John Peter Sarsgaard (/ˈsɑrzɡɑrd/; born March 7, 1971) is an American actor, best known for his role in the 2004 comedy-drama Garden State. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), playing Raoul, the ill-fated son of Athos.