Frank Bonner
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (February 2017) |
Frank Bonner | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frank Woodrow Boers, Jr. February 28, 1942 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1970–2014 |
| Spouse(s) | Sharon Gray (1966-1971; divorced) Mary A. Rings (1972-1975; divorced) Lillian Garrett-Groag (1977–1980; divorced) Catherin M. Sherwood (1981-19??; divorced) Gayle Hardage (2006-present) |
Frank Bonner (born Frank Woodrow Boers Jr., February 28, 1942) is an American actor and television director best known for playing sales manager Herb Tarlek on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.
Life and career
Bonner was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, the son of Mamie Grace (née Dobbins), a singer, and Frank Woodrow Boers, a saxophone player.[1] Bonner started his acting career in the experimental 1967 independent film The Equinox ... A Journey into the Unknown, which was re-shot and re-edited as the 1970 cult classic Equinox (credited as Frank Boers, Jr.).
In 1978, Bonner was injured in a parachute accident. Bonner was being towed by a 4 wheel drive vehicle when the ascendancy parachute he was hanging in collapsed in a freak wind at the El Mirage Dry Lake Recreational Area in 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Bonner fell 20 feet and suffered internal and back injuries.[2] This accident led to his appearance with crutches on TV, most noticeably in the WKRP in Cincinnati, season 2 episode - A Family Affair as well as an All-Star Special episode of Family Feud.
He reprised the role of Herb Tarlek in the 1991 spinoff The New WKRP in Cincinnati, and in a 2004 rock video for Canadian indie rock band Rheostatics (for the song "The Tarleks", from their album 2067).
Bonner appeared as a guest star in one episode of the sitcom Night Court in the 1980s. From 1988 to 1990, Bonner played the role of Father Hargis, headmaster of the fictional St. Augustine's Academy on the TV show Just the Ten of Us which was a spin-off of Growing Pains. Bonner also appeared in one of the early episodes of the television show Newhart.
Bonner also directed several episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati as well as other TV sitcoms, including Who's the Boss?, Head of the Class (starring WKRP alumni Howard Hesseman), Evening Shade, Newhart and every episode of the NBC Saturday morning sitcom City Guys. Bonner also appeared in five episodes of Saved by the Bell: The New Class, and directed four episodes.
Actor filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Equinox | Jim Hudson | Feature film |
| 1970 | The Young Lawyers | Walt | Episode: "Where's Aaron" |
| 1970 | Nancy | Hank | Episode: "Boys' Night Out" |
| 1971 | Mannix | Hypnotized Man | Episode: "Catspaw" |
| 1972 | Nichols | Gruber | Episode: "About Jesse James" |
| 1972 | The Hoax | Clete Dempsey | Feature film |
| 1973 | Little Cigars | Gene (Hotel Bellman) | Feature film |
| 1973 | The F.B.I. | Johnson | Episode: "The Confession" |
| 1973 | Hawkins | 1st Yankee | Episode: "Blood Feud" |
| 1973 | Emergency! | Walt | Episode: "Body Language" |
| 1974 | Love, American Style | Jerry | Segment: "Love and the Extra Job" |
| 1974 | Cannon | Allecino | Episode: "Kelly' Song" |
| 1974 | Fer-de-Lance | Compton | TV movie |
| 1975 | Las Vegas Lady | Claude | Feature film |
| 1975 | Cannon | Bill | Episode: "The Victim" |
| 1976 | Police Woman | Donny's Father | Episode: "The Pawn Shop" |
| 1977 | Man from Atlantis | Bartender | Episode: "C.W. Hyde" |
| 1978–1982 | WKRP in Cincinnati | Herb Tarlek | Main cast (88 episodes) |
| 1979 | Sex and the Single Parent | Peter | TV movie |
| 1981 | The Love Boat | Dr. Jonathan Hunt | Episode: "Country Blues/Daddy's Little Girl/Jackpot" |
| 1981 | Fantasy Island | Jack Simon | Episode: "Romance Times Three/Night of the Tormented Soul" |
| 1982 | The Facts of Life Goes to Paris | Garth Kiley | TV movie |
| 1982 | Gimme a Break! | Officer Baxter | Episode: "The Chief's Gay Evening" |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | Ben Phillips | Episode: "The Captain's Replacement/Sly as a Fox/Here Comes the Bride-Maybe" |
| 1984 | Newhart | Mr. Pack | Episode: "Kirk Pops the Question" |
| 1984 | Legmen | Leo Gibson | Episode: "I Shall Be Re-Released" |
| 1984 | The Duck Factory | Mel Kemper | Episode: "The Annies" |
| 1984 | No Man's Land | Deputy Thad Prouty | TV movie |
| 1984 | Simon & Simon | Brad Daniels | Episode: "Deep Cover" |
| 1985 | Matt Houston | Fred | Episode: "Death Watch" |
| 1985 | Gimme a Break! | Warren | Episode: "Police Mamas" |
| 1985 | George Burns Comedy Week | Stu | Episode: "Home for Dinner" |
| 1985 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Henry 'Buck' McConnell | Episodes: "Tail of the Dancing Weasel" and "Utopia Now" |
| 1985 | Crazy Like a Fox | Chick | Episode: "Requiem for a Fox" |
| 1985 | Night Court | Howie | Episode: "Mac and Quon Le: No Reservations" |
| 1986 | The Longshot | Realtor | Feature film |
| 1986 | Punky Brewster | Cheapo Chester | Episode: "Cherie Lifesaver" |
| 1986 | Blacke's Magic | Hal Renquist | Episode: "Death Goes to the Movies" |
| 1986 | Murder, She Wrote | Earl Fargo | Episode: "Murder in the Electric Cathedral" |
| 1986 | Sidekicks | Detective R.T. Mooney | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 1986 | Night Court | Preston Cowdrey | Episode: "Prince of a Guy" |
| 1988 | You Can't Hurry Love | Chuck Hayes | Feature film |
| 1988–1990 | Just the Ten of Us | Father Robert Hargis | Main cast (22 episodes) |
| 1991 | Going Under | Soviet General | Feature film |
| 1991–1993 | The New WKRP in Cincinnati | Herb Tarlek | Main cast (45 episodes) |
| 1993 | Evening Shade | Walt | Episode: "She What?!" |
| 1994–1997 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | Mr. Harrington | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 1995 | The Mommies | Director | Episode: "Selling Out" |
| 1995 | The Colony | Frank Williamson | TV movie |
| 1997 | USA High | Mr. Giggles (Dentist) | Episode: "The Odd Couple" |
| 1998 | Motel | Gressil | Feature film |
| 2000 | City Guys | Jake | Episode: "Meet Mr. History" |
| 2003 | A Light in the Forest | Kimmel | Feature film |
| 2004 | Shut Up and Kiss Me | Harvey Ballister | Feature film |
| 2004 | A Norwegian Lunch | Teacher | Short film |
| 2008 | Remembering Phil | Motel Clerk | Feature film |
| 2014 | Under the Hollywood Sign | Larry | Feature film |
Director filmography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1980–1982 | WKRP in Cincinnati | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 1982 | Family Ties | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1986–1990 | Head of the Class | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1988 | Frank's Place | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1988 | The Van Dyke Show | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1988–1990 | Just the Ten of Us | TV series (8 episodes) |
| 1989 | Who's the Boss? | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1989–1990 | The Famous Teddy Z | TV series (2 episodes) |
| 1990 | Evening Shade | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1990 | You Take the Kids | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1991–1993 | Harry and the Hendersons | TV series (11 episodes) |
| 1991–1993 | The New WKRP in Cincinnati | TV series (7 episodes) |
| 1995 | Fudge | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1995 | The Mommies | TV series (4 episodes) |
| 1995 | Campus Cops | TV series (1 episode) |
| 1997 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | TV series (4 episodes) |
| 1997–1998 | USA High | TV series (6 episodes) |
| 1997–2001 | City Guys | TV series (105 episodes) |
| 2003 | Living Straight | TV movie |
| 2010 | Desire and Deceit | TV series (1 episode) |
References
- ^ "Frank Bonner Biography (1942-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
- ^ "Parachute Accident Hospitalizes Frank Bonner of 'WKRP'". Google.com/Newspapers. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
External links
- Frank Bonner at IMDb
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