Timothy Olyphant is an actor.
Timothy David Olyphant ( [ ˈɔːlʌfɪnt ] ; born May 20 , 1968 ) is an American actor and producer . He made his acting debut in Off-Broadway theater in 1995 in The Monogamist , winning the Theatre World Award for his performance , and then originated David Sedaris ' The Santaland Diaries in 1996 . He came to the attention of a wider audience with his portrayal of Sheriff Seth Bullock in HBO 's western Deadwood ( 2004 -- 2006 ) . He was a villain in Live Free or Die Hard ( 2007 ) and was a recurring guest star in season two of the FX legal thriller Damages ( 2009 ) .