Vincent Van Patten (born October 17, 1957) is an American actor, former professional

tennis player Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

, and the commentator for the

World Poker Tour The World Poker Tour (WPT) is an internationally televised gaming and entertainment brand. Since 2002, the World Poker Tour has operated a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting playdown and the f ...

Personal life

Van Patten was born in Bellerose, New York, as the youngest son of actor

Dick Van Patten Richard Vincent Van Patten (December 9, 1928 – June 23, 2015) was an American actor, comedian, businessman, and animal welfare advocate, whose career spanned seven decades of television. He was best known for his role as patriarch Tom Brad ...

and his wife, Patricia Helon "Pat" Van Patten (née Poole), a former

June Taylor Marjorie June Taylor (December 14, 1917 – May 16, 2004) was an American choreographer, best known as the founder of the June Taylor Dancers, who were featured on Jackie Gleason's various television variety programs. Early life and career Taylo ...

dancer. He is of Dutch, English, and Italian descent. He was first urged into show business at age nine by his father's agent. He appeared in more than thirty commercials, including

Colgate toothpaste Colgate is an American brand principally used for oral hygiene products such as toothpastes, toothbrushes, mouthwashes and dental floss. Manufactured by Colgate-Palmolive, Colgate's oral hygiene products were first sold by the company in 1873, ...

, before his father was cast in the TV series, '' Arnie'', and moved his family from

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

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 ...

. From his first marriage to

Betsy Russell Elizabeth "Betsy" Russell (born September 6, 1963) is an American actress who is best known for her roles in ''Private School'' (1983), ''Tomboy'' (1985), and as Jill Tuck, one of the primary characters of the ''Saw'' film series from 2006 to ...

he has two sons: Richard and Vince. His second marriage, on April 15, 2003, was to ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...

'' actress

Eileen Davidson Eileen Marie Davidson is an American actress, author, television personality and former model. Davidson is best known for her roles in soap operas as Kristen DiMera and Susan Banks on NBC's ''Days of Our Lives'' and Ashley Abbott on CBS's ''T ...

; they have one child together. Vince is related to several other well-known actors, actresses, and singers through blood and by marriage. Vince is a brother of James and

Nels Van Patten Richard Nels Van Patten (born January 15, 1955), known as Nels Van Patten, is an American actor and former professional tennis player. He is married to actress Nancy Valen. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Van Patten is the eldest son of actor Dick V ...

, a nephew of

Joyce Van Patten Joyce Benignia Van Patten (born March 9, 1934) is an American film and stage actress. She is best known for her roles in films like '' The Bad News Bears'' (1976), ''St. Elmo's Fire'' (1985) (as Mrs. Beamish), and as Rob Schneider's septuagenari ...

and

Timothy Van Patten Timothy Van Patten (born June 10, 1959) is an American director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He has directed episodes of '' Perry Mason'', ''Boardwalk Empire'', '' Black Mirror'', '' Deadwood'', '' Ed'', ''Game of Thrones'', '' The Pacific ...

, and a cousin of

Talia Balsam Talia Balsam (born March 5, 1959) is an American television and film actress. Early life Balsam was born in New York City on March 5, 1959, to actors Martin Balsam and Joyce Van Patten. Her ancestry is Russian Jewish (father) and Italian, Dutch, ...

Acting

As a child actor during the 1970s, Van Patten guest-starred in over three dozen classic television series, including ''

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 ...

'', ''Gunsmoke'',''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions ...

'', Nichols, '' Medical Center'', ''

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 st ...

'', ''

The Courtship of Eddie's Father ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' is an American sitcom based on the 1963 film of the same name, which was based on a novel by Mark Toby (edited by Dorothy Wilson). The series is about a widower, Tom Corbett (played by Bill Bixby), who is a ...

'', ''

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, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as bein ...

'', and a variety of television movies. He also had roles in the films ''

Charley and the Angel ''Charley and the Angel'' is a 1973 American Disney family/comedy film set in an unidentified small city in the 1930s Depression-era Midwestern United States and starring Fred MacMurray in one of his final film appearances and his last movie for ...

'' (1973) and '' Chino'' (1973). At age 16, he was cast in '' Apple's Way'', a CBS drama series, in which he played the son of an architect who leaves the big city to rear his family in rural and fictional Appleton, Iowa. In the fall of 1975, at age 18, Van Patten appeared as John Karras in a 12-week CBS drama series ''

Three for the Road ''Three for the Road'' is a 1987 road comedy film directed by Bill L. Norton and starring Charlie Sheen, Alan Ruck, Kerri Green, Sally Kellerman and Blair Tefkin. Plot The film centers around Paul Tracy (Charlie Sheen), a college student an ...

''. The story line is that of a father and two sons, grief-stricken over the death of their wife and mother, who sell their house, buy a recreational vehicle, and roam throughout the United States. In 1978, he co-starred in ''The Bionic Boy'', a two-hour ABC attempted spinoff of the popular

Lee Majors Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; April 23, 1939) is an American actor. Majors portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley in the American television Western series ''The Big Valley'' (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin in the American televisio ...

vehicle ''

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 ...

'', that never went to series. He made a guest appearance in the final episode of 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 ...

television

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

'' $weepstake$'' in 1979. In 1978, Van Patten starred in the

cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage i ...

classic ''

Rock 'n' Roll High School ''Rock 'n' Roll High School'' is a 1979 American musical comedy film directed by Allan Arkush, produced by Michael Finnell, and starring P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, Clint Howard, and Dey Young. The film featured the punk rock group Ram ...

''. He starred in several other films in the 1970s and 1980s, including the 1979 action thriller ''Survival Run'' (aka ''Spree''), '' Yesterday'' (1981) as a Vietnam war veteran, the slasher film ''

Hell Night ''Hell Night'' is a 1981 American slasher film directed by Tom DeSimone, written by Randy Feldman, and starring Linda Blair. The film depicts a night of fraternity hazing set in an old manor, during which a deformed killer terrorizes and mur ...

'' (1981), '' Gidget's Summer Reunion'' (1985), '' The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission'' (1987), and '' Camp Fear'' (1991). He wrote, produced, and starred in '' The Break'' (1995), distributed by Lions Gate with

Martin Sheen Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films ''The Subject Was Roses'' (1968) and ''Badlands'' (1973), and later achieved wid ...

. Van Patten co-wrote and produced ''

7 Days to Vegas ''7 Days to Vegas'' (also known as ''Walk to Vegas'') is a 2019 American comedy film directed by Eric Balfour. Vincent Van Patten is the co-writer along with Steve Alper. The film stars Vincent Van Patten, Ross McCall, Paul Walter Hauser, Eile ...

'' (2019), based on a true story, about a bet he made in 1995 that he could walk from

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, to

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, in seven days.

Tennis

Van Patten was a professional tour

who in 1979 was awarded the

Association of Tennis Professionals The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is the governing body of the men's professional tennis circuits – the ATP Tour, the ATP Challenger Tour and the ATP Champions Tour. It was formed in September 1972 by Donald Dell, Jack Kramer, a ...

(ATP) Rookie of the Year award. The highlight of his career came in 1981 when he defeated

John McEnroe John Patrick McEnroe Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional tennis player. He was known for his shot-making and volleying skills, his rivalries with Björn Borg and Jimmy Connors, and his confrontational on-court beh ...

and two other top ten world ranked pros to win the Seiko World Super Tennis tournament in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

. His career high ranking in singles was World No. 26, reached on February 11, 1982. In singles, Van Patten reached the third round of the US Open twice, in 1982 and 1983, and Wimbledon once, in 1985. In doubles his best Grand Slam event result was reaching the quarter-finals of the

French Open The French Open (french: Internationaux de France de tennis), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May each year. The tournament and ve ...

in 1981, partnering with

Mel Purcell Mel, Mels or MEL may refer to: Biology * Mouse erythroleukemia cell line (MEL) * National Herbarium of Victoria, a herbarium with the Index Herbariorum code MEL People * Mel (given name), the abbreviated version of several given names (including ...

. His highest doubles ranking was World No. 24, reached in September 1986.

Tennis Grand Prix Championship Series finals

Singles (1 title)

Poker

Van Patten learned to play poker at the age of 14 from from his father, actor

. In the 1990s, Vincent Van Patten put together his own Hollywood home game with famous regulars like

Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Volpi Cup. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS education ...

and

Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent Maguire (born June 27, 1975) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for playing the title character from Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007), a role he later reprised in '' Spider-Man: No Way Hom ...

. He finished in the money at the

2010 World Series of Poker The 2010 World Series of Poker was the 41st annual World Series of Poker (WSOP), held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Paradise, Nevada, and ran from May 28 to July 17. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No Limit Ho ...

main event, finishing 481st in a pool of 7,319 entrants and received winnings totaling $27,519. (This amount was awarded to finishers in 460th through 531st place.) Since 2003, he has been a commentator on ''

.'' The first four seasons were broadcast on Travel Channel; seasons five and six on

Game Show Network Game Show Network (GSN) is an American basic cable channel owned by Sony Pictures Television. The channel's programming is primarily dedicated to game shows, including reruns of acquired game shows, along with new, first-run original and revive ...

, and, from the seventh through to the current season, it has aired on

Fox Sports Networks Fox Sports Networks (FSN), formerly known as Fox Sports Net, was the collective name for a group of regional sports channels in the United States. Formed in 1996 by News Corporation, the networks were acquired by The Walt Disney Company on Ma ...

. With Robert J Randisi, he wrote ''The Picasso Flop,'' a novel about Las Vegas poker. As of September, 2020, Van Patten has $104,383 in live tournament earnings from seven events.

References

Bibliography

External links

* * *
Van Patten profile
PokerListings.com
Vince Van Patten Interview (video + transcript)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Patten, Vince 1957 births Living people Male actors from New York City American people of Dutch descent American people of English descent American people of Italian descent American male film actors American male tennis players American sports announcers American male television actors Poker commentators Tennis people from New York (state) American male child actors American poker players 20th-century American male actors Writers from New York City Van Patten family