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"Welcome to Level 7."
Phil Coulson, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., "Pilot"

Robert Clark Gregg (born April 2, 1962 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American actor, screenwriter and director.

He was early member of David Mamet's stable of actors as well as a recurring presence in Aaron Sorkin's works. He's now best known for his role as Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most prominently in the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. He reprises this role on numerous occasions in other Marvel media.

He was married to Jennifer Grey from 2001 to 2021, and they share a daughter, Stella.


Selected filmography:

As actor:

As writer:

Tropes:

  • Ambiguously Jewish: His father was an Episcopalian priest and academic chaplain but he wasn't very religious himself. He later married Jennifer Grey, who comes from a very prominent Jewish family, and is raising his daughter within the Jewish faith. He noted in an interview that he found Judaism appealing and actually attended religious services far more often than his then-wife (who only went for the High Holidays and special occasions) but had yet to decide if he wants to convert.
  • Ascended Extra: Coulson was originally just a minor character used to introduce SHIELD into the MCU, but became increasingly prominent throughout the Phase One films and so popular that the powers that be at Marvel Studios had to bring him back from the dead to satisfy fan backlash. Coulson's even become a part of the official Earth-616 universe because of just how well the fans received him.
  • Awesome, Dear Boy: invoked He played Coulson in the first Iron Man mostly as a favor to Jon Favreau, his neighbor, but found that he enjoyed the role and being part of the MCU so much that he's played the character across multiple movies and TV shows (both live action and animated). He's also publicly lamented the "lawyer stuff" that's preventing him from appearing on the MCU Netflix shows.
  • The Cast Show Off: He has martial arts training and uses it for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
  • Celebrity Resemblance: To the late Richard Anderson (not that one), his Breakout Role as Coulson can draw hypothetical comparisons with Anderson's well-known role as Oscar Goldman in The Six Million Dollar Man, especially the aspect in being agency handlers for superheroes.
  • Silly Walk: Not ridiculous, but his gait is very distinctive and noticeable during long tracking shots.
  • He Also Did: invoked Wrote the 2000 thriller What Lies Beneath before his acting breakout.

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