Rob MorrowBirth Place: New Rochelle, New York, USA Date of Birth: September 21, 1962 Heritage: American Famous for: His role as Dr. Joel Fleischman on CBS series Northern Exposure (1990-94) Contact Rob Morrow | 
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Numb3rs Star Background: Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor Rob Morrow garnered recognition among TV viewers for his critically acclaimed portrayal of New York doctor Joel Fleischman (1990-1995) on the hit CBS comedy-drama series “Northern Exposure.” He currently stars as FBI Special Agent Don Eppes in the CBS police procedural drama series “Numb3rs” (2005-Present). Morrow has starred in such films as “Quiz Show” (1994), “Mother” (1996), “Last Dance” (1996), “The Day Lincoln Was Shot” (1998; TV), “Maze” (2000), “The Emperor's Club” (2002), and “Guru” (2002). He will star opposite Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in the upcoming film “The Bucket List,” an adventure/crime comedy directed by Rob Reiner. Morrow has also branched out into writing and directing. He made his directorial debut with “The Silent Alarm,” which premiered at the 1993 Seattle Film Festival. He also directed several episodes of the TV series “Street Time” as well as an episode of HBO's “Oz” (1997) and CBS' “Joan of Arcadia” (2003). His independent film, “Maze” (2000), which he wrote, directed, co-produced and starred in, earned rave reviews at film festivals. A stage-trained actor, Morrow, who made his professional stage debut in the early 1980s in “Ragged Dick,” a gay-themed Off-Broadway musical, has played major roles in such Broadway and Off-Broadway productions as “Soulful Scream of a Chosen Son,” “The Boys of Winter,” “Slam,” Chaim Potok's musical adaptation of “The Chosen,” and “Michael Bennett's Scandal.” In 1986, he co-founded the theater group Naked Angels in New York and has appeared in their 35 stage productions. On a more personal note, the 5' 10" boyishly handsome actor was romantically linked to Leslie Urdang (born in 1957), co-founder of the nonprofit New York Stage and Film Company and executive producer of Morrow's film “The Silent Alarm” (1991). He is now the husband of actress Debbon Ayer and has one daughter with her.
Childhood and Family: Born in New Rochelle, New York, on September 21, 1962, Rob Morrow spent his early years in Hartsdale, New York, until age nine. He then moved to Florida after his parents, Murray Morrow, an industrial lighting manufacturer, and Diane Morrow, a dental hygienist, divorced. Rob attended Edgemont High School, but dropped out before graduation. At age 17, he moved from Florida to Manhattan to study acting. In 1998, Rob married actress Debbon Ayer and they welcomed their first child, a daughter named Tu Simone Ayer Morrow, on April 25, 2001. Rob and Debbie co-produced a critically-acclaimed independent feature titled “Maze” in 2000, which Morrow wrote, directed, produced and starred in. An avid golfer, Rod also has a long-time hobby of photography. Some of his photographs were used for the TV series “Northern Exposure.” He is on the Board of Directors of Project ALS, which is committed to funding the research necessary for finding effective treatments and a cure for people living with the fatal neuromuscular disease.
Career: Dropping out of high school, Rob Morrow moved to Manhattan to study acting at age 17. He shared a cheap apartment with two other young aspiring actors, including Toby Parker, brother of Sarah Jessica Parker. Morrow began doing a string of odd theater jobs and eventually landed his first big break when he worked as Michael Bennett's assistant for the Los Angeles stage production of the hit musical "Dreamgirls" in 1983. Bennet cast him for a lead role in the play “Third Street” at the Circle Repertory Theater. Making his professional stage debut in the early 1980s in “Ragged Dick,” a gay-themed Off-Broadway musical, Morrow later played major roles in such Broadway and Off-Broadway productions as “Soulful Scream of a Chosen Son,” “The Boys of Winter,” “Slam,” Chaim Potok's musical adaptation of “The Chosen,” and “Michael Bennett's Scandal.” In 1986, he co-founded the theater group Naked Angels in New York and has appeared in their 35 stage productions, notably “The Return of Pinocchio” (1986), “Aven'U Boys” (1989) and Jon Robin Baitz's “The Substance of Fire” (1990). Morrow began appearing on screen and made his feature film debut as Ben in director George Bowers' forgettable teen sex comedy “Private Resort” (1985). He also made TV appearances in small guest spots in an episode of the sitcom “Everything's Relative,” NBC’s series “Fame” and ABC’s detective show “Spencer for Hire.” He also made his debut as a TV series regular on the short-lived NBC drama series “Tattinger's” (1989), playing bartender Marco Bellini. “Everyone entered into the show with the sense of taking a personal risk. I believe in that. I really strongly believe in sacrifice and in being a team player. If you believe in something and it hits, you get rewarded in the back end.” Rob Morrow (on “Northern Exposure”) In 1990, Morrow auditioned for the popular and critically acclaimed CBS comedy-drama titled “Northern Exposure” and won the career transforming TV lead role of Dr. Joel Fleischman. He stayed in the character-driven drama until 1995 and has earned Emmy nominations twice for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He was also nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Drama at the Golden Globes. “'Northern Exposure' allowed me to be able to make a living doing the work I want to do. In terms of the experience of making it, it crystallized the process of acting and making films for me.” Rob Morrow After turning down a role in the proposed CBS series “The Antagonists,” Morrow worked at Vassar College and made his directional debut with a 20-minute film called “The Silent Alarm.” The film premiered at the Seattle Film Festival and was released in 1993. The following year, Morrow went back to feature-length films after nine years to co-star in Robert Redford's Oscar-nominated adaptation of Richard N. Goodwin's book, “Quiz Show,” in which he played the real-life author and idealistic Congressional investigator, Richard N. (Dick) Goodwin, opposite John Turturro and Ralph Fiennes. He was also set to star in the feature remake of H. G. Wells' 1896 sci-fi novel, “The Island of Dr. Moreau” (1996), but the part eventually went to English actor David Thewlis after the film's original director Richard Stanley was fired. After playing Albert Brooks' successful brother in the Golden Globe nominated comedy “Mother” (1996), Morrow had a featured role as a young lawyer in Bruce Beresford's “Last Dance” (1996). TV audiences could catch him as John Wilkes Booth, the successful professional stage actor who fatally shot Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865, in the TNT movie “The Day Lincoln Was Shot” (1998; Lance Henriksen played Lincoln), and moviegoers saw him team up again with Jayne Brook in Sean Smith and Anthony Stark's independent drama “Into My Heart” (1998; released theatrically in 2000). Meanwhile, on stage, Morrow played the lead role in short-lived London stage production of “Birdy” (1997). Entering the new millennium, Morrow starred as a courageous young reporter in the Showtime fact-based thriller “The Thin Blue Lie.” Afterward, he directed an independent romantic drama titled “Maze” (filmed in 1999), in which he played the title role of the sensitive and charming sculptor with Tourette Syndrome who falls in love with his model (played by Laura Linney). The film, which Morrow also co-produced with his wife Debbon Ayer, won the Audience Choice--Honorable Mention award at Cinéquest at the San José Film Festival in March 2001 and the AFI Fest New Directions Award--Special Mention, among several others. The next year, Morrow was cast in Michael Hoffman's drama starring Kevin Kline, “The Emperor's Club” (2002), based on Ethan Canin's short story “The Palace Thief,” and went back to series TV as a co-star of the Showtime short-lived crime/drama “Street Time” (2002; he also directed several episodes). He also directed three 2004 episodes of the CBS fantasy/family drama starring Amber Tamblyn, “Joan of Arcadia,” and was the voice of the “Moving You Forward” ad campaign for Toyota at the end of 2004 into 2005. “I've made a good living for a long time now. Even in my down years I've always kind of worked, whether it's low profile stuff. But it's the idea of working with these people that I really love, these people that create the show, that run the show. I can't say it's not stressful and difficult, but it's a good time. It's fun.” Rob Morrow (on working on “Numb3rs”) Since 2005, Morrow has been the star (and directed several episodes) of the CBS drama “Numb3rs,” playing Don Eppes. On his character in the show, Morrow explained, “He is a classic hero. He is a guy that sacrifices himself for the greater good. I grew up on characters like that. Also, I've been starting to get to know him more and what goes on inside him, why he's not in relationships, and I feel empathy for him because part of it is the justification on his part and the burden of the job if you try to have a relationship doing the kind of job he does. Some of it is heightened, but it takes a real toll on them. So I'm interested in that side of it; how he might find some joy away from work in relationships. And that's starting to be explored in some episodes coming down the pike.” Morrow also co-starred as Victoria Foyt's love interest in Henry Jaglom's romantic drama “Going Shopping” (2005). He has completed his upcoming film project titled “The Bucket List,” an adventure/crime comedy directed by Rob Reiner in which he will play a doctor, opposite Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. He is currently filming a made-for-television movie based on the book by Mary Herczog, “Custody.”
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