Billy Burke's filmography goes back to the 1980s, landing minor roles in movies and one-off appearances in TV series. The 2000s really saw the actor begin to break out with recurring roles on "Wonderland" and "Gilmore Girls." However, he broke out to a broader audience when he landed a part in the second season of "24" as Gary Matheson, the abusive husband to Carla (Tracy Middendorf) and the employer to Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert). When Kim recognizes the danger Gary and Carla's daughter is in living with him, she takes her to a safe location, drawing the ire of Gary, who insists Kim informs him of where she's keeping his daughter.
It's a dark role, and according to Billy Burke, that's precisely what was so enticing to take on the part. Burke spoke about a litany of his roles to The AV Club, including Gary on "24." He brought up, "It was dark and dripping with stuff that you love to just get your teeth into as an actor. I remember at the end ... it said in the script, 'Gary goes to his hiding place, which is a lab someplace, and takes out a baggie of what we think is crystal meth.' So I found out that during this whole run, I was high on crystal meth. I had no idea!" Fortunately, Burke would prove he could play a much more loving father during his next big role.
