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Tracey Walter

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Tracey Walter
Walter in 2006
Born (1947-11-25) November 25, 1947 (age 76)
OccupationActor
Years active1971–present
Children2

Tracey Norman Walter (born November 25, 1947) is an American character actor and comedian.[1] He has appeared in over 100 films and television series.

Life and career

Walter was born and grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, as the son of a truck driver.[2] He attended St. Anthony's High School there and played basketball.[3] He has a son and daughter.[3]

He is known for his portrayal of "sidekicks" and "henchmen" such as Bob the Goon in Batman, Cookie in City Slickers, and Malak in Conan the Destroyer.[1] He portrayed Frog Rothchild Jr. on the ABC sitcom Best of the West from 1981-82.[1]

Walter has acted in six Jonathan Demme films: Something Wild (1986), Married to the Mob (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Philadelphia (1993), Beloved (1998), and The Manchurian Candidate (2004).[1] He has been directed by Danny DeVito in three films: Matilda (1996), Death to Smoochy (2002), and Duplex (2003). He acted with and was directed by Jack Nicholson in The Two Jakes (1990). He and Nicholson have appeared in nine films together, beginning with Goin' South in 1978.[1]

He appeared in a small role with Clint Eastwood in the 1982 film Honkytonk Man[1] and has coined the phrase "Right Cheer" (as in right here) while playing a service station attendant, also attributed to Andy Griffith on his first comedy album "What it Was, Was Football" (1953). As well as "Make 'Em Bounce" (as in happy) from the movie Raggedy Man.[citation needed] His portrayal of Miller, the philosopher mechanic of Alex Cox's Repo Man,[1] earned Walter a Saturn Award in 1985 for Best Supporting Actor. In the 2000 film Erin Brockovich, Walter played Charles Embry, the PG&E employee who supplied the memo that tied an executive at the PG&E corporate headquarters to knowledge of the Hinkley station water contamination.

Walter's television credits include guest appearances on WKRP in Cincinnati, Taxi, Charlie's Angels, Hill Street Blues, Amazing Stories, Moonlighting, David Lynch's On the Air, Melrose Place, The Division, Veronica Mars, Criminal Minds and Cold Case. He appeared on Nash Bridges as Angel from 1996–2001 and on Reno 911! as Sheriff Walter Chechekevitch from 2003–2006.

Filmography

Film

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1978 Starsky and Hutch Leo
1979 WKRP in Cincinnati Don Pesola #2
1980 Charlie's Angels Clint Mason Episode: "An Angel's Trail"
1981–1982 Best of the West Frog Rothchild Jr.
1982 The Fall Guy Skip Episode: "The Silent Partner"
1982–1983 Hill Street Blues Willie Laporter / Sammy
1983 Cagney & Lacey Boone
1983 Taxi Panhandler
1984 Hunter Archie Episode: "Pen Pals"
1985-1986 Amazing Stories Blaze / Ezra
1986–1987 Designing Women Malcolm Box
1987 Moonlighting Arnie Steckler
1987–1988 ALF Gravel Gus
1987–1992 Star Trek: The Next Generation Berik / Kayron
1989 Alien Nation Tom Mulden Episode: "The Takeover"
1989–1990 Freddy's Nightmares Eugene Moss / The Gravedigger
1990 Get a Life The Ride Operator Episodes: "Unaired Pilot" and "Terror on the Hell Loop 2000"
1991 Monsters Ed, the Janitor Episode: "Hostile Takeover"
1991 She-Wolf of London Boris
1992 On the Air 'Blinky' Watts
1992 Wings Tucker
1993 The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Phil Swill
1994 Melrose Place Man at 'Dreamy Pines'
1994 Ride the Wind Francis
1994 L.A. Law John Rosten
1995 Kidnapped: In the Line of Duty Oliver Tracy
1995 Buffalo Girls Jim Ragg
1996–2001 Nash Bridges Peter Spielman / Angel 8 episodes
1997 Tell Me No Secrets Sean Ferguson
2002 The Division Tom Johnson
2002 Boomtown Dwayne
2003 Teen Titans Puppet King (voice)
2003 Justice League Mophir (voice)
2003–2006 Reno 911! Sheriff Walter Chechekevitch
2005 Veronica Mars Manager
2007 Raines William Jones
2007 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Bum
2008 Monk The Professor Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Miracle"
2012 Southland Tom Smith Episode: "Identity"

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Tracey Walter". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Profile, FilmReference.com; accessed August 2, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Petkovich, Anthony (November 2016). "An Interview with Tracey Walter". Shock Cinema (51). Edgewater, New Jersey: 34–37. shockcinemamagazine.com. Issue No. 51 cover