Clarence Felder (born September 2, 1938) is an American character actor who has starred in films and on television, and co-starred in ten Broadway productions. He is also a playwright and director. His play ''Captain Felder's Cannon'' was adapted as the feature film ''All for Liberty'' (2009), in which he starred.

Overview of career

Felder's first feature film performance was in ''

Man on a Swing ''Man on a Swing'' is a 1974 American thriller film directed by Frank Perry and written by David Zelag Goodman. The film stars Cliff Robertson, Joel Grey, Dorothy Tristan, Elizabeth Wilson and George Voskovec and was released on February 27, 1 ...

'' (1974); his other films include '' After Hours'' (1985), ''

Ruthless People ''Ruthless People'' is a 1986 American black comedy film directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and written by Dale Launer. It stars Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Anita Morris, and Helen Slater, with Bill Pullman ...

'' (1986), '' The Hidden'' (1987), ''

The Last Boy Scout ''The Last Boy Scout'' is a 1991 American buddy action comedy film directed by Tony Scott, written by Shane Black, and produced by Joel Silver. The film stars Bruce Willis, Damon Wayans, Chelsea Field, Noble Willingham, Taylor Negron and Danielle ...

'' (1991), and '' The Ride'' (1997). He stars in the award-winning feature film ''All for Liberty'' (2009), portraying his ancestor, Capt. Henry Felder, an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

hero of the Backcountry of South Carolina. It was based on his play ''Captain Felder's Cannon.'' His starring role on a television series was as Insp. Bobo Pritzger in

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's 1980s hit series ''

Hooperman ''Hooperman'' is an American comedy-drama television series which aired on ABC from September 23, 1987, to July 19, 1989. The show centered on the professional and personal life of San Francisco police Inspector Harry Hooperman, played by John Ri ...

.'' Felder has starred in many TV movies, including ''Playing for Time'', ''The Mystery of the Morro Castle'', and '' The Killing Floor.'' He has made numerous guest appearances on prime time TV series, including ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ''Cannon'' series, it ...

'', ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

'', ''

Alien Nation ''Alien Nation'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Rockne S. O'Bannon (later known for ''Farscape''), comprising film, television, and other media productions about alien refugees living on Earth. The series began with the ...

'', '' Dream On'', ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'', and ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble c ...

''. On

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, Felder co-starred with

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...

in ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'', with

Glenn Close Glenn Close (born March 19, 1947) is an American actress. Throughout her career spanning over four decades, Close has garnered numerous accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards ...

in ''Love for Love'',

Colleen Dewhurst Colleen Rose Dewhurst (3 June 1924 – 22 August 1991) was a Canadian-American actress mostly known for theatre roles. She was a renowned interpreter of the works of Eugene O'Neill on the stage, and her career also encompassed film, early drama ...

in ''Queen & the Rebels'', and

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

in ''Memory of Two Mondays''. He played

Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble; July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1981. Born in ...

's father in ''Teaneck Tanzi''. He is the co-founder of Actors' Theatre of South Carolina and their film division, Moving Images Group.

Personal life

Felder was born and grew up in

St. Matthews, South Carolina St. Matthews is a town in Calhoun County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,021 at the 2010 census, a decline from 2,107 in 2000. It is the county seat of Calhoun County. St. Matthews is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metro ...

, where his family had deep historical roots. He went away to college and became involved in acting, spending much of his career in Hollywood. He is married to actress/writer/director, Chris Weatherhead. He has one daughter, Helen Huggins.

Filmography

* 1974 ''

'' as Coach * 1977 ''

The Goodbye Girl ''The Goodbye Girl'' is a 1977 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross, written by Neil Simon and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings and Paul Benedict. The film, produced by Ray Stark, centers on an od ...

'' as Critic * 1979 ''

The Seduction of Joe Tynan ''The Seduction of Joe Tynan'' is a 1979 American political drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg, and produced by Martin Bregman. The screenplay was written by Alan Alda, who also played the title role. The film stars Alda, Barbara Harris, ...

'' as Golf Pro * 1980 ''Below the Belt'' as Unknown * 1982 ''The Neighborhood'' as Crony * 1983 '' Touched'' as Ralph * 1983 ''

Slayground ''Slayground'' is a 1983 British crime thriller film directed by Terry Bedford. Starring Peter Coyote, Mel Smith and Billie Whitelaw, the film is adapted from ''Slayground'', the 14th Parker novel (although the main character has been renamed ...

'' as Orxel * 1985 '' The Killing Floor'' as Unknown * 1985 '' After Hours'' as Bouncer * 1985 ''

Marie Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tr ...

'' as Jack Lowery * 1986 ''

'' as Lieutenant Walters * 1987 '' Amazing Grace and Chuck'' as Dick Ferguson * 1987 '' The Hidden'' as Lieutenant John Masterson * 1989 '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child'' as Mr. Gray * 1991 ''

'' as Detective Mick McCaskey * 1993 ''

Reckless Kelly ''Reckless Kelly'' is a 1993 Australian comedy film produced, written, directed and starring Yahoo Serious. It co-stars Melora Hardin, Alexei Sayle and Hugo Weaving. The story is a satirical take on a modern-day Ned Kelly, a famous Australian out ...

'' as Hollywood Police Lieutenant * 1997 ''The Ride'' as Mike Stillwell * 2009 ''All for Liberty'' as Captain Henry Felder * 2010 ''Republic of Pete'' as Barlow * 2010 '' Angel Camouflaged'' as Mr. Carl

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Felder, Clarence 1938 births American male stage actors American male film actors American male television actors Living people Actresses from Columbia, South Carolina People from St. Matthews, South Carolina 21st-century American women