5 Jon Bernthal TV shows to watch if you loved him in The Punisher

Since 2016, Jon Bernthal's name has been linked with popular Marvel anti-hero Frank Castle/The Punisher. However, Bernthal is someone who has been in front of the camera for 23 years, as his first film and TV appearance were in the same year, 2002. Now, he is one of the most sought-after actors, who appears in both movies and on TV screens.

As we wait for the actor's exciting upcoming projects, like The Odyssey, the Disney+ Punisher Special, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, let us look back at the TV roles that made Bernthal the actor that we see and love today.

---

Five important Jon Bernthal TV shows:

Listed below are the five Jon Bernthal TV shows that made him the actor he is today:

• Lane Ruddock in Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Bernthal's very first scene is with none other than Vincent D’Onofrio. The Punisher actor played a minor character named Lane Ruddock in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Season 2, Episode 6, "Malignant". Bernthal, in a January 2022 interview with The New York Times, reflected upon his first role:

“I remember being so wide-eyed and so naïve. One of the first TV sets I walked into, they told me to go to hair and makeup, and I didn’t know what hair and makeup was. So I just went into a trailer, and the lead of the show was changing in that trailer and she yelled, ‘Get out,’ and threw a shoe right at my head. I had to do a scene with her that day!”

Bernthal especially recalled what lead actor D’Onofrio told him after a take of their scene:

“It took a real long time for me to feel comfortable on-set. I remember Vincent D’Onofrio talked to me after a take when I did his show [Law & Order: Criminal Intent], and he said, ‘Hey, what you did there was pretty good. Something like that can carry you through months of rejection. I always try to remember that with young actors, because the littlest thing can keep you going.”

However, it was his second appearance in another Law & Order spin-off that Bernthal became more noticeable.

• Sherm Hempell in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Jon Bernthal played a different character altogether in Special Victims Unit. Unlike Criminal Intent, Sherm Hempell plays an important role in the episode "Goliath", which is the twenty-third episode of the sixth season. Much like Frank Castle, Hempell is an investigative journalist who helps the protagonists to uncover the conspiracy of an anti-malarial drug.

• Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead

Before being associated with the MCU, Jon Bernthal's breakout role was with another comic book adaptation: The Walking Dead. An adaptation of Robert Kirkman's comic book series, Bernthal played the role of the protagonist Rick Grimes' best friend, Shane Walsh.

• Wayne Jenkins in We Own This City

The actor earned critical and popular acclaim for headlining HBO's We Own This City in 2022. In this miniseries, Bernthal played the role of Wayne Jenkins, a real-life Baltimore Police Department officer who was convicted in June 2018.

• Frank Castle in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1

Jon Bernthal reprised his MCU role in the first season of Daredevil: Born Again. The actor made his debut as Frank Castle on Netflix's Daredevil Season 2 in 2016. Other than that, he also headlined a solo Netflix series titled "The Punisher", which ran for two seasons. However, the streaming giant pulled the plug on fan-favorite series, which is why Bernthal's return was celebrated in Born Again.

The post-credit scene of Daredevil: Born Again sets up Frank's future in the MCU, including the Disney+ special presentation. Furthermore, it has been further confirmed that this version of Frank Castle will appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as well.

---

Other than these five, there are several other shows where Jon Bernthal can be seen.