John Beck (born January 28, 1943) is an American retired actor, known for his role as Mark Graison in the television series ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' during the mid-1980s.

Early life

Beck was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

but he grew up in Evanston and Joliet on his father's ranch with the goal of becoming a

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

. His goals changed at the age of sixteen after performing in a play in high school to overcome shyness. Three years later, Beck moved to California and took jobs in television commercials. In 1963-4, Beck attended

Joliet Junior College Joliet Junior College (JJC) is a public community college in Joliet, Illinois. Founded in 1901, it was the first public community college founded in the United States. In Spring 2014, the college enrolled 16,375 students. Every year, 48,000 stu ...

but quit to begin acting in plays in other cities.

Career

Beck's television debut was as a Sergeant in the 1965 ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marrie ...

'' episode, "Russian Roulette". His first regular role was on the

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series ''

Nichols Nichols may refer to: People *Nichols (surname) *Nichol, a surname Places Canada * Nichols Islands, Nunavut United States * Nichols, California, an unincorporated community * Nichols Canyon, Los Angeles, California * Nichols, Connecticut * Nich ...

'' (1971-1972) alongside

James Garner James Garner (born James Scott Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, including '' The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Chayefsky's ''The Ameri ...

, playing the role of Orv Ketcham. In film, one of Beck's earliest roles was as Skinny in '' Cyborg 2087'' (1966). Beck played Erno who leads a revolt against a fascist government in the

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

sci-fi Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

'' Sleeper'' (1973). That same year, he appeared as John W. Poe in the

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institute ...

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jason ...

''. In 1975, he appeared opposite

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

as Moonpie in '' Rollerball''. He had a leading role in ''

The Other Side of Midnight ''The Other Side of Midnight'' is a novel by American writer Sidney Sheldon published in 1973. The book reached No. 1 on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list. It was made into a 1977 film, and followed by a sequel written by Sheldon tit ...

'' (1977), which had some prestige, but the film was a failure at the box office. Other film credits include ''

The Big Bus ''The Big Bus'' is a 1976 American disaster comedy film starring Joseph Bologna and Stockard Channing, and directed by James Frawley. A spoof of the disaster movie genre (which was popular at the time), it follows the maiden cross-country tri ...

'' (1976), '' Audrey Rose'' (1977), ''

Deadly Illusion ''Deadly Illusion'' is a 1987 action/crime thriller film directed by Larry Cohen and William Tannen. It stars Billy Dee Williams, Vanity, and Morgan Fairchild. Plot Hamberger is a freelance private eye without a license and without a car, who h ...

'' (1987), ''

In the Cold of the Night ''In the Cold of the Night'' is a 1990 American erotic thriller film produced and directed by Nico Mastorakis, and written by Mastorakis and Fred C. Perry. It stars Jeff Lester, Adrianne Sachs, Marc Singer, Brian Thompson, Shannon Tweed, John ...

'' (1990), ''

A Climate for Killing ''A Climate for Killing'' (also known as ''A Row of Crows'') is a 1991 American thriller-drama film written and directed by J. S. Cardone and starring John Beck, Katharine Ross, Steven Bauer and Mia Sara. Plot Before a rodeo in Yuma, a woman ...

'' (1991), ''Last Time Out'' (1994), ''

Black Day Blue Night ''Black Day Blue Night'' is a 1995 American crime thriller film directed by J. S. Cardone and starring Gil Bellows, Michelle Forbes, Mia Sara, J. T. Walsh, Tim Guinee, and John Beck. Premise A wife's husband is cheating on her. She decides ...

'' (1995), ''Dark Planet'' (1997), ''

A Place to Grow ''A Place to Grow'' (aka ''Moissons du coeur, Les France'' French TV title) is a 1995 drama film written and directed by Merlin (Merle) Miller. Plot Upon his brother's death, Matt Walker, a recording artist, returns to his hometown to sell the ...

'' (1998), ''

Chain of Command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Milit ...

'' (2000), ''Crash Point Zero'' (2001), '' Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision'' (2003), and ''Crash Landing'' (2005). Beck also took guest roles in television soap operas, movies, and series, one of the most popular being, ''

''. Guest appearances include, ''

Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann, ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'', '' Diagnosis: Murder'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'', ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'', ''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...

'', ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private inves ...

'', '' Matlock'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, Clarence Williams III as ...

'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'', ''Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake'', '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', ''

Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American fantasy drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced ...

'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'' (1989), and ''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texa ...

'', among others. Recurring

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

roles include, Dorian Blake in Peyton Place: The Next Generation, Sam Curtis in '' Flamingo Road'', David Raymond in '' Santa Barbara'', and Bruce in ''

Passions ''Passions'' is an American television soap opera that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1999, to September 7, 2007, and on DirecTV's The 101 Network from September 17, 2007, to August 7, 2008. Created by screenwriter James E. Reilly and pro ...

''. As a voice actor, Beck played the role of the Punisher, Frank Castle in '' Spider-Man: The Animated Series''.

Personal life

On April 23, 1971 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, Beck married Valerie Shellibeer (also known by her

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

, Tina Carter). The couple had a son and three daughters.

Filmography

A partial filmography follows.

Film

* '' Cyborg 2087'' (1966) as Skinny * ''A Good Time with a Bad Girl'' (1967) as Cowboy (uncredited) * ''

Three in the Attic ''Three in the Attic'' is a 1968 comedy film directed by Richard Wilson and starring Christopher Jones and Yvette Mimieux, with Judy Pace and Maggie Thrett. Nan Martin, John Beck, and Eve McVeagh appear in supporting roles. Jones plays Paxton ...

'' (1968) as Jake * '' Lawman'' (1971) as Jason Bronson * '' Mrs. Pollifax-Spy'' (1971) as Lulash * ''

'' (1973) as Poe * '' Paperback Hero'' (1973) as Pov * '' Sleeper'' (1973) as Erno Windt * ''Only God Knows'' (1974) as Reverend Philip Norman * ''

Nightmare Honeymoon ''Nightmare Honeymoon'' is a 1974 American crime-thriller film directed by Elliot Silverstein, starring Dack Rambo and Rebecca Dianna Smith. Plot Newlyweds David and Jill Webb (Dack Rambo and Rebecca Dianna Smith) want nothing more than to co ...

'' (1974) as Lee * '' Rollerball'' (1975) as Moonpie * ''

'' (1976) as Shoulders * ''

Sky Riders ''Sky Riders'' (also known as ''Assault on the Forbidden Fortress'') is a 1976 American action film directed by Douglas Hickox and starring James Coburn, Susannah York and Robert Culp. The rescue sequences were filmed in Meteora in Greece wher ...

'' (1976) as Ben * '' Audrey Rose'' (1977) as Bill Templeton * ''

'' (1977) as Larry Douglas * ''

'' (1987) as Alex Burton * ''

'' (1990) as Rudy * ''

'' (1991) as Kyle Shipp * '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'' (1991) as Waiter (uncredited) * ''Last Time Out'' (1994) as Joe Dolan * ''

'' (1995) as Chief Morris Reed * ''Dark Planet'' (1997) as General * ''

'' (1998) as Paul Shuler * ''

'' (2000) as General Peterson * '' The Alternate'' (2000) as President Fallbrook * ''Militia'' (2000) as Dep. Dir. Anderson * ''Crash Point Zero'' (2001) as Dr. Maurice Hunter * '' Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision'' (2003) as O'Rourke * ''Crash Landing'' (2005) as General McClaren

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, John Living people Male actors from Illinois American male film actors American male television actors American male soap opera actors American male voice actors Actors from Joliet, Illinois 1943 births