Harold P. Pruett (April 13, 1969 – February 21, 2002) was an American film and television actor. He appeared in over 30 films and TV series in the 1970s to the 1990s.

Career

Born in

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

, Pruett made his acting debut at age five in the 1976 film '' Sybil'', starring

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film F ...

. He went on to appear in '' Summer Camp Nightmare'' (1987), ''

Embrace of the Vampire ''Embrace of the Vampire'' is a 1995 American erotic thriller-vampire film directed by Anne Goursaud. It stars Alyssa Milano as Charlotte, a chaste girl who is haunted by a vampire played by Martin Kemp. Plot Charlotte is a " chaste" good girl, ...

'' (1995) and ''

Precious Find ''Precious Find'' is a 1996 science fiction action film directed by Philippe Mora and starring Rutger Hauer. The film is set on the Moon, in 2049. Plot In the future, at Moon City, fate brings three adventurers together: a space ship owner, a yo ...

'' (1996). During the 1970s and 1980s, Pruett guest starred on numerous television series including ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

'', '' The New Leave It to Beaver'', ''

It's Your Move ''It's Your Move'' is an American sitcom television series created by Ron Leavitt and Michael G. Moye, starring Jason Bateman, Tricia Cast, Caren Kaye, Ernie Sabella, David Garrison, and Garrett Morris. The show originally aired on NBC from S ...

'', '' Eye to Eye'', '' The Best Times'', ''

Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

'' and ''

Night Court ''Night Court'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984 to May 31, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan municipal court presided over by a young, unorthodox judge, Harold "Harry" T. Stone (portray ...

''. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he danced in several music videos including two for the pop singer

Martika Marta Marrero (born May 18, 1969), better known by her stage name Martika ( ), is an American pop singer and actress. She released two internationally successful albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which sold over four million copies wor ...

, " More Than You Know" (1989) and " Coloured Kisses" (1992). In 1990, Pruett had his first co-starring television role on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

musical teen drama ''

Hull High ''Hull High'' (also known as ''Hull Street High'') is an American musical teen comedy television series which aired on the NBC from August 20 to December 30, 1990. The series was created and executive produced by Gil Grant. Synopsis ''Hull High' ...

''. Due to low ratings, the series was canceled in October 1990 after nine episodes. Later that year, he was cast as Steve Randle in the television adaptation of the 1967

S. E. Hinton Susan Eloise Hinton (born July 22, 1948) is an American writer best known for her young-adult novels (YA) set in Oklahoma, especially '' The Outsiders'' (1967), which she wrote during high school. Hinton is credited with introducing the YA genr ...

novel '' The Outsiders'', shown on

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

. That series was also canceled after one season because of low ratings. From 1992 to 1993, he had a recurring role as Brad Penny on the teen sitcom ''

Parker Lewis ''Parker Lewis Can't Lose'' is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on Fox from September 1990 to June 1993. It was produced by Clyde Phillips Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television. During the last season, the se ...

''. In 1995, he co-starred on another short lived Fox series, ''

Medicine Ball A medicine ball (also known as an exercise ball, a med ball, or a fitness ball) is a weighted ball whose diameter is about a shoulder-width, (approx. ), often used for rehabilitation and strength training. The medicine ball also serves an impo ...

''. His last television appearance was in a recurring role on the Fox teen drama series ''

Party of Five ''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by Sc ...

'', in 1996. Pruett's final film appearance was in the independent drama ''The Right Way'' (1998), starring

Geoff Pierson Geoff Pierson is an American actor known for his starring television roles on '' Dexter'', ''Unhappily Ever After'', '' Grace Under Fire'', '' 24'', '' Ryan's Hope'', and '' Designated Survivor''. He has guest-starred in dozens of other TV shows. ...

Death

On February 21, 2002, Pruett died of an accidental drug overdose in Los Angeles. His funeral was held at

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles ...

, where he was interred. Pruett was survived by his wife, Jennifer Cattell, his son Tannen, his parents Andrea and Harold, and a brother. Pruett's mother and friends created the Harold Pruett Drug Abuse Foundation in his memory.

Filmography

Films

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pruett, Harold 1969 births 2002 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Accidental deaths in California American male child actors American male dancers American male film actors American male television actors Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Drug-related deaths in California Male actors from Anchorage, Alaska 20th-century American dancers