Gerrit Graham
Born (1948-11-27) November 27, 1948 (age 75)
New York City, New York, U.S.
EducationColumbia University
Occupation(s)Actor, songwriter
Years active1968–2012

Gerrit Graham (born November 27, 1948) is an American stage, television, and film actor as well as a scriptwriter and songwriter.[1] He is best known for his appearances in multiple films by Brian De Palma as well as appearances in two Star Trek series. He starred in Used Cars with Kurt Russell and voiced Franklin Sherman on The Critic.

Education

Graham attended but did not graduate from Columbia University. At Columbia, he was the head of Columbia Players, the college theater company.[2][3][4] His future co-worker, Brian De Palma, was also a former manager of the student group during his undergraduate years.[5]

Career

Actor

Film

He has appeared in movies such as Used Cars, TerrorVision, National Lampoon's Class Reunion, Child's Play 2 and Greetings,[1] where he worked with Brian De Palma for the first time. He would again work with De Palma on Hi, Mom and Home Movies, as well as Phantom of the Paradise, where he played flamboyant glam-rocker Beef. Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times remarked that Graham and Jon Lovitz were the only actors in Last Resort who were "exempt from the bad-accent stigma."[6]

Television

Graham was the voice of Franklin Sherman in the animated series The Critic as well as a recurring role as Dr. Norman Pankow on the sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose.

He has appeared in two different roles on the Star Trek television series: as the alien hunter of Tosk on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and as a member of the Q Continuum (adopting the name Quinn) in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Death Wish". He had been short listed to play the character of Odo, which went to René Auberjonois.[7]

Stage

Graham is a stage performer whose performances in the 1986 improvisational show Sills & Company[8][9] and the 1987 play Bouncers by John Godber[10][11] were positively reviewed by the New York Times. Julio Martinez of Variety.com called Graham "eerily evocative" of Allard Lowenstein in Dreams Die Hard in 1995.[12] Frank Rizzo of Variety.com wrote that Graham had "some of the best lines" in his performance as Father Charles Dunbar in The God Committee in 2004.[13] He also played Julian in Communicating Doors in 1998.[14]

Writer

Graham wrote the teleplays for the episodes "Still Life" and "Opening Day" of the 1980s version of The Twilight Zone.[15] He did not write "Welcome to Winfield", the only episode in which he appeared as a member of the cast.

Musician

Graham has written songs with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead.[16]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1968 Greetings Lloyd Clay
1970 Hi, Mom Gerrit Wood
1972 Beware! The Blob Joe, Ape-Suited Party Guest
1974 Phantom of the Paradise Beef
1975 Strange New World Daniel TV movie
1976 Tunnel Vision Freddie
Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw Ray "Magic Ray"
Special Delivery Swivot
Cannonball! Perman Waters
1977 Demon Seed Walter Gabler
1978 Pretty Baby "Highpockets"
1979 Old Boyfriends Sam, The Fisherman
Home Movies James Byrd
1980 Used Cars Jeff
1982 Soup for One Brian
National Lampoon's Class Reunion Bob Spinnaker
1983 The Creature Wasn't Nice Rodzinski
1985 The Annihilators Ray Track
The Man With One Red Shoe Carson
1986 TerrorVision Stan
Chopping Mall Nessler, The Technician
Last Resort Curt
Ratboy Billy Morrison
1987 It's Alive III: Island of the Alive Ralston
Walker Norvell Walker
The Search for Animal Chin Skateboard Manufacturer
1989 Big Man on Campus Stanley Hoyle
Police Academy 6: City Under Siege "Ace"
C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. Bud Oliver / Bud the C.H.U.D.
Martians Go Home Stan Garrett
The Little Mermaid voice Uncredited
1990 Night of the Cyclone Lieutenant John France
Child's Play 2 Phil Simpson
1992 Frozen Assets Lewis Crandall
Sidekicks Mr. Mapes
1993 This Boy's Life Mr. Howard
Love Matters Phillips TV movie
Philadelphia Experiment II Dr. William Mailer / Friedrich Mahler
1994 My Girl 2 Dr. Sam Helburn
1995 National Lampoon's Favorite Deadly Sins The Devil TV movie
The Wasp Woman Arthur TV movie
Stuart Saves His Family Male Diner uncredited
The Break Bill Cowens
1996 Magic in the Mirror: Fowl Play Bloom
1998 One True Thing Oliver Most
2005 Building Girl Mr. Minard
2007 Caótica Ana Mr. Halcón
2008 Stick It in Detroit Captain John Willoughby
2012 Cove Road The Hitchhiker

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1976 Starsky & Hutch Nick Manning
1983 The Dukes of Hazzard Baldwin Uncredited
1986 The Twilight Zone Griffin St. George Segment "Welcome to Winfield"
1988 Miami Vice Calvin Teal
1989 Tales from the Crypt Theodore Carne Episode: "The Man Who Was Death"
1990–1992 Parker Lewis Can't Lose Dr. Norman Pankow Recurring role
1992 Seinfeld Clown Episode: "The Opera" (uncredited)
Fievel's American Tails Cat R. Waul Voice, Recurring role; 10 Episodes
Family Matters Landlord Episode: "The Oddest Couple"
1993 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine The Hunter Episode: "Captive Pursuit"
The Pink Panther Voice, Episode: "Pilgrim Panther/That Old Pink Magic"
1994 Babylon 5 Lord Kiro Episode: "Signs and Portents"
1994–1995 The Critic Franklin Sherman Voice, Recurring role; 23 Episodes
1995 The Tick Milo Voice, Episode: "Armless But Not Harmless"
The Larry Sanders Show Kevin
1995–1996 Gargoyles Guardian Voice, 4 Episodes
1996 Star Trek: Voyager Quinn Episode: "Death Wish"
1998–2000 Law & Order Mr. Hutchins / Alan Bruder
1999–2000 Now and Again Roger Bender Recurring role; 22 Episodes
2005 Third Watch Charles Benjamin

References

  1. ^ a b The New York Times
  2. ^ Hunter, Robert (13 October 2015). The complete annotated Grateful Dead lyrics: the collected lyrics of Robert Hunter and John Barlow, lyrics to all original songs, with selected traditional and cover songs. ISBN 978-1-5011-2332-0. OCLC 966502215. Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  3. ^ "The Crime, and Its Victims". artsites.ucsc.edu. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  4. ^ Gencarelli, Mike (2014-10-29). "Gerrit Graham talks about roles in "Phantom of the Paradise" and "Used Cars"". MediaMikes. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  5. ^ "Columbia Daily Spectator 28 April 1969 — Columbia Spectator". spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
  6. ^ Benson, Sheila (1986-05-09). "Family Vacation Goes Awry In 'Last Resort'". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  7. ^ StarTrek.com: Catching Up with 2X Trek Guest Gerrit Graham
  8. ^ Mel Gussow (1986-07-20). "Stage View; Actors And Audiences Brew Fun From Improvisation". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  9. ^ Bennetts, Leslie (1986-06-08). "If It Works, It's Theater. If It Doesn't..." The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  10. ^ Rich, Frank (1987-09-18). "The Stage: 'Bouncers,' Drama". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  11. ^ Drake, Sylvie (1993-07-08). "Stage Review : 'Bouncers' Rebounds From A Lack Of Substance At Tiffany". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  12. ^ Martinez, Julio (8 March 1995). "Dreams Die Hard – Variety". Variety.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  13. ^ Rizzo, Frank (27 July 2004). "The God Committee". Variety.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  14. ^ Isherwood, Charles (24 August 1998). "Communicating Doors". Variety.com. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
  15. ^ Jean-Marc Lofficier; Randy Lofficier (April 2003). Into the Twilight Zone: The Rod Serling Programme Guide. iUniverse. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-595-27612-7.
  16. ^ The Crime, and Its Victims by Gerrit Graham

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