He starred in the Lifetime Movie Network television miniseries "The Capture Of The Green River Killer" in which he portrayed King County sheriff David Reichert. In March 2006, Cavanagh filmed "My Ex-Life", a comedy pilot for CBS about a divorced couple who remain friends. The pilot featured "Lost" actress Cynthia Watros as his ex-wife. CBS did not select the show for its fall 2006 schedule. Cavanagh portrayed the lead role Nick Snowden (the heir to the Santa Claus identity) in the made-for-TV movie "Snow" in 2005, which is shown annually on the Family Channel.