With an unforgettable turn in HBO’s True Detective last year and the lead in Fox’s new drama Deputy, it’s hard to believe Stephen Dorff nearly gave up acting only a few years ago.

“Two years ago, I was pretty much going to stop acting because I was just bored and not liking the parts I was getting,” Dorff, 46, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “I lost my little brother and I was pretty much done.”