Dean Winters Never Wanted to Be the Lead

"The house that Mayhem built is a fifth-floor penthouse in Tribeca. Finding it was a labor of love for Dean Winters, who arrives on bicycle after getting his will notarized. The 61-year-old actor explains that there were three qualities he sought: outdoor space, a wood-burning fireplace, and an elevator that opened into the apartment. "I was being a real princess," he says."

"In 30 years of acting onscreen, Winters has tended to personify a particular kind of outer-borough rage. Usually Irish or Italian; frequently a cop; spiritually, a Jets fan. He often gets cast as the star's ex-boyfriend - most famously on 30 Rock, or on later seasons of Law & Order: SVU - or their brother, a part he played on both Rescue Me and Girls5Eva."

Dean Winters owns a fifth-floor Tribeca penthouse with outdoor space, a wood-burning fireplace, and an elevator that opens into the apartment. He viewed 114 apartments over four years before buying it. Winters is 61, arrived by bicycle after notarizing his will, and is overseeing a five-year renovation with contractors Cesar and Oscar. In a 30-year onscreen career, Winters often portrays outer-borough rage characters—often Irish or Italian, frequently cops, and spiritually a Jets fan. He commonly plays ex-boyfriends or brothers on 30 Rock, Law & Order: SVU, Rescue Me, and Girls5Eva. For 15 years his primary income has come from Mayhem in Allstate ads. He prefers character acting to leading-man work.

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