Jameson Parker
| Jameson Parker | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Francis Jameson Parker Jr. November 18, 1947 Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Years active | 1966-2009 |
| Spouse(s) |
Darleen Carr (1992–present) Bonnie Parker (1976–1992) (divorced) 3 children Anne Taylor Davis (1969–?) (divorced) 1 daughter |
Francis Jameson Parker Jr. (born November 18, 1947) is an American actor, best known for his role of A.J. Simon on the 1980s television series Simon & Simon.
Early life and education
Parker was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 18, 1947. He attended St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., and a Swiss prep school.[1] He studied drama at Beloit College.[2]
Acting career
At Beloit College, he acted in student theater productions,[3] and, while living in Washington, D.C., he landed a job with a production of The Great White Hope at the Arena Stage and then acted in theatrical productions of Caligula and Indians. After completing his degree at Beloit College in 1971,[2] he performed in dinner theater and summer stock in the Washington, D.C., area.
In 1972, he moved to New York City, where he secured several television commercials and appeared in off-Broadway plays. He was cast as Dale Robinson in the daytime drama Somerset and created the role of Brad Vernon on One Life to Live. During this period, Parker guest-starred on the ABC series Family and Hart to Hart.
Parker made his motion picture debut in The Bell Jar (1979) and starred in A Small Circle of Friends (1980), in which he played one of three radical college students during the 1960s.[4] The United Artists film received a limited theatrical release and grossed under $1 million.[5] Another film from early in his acting career was the controversial White Dog (1982).
In addition, he played the leads in several CBS television movies: Women at West Point (1979),[6] Anatomy of a Seduction (1979),[7] The Gathering II (1979), The Promise of Love (1980), Callie and Son (1981), and A Caribbean Mystery (1983).
He became well-known by co-starring in Simon & Simon from 1981 to 1989.[2] Thanks to the hit show's popularity, in 1985, Beloit awarded him its Distinguished Service Citation.[3] With his Simon & Simon co-star Gerald McRaney he appeared in the theatrical movie Jackals, which Parker co-produced.[8] After completing this movie, he returned to Beloit College to star in a live summer stock theatrical production as Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In 1987, starred alongside Donald Pleasence and Alice Cooper in John Carpenter's horror movie Prince of Darkness.
Parker guest-starred on the ABC Walker, Texas Ranger as a corrupt Police Sergeant. He appeared in the television movies Who is Julia? (1986), Dead Before Dawn (1993), and Violation of Trust (1991). He appeared on the sitcom Major Dad with his Simon & Simon co-star Gerald McRaney.
Parker's last known acting work in the business was in 2003-2004, after a four year hiatus, when he appeared in four episodes of JAG. Although he did voice over work as the narrator for the documentary "Endangered Species: California Fish and Game Wardens" in 2009, he seems to have effectively retired from acting without an official announcement. He now makes his living as a writer for a variety of hard-copy and on-line magazines and is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, An Accidental Cowboy.[9]
Writing career
Parker has written four books:
- Parker, Jameson (2003). An Accidental Cowboy. ebook. ISBN 9780984981236. recounts his life after Simon & Simon[10]
- Parker, Jameson (2003). To Absent Friends: A Collection of Stories of the Dogs We Miss. Minocqua, WI: Willow Creek Press. ISBN 9781572237063.
- Parker, Jameson (2012). American Riff. ebook. ISBN 9780984981298.
- Parker, Jameson (2012). The Horseman at Midnight. ebook. ISBN 9780984981267.
Personal life
Parker has often said that he was not the typical "Hollywood type," and that he is very much a homebody.
In fall 1992, Parker was shot in the left arm pit and right arm by a neighbor near his home after a verbal altercation where Parker was defending his wife's honor after she and the shooter argued earlier in the day. He made a full recovery, and the neighbor was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to nine years in prison.[11]
Filmography
| Film and Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1975 | Crossfire | TV film | |
| 1975–76 | Somerset | Dale Robinson | Daytime serial |
| 1976 | Once an Eagle | TV miniseries | |
| 1976–78 | One Life to Live | Brad Vernon | Daytime serial |
| 1977 | 79 Park Avenue | TV miniseries | |
| 1978 | The Immigrants | TV miniseries | |
| 1979 | Women at West Point | J.J. Palfrey | TV film |
| 1979 | The Bell Jar | Buddy Willars | Feature film |
| 1979 | Anatomy of a Seduction | Ed Taggert | TV film |
| 1979 | The Gathering, Part II | Bud | TV film |
| 1980 | Family | Jack | 1 episode: "Jack of Hearts" |
| 1980 | Hart to Hart | Whitney Rogers | 1 episode: "A Question of Innocence" |
| 1980 | A Small Circle of Friends | Nick Baxter | Feature film |
| 1980 | The Promise of Love | Sam Daniels | TV film |
| 1981 | Callie & Son | Randy Bordeaux | TV film |
| 1981–89 | Simon & Simon | A.J. Simon | 156 episodes |
| 1982 | Bret Maverick | Whitney Delaworth III | 1 episode: "Faith, Hope and Clarity" (Parts 1 & 2) |
| 1982 | White Dog | Roland Grale | Feature film |
| 1982 | Magnum, P.I. | A.J. Simon | 1 episode: "Ki'is Don't Lie" |
| 1983 | A Caribbean Mystery | Tim Kendall | TV film |
| 1983 | Whiz Kids | A.J. Simon | 1 episode: "Deadly Access" |
| 1986 | Jackals | Dave Buchanon | Feature film (aka American Justice) |
| 1986 | Who Is Julia? | Don North | TV film |
| 1987 | Prince of Darkness | Brian Marsh | Feature film |
| 1989 | Spy | Frank Harvey | TV film |
| 1990 | Waiting for the Wind | David | Short film |
| 1991 | Major Dad | Evan Charters | 1 episode: "Polly's Choice" |
| 1991 | She Says She's Innocent | Eric Reilly | TV film (aka Violation of Trust) |
| 1991 | Curse of the Crystal Eye | Luke Ward | Feature film |
| 1991 | Murder, She Wrote | Gordon Forbes / Dane Kenderson | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Pros and Cons | Jace Novak | 1 episode: "May the Best Man Win" |
| 1992–93 | The Legend of Prince Valiant | Sir Kay (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 1993 | Dead Before Dawn | Robert Edelman | TV film |
| 1994 | Burke's Law | Ben Hutchins | 1 episode: "Who Killed Nick Hazard?" |
| 1995 | Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again | A.J. Simon | TV film |
| 1995 | ABC Afterschool Special | John Atkins | 1 episode: "Long Road Home" |
| 1996 | Have You Seen My Son | Mike Pritcher | TV film |
| 1996 | Dead Man's Island | Lyle Stedman | TV film |
| 1996 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Sgt. Bob Horne | 1 episode: "The Brotherhood" |
| 1997 | Something Borrowed, Something Blue | Richard Ives | TV film |
| 1997 | Promised Land | Dr. Smith | 1 episode: "Take Back the Night" |
| 1998 | The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue | Troy (voice) | Direct-to-video film |
| 2003–04 | JAG | Harrison Kershaw (CIA Deputy Director) | 4 episodes |
References
- ↑ New York Times: "Anne Davis Betrothed to Francis Parker 2d," June 4, 1969, accessed March 4, 2012
- 1 2 3 TV Guide: "Jameson Parker: Biography", accessed March 4, 2012
- 1 2 Beloit College: "F. Jameson Parker II', accessed March 4, 2012
- ↑ New York Times: Vincent Canby, "Film: Small Circle of 3 College Friends," March 12, 1980, accessed March 4, 2012
- ↑ "50 Top-Grossing Films". (Week ending March 19, 1980). Variety, March 22, 1980
- ↑ New York Times: Janet Maslin, "TV: Movie Tells Story Of West Point Women," February 27, 1979, accessed March 4, 2012
- ↑ New York Times: John J. O'Connor, "TV: Film of an Affair, Anatomy of a Seduction," May 8, 1979, accessed March 4, 2012
- ↑ New York Times: Nina Darnton, "Film: American Justice," September 19, 1986, accessed March 4, 2012
- ↑ Parker, Jameson. "Homepage Biography". Jameson Parker Homepage. Jameson Parker. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
- ↑ ESPN Outdoors: James A. Swan, "A True Hero's Journey," October 2, 2003, accessed March 4, 2012
- ↑ Los Angeles Times: Thom Mrozek, "Actor Testifies Against His Alleged Attacker Courts," September 4, 1993, accessed March 4, 2012