Jump to content

Lenny Von Dohlen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2405:204:a481:1a77:85c2:62be:521f:719c (talk) at 10:03, 15 July 2017. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Lenny Von Dohlen
Born (1958-12-22) December 22, 1958 (age 66)
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Other namesLenny von Dohlen
(different spelling)
OccupationActor
Years active1981–present
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
ChildrenHazel (born 2000)

Lenny Von Dohlen (born December 22, 1958) is an American film, television and stage actor, known for his performance as architect Miles Harding in the film Electric Dreams and as the orchid-growing agoraphobic Harold Smith in the television series Twin Peaks. Von Dohlen currently resides in New York and Los Angeles.

Early years

Von Dohlen was born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised in Goliad, a small town in south Texas. He has German ancestry from his paternal side. 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 (1986) opposite Karl Malden.

He played one of the villains 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 called Night Blind (2010). In 2012/13, he was seen in Camilla Dickinson and White Camellias. In 2015, Lenny Von Dohlen played the title role of legendary film director Oskar Knight in Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story.

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 Equalizer; 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); and 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.

In 1992, he also played a government agent of a future fascist state in the BBC's Red Dwarf series V, episode 6, Back to Reality.

Theater

In the theater, Von Dohlen has created roles in the New York productions of Asian Shade, The Team, Twister, Vanishing Act, and The Maderati, the latter two by Richard Greenberg. For nine months he starred in Caryl 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 Play House, 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 Williams's Camino Real. Most recently at GTC, he played Elyot Chase in Noël Coward's Private Lives.

Filmography

Film
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 Choose Creepy guy in hotel
2012 Camilla Dickinson Bill Rowan
2012 White Camellias (uncredited)
2015 Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story Oskar Knight
Television
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

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lenny_Von_Dohlen&oldid=790678109"