John Hostetter
John Hostetter (October 6, 1946 – September 2, 2016) was an American actor, voice artist, and visual artist who was perhaps best known for his role as John, the stage manager on the fictional FYI newsmagazine, on the CBS sitcom Murphy Brown; he appeared in 62 of the series' 247 episodes from 1988-98.[1][2]
Hostetter was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 6, 1946.[1] He was raised in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Eichelberger High School. He attended both Catawba College and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte before completing his master's degree in acting at Cornell University.[1] Following college, Hostetter joined the National Shakespeare Company before relocating to California in 1971 to pursue acting.[1] In 1971, he co-starred with Christopher Reeve in a stage production of Samuel Beckett's play, Waiting for Godot.[3]
He appeared in more than 100 film and television roles throughout his professional career.[3] His televisions credits from the 1970s to 2000s include: Cagney & Lacey, Coach, The Golden Girls, Knight Rider, Matlock, Simon & Simon, NYPD Blue, JAG, Sheena, and T. J. Hooker.[1][3] His films included Into the Night (1985), Heartbreak Ridge (1986), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), No Way Out (1987), Leonard Part 6 (1987), and Star Trek: Insurrection.[1][2]
In 1985, Hostetter was cast as the voice of Bazooka on the popular animated series, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, which launched his voice acting career.[3] He reprised his role of Bazooka in the spin-off film, G.I. Joe: The Movie, which was released on VHS in 1987.[3] A decade later, Hostetter provided English-language voices for Hayao Miyazaki's anime feature, Princess Mononoke, released in 1997.[3] His voice credits also included video games, including Vampire Hunter D in 1999.[3]
In 2001, Hostetter and his wife, Del, moved to Florida where he worked as a visual artist. He died from cancer in Port Orange, Florida, on September 2, 2016, at the age of 69. He was survived by his wife, a sister, and several nieces and nephews.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Barnes, Mike (2016-09-07). "John Hostetter, Actor on 'Murphy Brown', Dies at 69". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- 1 2 Brill, Karen (2016-09-08). "Murphy Brown Actor John Hostetter Dead at 69". Vulture.com. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pedersen, Erik (2016-09-07). "John Hostetter Dies: 'Murphy Brown' Alum & Veteran Character Actor Was 69". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2016-09-29.