Lenny Von Dohlen
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Lenny Von Dohlen | |
|---|---|
| File:Lennyvondohlen25.jpg | |
| Born | December 22, 1958 Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Other names | Lenny von Dohlen (different spelling) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
Lenny Von Dohlen (born December 22, 1958) is an American film, television and stage actor, best known for his performance as the architect Miles Harding in the film Electric Dreams and for his work as the orchid growing agoraphobic Harold Smith in the ground breaking seriesTwin Peaks" . Von Dohlen currently resides in New York and Los Angeles.
Early years
Lenny Von Dohlen was born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised in Goliad, a small town in South Texas. As a child he wished to become a jockey, but grew too tall for his dream. He studied Theater at University of Texas, and graduated from Loretto Heights College in Denver, Colorado. From there he moved to New York City to pursue a career on the stage.
Film
Lenny Von Dohlen’s film debut was in Academy Award-winning Tender Mercies, starring Robert Duvall, written by Horton Foote and directed by Bruce Beresford in 1983. In 1984, Von Dohlen played the lead role in the cult film MGM/UA’s Electric Dreams. Other roles include: Under the Biltmore Clock (1985); Dracula's Widow (1987); Blind Vision (1992); Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992); Jennifer 8 (1992); Ed Zwick’s Leaving Normal (1992) and the title role in Billy Galvin opposite Karl Malden (1986).
He played one of the bad guys in Twentieth Century Fox’s Home Alone 3 (1997). He has appeared in acclaimed independent films such as "Tollbooth (1994), Bird of Prey (1996), One Good Turn (1996), Entertaining Angels (1996), Cadillac (1997) and "Frontline (1997); In 2007, he appeared in Beautiful Loser playing the role of Reggie as an adult, and in Teeth, a Sundance and Berlin Film Festival Dramatic Competition nominee. In 2010, he played Elder Daniel in Downstream and in the same year he played Sheriff Jack Carter in a short film call Night Blind" (2010). In 2012/13 he will be seen in Camilla Dickenson and White Camellias.
Television
Von Dohlen's first television role was in NBC's Emmy-award winning Kent State (1981). Others include : "Don't Touch" directed by Beau Bridges, "The Equilizer", "Tales From the Darkside", "Miami Vice", "thirtysomething (1987), The Lazarus Man (playing John Wilkes Booth), Picket Fences" (playing the gay brother of Marlee Matlin's character (1992), as the diabolical Mr Cox in a recurring role on The Pretender (1999), Chicago Hope (1994), Red Dwarf (1992), and in Walker, Texas Ranger (1996). He also appeared in the Masterpiece Theatre presentation of Eudora Welty’s The Ponder Heart (2000) on PBS. In 2010, for its homage to Twin Peaks Von Dohlen appeared in USA Network's show Psych in the episode Dual Spires playing Sheriff Andrew Jackson joining a cast reunion including Sheryl Lee.
Theater
In the theater, Von Dohlen has created roles in the New York productions of Asian Shade, The Team, "The Team, Twister and Vanishing Act and The Maderati, the latter two by Richard Greenberg. For nine months he starred in Carol Churchill’s play Cloud , directed by Tommy Tune, followed by The Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Desire Under the Elms opposite Kathy Baker. He has starred in Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Joe Orton's Loot, "Legacy of Light" at Cleveland Playhouse)and in "Doubt" at the Indiana Repertory Theatre. On the West Coast, Von Dohlen has been seen in Wedekind's Lulu at the La Jolla Playhouse, and The Blue Room at the Pasadena Playhouse, "Theater District" at the Black Dahlia Theater, In Pasadena at The Theater @ Boston Court, Von Dohlen both originated the role of the famous literary personality Voltaire in the world premiere of Jean Claude van Italli's Light , and played Don Quixote in Tennessee William's "Camino Real". Most recently at GTC, he played Elyot Chase in Noel Coward's "Private Lives".
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Kent State | (uncredited) | TV movie |
| 1983 | Tender Mercies | Robert | |
| 1983 | Sessions | Paulie | TV movie |
| 1983 | How to be a perfect person in just three days | Erik Crimpley | TV movie |
| 1984 | Electric Dreams | Miles Harding | |
| 1986 | Billy Galvin | Billy Galvin | |
| 1989 | Dracula's Widow | Raymond | |
| 1991 | Love Kills | Jonathan Brinkman | TV movie |
| 1992 | Leaving Normal | Harry Rainey | |
| 1992 | Jennifer 8 | Blattis | Cameo |
| 1992 | Eyes of Beholder | Janice Bickle | |
| 1992 | Blind Vision | William Dalton | |
| 1992 | Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me | Harold Smith | |
| 1994 | Amberwaves | Justin Campenella | |
| 1994 | Tollbooth | Jack | |
| 1996 | One Good Turn | Matt Forrest | |
| 1996 | Bird of Prey | Johnny McKenna | |
| 1996 | Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story | Forster Batterham | |
| 1997 | Cadillac | Jimmy | |
| 1997 | Home Alone 3 | Burton Jernigan | |
| 1999 | Frontline | Ludwig Haig | |
| 2000 | Breathing Hard | Anton | |
| 2000 | The Ponder Heart | DeYancey Clanahan | TV movie |
| 2003 | How's My Driving? | Adrian Kennet | Short |
| 2007 | Teeth | Bill | |
| 2008 | Beautiful Loser | Reggie (adult) | |
| 2010 | Downstream | Elder Daniel | |
| 2010 | Night Blind | Sheriff Jack Carter | Short |
| 2011 | Camilla Dickinson | Bill Rowan | In post-production since 11 July 2011 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Miami Vice | Bob Rickert | Episode: "Give a Little, Take a Little" |
| 1985 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Mike Rivers | Episode: "Don't Touch" |
| 1985 | Tales From The Darkside | Mr. Smith | Episode: "Distant Signals" |
| 1986 | American Playhouse | Knowleton Whitney | Episode: "Under the Biltmore Clock" |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Dan Turner | Episode: "Shades of Darkness" |
| 1986 | thirtysomething | Roy MacCaulay | Episode: "We'll Meet Again" |
| 1989 | The Young Riders | Lt. Josey Cassidy | Episode: "End of Innocence" |
| 1990 | Grand | Jeremy | 3 episodes |
| 1990 | Twin Peaks | Harold Smith | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | The Flash | Jason Brassell | Episode: "Twin Streaks" |
| 1992 | Red Dwarf | Cop | Episode: "Back to Reality" |
| 1996 | Picket Fences | Gerald 'Gerry' Bey | Episode: "Bye-Bye, Bey-Bey" |
| 1996 | Walker Texas Ranger | Adam 'The Hangman' Quinn | Episode: "Hall of Fame" |
| 1999 | Chicago Hope | Tom Van Deusen | Episode: "A Goy and His Dog" |
| 1999–2000 | The Pretender | Mr. Cox | 5 episodes |
| 2000 | The Magnificent Seven | Cyrus Poplar | Episode: "Penance" |
| 2002 | CSI: Miami | Professor Adam Metzger | Episode: "A Horrible Mind" |
| 2007 | Ghost Whisperer | Steve Wheeler | Episode: "Children of Ghosts" |
| 2009 | Criminal Minds | Record Exec #1 | Episode: "The Performer" |
| 2010 | Psych | Sheriff Andrew Jackson | Episode: "Dual Spires" |
Personal life
Von Dohlen has a daughter named Hazel, born on 9 August 2000.
References
1. "Desire under the Elms" 1984 review
2. WRAPPED IN PLASTIC, issue 62, December 2002 interview w/ Lenny von Dohlen
3. Review on Camino Real, BACKSTAGE, February 17, 2011
4. Lenny Von Dohlen at the Twin Peaks Fest 2011 at "Lovely Lenny Von Dohlen" Tumblr-blog