Ken Wahl (born October 31, 1957)
[ is a retired American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s, best known for the ]CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
television crime drama '' Wiseguy''.
Early life and career
Wahl, who was born in Chicago, Illinois,[ Note: Only page 1 of article appears online. Full text appears in print edition.] is elusive about his personal life, and has given more than one birthdate. A Newspaper Enterprise Association
The Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) is an editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1902. The oldest syndicate still in operation, the NEA was originally a secondary news ...
syndicated article in 1988, citing records checked by the CBS publicist for Wahl's television series '' Wiseguy'', gives February 14, 1957, a date that corresponds with the year of his high school graduation: "A call to Bremen High School in the Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
suburb of Midlothian
Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...
reveals Wahl graduated from there in June 1975, presumably at age 18." In 2004, ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' noted the confusion surrounding Wahl's date of birth and added that "Ken Wahl is not actually Ken Wahl. At least he wasn't when he was born. While he declines to disclose his birth name, he does say that the moniker he's gone by for the past 25 years is the name of the person who saved his father's life in the Korean War".
According to Wahl, he was born "in a tiny apartment on the south side of Chicago, in the late Fifties". The 1988 NEA article states that Wahl was the ninth of 11 children from a blue-collar German/Italian family and "attended different high schools as the family moved to the hicagosuburbs of Midlothian and Worth."[ According to '']Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', Wahl played baseball, as a shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...
, in unspecified venues that might have included youth leagues and high school teams, before crashing a motorcycle and hurting his knee at age 16.[ After moving to ]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' ...
, he worked as an extra
Extra or Xtra may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film
Literature
* ''Extra'' (newspaper), a Brazilian newspaper
* ''Extra!'', an American me ...
on movies including ''The Buddy Holly Story
''The Buddy Holly Story'' is a 1978 American biographical film which tells the life and career of rock and roll musician Buddy Holly. It features an Academy Award-winning musical score, adapted by Joe Renzetti and Oscar-nominated lead performan ...
'' (1978).[
By 1981, Wahl's father had remarried. Between acting jobs, Wahl stayed in Chicago with his father and stepmother or with his sister.]
Acting career
Wahl first gained recognition in 1979 when he was cast in the leading role of director Philip Kaufman
Philip Kaufman (born October 23, 1936) is an American film director and screenwriter who has directed fifteen films over a career spanning more than six decades. He has been described as a "maverick" and an "iconoclast," notable for his versati ...
's film '' The Wanderers'' (1979). He was subsequently cast opposite Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
in ''Fort Apache, The Bronx
''Fort Apache, The Bronx'' is a 1981 American crime drama film directed by Daniel Petrie. The film is about a hard-drinking, lonely veteran cop, Murphy (Paul Newman), and his young partner Corelli (Ken Wahl), who work in a crime-ridden precinct ...
'' (1981), and went on to play the lead in movies including ''Race for the Yankee Zephyr
''Race for the Yankee Zephyr'' (also known as ''Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr'') is a 1981 action adventure film directed by David Hemmings and starring Ken Wahl, Lesley Ann Warren, George Peppard and Donald Pleasence.
Plot
Gibbie Gibson (Donal ...
'' (1981), '' The Soldier'' (1982), ''Jinxed!
''Jinxed!'' (also branded as ''Jinxed'' on promotional media) is a 1982 American comedy film starring Bette Midler, Rip Torn and Ken Wahl. The film was the last to be directed by Don Siegel, who suffered a heart attack during production. Sam Peck ...
'' (1982), '' Purple Hearts'' (1984) and other films. In 1984, he then suffered another motorcycle crash, while on his way to meet with Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton ('' née'' Hall, born January 5, 1946) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over six decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Gl ...
about the role that eventually went to Mel Gibson
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocaly ...
in the film ''Mrs. Soffel
''Mrs. Soffel'' is a 1984 American drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong, starring Diane Keaton and Mel Gibson and based on the story of condemned brothers Jack and Ed Biddle, who escaped prison with the aid of the warden's wife, Kate Soffel.
...
''. Not wearing a helmet, Wahl was injured badly enough to require 89 stitches in his scalp.[
After appearing in the ensemble of the ]TV-movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
'' The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission'' (1985) and co-starring with Billy Dee Williams
William December Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American actor. He appeared as Lando Calrissian in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, first in the early 1980s for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) and ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), and thirt ...
in the six-episode TV series '' Double Dare'',[ Wahl was cast in the lead role of Vinnie Terranova in the television series '' Wiseguy'' in 1987. Wahl said the following year, "The feature market dried up for me. When 'Wiseguy' came along I was hesitant to do it, but I thought the quality was good. I had to
make a living, so I decided to do it. I didn't have to audition or anything."][ The show ran until 1990 and brought Wahl a ]Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, as well as an Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination. Wahl wrote an episode of '' Wiseguy'' in 1989 and directed an episode in 1990.
During the second season, he injured himself again, on an episode directed by Jan Eliasberg
Jan Pringle Eliasberg (born January 6, 1954) is an American film, theatre, and television director and writer. Her debut novel, ''Hannah's War'', was published by Little, Brown in 2020 and has sold 50,000 copies to date. ''Hannah's War'' has been ...
. As Wahl recalled in 2004, "She had me walking into my own POV shot, and ... I was stepping up, and the amera Amera may refer to:
People
* Amera Eid, Australian belly dancer
* Amera Khalif (born 1929), Jordanian sports shooter
Other uses
* MS ''Amera'', a cruise ship
* Ben Amera, a monolith in Mauritania
* Amera, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India
* ...
wheel caught my right heel and it just ripped out the Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...
. ... But she wanted to do it again, so I said, 'Okay, you're the boss.'"[ Series creator Steven J. Cannell said the camera ran over Wahl a second time, leaving him in such pain Cannell replaced him for three episodes while Wahl healed.][
Wahl went on to star in '']The Taking of Beverly Hills
''The Taking of Beverly Hills'' is a 1991 American action film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Ken Wahl, Matt Frewer, Harley Jane Kozak and Robert Davi. In the film, football hero Boomer Hayes (Wahl) battles a group of ex-cops, who are ...
'' (1991) and '' The Favor'' (1994), as well as a ''Wiseguy'' reunion TV-movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
in 1996.
Injury
Wahl's acting career was derailed by a broken neck. He initially said that in 1992 he had endured another motorcycle crash, but later said he had fallen down a flight of stairs at the home of comedian Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield (born Jacob Rodney Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, his catchphrase "I don't get no resp ...
's girlfriend and eventual wife, Joan Child. "We were dating casually ... I stayed over at her house one night, fell down these stairs, and she begged me not to say that in the press", Wahl said in 2004.[
As his official biography describes the incident:
Blaming a "botched" undisclosed surgery and the refusal of doctors to prescribe pain medication, Wahl said in an interview that he told himself, "Okay, I can't get a prescription, so I'll get a bottle of vodka. I was in such chronic, agonizing pain 24 hours a day that I started drinking to kill the pain." After gaining weight through lack of exercise, and with a growing alcohol problem, he worked 16 days on the ''Wiseguy'' reunion movie "and barely got through it. That's when I knew I couldn't do it anymore."][
]
Personal life
Wahl married his first wife, former ''Penthouse
Penthouse most often refers to:
*Penthouse apartment, a special apartment on the top floor of a building
*Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' (magazine), a British-founded men's magazine
*Mechanical penthouse, a floor, typically located directly u ...
'' Pet of the Year
This is a list of the models who have appeared in the American edition of '' Penthouse'' magazine and were either named Pet of the Month or Pet of the Year from September 1969 to the present. Pet of the Year names are in bold type and are typic ...
Corinne Alphen
Corinne Alphen (born September 27, 1954) is an American model and actress. She was a two-time '' Penthouse'' Pet of the Month and a Pet of the Year. Alphen is also a professional Tarot card reader.
Biography
Corinne Alphen was born in Lynn, Mass ...
, in 1983. With Alphen, he had a son, Raymond, and a step-son, Louis, from Alphen's previous marriage. They divorced in 1991.
Traci Lords
Traci Lords (born Nora Louise Kuzma; May 7, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She entered the adult film industry using a fake birth certificate to conceal that she was two years under the legal age of eighteen. Lords starred in adult fi ...
revealed in her autobiography, '' Traci Lords: Underneath It All'', that she had a brief affair with Wahl in 1988 after she had a guest appearance on his TV series. Lords said of Wahl’s that he “was tall, dark, and brooding with a mischievous smile. He took me to dinner that night at a down-home Italian joint near my hotel. It had a low-key vibe and sensational food. He was a star with simple tastes, which impressed me. He was kind to people and bantered easily with the staff as he leaned back in his chair… He was one sexy man.” She further added that he “was the first civilian I’d made love to post-porn” and that he made her think differently about relationships.
In 1995, Wahl was charged with disturbing the peace and arrested on an outstanding warrant for a drunken-driving charge, eventually pleaded no contest
' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense.
In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...
to both charges and receiving probation. A year later, he was arrested for allegedly threatening a bartender with a hunting knife for refusing to serve him alcohol. He pleaded no contest again and was ordered to enter a live-in alcohol rehabilitation program.[
Wahl married his second wife, ]glamour model
A model is a person with a role either to promote, display or advertise commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as a visual aid for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Though ...
Shane Barbi, in 1997. Wahl says he and Barbi married after attending 12-step meetings together.[
In 2009, Wahl sued his former business manager, Henry Levine, alleging that Levine conspired with Wahl's first wife, Corinne Alphen, to defraud him.
]
Animal and disabled veterans activism
Wahl and his wife, Shane Barbi, support animal rights and disabled United States military veterans.
On 19 January 2010, he offered his Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
as part of a reward then being assembled by the Second Chance Rescue Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up ...
, to help find and convict the person who glued a 7-month-old orange tabby to Minnesota State Highway 60, where travelers found it on 18 December 2009; the cat, which rescuers called Timothy, died days later.
In 2012, Wahl stood against the Hayden Law Repeal, which would have revoked the Hayden Law for shelter pets in California, which had extended the number of days owners had to find their lost pets or for injured animals to receive donations or to be adopted.
For Memorial Day 2012, Wahl sent a message saluting the military, alongside the group Pets for Patriots, supporting adoption of pets for veterans. Later that year, he took part in the documentary ''Saving America's Horses'', about both wild and domestic horses and the issues that plague them. In December 2012, he reiterated the need to support wounded veterans, and help reduce suicide rates, by pairing rescued animals with veterans.
Awards
* 1989: Nomination, Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, as Vinnie Terranova in '' Wiseguy''
* 1989: Nomination, Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama, for ''Wiseguy''
* 1990: Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama, for ''Wiseguy''[
]
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wahl, Ken
1957 births
20th-century American male actors
Age controversies
American male film actors
American male television actors
American people of German descent
American people of Italian descent
Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (television) winners
Living people
Male actors from Chicago
People from Midlothian, Illinois
Janitors