One of Culp's earliest roles was in ' (1993) as Robert Campbell, a reporter looking into the Jason murders. He also played the father of the titular character in "James and the Giant Peach". In 1995, Culp briefly starred on "The Young and the Restless" as Brian Hamilton. Culp is known for his recurring roles as CIA Agent Clayton Webb on "JAG" (1997–2004) and Major Hayes on ' (2003–2004). His characters in both series were killed in the same week in the shows' season finales, although Webb's character in "JAG" reappeared in the series’ subsequent season premiere"." In 2003, Culp appeared in a few episodes of the second season of "24" as Secret Service agent Ted Simmons. He had a recurring role in the NBC series "The West Wing" as Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Jeff Haffley from 2003 to 2005.