Kenneth Charles Swofford (July 25, 1933 – November 1, 2018) was an American film and television actor often cast as a villain or a police officer. Between 1962 and 1995, Swofford's film credits included ''

Thelma & Louise ''Thelma & Louise'' is a 1991 American road crime comedy-drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri. It stars Susan Sarandon as Louise and Geena Davis as Thelma, two friends who embark on a road trip that ends up in unfores ...

'', '' Skyjacked'', '' Black Roses'' and ''

The Andromeda Strain ''The Andromeda Strain'' is a 1969 techno-thriller novel by Michael Crichton, his first novel under his own name and his sixth novel overall. It is written as a report documenting the efforts of a team of scientists investigating the outbreak o ...

'', while his TV career during the same period was prolific. He appeared on such television series as '' Fame'', ''

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...

'', '' The Oregon Trail'', ''

Rich Man, Poor Man Book II ''Rich Man, Poor Man Book II'' is an American television miniseries that aired on ABC in one-hour episodes at 9:00pm ET/PT on Tuesday nights between September 21, 1976 and March 8, 1977. A sequel to '' Rich Man, Poor Man'' that had aired the pr ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', and as a cast member of the mystery series ''

Ellery Queen Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...

''.

Life and career

Born to Howard and Goldie Swofford on July 25, 1933, Ken Swofford graduated from

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Southern Illinois University (SIU or SIUC) is a public research university in Carbondale, Illinois. Founded in 1869, SIU is the oldest and flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system. The university enrolls students from all 50 s ...

in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science degree in theater. In an interview in 1976 the distinctive, red-headed actor described the advantages of an acting career as spending more time with his children and having the freedom to do any job. "If you're an actor, you can do anything. I have cleaned carpets, painted houses, worked on loading docks. It didn't bother me, because I could always act and enjoy myself." He met and married Barbee Biggs in summer stock in 1958; the couple had several children. In a ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' interview in 1985 titled "Autistic Youth Thrives in Large, Loving Family", the Swoffords discussed bringing up their

autistic The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

son Brendan at home. In 1989, Swofford was convicted of felony drunk driving and sentenced to 28 months in prison, after which he made a comeback and continued to work steadily until retiring in 1995. Ken Swofford, Profile
hollywood.com; accessed April 3, 2015. In 2001, he supplied the voice of the coach in '' Recess: School's Out'', and played Officer White in ''

Teacher's Pet Teacher's pet is a person that has an advantageous position compared to other students, where the teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or v ...

'' (2004), which was his last role before retiring permanently. Nonetheless, in 2018 he voiced the title character of Happy the Angry Polar Bear in a film written and directed by his grandson, Brandon.

Death

Swofford died on November 1, 2018. His death was announced by his grandson Brandon on

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

Filmography

*'' Captain Newman, M.D.'' (1963) — Patient (uncredited) *'' Father Goose'' (1964) — Helmsman, Submarine USS ''Sailfin'' (uncredited) *'' First to Fight'' (1967) — O'Brien *''

Gunfight in Abilene ''Gunfight in Abilene'' is a 1967 American Western film starring Bobby Darin in a non-singing role. It is the second film based on the short story "Gun Shy" by Clarence Upson Young, the first being ''Showdown at Abilene'' (1956), starring Jock ...

'' (1967) — Rebel Soldier (uncredited) *''How Much Loving Does a Normal Couple Need?'' (1967) — Barney Rickert / ex-detective *''

The Lawyer ''The Lawyer'' is a legal business information product for law firm leaders, commercial lawyers, barristers and in-house counsel. It is based in London. History and profile ''The Lawyer'' was launched in 1987 by Centaur Media plc. It publ ...

'' (1970) — Charlie O'Keefe *''

'' (1970) — Toby (technician) *'' Bless the Beasts and Children'' (1971) — Wheaties *'' Skyjacked'' (1972) — John Bimonte *''

One Little Indian One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In th ...

'' (1973) — Pvt. Dixon *'' A Cry for Help'' (1975, TV Movie) — Paul Church *''

The Black Bird ''The Black Bird'' is a 1975 comedy film written and directed by David Giler and starring George Segal and Stéphane Audran. It is a comedic sequel to the John Huston film version of ''The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) with Segal playing Sam Spade's ...

'' (1975) — Brad McCormack *''

The Domino Principle ''The Domino Principle'' is a 1977 neo-noir thriller film starring Gene Hackman, Candice Bergen, Mickey Rooney and Richard Widmark. The film is based on the novel of the same name and was adapted for the screen by its author Adam Kennedy (actor), ...

'' (1977) — Ditcher *''

Sultan and the Rock Star ''Sultan and the Rock Star'' (also known as ''The Hunter and the Rock Star'') is a 1980 American television film, made-for-television adventure film, adventure drama (film and television), drama film starring Timothy Hutton and based on the novel ...

'' (1980, TV Movie) - George McKinzie *'' S.O.B.'' (1981) — Harold Harrigan *''

Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...

'' (1982) — Weasel *''

Bridge Across Time ''Bridge Across Time'', also known as ''Terror at London Bridge'', is a 1985 American made-for-television drama film. It was an NBC movie of the week, written by William F. Nolan, directed by E.W. Swackhamer and starred David Hasselhoff, Stepf ...

'' (1985, TV Movie) — Ed Nebel *''

Hunter's Blood ''Hunter's Blood'' is a 1986 action thriller film directed by Robert C. Hughes, produced by Myrl A. Schriebman and starring Sam Bottoms, Kim Delaney, Clu Gulager, Ken Swofford and Joey Travolta. Plot Five men from the city decide to take a little ...

'' (1986) — Al Coleman *''

The Stepford Children ''The Stepford Children'' is a 1987 American made-for-television horror science fiction thriller film inspired by the Ira Levin novel '' The Stepford Wives''. It was directed by Alan J. Levi with a screenplay by Bill Bleich and starring Barbar ...

'' (1987, TV Movie) — Frank Gregson *'' Black Roses'' (1988) — Mayor Farnsworth *''

'' (1991) — Major *''

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) — Coach *''Cops n Roberts'' (1995) *'' Recess: School's Out'' (2001) — Coach (voice) *''

'' (2004) — Officer White (voice)

Television

*''

Surfside 6 ''Surfside 6'' is an ABC television series which aired from 1960 to 1962. The show centered on a Miami Beach detective agency set on a houseboat and featured Troy Donahue as Sandy Winfield II; Van Williams as Kenny Madison (a character recycled ...

'' (1962) — Garth *''

The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour e ...

'' (1966) — Wes *''

Cimarron Strip ''Cimarron Strip'' is an American Western television series starring Stuart Whitman as Marshal Jim Crown. The series was produced by the creators of ''Gunsmoke'', and aired on CBS from September 1967 to March 1968. Reruns of the original show we ...

'' (1967) — Christie *''

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 ...

'' (1967–1975) — Dunbar / Jake Fielder / Harkey / Dirk / Speer / Harry / Bronk / Loomis / Guffy / Sugar John / Bo Warrick *''

I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...

'' (1968) — Clay *''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' (1968) — Mick O'Toole *''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...

'' (1968) — Floyd Delman *'' The Virginian'' (1968–1969) — Seth Pettit / Wrengell *''

Here Come the Brides ''Here Come the Brides'' is an American comedy Western series from Screen Gems that aired on the ABC television network from September 25, 1968 to April 3, 1970. It was loosely based on Asa Mercer's efforts in the 1860s to import marriageable wo ...

'' (1969) — Janitor / Gil *''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

'' (1969) — Honky-tonk bookkeeper *''

The Odd Couple Odd Couple may refer to: Neil Simon play and its adaptations * ''The Odd Couple'' (play), a 1965 stage play by Neil Simon ** ''The Odd Couple'' (film), a 1968 film based on the play *** ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series), a 1970–1975 televisi ...

'' (1970) — Cop *'' The Intruders'' (1970) — Pomerantz *'' Mission: Impossible'' (1970–1971) — Deputy Mayor Charles Peck / Florian Vaclav *''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from Se ...

'' (1970–1974) — Coach / Monty *''

The Rookies ''The Rookies'' is an American police procedural series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for the fictitious Southern California Police Department (SC ...

'' (1972–1973) — Mr. Felker *''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin, Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the ...

'' (1973) — Herman Ledeker, Bus Driver *'' Columbo: Candidate for Crime'' (1973) — Harry Stone *''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book ''Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 film ...

'' (1974) — Red Turner *''

Kung Fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

'' (1974) — Dr. Tracer / Max Frazer *''Paper Moon'' (1974) — Angus *'' Police Story'' (1974–1977) — Lieutenant / Lieutenant Pete Telenda / Officer Turner / Alfonso Taluga / Morgan *''

Petrocelli ''Petrocelli'' is an American legal drama that ran for two seasons on NBC from September 11, 1974 to March 31, 1976. Plot Tony Petrocelli is an Italian-American, Harvard-educated lawyer, who grew up in South Boston and gave up the big money and ...

'' (1975–1976) — Lt. John Clifford / Lieutenant John Clifford / Phillip Armor *''

'' (1975–1976) — Frank Flannigan *''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...

'' (1975–1979) — Col. John 'Howling Mad' Smith / Carl Wronko / DEA Agent Al Jollett / FBI Agent Patrick / P.I. Floyd Ross *''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is reb ...

'' (1977–1978) — Dan Kelly / Roy Palmer *''

The Eddie Capra Mysteries ''The Eddie Capra Mysteries'' is an American mystery television series starring Vincent Baggetta as a lawyer who investigates murders and has a knack for solving them. Original episodes aired on NBC from September 8, 1978, to January 12, 1979.McNe ...

'' (1978) — J.J. Devlin *''

Battlestar Galactica ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel se ...

'' (1979) — General Maxwell in "Experiment in Terra" *'' How the West Was Won'' (1979) — Grimes *'' Walking Tall'' (1981) — Ed Morgan *''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...

'' (1981) — Johnny *''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...

'' (1981) — Fix *''

Trapper John, M.D. ''Trapper John, M.D.'' is an American medical drama television series and spin-off of the film ''M*A*S*H'' (1970). Pernell Roberts portrayed the title character, a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, Californ ...

'' (1982–1983) — The Chief / Mr. Stone *''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

'' (1982–1988) — Lt. Holliman / Lieutenant *''

Simon & Simon ''Simon & Simon'' is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who operate ...

'' (1982–1988) — Chester Sullivan — SIA Liaison / Chief of Security Warren Parton / Lloyd Getz *''

Knots Landing ''Knots Landing'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on CBS from December 27, 1979, to May 13, 1993. A spin-off of ''Dallas'', it was set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles and initially centered on the lives of ...

'' (1983) — Sheriff Pickett *'' Fame'' (1983–1985) — Principal Quentin Morloch *''

Hardcastle and McCormick ''Hardcastle and McCormick'' is an American action crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 18, 1983, through May 5, 1986. The series stars Brian Keith as Judge Milton C. Hardcastle and Daniel Hugh Kelly as ex-con and race ...

'' (1985) — Chuck Foster *''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court marti ...

'' (1985) — Park Ranger Roy Sherman *''

'' (1985–1992) — Lt. Catalano / Sheriff Tugman / Sid Sharkey / Grover Barth / Leo Kowalski *''

Knight Rider ''Knight Rider'' is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three television series: the original ''Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequel series ''Team Knight Rider'' (1997–1998) ...

'' (1986) — Nick O'Brien *''

Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from Oc ...

'' (1986) — Michael Harrigan *''

Scarecrow and Mrs. King ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King'' is an American television series that aired from October 3, 1983, to September 10, 1987, on CBS. The show starred Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner, as divorced housewife Amanda King and top-level "Agency" operative ...

'' (1986) — Mr. Davis *''

Falcon Crest ''Falcon Crest'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired for nine seasons on CBS from December 4, 1981, to May 17, 1990. The series revolves around the feuding factions of the wealthy Gioberti/Channing family in the California ...

'' (1987) — March Ridley *''

Max Headroom Max Headroom is a fictional artificial intelligence (AI) character portrayed by actor Matt Frewer. Advertised as "the first computer-generated TV presenter", Max was known for his biting commentary on a variety of topical issues, arrogant wit, ...

'' (1987) — Gorrister *'' Ohara'' (1987) — Crowley *''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order t ...

'' (1987) — Jack Kelly *'' Our House'' (1988) — Baxter *'' The Highwayman'' (1988) — The Mayor *'' Murphy's Law'' (1988) — Max Corkle *'' Mancuso, F.B.I.'' (1989) *''

The Wonder Years ''The Wonder Years'' is an American coming-of-age story, coming-of-age situation comedy, comedy/Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Neal Marlens and Carol L. Black, Carol Black. It ran on American Broadcasting Company ...

'' (1988) — Al (Kevin Father's Chief) *''

The New Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' (also known as ''The New Adam-12'') is a Broadcast syndication, syndicated revival of the Adam-12, 1968–1975 series of the same name. Like the original, this program focused on the daily jobs and lives of two police officers whose p ...

'' (1991) — Mr. Crebs *'' Matlock'' (1991) — Ned Salem *''

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, ...

'' (1991–1992) — Lyle Connors *'' Diagnosis: Murder'' (1994) — Rupert Leverton

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Swofford, Ken 1933 births 2018 deaths People from Du Quoin, Illinois American male film actors American male television actors American prisoners and detainees Male actors from Illinois 20th-century American male actors Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumni 21st-century American male actors