Eric Winter

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Eric Winter: American actor and former model known for roles in The Rookie, Days of Our Lives, The Mentalist, and more. Explore his early years, career path, and personal life.

Introduction

Eric Barrett Winter (born July 17, 1976) is an American actor and former fashion model whose work spans soap operas, dramas, fantasy series, and film. He is perhaps best known in recent years for playing Sergeant Tim Bradford on ABC’s The Rookie.

Over two decades, Winter has built a versatile career—transitioning from modeling to acting, taking roles ranging from soaps to fantasy to procedural dramas, while maintaining a stable presence in television. His trajectory reveals adaptability, steady growth, and a balance between supporting and lead roles.

Early Life & Education

• Eric Winter was born in La Mirada, California and grew up in La Puente, California.

• He graduated from Los Altos High School, where he also played football and volleyball.

• He went on to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), earning a degree in psychology.

• During his college years, to help pay tuition, he did modeling work and began auditioning. His early modeling included campaigns like Tommy Hilfiger, and he even appeared in a commercial for Britney Spears’ fragrance Curious.

• According to Soap Central, he is an only child; his father, Wayne Winter, runs an investigative business, and his mother, Gwen, runs a theatrical fabric business.

Acting Career

Early & Soap Opera Roles

• Winter’s earliest credited acting roles came around 1999 (e.g. Profiler) after he pivoted from modeling.

• From July 2002 to July 2005, he played Rex Brady on the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives.

• After Days of Our Lives, he did many guest and recurring roles on shows like CSI, Charmed, Just Legal, Brothers & Sisters, and Viva Laughlin.

Breakthrough & Notable Television Roles

• From 2010 to 2012, Winter appeared on The Mentalist as FBI Special Agent Craig O’Laughlin, a significant recurring role.

• He starred as Dash Gardiner in Witches of East End (2013–2014), a fantasy-drama series.

• In 2018, Winter joined The Rookie as Tim Bradford, a major cast member in a successful procedural drama.

• He has made appearances in The Good Doctor and other series.

Film & Other Projects

• Winter’s film credits include Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) and The Ugly Truth (2009).

• He also appeared in the TV movie Sundays at Tiffany’s (2010).

Personal Life

• Winter was first married to Allison Ford from 2001 to 2005.

• He then began dating Roselyn Sánchez, and they married on November 29, 2008 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

• The couple has two children: a daughter born in January 2012 and a son born in November 2017.

Style, Themes & Impact

• Winter’s career reflects versatility—he doesn’t confine himself to one genre. He moves from soap opera to crime drama to fantasy and procedural drama.

• His background in modeling helped him develop presence, which complemented his transition to acting.

• Portraying Tim Bradford in The Rookie allowed him to straddle authoritative, action-oriented roles with emotional depth, raising his profile in mainstream TV drama.

• He’s maintained longevity in a competitive field by balancing guest roles, supporting roles, and main cast parts.