Randall Carver

Randall Carver
Born May 25
Fort Worth, Texas
Nationality American
Alma mater West Texas State University
UCLA
Occupation Actor
Known for Taxi

Randall Carver (born May 25 in Fort Worth, Texas)[1] is an American actor. Carver started his acting career in the late 1960s, and portrayed roles in films and television. Notably, he portrayed John Burns in Taxi throughout the first season (1978–79) until his character was written out of the series and then replaced by Jim Ignatowski, portrayed by Christopher Lloyd, for subsequent seasons.

Early life and education

Carver, a Texan native,[2] graduated from Missouri Military Academy and then West Texas State University.[1] He also graduated from the Fine Arts program of the University of California, Los Angeles.[2]

Career

Carver appeared in minor roles, including his uncredited debut in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy.[2] His first major appearance was the 1973 drama film Time to Run as Jeff Cole, an environment enthusiast who attempts to sabotage his father's (Ed Nelson) nuclear power plant.[3] He portrayed Jeffrey DeVito,[4] gangster husband of Cathy Shumway (Debralee Scott),[5][6] in the 1977–78 television series Forever Fernwood.[7] He also made guest appearances in other television series, like Emergency!, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Waltons,[7][8] and appeared in stage plays and in made-for-television films during the 1970s.[8]

Taxi

In the first season (1978–79) of the television sitcom series Taxi, Carver portrayed John Burns, "a [naïve student][9] who lands in the taxi business more by default than design."[7][8] According to the book Happier Days (2006), although the book praised his acting, Carver's character John was not well-developed, even with his wedding subplot.[10] Carver said,

[The writers] were always trying what to do with this guy [...] There were so many characters. Most of us [cast] were on the stage at the same time [...] and seemed [like] everybody was kind of vying for their moment in the sun. A couple of times [actor] Tony Danza, [portrayer of boxer Tony Banta], and I changed lines at the director's or producers' requests [...] They'd do retooling and restructuring, and while it was not always pleasant at times, you can sort of see from this distance that everything worked out for the best [...][10]

His character was written out[9] and then replaced in the second season (1979–80) by an aging hippie and recovering drug addict Reverend Jim "Iggy" Ignatowski, portrayed by actor Christopher Lloyd.[9] Lloyd initially appeared as Reverend Jim in an episode of season 1, "Paper Marriage" (1978). Lloyd reprised the role of Jim in the season 2 episode, "Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey" (1979), and became a cast member in subsequent seasons.[9][11]

Post-Taxi career

Carver made appearances in other films and television programs thereafter. He made a guest appearance as the fiancé of "a girl from West Virginia" (Loni Anderson) in one segment of the two-part 1980 episode, which was filmed in 1979, of the television series The Love Boat, alongside other guest stars of the similar segment Donny Osmond and Rich Little.[12] He portrayed a killer[13] in the 1980 made-for-television film Detour to Terror.[14] He portrayed Lieutenant Vaughn Beuhler,[13] the "doltish [lieutenant[15] and the station's] program director,"[16] one of principal characters in the 1980 sitcom The Six O'Clock Follies, set in the television station in Saigon, South Vietnam, in 1967 (during the Vietnam War),.[13][15][16] He also appeared in The Norm Show and Malcolm in the Middle in late 1990s and 2000s.[13] Carver portrayed Mr. Bankside in the 2007 film There Will Be Blood,.[17]

Personal life

Carver is married to writer Shelley Herman.[1]

Selected filmography

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Films
Television series

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Randall Carver: Biography". RandallCarver.com. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Churches here sponsor new Billy Graham film". Daily Record. Ellensburg, Washington. January 18, 1974.
  3. ↑ "Time to Run opens Sunday". Daily Union Democrat. Sonora, California. May 17, 1974.
  4. ↑ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows: 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. 2003. p. 747.
  5. ↑ "Forever Fernwood Episodes [(Unknown Episode No.)]". TV Guide. Retrieved December 20, 2013. <http://www.tvguide.com/detail/tv-show.aspx?tvobjectid=201455&more=ucepisodelist&episodeid=676015>
  6. ↑ "Forever Fernwood Episodes [(Unknown Episode No.)]". TV Guide. Retrieved December 20, 2013. <http://www.tvguide.com/detail/tv-show.aspx?tvobjectid=201455&more=ucepisodelist&episodeid=1051758>
  7. 1 2 3 Slifka, Adrian, ed. (July 24, 1978). "Around the Television Airwaves: Pick Regulars for Taxi Series". The Youngstown Daily Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio.
  8. 1 2 3 "Casting complete for new comedy series". Ellensburg Daily Record. August 15, 1978.
  9. 1 2 3 4 King, Susan (November 13, 1994). "Retro Hail, Taxi: beloved sitcom gets a fare share on Nick at Nite". Los Angeles Times (Orange County ed.). TV Times guide, p. 83. Also seen in The Vindicator
  10. 1 2 Brant 2006, pp. 164–65 "A New Kind of Family"
  11. ↑ Bianculli, David (May 19, 1981). "Taxi Rates Among TV's Best Efforts: Just as Funny as M*A*S*H". The Blade (Toledo). Knight News Service. Peach section, p. 4.
  12. ↑ Buck, Jerry (June 3, 1979). "Loni Finds It Difficult to Be Lonely". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. TV Screen-Movies-Radio pullout, p. 8.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Brant 2006, p. 251 "The Legacy "
  14. ↑ "Simpson Back via Detour". The Albany Herald. February 9, 1980. p. 13–B.
  15. 1 2 Boyle, Peter J. (April 24, 1980). "Six O'clock Follies: It's No M-A-S-H". Fredericksburg, Virginia. p. 33.
  16. 1 2 Buck, Jerry (April 18, 1980). "Vietnam is the setting for new comedy series". The Free Lance-Star. Associated Press. p. 23.
  17. ↑ "Randall Carver in There Will Be Blood". Hotflick.net. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
General

External links

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