Gary Michael Cole (born September 20, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for numerous roles, including the television series Entourage, Fatal Vision, The West Wing, Desperate Housewives, Midnight Caller, I'll Be Home for Christmas (film), Kim Possible, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Wanted and Crusade, and the films The Brady Bunch Movie, Office Space, From the Earth to the Moon, Kiss the Sky, Dodgeball, Talladega Nights, I Spy and Pineapple Express. He has also appeared in television movies such as Those She Left Behind. He also had a small cameo appearance in To Live and Die in L.A., has appeared as George Armstrong Custer in the TV movie Son of the Morning Star, and provides voices on the TV shows Family Guy and Monk.

Cole was born and raised in Park Ridge, Illinois, to a school-administrator father and a director-of-finance mother, and attended the Rolling Meadows High School, where his first dramatic appearance was as Snoopy in a high school production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He later attended Illinois State University, where he majored in theater alongside actors Laurie Metcalf and John Malkovich.

He began his professional career as a stage actor in Chicago. He also appeared in several off-Broadway productions in New York City. In addition to his film and television credits listed above, he has done voice work on several animated series (Family Guy; Kim Possible; Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law) and had a recurring role on the drama The West Wing as Vice President Bob Russell. He also starred as Captain Matthew Gideon on the short-lived Babylon 5 spin-off Crusade, and had notable guest appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Arrested Development. He also played as Joe Maxwell on DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) Cadet Kelly and appeared as real-life astronaut Edgar Mitchell in HBO's recreation of Project Apollo, From the Earth to the Moon.