John Putch (born July 27, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his recurring role as Bob Morton on the 1970s sitcom '' One Day at a Time'' and as Sean Brody in the film ''

Jaws 3-D ''Jaws 3-D'' (titled ''Jaws III'' in its 2-D form) is a 1983 American thriller film directed by Joe Alves and starring Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Lea Thompson and Louis Gossett Jr. It is the second sequel to Steven Spielberg's ''Jaws'' and th ...

''.

Life and career

Putch was born in

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley, and north of Maryland and the Mas ...

. He began his career as an actor at the age of five in summer theater company, The Totem Pole Playhouse, run by his father William H. Putch (1924–1983). He is the son of actress

Jean Stapleton Jean Stapleton (born Jeanne Murray; January 19, 1923 – May 31, 2013) was an American character actor, character actress of stage, television and film. Stapleton was best known for playing Edith Bunker, the perpetually optimistic and dev ...

(1923–2013).John Putch bio at his official website
/ref> After guest starring on his mother's series ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series '' Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

'' (playing a Boy Scout in 1973 episode "Archie Is Branded"), he was remembered by producer

Norman Lear Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning ''All in the Famil ...

who cast him in a recurring role as Bob Morton on the sitcom '' One Day at a Time'', appearing in 14 episodes from 1976–1983. Putch's next notable role was in the film ''

'' (1983) co-starring as Sean Brody the son of

Roy Scheider Roy Richard Scheider (; November 10, 1932 – February 10, 2008) was an American actor and amateur boxer. Described by AllMovie as "one of the most unique and distinguished of all Hollywood actors", he gained fame for his leading and supporting ...

's character, Martin Brody, and his other film credits include appearances in ''

The Sure Thing ''The Sure Thing'' is a 1985 American adventure comedy romance film written by Steven L. Bloom and Jonathan Roberts and directed by Rob Reiner. The film stars John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Viveca Lindfors, and Nicollette Sheridan. The film chron ...

'' (1985), ''

Welcome to 18 ''Welcome to 18'' (alternative title: ''Summer Release'') is a 1986 American coming of age comedy-drama film directed by Terry Carr, who also wrote the screenplay with Judith Sherman Wolin. It stars Mariska Hargitay, Courtney Thorne-Smith and JoAn ...

'' (1986), ''

Men at Work Men at Work are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1978 and best known for breakthrough hits such as "Down Under", "Who Can It Be Now?", "Be Good Johnny", " Overkill", and " It's a Mistake". Its founding member and frontman is Coli ...

'' (1990), '' Skeeter'' (1993), and the horror film ''

Curfew A curfew is a government order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to ''not'' be in public places or on roads within a certain time frame, typically in the evening and ...

'' (1989), opposite

Kyle Richards Kyle Richards Umansky (: born January 11, 1969) is an American actress, socialite, and television personality. Since 2010, she has appeared as a main cast member on ''The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills'', and as of 2022, is the last remaining ...

. For much of the 1980s into the 1990s he guest starred in a number of notable television series namely, ''

Family Ties ''Family Ties'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the move in the United States f ...

'', ''

The Fall Guy ''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who moonli ...

'', ''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Newhart ''Newhart'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from October 25, 1982, to May 21, 1990, with a total of 184 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. The series stars Bob Newhart and Mary Frann as an author and his wife, ...

'', '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', ''

21 Jump Street ''21 Jump Street'' is an American police procedural television series that aired on the Fox network and in first run syndication from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focuses on a squad of youthful-loo ...

'', ''

Seinfeld ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...

'', ''

Home Improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...

'', ''

Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...

'' as well as a starring role in the sitcom '' Room for Two'' and a major role in '' The Wave'' (1981). In 1985, Putch made his directorial debut with the short film ''Waiting to Act'' starring Ed Begley, Jr.,

Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying Jam ...

and

Lance Guest Lance R. Guest (born July 21, 1960) is an American film and television actor, best known for his starring role in 1984's ''The Last Starfighter''. Biography Guest developed a serious interest in acting as a freshman while attending Saratoga H ...

. He began focusing more on directing in the mid-1990s, directing independent films and episodic television. His television directing credits include ''

Big Bad Beetleborgs ''Big Bad Beetleborgs'' (later ''Beetleborgs Metallix'') is an American live-action superhero television series by Saban Entertainment and was co-produced with Renaissance-Atlantic Films, Toei Company and Bugboy Productions. Two seasons aired on ...

'', ''

Son of the Beach ''Son of the Beach'' is an American sitcom that aired from March 14, 2000, to October 1, 2002, on FX. The series is a spoof of ''Baywatch'', with much of the comedy based on sexual double entendres, puns, innuendo and the like. A major running g ...

'', ''

Grounded for Life ''Grounded for Life'' is an American television sitcom that debuted on January 10, 2001, as a mid-season replacement on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. Created by Mike Schiff and Bill Martin, it ran for two seasons on the network until being cance ...

'', ''

Scrubs Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...

'', ''

Ugly Betty ''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian t ...

'', ''

My Name Is Earl ''My Name Is Earl'' is an American television sitcom created by Greg Garcia that aired on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States. It was produced by 20th Century Fox Television and starred Jaso ...

'', ''

Tycus ''Tycus'' is a 1998 American science fiction drama film directed by John Putch and starring Dennis Hopper, Peter Onorati, Finola Hughes, Chick Vennera and Amy Steel. It was released direct-to-video in 1999, in the United Kingdom, France, Unite ...

'', ''

Rush Hour A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice every weekday: on ...

'', '' APB'', ''

Cougar Town ''Cougar Town'' is an American television sitcom that ran for 102 episodes over six seasons, from September 23, 2009, until March 31, 2015. The first three seasons aired on ABC, with the series moving to TBS for the remaining three seasons. ABC ...

'', and ''

American Housewife ''American Housewife'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 11, 2016, to March 31, 2021. It is created and written by Sarah Dunn and co-executive produced with Aaron Kaplan, Kenny Schwartz, Rick Wiener, and for the p ...

''. Some of Putch's film directing credits include ''Bachelor Man'' starring

David DeLuise David Dominick DeLuise (born November 11, 1971) is an American actor and television director. He has appeared on numerous television shows as well as films. He is known for Coop in the animated show ''Megas XLR'' and Jerry Russo in ''Wizards of W ...

, '' The Poseidon Adventure'', '' American Pie Presents: The Book of Love'', '' Murder 101: College Can Be Murder'' starring

Dick Van Dyke Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage. Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...

and ''

Mojave Phone Booth ''Mojave Phone Booth'' is an independently produced 2006 film directed by John Putch. The film is based on a Mojave phone booth, real phone booth in the Mojave Desert that once accepted incoming calls, but has since been removed. The film is compos ...

'' starring

Annabeth Gish Anne Elizabeth "Annabeth" Gish (born March 13, 1971) is an American actress. She has played roles in films ''Shag'', ''Hiding Out'', '' Mystic Pizza'', ''SLC Punk!'', ''The Last Supper'' and ''Double Jeopardy''. On television, she played Special ...

and

Steve Guttenberg Steven Robert Guttenberg (born August 24, 1958) is an American actor, author, businessman, producer, and director. He is known for his lead roles in Hollywood films of the 1980s and 1990s, including '' Cocoon'', ''Police Academy'', ''Three Men a ...

, which won numerous independent film awards. In 2007 Putch began making a trilogy of comedies surrounding US Route 30 in his home state of Pennsylvania. ''Route 30'', ''Route 30, Too!'' and ''Route 30, Three!'' respectively take place in south central Pennsylvania in Franklin and Adams counties.

Partial filmography

*''

'' (1983) - Sean Brody *''

'' (1985) - Mastin...Vision Quest. 1985..uncredited *''Waiting to Act'' (1985) - Tom's Director *''

Impure Thoughts ''Impure Thoughts'' is a 1986 American comedy film. The film was directed by Michael A. Simpson. It marked Alyson Hannigan's feature film debut. Plot Four male friends are reunited after not being in contact with each other for several years. Ho ...

'' (1986) - Danny Stubbs *''

'' (1986) - Cory *'' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1988, 1989) - Mordock, Mendon *''

'' (1989) - Bob Perkins *''

'' (1990) - Mike *'' Skeeter'' (1993) - Hamilton *''

Clear and Present Danger ''Clear and Present Danger'' is a political thriller novel, written by Tom Clancy and published on August 17, 1989. A sequel to ''The Cardinal of the Kremlin'' (1988), main character Jack Ryan becomes acting Deputy Director of Intelligence in t ...

'' (1994) - Blackhawk Co-Pilot *''

Camp Nowhere ''Camp Nowhere'' is a 1994 American adventure comedy film directed by Jonathan Prince, written by Andrew Kurtzman and Eliot Wald, and stars Christopher Lloyd, Jonathan Jackson and Jessica Alba in her film debut. Plot 12-year-old Morris "Mud" ...

'' (1994) - Neil Garbus *''

Star Trek Generations ''Star Trek Generations'' is a 1994 American science fiction film and the seventh film in the ''Star Trek'' film series. Malcolm McDowell joins cast members from the 1960s television show ''Star Trek'' and the 1987 sequel series ''The Next G ...

'' (1994) - Journalist #2 *''Same River Twice'' (1996) - Skinner *''

Spoiler Spoiler is a security vulnerability on modern computer central processing units that use speculative execution. It exploits side-effects of speculative execution to improve the efficiency of Rowhammer and other related memory and cache attacks. Ac ...

'' (1998) - Doctor *''Freedom Strike'' (1998) - Stanley Shaw *'' City of Angels'' (1998) - Man in Car *''

The Souler Opposite ''The Souler Opposite'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Bill Kalmenson and starring Christopher Meloni, Timothy Busfield and Janel Moloney. Plot Cast *Christopher Meloni as Barry Singer *Janel Moloney as Th ...

'' (1998) - Lester *''

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) - Agent Joe Lambert *'' Mach 2'' (2000) - Tim Mandell *' (2001) - George *''The Confidence Man'' (2001) - Strip Club MC

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Putch, John 21st-century American male actors Male actors from Pennsylvania American male child actors American male film actors American male screenwriters American male television actors American television directors Film directors from Pennsylvania Living people People from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Screenwriters from Pennsylvania 1961 births