While TV reboots are all the rage right now — think “Frasier,” “Dexter,” “Matlock” — actor Jeremy Sisto, who played Billy Chenoweth on HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” which ran from 2001 to 2005, has bad news for die-hard fans. Considering the series finale ended by showing each character’s death, he doubts there are any stories left to tell. “I’ve never heard it uttered and yeah, the finale might make it tricky,” says Sisto. “But also, I think it’s just complete.”
Sisto, 50, has stayed busy. He’s portrayed Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine on the CBS crime series “FBI” and its sister shows “FBI: Most Wanted” and “FBI: International” since 2018. It’s his second major role in a Dick Wolf production, having previously appeared as Detective Cyrus Lupo on “Law & Order” from 2007 to 2010.
“I love it,” he says of the slick police franchise and its tension-filled scenes in the FBI war room. “It’s challenging and satisfying. The writers have created a really cool character, plus I love the people I work with.”
He adds that with two kids — a 14-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son — the New York-based show offers minimal time away from home, whereas earlier on, his career took him across the world to places like Morocco, Malta, South Africa and India.
“Traveling for jobs is the greatest perk, but with a preteen and a teen, jumping around isn’t as simple, so it’s great to have stability in the job.”
Photo BY Michele Crowe/CBS
Born in Northern California, Sisto has been acting since he was a teen. “I started doing plays around [age] 7. School wasn’t great for me at the time. It was underfunded and the neighborhood was rough, so the creativity and the structure were welcome.” At 17, he landed a breakout role in “Grand Canyon” (1991), directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starring Hollywood heavyweights Kevin Costner, Kevin Kline, Steve Martin, Danny Glover, Alfre Woodard, Mary McDonnell and Mary Louise Parker. “I jumped at the opportunity for a shot in Hollywood.
“I decided I’d try to play characters very different from myself, which would require a lot of research,” he says wryly. “That’s how I’d justify not going to college.”
Sisto recalls being starstruck on set. “It was definitely a trip seeing all these movie actors in real life. I was out of my depth, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.”
His career accelerated, and over the next two decades he was cast in a breadth of films, including box office hits, independent movies, modern cult classics like “Clueless,” “White Squall,” “Moonlight and Valentino,” “Hideaway,” “Thirteen,” “Waitress,” “Break Point,” “Dead Dog” and more. Studio movies gave him recognition, while smaller indie projects helped build his confidence. “I was so insecure. I had serious imposter syndrome and I was really mean to myself,” he remembers. “Fortunately, it was a time when independent movies were plentiful. On the smaller movies, there was less pressure and I was able to start feeling myself a bit.”
Sisto even looks back fondly on the films that weren’t well received. “Each has a very precise place in my mind. There was a lot of personal struggle, but eventually I was able to lighten up and let myself figure out what acting was supposed to be for me. I was grateful for all the experiences and made some great friends along the way — even if we didn’t always make a great movie.”
Jeremy Sisto as Jubal Valentine in the CBS crime drama 'FBI'
Photo BY Bennett Raglin/CBS
He also took on an array of TV shows, playing a single dad in the sitcom “Suburgatory” and the titular character of Christ in the miniseries “Jesus.” “Six Feet Under” was a game changer. The HBO drama, created by Alan Ball, about a family of undertakers earned numerous accolades, including nine Emmys and a Peabody Award, for its groundbreaking and sensitive exploration of mortality.
From the beginning, “we all knew it was different,” says Sisto, who played the manic-depressive brother of Rachel Griffiths’ character, Brenda. “It was the best thing to be a part of and playing Billy was amazing. It gave me some much-needed confidence to have Alan and all the great writers create these challenging scenes for me and trust that I could pull them off.” The show’s cast won back-to-back Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Dramatic Ensemble in 2002 and 2003.
When approached by fans on the street, Sisto can usually tell which of the many roles he’s being recognized for. “I try to read their faces to guess. ‘Clueless’ fans are easiest because no matter their age, they usually look like their preteen selves who fell in love with the movie,” he explains. “‘Six Feet Under’ fans are the sincerest. It’s important for them to express how much the show meant to them.
“Fans of ‘Thirteen’ give me a look like we’ve been in rehab together,” he jokes. “‘Suburgatory’ fans are fun, especially when they’re tough guys who watched [the show] with their wives or daughters. There are surprises, too — projects I haven’t thought about in years that meant something to someone. That’s kind of cool.”
So, what’s the secret to a 30-plus-year career in Hollywood? “A whole lot of luck,” he admits. “I was lucky to remind Larry [Kasdan] of his son, on whom he based that role. I was lucky that Alan [Ball] had an idea for Brenda’s brother and that I looked enough like Rachel Griffiths. I mean, luck is just so much in life.”
Off-screen, he’s a regular dad living outside the city. Although he initially resisted suburban living, Sisto says, “I am starting to like the quiet. I play a lot of guitar. I have a few different groups I play with and I talked my wife into learning the drums, so now we jam, too, which is kind of awesome. She’s got great rhythm.”
As for 2025, he’s hopeful but tight-lipped about what’s next, project-wise. “There is one I am really excited about, [that’s] hopefully shooting this coming hiatus. But I probably shouldn’t mention it in case it doesn’t happen.”
With Sisto’s luck, chances are it will.
Photo BY Michele Crowe/CBS