Jason Butler Harner

Lore & Background

Jason Butler Harner portrayed FBI Special Agent Roy Petty in Ozark. Petty was a federal agent who became deeply entangled in the Byrde family's criminal operations. Harner's performance as Petty contributed to the show's tension, with the character serving as a persistent threat to Marty and Wendy Byrde's money laundering scheme.

Reader's Guide

Jason Butler Harner's casting as FBI Special Agent Roy Petty brought a specific intensity to Ozark. Harner's extensive theatrical background, including his Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard's "The Coast of Utopia" playing Ivan Turgenev, and his Obie Award for "Hedda Gabler." He also appeared in "The Handmaid's Tale," "Homeland," "Ray Donovan," and "Fringe." His training under Ron Van Lieu at Tisch School of the Arts and his work as a Master Teacher at VCU during 2007-08 informed his approach to the role.

Did You Know?

• At age 17, after graduating high school, he worked as an usher at the Eisenhower Theater, part of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
• He played Gordon Stewart Northcott, a serial killer responsible for the Wineville Chicken Coop murders, in the film Changeling, completing filming in December 2007.
• Harner made his London theater debut in February 2010 in Lanford Wilson's play Serenading Louie at Donmar Warehouse.
• In 2023, Harner produced and co-starred in the short film The Anne Frank Gift Shop, written and directed by his husband, Mickey Rapkin, which was shortlisted for Best Live Action Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards.