John Schneider (screen actor)
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2013) |
| John Schneider | |
|---|---|
 John Schneider, December 2007 |
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| Born | John Richard Schneider III April 8, 1960 Mount Kisco, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, singer, screenwriter, film producer |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Spouse(s) | Tawny Little (1983–1986) Elly Castle (1993–present; 1 child) |
John Richard Schneider III (born April 8, 1960) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1970s–1980s American television series The Dukes of Hazzard, and of Jonathan Kent in the 2001–11 TV series Smallville (an adaptation of Superman).
Alongside his acting career, Schneider performed as a country music singer in the 1980s, releasing nine studio albums and a greatest hits package, as well as eighteen singles. This total includes "I've Been Around Enough to Know", "Country Girls", "What's a Memory Like You (Doing in a Love Like This)" and "You're the Last Thing I Needed Tonight", all of which reached the top of the Billboard country singles charts.
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Early life [edit]
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This section requires expansion with: more info. (April 2009) |
Schneider was born April 8, 1960,in Mount Kisco, New York. His family included an older brother Robert, an artist living in up-state New York. John's life as an entertainer began at the age of eight, when he put on magic shows for his peers and their families. This once got him into trouble, when he had himself chained up and tossed into a swimming pool with the intention of re-creating Harry Houdini's legendary escape act. When he was 14, he and his mother moved to Georgia, where his love for performing continued. John graduated from North Springs High School in 1977, about a year earlier than his classmates because he wanted to focus on his career.
Career [edit]
Acting career [edit]
Schneider is best known for his role of Bo Duke on the popular TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. For a while, the role resulted in his being typecast as a "hillbilly" type.
Schneider can be seen on several episodes of the FX Network show Nip/Tuck as "Ram Peters", the owner of a pornographic film company. Also, from February to March 2008, he performed as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago on Broadway.
Schneider is also known to television viewers as Jonathan Kent, the adoptive father of Clark Kent on the hit show Smallville, starring in 100 episodes before his character was killed off. Schneider also directed episodes of Smallville, including "Talisman", which received a respectable 8.8 rating out of 10 on TV.com. Some Smallville episodes contain references to Schneider's other work in The Dukes of Hazzard (both shows were produced by Warner Brothers), and the fifth season episode "Exposed" is notable for reuniting Schnieder with his former Dukes co-star Tom Wopat. Schneider also guest starred for the latter half of season five appearing in the episodes "Void" and "Oracle".
Schneider has appeared in many films and TV series, including five guest spots on Hee Haw and the miniseries 10.5. He had a recurring role on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and guest-starred on such shows as Diagnosis: Murder, Touched by an Angel, JAG and Walker, Texas Ranger. He also appeared in the national tour of the Broadway musical The Civil War as a Confederate soldier. John's other stage-work includes Oklahoma!; he auditioned for, but did not get, the role of Erik in The Phantom of the Opera.
Schneider has also been mentioned in other media such as the South Park episode "Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow", in which an episode of Terrance and Phillip was aired in place of the popular fictitious show The John Schneider Variety Hour, causing outrage.
In 2007, he was among a series of celebrities involved in television ads for the Zaxby's restaurant chain.
In 2009, he made an appearance on the series CSI in an episode titled "Kill Me If You Can". He played the spouse of a murder victim; the murder was later confirmed as a suicide.
Schneider appeared in the first season of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, in which his real-life son Chasen Schneider had a recurring role. During the summer of 2008 and early 2009, John portrayed "Marshall Bowman". He declined to continue through the second season, so in one episode, his character would die in a plane crash.
Schneider appeared on June 16, 2010, on the pilot of the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland as Melanie's date, Hank.
Schneider returned for the season 10 premiere of Smallville, reprising his role as Jonathan Kent in a recurring role.[1]
In 2010, Schneider appeared in the series Leverage as a corrupt music executive in the season three episode "The Studio Job".
In 2010, he appeared in several episodes of Desperate Housewives as a retired military man and father of Keith Watson (Brian Austin Green), the love interest of Bree Van de Kamp.
In November 2010, he began to appear in a series of UK adverts for Little Chef, where he plays a centaur who refuses to buy into the great value of Little Chef breakfasts.
In Spring 2011, he starred in the film Doonby, as a drifter who comes into a small town and makes it better. However, a menacing force stalks him. "It's It's a Wonderful Life without the wonderful part," Schneider explains. "'Reach down into the throat of It's a Wonderful Life, pull it inside out and make a movie out of it."[2]
Music career [edit]
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This section requires expansion with: More info on each album, critical reception. (July 2009) |
During the 1980s, Schneider parlayed his success as Bo Duke with a string of country music hits. His biggest hits include: "It's Now or Never" (#4 country and No. 14 pop, 1981; a remake of the Elvis Presley hit); "I've Been Around Enough to Know" (#1 country, 1984); "Country Girls" (#1 country, 1985); "What's a Memory Like You (Doing in a Love Like This)" and "You're The Last Thing I Needed Tonight" (both No. 1 country, 1986); "At the Sound of the Tone" (#5 country, 1986); and "Love, You Ain't Seen the Last of Me" (#6 country) in 1987.
Schneider has recorded 10 albums to date, including works on Scotti Brothers Records and MCA Nashville. His co-star (on The Dukes of Hazzard), Tom Wopat, also enjoyed success on the country music charts. Schneider and Wopat sang several duets on the TV series, sometimes with co-star Catherine Bach. In fact, in the season 7 DVD boxset, the trio performed a remake of the show's theme song "Good Ol' Boys" in a music video as a tribute to their friend Waylon Jennings.
Personal life [edit]
Schneider became a born-again Christian while living with Johnny and June Carter Cash for a short time and speaking with Johnny about Christianity.[3] In 1982, he co-founded, with Marie Osmond, the Children's Miracle Network to help suffering children. In 1995, he founded FaithWorks Productions in order to produce family-oriented videos and recordings.
Schneider has recently become involved in animal advocacy. He read from Karen Dawn's book Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking The Way We Treat Animals at its New York book launch. In a Washington Post article he discussed the effects of the book and the people he met through the event on his life.[4] He was moved to record a personal video, which is available on YouTube and on the book's website, in which he talks of his shock upon learning about the way animals are treated by human society, and mentions the award winning documentary Earthlings, which is about the human dependence on animals for a variety of resources.[5]
John was married to former Miss America Tawny Elaine Godin from 1983 to 1986. John married his second wife, Elly Castle, on July 11, 1993. They have three children: daughter Leah, and son Chasen who has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome[6] (Elly's children from a previous marriage) and a daughter Karis born in 1996.[7]
In March 2008, Schneider auctioned off his "General Lee" Dodge Charger with the winning bidder being a car dealer and collector living in Hardy County, West Virginia.
Filmography [edit]
Television [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–85 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Bo Duke | |
| 1981 | Dream House | Charley Cross | Movie |
| The Midnight Special | Guest host | Season 9, episode 23, March 13 | |
| 1983 | The Raccoons and the Lost Star | Dan the Forest Ranger (voice) | Movie |
| Happy Endings | Nick Callohan | Movie | |
| The Dukes | Bo Duke (voice) | Season 2, episodes 1–7 | |
| 1985 | Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster | Gus Brown | Movie |
| 1986 | Stagecoach | Buck | Movie |
| 1987 | Christmas Comes to Willow Creek | Ray | Movie |
| 1988 | Outback Bound | Jim Tully | Movie |
| 1989 | Wild Jack | Jack McCall | Miniseries |
| Guns of Paradise | Sheriff Pat Garrett | Episode: "A Gathering of Guns" | |
| 1990 | Grand Slam | Dennis 'Hardball' Bakelenekoff | Pilot movie |
| 1992 | Highway Heartbreaker | Mickey | Movie |
| 1993 | Sisters | McGreevy/McGrady/McGruder | Episode: "Moving Pictures" |
| Desperate Journey: The Allison Wilcox Story | Eddie | ||
| 1993 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Red McCall | Episode: "A Cowboy's Lullaby" |
| 1994 | Texas | Davy Crockett | Movie |
| Bandit: Bandit Bandit | Sheriff Enright | Movie | |
| Heaven Help Us | Doug Monroe | Movie | |
| Second Chances | Richard McGill | Episodes 8–10 | |
| Burke's Law | Brett Scanlon | Episode: "Who Killed the Soap Star?" | |
| Christy | Theodore Harland | Episode: "Amazing Grace" | |
| 1999 | Michael Landon, the Father I Knew | Michael Landon | Movie |
| Sam Churchill: Search for a Homeless Man | Sam Churchill | Movie | |
| 1995, 2000–01 |
Touched by an Angel | Satan / Joshua Winslow | "In the Name of God" "Shallow Water" (Parts 1 & 2) |
| 1996 | Kung Fu: The Legend Continues | Latrodect | Season 4 Episode 5 |
| 1996, 2000 |
Diagnosis: Murder | Brett Hayward / Eddie Dagabosian / Michael Dern | Episodes: "X Marks the Murder: Part 1", "Out of the Past", "Getting Mad, Getting Even" |
| 1997–98 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Recurring role | |
| 1997 | The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! | Bo Duke | |
| 1998 | JAG | Sgt. Clyde Morrison | Episode: "Mr. Rabb Goes to Washington" |
| Walker, Texas Ranger | Jacob Crossland | Episode: "Jacob's Ladder" | |
| 1999– 2000 |
Veronica's Closet | Tom | Season 3 episodes 13–15 |
| 2000 | The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood | Bo Duke | |
| Twice in a Lifetime | Captain Luke Sellars / Willie | Episode: "Final Flight" | |
| 2000/01 | Relic Hunter | Dallas Carter | 2 episodes |
| 2001–06, 2010/11 |
Smallville | Jonathan Kent | Series regular, seasons 1–5 |
| 2001–03 | The Mummy: The Animated Series | Rick O'Connell | Series regular |
| 2001 | Lightning: Fire from the Sky | Tom Dobbs | Movie |
| 2002 | Mary Christmas | Joel Wallace | Movie |
| 2003 | The Nick at Nite Holiday Special | Mr. Schneider, The Ski Instructor | |
| 2004 | 10.5 | Clark Williams | Miniseries |
| 2005 | Felicity: An American Girl Adventure | Mr. Merriman | Movie |
| Living with Fran | Tom Martin | Episode: "Riley's Parents" | |
| 2006 | King of the Hill | The Ace (voice) | Episode: "You Gotta Believe (In Moderation)" |
| Model Family | John | ||
| Hi-Jinks | Himself | Guest host | |
| Shorty McShorts' Shorts | Hunky-D | Short animation on Disney Channel | |
| 2007 | Lake Placid 2 | Sheriff Riley | Movie |
| You've Got a Friend | Jim Klecan | Movie | |
| Nip/Tuck | Ram Peters | 5 Episodes | |
| Journeyman | Dennis Armstrong | Episode: "Winterland" | |
| 2008 | Come Dance at My Wedding | Tanner Gray | Movie |
| Ogre | Henry Bartlett | Movie | |
| Shark Swarm | Daniel Wilder | Movie | |
| Davie & Golimyr | Cartoon | ||
| CSI: Miami | Charles Brighton | Episode: "Tunnel Vision" | |
| 2008–09 | The Secret Life of the American Teenager | Marshall Bowman | Season 1 regular |
| 2009 | Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld | Fox News Channel program | |
| Dirty Sexy Money | Congressman Skip Whatley | Season 2 episodes 11–13 | |
| Twentysixmiles | Jack Kinkaid | Six-episode series | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Mickey Ross | Episode: "Kill Me If You Can" | |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | Dennis | Episode: "Officer Krupke" | |
| 2009–10 | 90210 | Jeffrey Sarkossian | Recurring role |
| 2010 | Phineas and Ferb | Wilkins Brother No. 1 (voice) | Episode: "Just Passing Through/Candace's Big Day" |
| Leverage | Mitchell Kirkwood | Episode: "The Studio Job" | |
| Desperate Housewives | Richard Watson | Season 7, episodes 7–10 | |
| Hot in Cleveland | Henry 'Hank' Szymborska | Episodes: "Pilot", "Bad Bromance" | |
| 2010–13 | Hero Factory | Preston Stormer (voice) | Animated series |
| 2011 | Working Class | Glen | Episode: "Sugar Mama" |
| Trick My What? | Host | ||
| Glee | Sam Evans' dad | Episode: "Hold on to Sixteen" | |
| 2012 | Happily Divorced | Adam | Episode: "Adventure Man" |
| 2013 | Mistresses | Thomas Grey | 1 episode |
| 2013 | The Haves and the Have Nots | Jim Cryer | Main Role |
Film [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Eddie Macon's Run | Eddie Macon | |
| 1985 | Cocaine Wars | DEA Agent Cliff Adams | |
| 1987 | The Curse | Carl Willis | |
| 1989 | Speed Zone! | Donato | |
| Ministry of Vengeance | David Miller | ||
| 1993 | Come the Morning | Name unknown | |
| 1994 | Exit to Eden | Prof. Collins | |
| 1995 | The Little CHP | Jack Sr. | |
| 1996 | The Legend of the Ruby Silver | Tommy Towne | |
| Night of the Twisters | Jack Hatch | ||
| 1997 | True Women | Sam Houston | |
| 2000 | Snow Day | Chad Symmonz | |
| 2006 | Hidden Secrets | Gary Zimmerman | |
| John Schneider's Collier & Co. – Hot Pursuit | J.R. Collier | limited theatrical | |
| 2007 | Sydney White | Paul White | |
| 2009 | The Rebound | Trevor | |
| Holyman Undercover | Satan | ||
| Set Apart | Pastor John Gunn | ||
| The Gods of Circumstance | Mick Jeremiah | ||
| 2010 | What Would Jesus Do? | The Drifter | |
| 2011 | Doonby | Doonby | |
| Flag of my Father | Daniel | ||
| Super Shark | Wade | ||
| Snow Beast | Jim Harwood | ||
| 2012 | October Baby | Jacob Lawson | |
| 2013 | Road to the Open | Rob Gollant | |
| Season of Miracles | Coach | ||
| Not Today | Luke | ||
| Runaway Hearts | Chief Tate | ||
| Road to the Open | Rob Gollant |
Discography [edit]
Albums [edit]
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | |||
| 1981 | Now or Never | 8 | 37 | Scotti Brothers |
| White Christmas | 39 | 155 | ||
| 1982 | Quiet Man | — | — | |
| 1983 | If You Believe | — | — | |
| 1984 | Too Good to Stop Now | 4 | 133 | MCA |
| 1985 | Tryin' to Outrun the Wind | 15 | — | |
| A Memory Like You | 1 | — | ||
| 1986 | Take the Long Way Home | 17 | — | |
| 1987 | You Ain't Seen the Last of Me | 41 | — | |
| Greatest Hits | 22 | — | ||
| 1996 | Worth the Wait | — | — | FaithWorks |
| 2009 | John's Acoustic Christmas | — | — | self-released |
| 2010 | The Promise | — | — | |
Singles [edit]
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country[8] | US | CAN Country | CAN AC | |||
| 1981 | "It's Now or Never"A | 4 | 14 | 7 | 5 | Now or Never |
| "Them Good Ol' Boys Are Bad" | 13 | — | 12 | — | ||
| 1982 | "Dreamin'" | 32 | 45 | 28 | 19 | Quiet Man |
| "In the Driver's Seat" | 56 | 72 | 36 | — | ||
| 1983 | "Are You Lonesome Tonight" (w/ Jill Michaels) | 57 | — | — | — | If You Believe |
| "If You Believe" | 81 | — | — | — | ||
| 1984 | "I've Been Around Enough to Know" | 1 | — | 1 | — | Too Good to Stop Now |
| 1985 | "Country Girls" | 1 | — | 1 | — | |
| "It's a Short Walk from Heaven to Hell" | 10 | — | 6 | — | Tryin' to Outrun the Wind | |
| "I'm Gonna Leave You Tomorrow" | 10 | — | 7 | — | ||
| "What's a Memory Like You (Doing in a Love Like This)" | 1 | — | 1 | — | A Memory Like You | |
| 1986 | "You're the Last Thing I Needed Tonight" | 1 | — | 1 | — | |
| "At the Sound of the Tone" | 5 | — | 16 | — | Take the Long Way Home | |
| "Take the Long Way Home" | 10 | — | 7 | — | ||
| 1987 | "Love, You Ain't Seen the Last of Me" | 6 | — | 4 | — | You Ain't Seen the Last of Me |
| "When the Right One Comes Along" | 32 | — | 35 | — | ||
| "If It Was Anyone But You" | 59 | — | — | — | ||
| 2010 | "The Promise" | — | — | — | — | The Promise |
- A"It's Now or Never" also peaked at No. 5 on Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks.
B-sides [edit]
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | |||
| 1981 | "Still" | 69 | Now or Never |
References [edit]
- ^ Smallville: An Original Cast Member Returns, Eric Goldman, IGN, June 30, 2010
- ^ Hold the saccharine: The Christians behind Doonby hope it will be a different kind of 'faith-based film', Rebecca Cusey, World Magazine Issue: Broken beyond repair? September 25, 2010
- ^ Taking the Lead - Today's Christian
- ^ http://blog.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2008/05/catching_up_with_john_schneide.html?hpid=entnews Washington Post Article
- ^ http://www.thankingthemonkey.com/nybooklaunch.php Thanking the Monkey Book Reading
- ^ mickeynews.com (archived from the original), writing "James Denton ... applauded hosts of the organization's autism awareness public service announcements, including celebrity parents of children with autism, Ed Asner, Gary Cole, Joe Mantegna and John Schneider."
- ^ Morgan, John (April 15, 2003). "John Schneider promotes Asperger's Syndrome awareness". USA Today.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 370–371. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
External links [edit]
- Official website
- John Schneider at the Internet Movie Database
- John Schneider at the Internet Broadway Database
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- 1960 births
- Actors from New York
- American Christians
- American film actors
- American country singers
- American male singers
- American musical theatre actors
- American people of German descent
- American people of English descent
- American people of Irish descent
- American people of French descent
- American screenwriters
- American film producers
- American television actors
- Living people
- MCA Records artists
- People from Mount Kisco, New York
