berea, he worked in outdoor dramas, dinner theaters, and small repertory groups.
His theater credits include acting as Hamlet in Hamlet
, Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire
, Pale in Burn This
, and Cervantes in Man of La Mancha
. He also directed a production of Ain't Misbehavin'.
In 1989, with a new commitment to film, Watson began pursuing feature film roles. By 2005, he had appeared in 43 feature films such as Sommersby
, Something to Talk About
, Assassins, Dead Birds
, Rosewood
, I Know What You Did Last Summer
, From Dusk Till Dawn 2, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
, and Songcatcher
. As of 2005, seven of the films he has appeared in, combined, have grossed over $850 million.
His television credits include eight made-for-television movies including Blind Vengeance and Justice in a Small Town; and the television series, American Gothic
, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
, Matlock
, The Lazarus Man
, JAG
, Walker, Texas Ranger
, Criminal Minds, and Prison Break
. Recently he has appeared on episodes of Ghost Whisperer
("Delia's First Ghost", April 2007) and CSI
("Who and What", November 2007). Watson also guest starred in an episode of The Mentalist
("Carnelian, Inc.", March 2009), and in the Castle
episode "Punked" (October 2010). From 2006 to 2011, he appeared as a recurring cast member on NCIS
as Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs
's mentor and former superior Mike Franks.
Watson also gave a performance with Jennifer Love Hewitt
as a special guest on Saturday Night Live
(1998), parodying his role in I Know What You Did Last Summer. He also joined the production company Shorris Film with Christopher Showerman
and Clint Morris
— their first film is the western Between the Sand and the Sky. Watson is now filming A Christmas Snow
, in which he plays a character named Sam.
Theater in the United States
Theater of the United States is based in the Western tradition. Regional or resident theatres in the United States are professional theatre companies outside of New York City that produce their own seasons.- Early history:...
. He most recently appeared (2006–2011) as the recurring character Mike Franks in the television drama NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
.
Biography
Watson was born on July 20, 1948 in Alexandria, LouisianaAlexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
. He attended Louisiana Tech on a music stipend
Stipend
A stipend is a form of salary, such as for an internship or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from a wage or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work performed, instead it represents a payment that enables somebody to be exempt partly or wholly from waged or salaried...
for two years before transferring to Berea College
Berea College
Berea College is a liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky , founded in 1855. Current full-time enrollment is 1,514 students...
in Berea, Kentucky
Berea, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,851 people, 3,693 households, and 2,426 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,055.4 people per square mile . There were 4,115 housing units at an average density of 440.9 per square mile...
, where he performed for the first time on stage as Petruchio in a production of Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
. During and after his years at Berea, he worked in outdoor dramas, dinner theaters, and small repertory groups.
His theater credits include acting as Hamlet in Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire (play)
A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1949, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Broadway production was...
, Pale in Burn This
Burn This
Burn This is a play by Lanford Wilson.-Plot:It begins shortly after the funeral of Robbie, a young gay dancer who drowned in a boating accident. In attendance were his roommates: choreographer Anna and ad man Larry...
, and Cervantes in Man of La Mancha
Man of La Mancha
Man of La Mancha is a musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay I, Don Quixote, which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes's seventeenth century masterpiece Don Quixote...
. He also directed a production of Ain't Misbehavin'.
In 1989, with a new commitment to film, Watson began pursuing feature film roles. By 2005, he had appeared in 43 feature films such as Sommersby
Sommersby
Sommersby is a 1993 romantic drama film directed by Jon Amiel and starring Richard Gere, Jodie Foster, Bill Pullman and James Earl Jones.Set in the Reconstruction period following the U.S...
, Something to Talk About
Something to Talk About (film)
Something to Talk About is a 1995 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, from a screenplay written by Callie Khouri. It stars Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid as an estranged couple, Kyra Sedgwick as Roberts's sister, and Robert Duvall and Gena Rowlands as their parents. The...
, Assassins, Dead Birds
Dead Birds (2004 film)
Dead Birds is a 2004 American horror film directed by Alex Turner.-Synopsis:A handful of thieves discover that they have more to worry about than the law in this independent horror story, set during the American Civil War.-Plot:...
, Rosewood
Rosewood (film)
Rosewood is a 1997 feature film, directed by John Singleton. While based on historic events of the 1923 Rosewood massacre in Florida, the film introduces fictional characters and changes from historic accounts. It stars Ving Rhames as a man who travels to the town and becomes a witness...
, I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1997 American horror film. The film stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr. The screenplay was written by Kevin Williamson, writer of Scream, and very loosely based on Lois Duncan's popular novel of the same title...
, From Dusk Till Dawn 2, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1998 slasher film and sequel to the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer. The screenplay was written by Trey Callaway, based on characters originally created in a popular novel by Lois Duncan. Callaway's script was published in an edited "young adult"...
, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series that began with 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
, and Songcatcher
Songcatcher
The film's score was written by David Mansfield, who also assembled a roster of female country music artists to perform mostly traditional mountain ballads. Some of the songs are contemporary arrangements, and some are played in the traditional Appalachian music style. The artists include Rosanne...
. As of 2005, seven of the films he has appeared in, combined, have grossed over $850 million.
His television credits include eight made-for-television movies including Blind Vengeance and Justice in a Small Town; and the television series, American Gothic
American Gothic
American Gothic is a painting by Grant Wood, in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood's inspiration came from a cottage designed in the Gothic Revival style with a distinctive upper window and a decision to paint the house along with "the kind of people I fancied should live in that...
, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. The series explores the childhood and youth of the fictional character Indiana Jones and primarily stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the title character, with...
, Matlock
Matlock (TV series)
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
, The Lazarus Man
The Lazarus Man
The Lazarus Man was a Western television series produced by Castle Rock Entertainment which first aired on January 20, 1996, and ended on November 9, 1996.-Production:...
, JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
, Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger
Walker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
, Criminal Minds, and Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
. Recently he has appeared on episodes of Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...
("Delia's First Ghost", April 2007) and CSI
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
("Who and What", November 2007). Watson also guest starred in an episode of The Mentalist
The Mentalist
The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
("Carnelian, Inc.", March 2009), and in the Castle
Castle (TV series)
Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season...
episode "Punked" (October 2010). From 2006 to 2011, he appeared as a recurring cast member on NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
as Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the CBS TV series NCIS. He is portrayed by Mark Harmon.-Background:...
's mentor and former superior Mike Franks.
Watson also gave a performance with Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
as a special guest on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
(1998), parodying his role in I Know What You Did Last Summer. He also joined the production company Shorris Film with Christopher Showerman
Christopher Showerman
Christopher Frederick Showerman is an American actor.-Biography:Born and raised in Michigan, Showerman embarked on an acting career after school - he attended Michigan State University, where he majored in music - and moved to Hollywood to pursue that dream...
and Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Clint Morris is a journalist and film producer. After a career in radio, film publicity and journalism, Morris, with actors Christopher Showerman of George of the Jungle 2 fame, and Muse Watson of TVs Prison Break, opened Shorris Film, located in Los Angeles, in August 2006.Morris began his film...
— their first film is the western Between the Sand and the Sky. Watson is now filming A Christmas Snow
A Christmas Snow
A Christmas Snow is a 2010 direct-to-video independent Christmas film by Trost Moving Pictures. It stars Catherine Mary Stewart, Muse Watson, Anthony Tyler Quinn and newcomer Cameron ten Napel. There is also a guest appearance by Danny Cahill as the Food Critic. A soundtrack based on the film is...
, in which he plays a character named Sam.