He is a journeyman actor from TV and many movies, usually in supporting roles, and you may or may not recognize him. What's clear at once is that he is a strong actor and given this leading role he brings all kinds of creepy dimensions to it. He has the thankless assignment of showing us a completely hateful, repellent character - and he approaches the task as an exercise in cloying middle-class good manners. The stepfather seems to be such a nice man. So, understanding. So, accommodating. He always marries into families with children - providing a strong shoulder for a widow to lean on.