Ron Thompson (actor)
Ron Thompson | |
|---|---|
| File:Ron Thompson.jpg | |
| Born | January 31, 1941 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
Ron Thompson (born January 31, 1941) is an American film, television, theatre actor, singer and songwriter.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson is perhaps best known for his dual lead roles in Ralph Bakshi's critically acclaimed rotoscope film American Pop[1][2][3][4] and the 1970s TV series Baretta in the role of Detective Nopke.[2][5]
Thompson had a brief career as a rock singer in the 1960s and wrote and recorded a number of singles as Ronnie Thompson under the guidance of his mentor and friend, rockabilly singer Ersel Hickey.[2]
Thompson originated the role of Shanty Mulligan in the 1969 Pulitzer Prize winning play No Place to be Somebody[2][6][7][8][9] by Charles Gordone and won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his 1973 theater lead performance in the play Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?[2][10]
In January 2014 at The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California, there was a special screening of American Pop with Thompson and co-star Mews Small in attendance,[11] it was the first time Thompson had ever introduced the film before a live audience.[12]
Theatre
| Date | Production | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | No Place to be Somebody | Shanty Mulligan | |
| 1972 | The Time of Your Life | Willie | |
| 1973 | Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? | Bickham | Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award (Lead Performance) |
Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Brown Eye, Evil Eye | Freddy St. Claire | |
| 1973 | The No Mercy Man | John Dunn | ... aka "The Vietnam Soldier" – Europe (English title) (video title) ... aka "Trained to Kill: USA" – USA (DVD title) |
| 1977 | The White Buffalo | Frozen Dog Pimp | ...aka "Hunt to Kill" – USA (TV title) |
| 1981 | American Pop | Tony Belinksy and Pete Belinksy | |
| 1992 | American Me | Junkie | |
| Deep Cover | Store Owner | ||
| 1993 | Death Ring | Needles the Tattooer | |
| 1998 | Fallen Arches | Leslie | |
| 2014 | Last Days of Coney Island |
Television
| Year | Program | Role | Episodes | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Armstrong Circle Theatre | Larry Larry Junkie Junkie |
2 2 |
Securities for Suckers Runaway Road-Story of a Missing Person Assignment: Teenage Junkies Assignment: Teenage Junkies |
| 1963 | Armstrong Circle Theatre | Junkie | 1 | Assignment: Teenage Junkies |
| 1974 | Mannix | Kirk Bullard | 1 | Death Has No Face |
| 1974 | Ironside | Jamie | 1 | Run Scared |
| 1974 | The Gun | Tom | TV Movie | |
| 1975 | The Dream Makers | Dave | TV Movie | |
| 1975 | The Streets of San Francisco | Willie | 1 | Web of Lies |
| 1975 | Bronk | 1 | Crackback | |
| 1975 | Baretta | Penguin | 1 | Count the Days I'm Gone |
| 1976 | Baretta | Detective Nopke | 5 | Murder For Me Pay or Die The Dippers Death on the Run Street Edition |
| 1977 | Quincy, M.E. | Claude Stern | 1 | The Thigh Bone's Connected to the Knee Bone |
| 1980 | The Waltons | GI | 1 | The Prodigals |
| 1982 | The Greatest American Hero | Guard | 1 | Good Samaritan |
| 1989 | Imagining America | Beatnik Poet | 1 | This Ain't Bebop |
References
- ^ "Ron Thompson". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Maçek III, J.C. (August 2, 2012). "'American Pop'... Matters: Ron Thompson, the Illustrated Man Unsung". PopMatters.
- ^ Canby, Vincent (February 13, 1981). "'American Pop' Grown-Up Animation". The New York Times. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- ^ Vespe, Eric (November 5, 2012). "What does the Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day look like, man? A soda fountain?". Ain't It Cool News.
- ^ "Ron Thompson – Filmography – MSN Movies". Movies.msn.com. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
- ^ Gussow, Mel (December 31, 1969). "Theater: 'No Place to Be Somebody' Opens Run" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
- ^ "Internet Broadway Database". Ibdb.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
- ^ Drake, Sylvie (July 24, 1987). "This Revival Of 'No Place' Goes Places". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
- ^ "No Place to be Somebody". The Matrix Theatre Company. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle – 1969–1979 LADCC Awards". Ladramacriticscircle.com. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
- ^ West, Jay (January 21, 2014). "American Pop - Q&A with Actor Ron Thompson at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California on 1-12-2014". Vimeo.
- ^ West, Jay (January 21, 2014). "EXCLUSIVE: Ralph Bakshi's AMERICAN POP – Video of Historic Q&A with Actor Ron Thompson". Beyond the Marquee.
External links
- Ron Thompson at IMDb
- Ron Thompson at AllMovie
- Ron Thompson on Facebook