The "Paralawyer" with Attitude: Everything to Know About The Rainmaker Star P.J. Byrne
The Rainmaker's P.J. Byrne is a go-to actor in Hollywood. From The Wolf of Wall Street to The Legend of Korra, here's why you know him.
Every underdog needs an ally. In USA Network’s The Rainmaker — about a little-guy attorney, Rudy Baylor, battling a giant insurance company — scrappy "paralawyer" Deck Shifflet is ready to lend a hand.
P.J. Byrne — yes, the toupee-sporting “Rugrat” from The Wolf of Wall Street — steps up in the juicy supporting role of Deck alongside Milo Callaghan as Rudy in the twisty legal thriller. John Slattery, Dan Fogler, and Lana Parrilla add their own luster to the cast.
Based on John Grisham’s bestseller that spawned a 1997 movie with Matt Damon as Rudy and Danny DeVito as Deck, the hotly anticipated show gives Byrne his latest screen showcase.
Before the series premiere on August 15 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on USA Network, get to know more about P.J. Byrne.
P.J. Byrne’s early life and career before The Rainmaker
Born in 1974 and raised in New Jersey, Byrne majored in finance and theater at Boston College. The acting bug topped the desire of being an investment banker, per Downtown Magazine. Byrne earned his MFA at DePaul University’s Theatre School in Chicago, which set the stage for his career.
Byrne got his start in 2003 small film and TV roles. Playing a panicked newsroom staffer in Bruce Almighty and a writer in Bewitched as well as an agent in Reno 911! all led to the juicy recurring role of agent Irv Smith in the sitcom The Game.
More film roles followed including Horrible Bosses (he played an ex-investment banker) and Final Destination 5 (he played a man whose acupuncture sessions goes seriously awry), both in 2011.
Byrne turned heads a couple years later as Nicky “Rugrat” Koskoff opposite Leonardo DiCaprio as securities fraudster Jordan Belfort in director Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street.
Following that A-list project, Byrne has had plum roles in Intelligence and Vinyl, short-lived series, respectively, about cyber tech and the record business.
Byrne is also a prolific voice actor, best known for lending his voice as Bolin in Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra.
Byrne appeared recently on screens in everything from The Boys and Big Little Lies to Ghosts and Babylon. His range across genres has made him a go-to character actor in Hollywood.
P.J. Byrne's role in The Rainmaker
P.J. Byrne plays Deck Shifflet, a rough-around-the-edges but no-B.S. “paralawyer” who’s botched the bar exam multiple times.
Deck works under Jocelyn “Bruiser” Stone (Parilla) and has zero filter and plenty of street smarts, per Variety.
Hand on a bible: We can’t wait to see Byrne hit the Deck.
The Rainmaker premieres on USA Network on August 15. Right now you can check out the trailer for the show.
