Michael Ontkean
Birthday: Born in 1946-01-24 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Deathday: Alive
Michael Leonard Ontkean (born January 24, 1946) is a Canadian retired actor. Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Ontkean relocated to the United States to attend the University of New Hampshire on a hockey scholarship before pursuing a career in acting in the early 1970s. He initially came to prominence portraying Officer Willie Gillis on the crime drama series The Rookies from 1972 to 1974, followed by lead roles in the hockey sports comedy film Slap Shot (1977) and the romantic comedy Willie & Phil (1980). In 1982, he had a starring role opposite Harry Hamlin and Kate Jackson in the drama Making Love, in which he portrayed a married man who comes to terms with his homosexuality. Ontkean continued to appear in films, such as Clara's Heart (1988) and Postcards from the Edge (1990) before being cast as Sheriff Harry S. Truman on David Lynch's Twin Peaks (1990–1991), the role for which he is best known.
TV Credits
The Rookies
Character: Willie Gillis
The Rookies is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department....
North Shore
Character:
North Shore is an American prime-time soap opera It centered around the staff and guests of the fictional Grand Waimea Hotel and Resort on Oahu's North Shore in Hawaii....
Twin Peaks
Character: Harry S. Truman
The body of Laura Palmer is washed up on a beach near the small Washington state town of Twin Peaks. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate her strange demise only to uncover a web of mystery that ultimately leads him deep into the heart of the surrounding woodland and his very own soul....
Tales of the Unexpected
Character: Tommy
A British television anthology of stories, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, and a twist at the end. With early episodes written and presented by Roald Dahl, the series featured a plethora of big name guest stars....
Ironside
Character:
When an assassin's bullet confines him to a wheelchair for life ending his career as Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside becomes a consultant to the police department. Detective Sergeant Ed Brown and policewoman Eve Whitfield join with him to crack varied and fascinating cases. Ex-con Mark Sanger is employed by the chief as home help but eventually becomes a fully fledged member of the team also. Officer Whitfield leaves after 4 years service, and is replaced by Officer Fran Belding....
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal
Character:
Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal is a Canadian science fiction television series that surrounds a scientific team that deals with all manner of paranormal phenomena around the world; from alien abductions to possessions. The organization depicted in the series is loosely inspired by a real-life scientific organization. While locations in the series took place worldwide, the series was primarily filmed in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and aired 88 episodes over four seasons from 19...
The Hitchhiker
Character: Gordon Brooks
A young hitchhiker introduces characters who are about to experience a frightening and sometimes supernatural incident of some kind in this moody anthology series....
The Outer Limits
Character: Dr. Charles McCamber
Anthology series of composed of distinct story episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end, with occasional recurring story elements that were often tied together during season-finale clip shows....
Family Album
Character: Ward Thayer
Family Album, also known as Danielle Steel's Family Album, is a 1994 television film directed by Jack Bender. The film, which was released in two parts, is based upon the 1985 novel of the same name written by Danielle Steel. The drama centers on the life chronology of a Hollywood actress who becomes a successful film director in an era where directing was dominated by men....
The Outer Limits
Character: Dr. Field
Anthology series of composed of distinct story episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end, with occasional recurring story elements that were often tied together during season-finale clip shows....
In a Child's Name
Character: Kenneth Taylor
A true story about a woman who fights her brother-in-law's parents for custody of her deceased sister's baby upon learning that her brother-in-law murdered her sister....
Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans
Character: Cochea
Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans was set in New York's Hudson Valley during the French and Indian war in the 1750's and depicted the adventures of Hawkeye and his Indian blood brother Chingachgook, the last member of the Mohican tribe. The series based on stories by James Fenimore Cooper....
The Partridge Family
Character: Lester Braddock
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom series about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career....
Great Performances
Character: Lucius Harney
The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries....
Movie Credits
Maid to Order
Character: Nick McGuire
Spoiled Jessie Montgomery, whose wild behavior and spending excesses cause her well-meaning but exasperated millionaire father Charles to wish he never had her, is visited by fairy godmother Stella. In an effort to save Jessie, Stella casts a spell which causes Charles to no longer have a daughter. Jessie, now penniless and without a friend, must take a maid's job to earn a living, and hopefully to learn her lesson....
The Blood of Others
Character: Jean
In the German-occupied Paris, Helene is torn between the love for her boyfriend Jean, working for the resistance and the German administrator Bergmann, who will do anything to gain her affection....
Slap Shot
Character: Ned Braden
To build up attendance at their games, the management of a struggling minor-league hockey team signs up the Hanson Brothers, three hard-charging players whose job is to demolish the opposition....
Vendetta II: The New Mafia
Character: Hank Parnell
...
Making Love
Character: Zach
A perfect typical LA couple find their happily-ever-after life broken when Zach confronts his long-repressed attraction for other men....
Necromancy
Character: Frank Brandon
After Lori suffers a stillbirth, her husband Frank obtains a job with a northern California toy company. Frank's new boss, the mysterious Mr. Cato, explains that Frank's position will involve magic. Cato, who seemingly holds enormous influence over the town, pursues the power of necromancy and believes that Lori holds the key that will help him resurrect his own dead son....
Mrs. Ashboro's Cat
Character: Wes Merritt
Wes Merritt and his daughter Natalie (14) get more than they bargained for when they buy an old house that was formerly inhabited by the nice old Mrs. Ashboro and her pet cat, Margaret. When strange things start happening in the house, all fingers point to the presence of Margaret, who died the same day as Mrs. Ashboro. But why has she come back to haunt them?...
Bear with Me
Character: Greg Bradley
An orphaned bear cub is adopted by little Emily and her family. They name the cub Masha, raise her and release her back into the wild. Three years go by, and Emily is lost deep in the forest. Cold, frightened and alone in the darkness, she falls and is knocked unconscious. When she awakens, Emily is amazed to see that a brown bear has kept her warm and dry all night by cuddling her. It's Masha – and Emily is overjoyed to be reunited with the bear just when she needs a friend most. Together the t...
The Rookies
Character: Willie Gillis
Three new officers in a large metropolitan police department adjust to their new jobs and way of life. This is another TV-pilot that was first aired as an ABC Movie of the Week before becoming a TV-series....
Clara's Heart
Character: Bill Hart
David is a teenager whose parents are in a deteriorating marriage after their infant daughter dies. Clara is a chambermaid at a Jamaican resort who's hired to be a housekeeper. She and David develop a close bond, opening his eyes and heart to new experiences, and eventually leading to a disturbing secret in Clara's past....
Willie and Phil
Character: Willie Kaufman
Life imitates art when two Manhattanites — pompous teacher Willie and quiet photographer Phil — become friends after a thought-provoking screening of "Jules et Jim," Truffaut's classic film about a decades-long ménage à trois. Soon, the men meet Jeanette, a sexually liberated southern transplant who promptly falls for both of them. Frustrated passions curdle into jealousy as Jeanette entertains love affairs with each in the ensuing years....
Just the Way You Are
Character: Peter Nichols
Despite her success as a professional flute player and the constant attention of men around her, Susan Berlanger feels insecure because of her lame right leg. During a European tour, she decides to cover her leg with a cast to see how people will react to her as a nondisabled person....
The Peace Killers
Character: Jeff
Siblings Kristy and Jeffrey are buying supplies at a remote desert gas station when some members of a biker gang come cruising in. The bikers recognize Kristy, who used to be the main squeeze of the gang's leader before she ran away. The pair get away, but the bikers find out that they're living in a nearby commune, and start making their battle plans to bring Kristy back....
The Descendants
Character: Cousin Milo
With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident, Hawaiian land baron Matt King takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront a young real estate broker, who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune....
US Against the World
Character: Self
This NBC Special from 1977 pitted celebrities from the worlds of film and TV in the United States against stars from the U.K. and the rest of the World. Three teams of five men and three women representing their native land, competed in a series of nine events during this fast paced and exciting 2 hour TV Special. Sporting events included bowling, darts, rowing, swimming and running relays and soccer goal kicking....
Hot Summer Week
Character: Will
Two girls pick up a crazed hitchhiker who may or may not be the serial killer murdering hippies in the area....
Summer of the Monkeys
Character: John Lee
One summer, Jay finds four chimps on the prairie who have fallen off a circus cart....
Street Justice
Character: Curt Flynn
A forgotten CIA agent escapes after 12 years and returns to his corrupt New Jersey hometown....
The Witching
Character: Frank Brandon
This is Gordon's re-edit of his 1972 horror film Necromancy starring Orson Welles and Pamela Franklin. This version features brand new scenes (mostly to up to exploitation factor) filmed in 1983 and added by Gordon himself. It also features a brand new score and other changes and the whole thing differs greatly from the original 82-minute theatrical version....
A Killing Spring
Character: Tom Keaton
When Reed Gallagher, dean of Journalism at Lanholme College, is found dead of asphyxiation in an apparent attempt at autoerotic suffocation, Joanne Kilbourn is pulled into the murky world of kinky sex, academic competitiveness and ruthless ambition....
Cold Front
Character: Derek McKenzie
An American cop teams up with a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman and together they uncover a plot to hide international terrorists in Vancouver....
Just a Little Harmless Sex
Character: Jeff
A young married couple faces a serious break-up when the husband is caught committing adultery with a prostitute....
A Chance of Snow
Character: Matthew 'Matt' Parker
After signing her divorce papers, a woman heads out to her Minnesota airport with her sister and daughters for a flight to her mother's home. At the airport, her sportswriter husband shows up to catch a flight to Miami to visit his father. When a blizzard hits, the two suddenly find they have time to re-evaluate their relationship with assistance from an older couple....
The Stepford Husbands
Character: Mick Davidson
Something sinister is going on in the town of Stepford, and this time the men should watch their backs....
Voices
Character: Drew Rothman
An up-and-coming nightclub singer falls in love with a shy young deaf teacher who aspires to be a dancer....
Swann
Character: Stephen
Rose Hindmarsh finds herself at the centre of a controversy when she meets author Sarah Maloney as she investigates the life of Mary Swann, an obscure poet who was brutally murdered in a small town in rural Ontario....
Postcards from the Edge
Character: Robert Munch
Substance-addicted Hollywood actress, Suzanne Vale is on the skids. After a spell at a detox centre her film company insists as a condition of continuing to employ her that she live with her mother, herself once a star and now a champion drinker. Such a set-up is bad news for Suzanne who has struggled for years to get out of her mother's shadow, and who still treats her like a child. Despite these and other problems, Suzanne begins to see the funny side of her situation, and also realises that n...
The Allnighter
Character: Mickey
Molly, Val and Gina are graduating college, but on their final night, frustrations are aired. Molly is still looking for real love and Val is beginning to doubt if that is what she has found. Gina is too busy videotaping everything to really notice. When the final party at Pacifica College kicks off, things do not go exactly as planned....
Legacy of Lies
Character:
A famous orchestra director was killed by the mafia when he left a restaurant. But the policeman who is in charge of this case discovers that there is more but just an assassination because it was an error....
Kids Don't Tell
Character: John Ryan
When a documentary-maker begins to make a film about child sexual abuse, the subject begins to eat into him and affect his relationship with those around him, particularly his wife....
The Right of the People
Character: Christopher Wells
The Second Amendment of the Constitution forms the basis of this drama that follows the crusade of a lawyer to allow citizens to carry handguns. He launched his fight after his wife and daughter were killed during a robbery....
Bye Bye Blues
Character: Teddy Cooper
During World War II, Daisy Cooper returns home to Canada with her children after her British husband, soldier Teddy, is assigned to Singapore. With the help of trombonist Max Gramley, Daisy's amateurish piano and vocal skills improve, and soon she is supporting her family with her performances. Unsure whether Teddy is alive or dead, Daisy is torn between staying faithful and giving in to her growing feelings for Max....
Twin Peaks
Character: Sheriff Harry S. Truman
An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks. (This standalone version of the series pilot was produced for the European VHS market and has an alternate, closed ending.)...
In Defense of a Married Man
Character: Robert
When a defense lawyer's adulterous husband becomes the prime suspect in the murder of the woman he was cheating with, his wife chooses to defend him. Can she overcome his betrayal while searching for the truth?...
Pickup on 101
Character: Chuck
An elderly wanderer, a sexy young girl running away from home and a folk singer looking for stardom hitch-hike their way cross-country, trying to get to California....
Rapture
Character: Jeff Lisker
A computer software designer becomes obsessed with his now-married high-school crush of 20 years before....
Nico the Unicorn
Character: Tom Gentry
As an 11-year-old boy struggles to cope with a disability, he finds a pony who gives birth to a unicorn which he takes care of....
The Man Next Door
Character: Eli Cooley
Residents of a small town struggle when a paroled rapist moves into the area....
Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
Character: Sheriff Harry S. Truman
Ninety minutes of deleted and alternate takes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, assembled by David Lynch to continue the story of the final week of Laura Palmer’s life....
The Boy from Dead Man's Bayou
Character:
...
Green Sails
Character: John Scott
When ambitious CCT exec Will Patterson uncovers a corporate conspiracy, his life spirals out of control. With an unlikely ally and beautiful crusader to guide him through his struggle, he travels to the jungles of Indonesia where a tribe--wrongly forced off their land by CCT--and the corporation clash. No matter which side Will chooses--with so many lives on the line, his decision is destined to be a deadly one....