Jeffrey MacDonald in the acclaimed miniseries "Fatal Vision" (NBC, 1984). He won national attention with his breakthrough TV performance as charismatic accused killer Dr. Though youthful, Cole has brought strength and credibility to his portrayals of often flawed figures of authority. Gary Cole, a handsome actor trained on the Chicago theater scene first gained celebrity on TV in the mid-1980s with a series of accomplished performances in high-profile TV-movies and miniseries.