Actors Charged with Vehicular Manslaughter (or Serious DUI/DWI Incidents)
Headlines about high-profile arrests tend to blur the people involved with the projects they’re known for, but both can be discussed clearly and factually. Below is a look at male actors whose names have appeared in court records for vehicular manslaughter charges or serious DUI/DWI cases, alongside straightforward context about the films and series that shaped their careers.
For each person, you’ll see concise details about the legal case as reported at the time, paired with factual notes on their major works—plots, casts, and key creative figures—so you can place the headlines next to the roles audiences actually know.
Lane Garrison
Garrison was charged in connection with a fatal crash and later pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter and alcohol-related counts, receiving a state-prison sentence. He is widely recognized for playing David “Tweener” Apolskis on the series ‘Prison Break’, a drama about a structural engineer who infiltrates a penitentiary to help his wrongfully convicted brother escape; the show stars Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell and was created by Paul Scheuring.
Beyond the series, Garrison appeared in the film ‘Camp X-Ray’, a military-prison drama headlined by Kristen Stewart and directed by Peter Sattler, and he later turned up in ‘Shooter’, a TV adaptation of the Mark Wahlberg film with Ryan Phillippe in the lead and John Hlavin as developer. These credits sit alongside the case history in public records, which noted alcohol involvement and the death of a teenage passenger.
Mel Gibson
Gibson’s arrest for driving under the influence led to a misdemeanor case and a no-contest plea, followed by probation and mandated education. He is known globally for ‘Braveheart’, a historical epic about Scottish leader William Wallace that Gibson directed and starred in, working with screenwriter Randall Wallace and a cast that included Sophie Marceau and Patrick McGoohan.
He also anchored the buddy-cop franchise ‘Lethal Weapon’ opposite Danny Glover, created by screenwriter Shane Black and produced by Joel Silver, and directed ‘The Passion of the Christ’, a biblical drama performed primarily in Aramaic and Latin that he produced through Icon Productions. Those filmographies frame the public understanding of his career while the court file documents the DUI case and its sentence terms.
Nick Nolte
Nolte was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence; toxicology findings and a no-contest plea were followed by probation and a program requirement. His screen legacy includes ’48 Hrs.’, an action-comedy pairing him with Eddie Murphy in a cop-and-criminal team-up from director Walter Hill and producer Lawrence Gordon.
He also starred in ‘The Thin Red Line’, Terrence Malick’s ensemble World War II drama featuring Sean Penn and Jim Caviezel, and in ‘Warrior’, a mixed-martial-arts family drama directed by Gavin O’Connor with Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton. Those works—produced across studios and notable creative teams—often appear in retrospectives that also summarize the DUI adjudication and sentencing conditions.
Kiefer Sutherland
Sutherland’s DUI history includes an arrest that resulted in a jail term tied to probation rules and court supervision. He is closely identified with ’24’, a real-time counterterrorism thriller created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, with Sutherland’s Jack Bauer working alongside characters played by Mary Lynn Rajskub and Dennis Haysbert under executive producers like Howard Gordon.
On the film side, Sutherland appeared in ‘Flatliners’, a medical-thriller about students exploring near-death experiences directed by Joel Schumacher with Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon, and in ‘A Time to Kill’, the John Grisham courtroom adaptation directed by Schumacher and starring Matthew McConaughey and Samuel L. Jackson. Coverage of those projects regularly runs in parallel with basic case summaries noting the DUI convictions and custody time served.
Chris Pine
Pine was arrested in New Zealand on a drunk-driving charge and entered a guilty plea, leading to a license suspension and fine imposed by the local court. He is best known for stepping into the role of James T. Kirk in ‘Star Trek’, J. J. Abrams’s reboot co-starring Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldaña, with a creative team that included writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
He also earned notices for ‘Hell or High Water’, a modern bank-robbery drama directed by David Mackenzie from a Taylor Sheridan script with Jeff Bridges and Ben Foster, and for ‘Wonder Woman’, Patty Jenkins’s superhero film starring Gal Gadot with support from Robin Wright and Danny Huston. Reports about the New Zealand case sit alongside these credits in most profiles and timelines of his career.
Haley Joel Osment
Osment was charged after a crash and later entered a no-contest plea to DUI-related counts, receiving probation and program conditions. His breakout role was in ‘The Sixth Sense’, a supernatural drama written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, with Bruce Willis and Toni Collette joining Osment in a story about a child who claims he can see the dead.
He later starred in ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’, a science-fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg from a long-gestating concept associated with Stanley Kubrick, with Jude Law co-starring and John Williams composing the score. Biographical summaries typically set those projects next to the court record that lists the plea and sentence details.
Vince Vaughn
Vaughn was arrested on suspicion of DUI and later resolved the case by pleading no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving, earning probation and an education program. On screen, he co-wrote and starred in ‘Swingers’, an independent comedy about struggling actors in Los Angeles, directed by Doug Liman and featuring Jon Favreau, Ron Livingston, and Heather Graham.
He also headlined ‘Wedding Crashers’, a studio comedy directed by David Dobkin with Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and Isla Fisher, and appeared in ‘Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story’, a sports comedy from writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber with Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor. Media bios often present these film titles alongside the legal documents outlining the plea and probation terms.
Matthew Fox
Fox was arrested for driving under the influence and later entered a no-contest plea that brought a license suspension and a court-ordered program. He led the ensemble of ‘Lost’, a character-driven survival mystery created by J. J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and Jeffrey Lieber, co-starring Evangeline Lilly, Terry O’Quinn, and Jorge Garcia.
His film credits include ‘Alex Cross’, a thriller directed by Rob Cohen with Tyler Perry in the title role and Matthew Fox as the antagonist, and ‘We Are Marshall’, a sports drama directed by McG with Matthew McConaughey and David Strathairn. Public profiles typically list those productions in the same timelines that note the DUI plea and administrative penalties.
Anthony Mackie
Mackie was arrested in New York on suspicion of impaired driving and resolved the case with a plea to a lesser impaired-driving count, resulting in a short license suspension and fine. He earned widespread recognition in ‘The Hurt Locker’, a bomb-disposal drama directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Jeremy Renner, with Mark Boal writing and Barry Ackroyd as cinematographer.
He joined the Marvel saga as Sam Wilson in ‘Captain America’ and ‘Avengers’ titles—produced by Kevin Feige—with Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, and Scarlett Johansson among frequent co-stars, and later led ‘The Banker’, a period drama directed by George Nolfi with Samuel L. Jackson. Biographical entries that list these projects commonly include the New York impaired-driving case outcome as part of the factual record.
Tim Allen
Allen’s arrest for driving under the influence led to a misdemeanor case, a guilty plea, and court-ordered penalties that included probation. He starred for years in the sitcom ‘Home Improvement’ as Tim Taylor, alongside Patricia Richardson and a young Jonathan Taylor Thomas, with the series created by Carmen Finestra, David McFadzean, and Matt Williams.
On the film side, he has voiced Buzz Lightyear in Pixar’s ‘Toy Story’ films, working with Tom Hanks under directors like John Lasseter, and he led the holiday comedy ‘The Santa Clause’ from director John Pasquin with Judge Reinhold and Wendy Crewson. Career overviews typically lay out those credits while also noting the DUI case and the basic terms of the sentence.
Scott Wilson
Scott Wilson was arrested on a DUI charge during his tenure on ‘The Walking Dead’; the case involved a reported roadside test and court-ordered conditions. On the series, he played Hershel Greene opposite Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan, adapted from Robert Kirkman’s comic under showrunners including Scott M. Gimple.
His long career spans ‘In Cold Blood’, an adaptation of Truman Capote’s nonfiction crime book directed by Richard Brooks, with Robert Blake co-starring in a portrayal of a Kansas murder case. Decades later, Wilson joined ‘The Walking Dead’ as Hershel Greene in an ensemble that included Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan, adapted from Robert Kirkman’s comic under showrunners like Scott M. Gimple.
Share your thoughts in the comments—are there other factually documented cases or filmography details you think should be added?
