Willie Garson

Willie Garson stars as Mozzie in the new USA Network original series White Collar premiering Friday, October 23, 2009 at 10/9c. The talented Garson is rarely at a loss for work, appearing in over 250 TV episodes of a wide variety of programming, and over 70 feature films. His unorthodox bald and bespectacled look won over fans on "Sex and the City," where he played Carrie's gay best friend, Stanford Blatch. He is also well known as Henry Coffield on "NYPD Blue" and recently re-teamed with HBO and David Milch on "John From Cincinnati".

Born and raised in New Jersey, he started training at The Actors Institute in New York when he was only 13, before majoring in theater and psychology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. After graduation, Garson found his love for acting outweighed his psychology studies and landed guest roles on "Cheers," "Family Ties," "thirtysomething" and "L.A. Law." He has stayed busy playing several recurring characters in a wide array of TV projects, such as "Just Shoot Me," "Spin City," "Ally McBeal," "The Practice," "Stargate SG-1," "Star Trek: Voyager," "The X-Files," "Medium" and "Pushing Daisies."

On the big screen, Garson has collaborated with the Farrelly Brothers in their films "Kingpin," "There's Something about Mary" and "Fever Pitch." Garson has appeared in the quirky ensemble comedies "Soapdish," "Mars Attacks" and "Being John Malkovich", and is often used by such varied directors as Michael Bay, Mike Nichols and Spike Jonze.

At home on the stage as much as he is on television and in film, Garson continues to perform with various bicoastal theater companies in NY and LA, and was a member Naked Angels, The Manhattan Theater Club, the Roundabout Theater and the Geffen Playhouse. He's also involved in community and charity organizations – from Big Brothers to Young Artists United. He has read to first graders weekly through the Screen Actor's Guild "Bookpals" program, and is involved with AMFAR, Aspen Youth Experience, LA's Alliance for Children's Rights and Camp Joslin Diabetes Center in Massachusetts.

Aside from acting on TV and the big screen, Garson also found success as a celebrity poker player. In 2003, "Evil Willie" (a nickname given to Garson by Don Cheadle for his fierce card playing) won the very first episode of Texas Hold 'Em on Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown," and continues to play in tournaments worldwide and through the World Poker Tour. Garson recently adopted a son and now resides in Los Angeles and New York.