Bruce William Boxleitner (born May 12, 1950)[1] is an American actor and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King (with Kate Jackson), and Babylon 5 (as John Sheridan in seasons 2–5, 1994–98). He is also known for his dual role as the characters Alan Bradley and Tron in the 1982 Walt Disney Pictures film Tron, a role which he reprised in the 2003 video game Tron 2.0, the 2006 Square-Enix/Disney crossover game Kingdom Hearts II, the 2010 film sequel, Tron: Legacy[2] and the animated series Tron: Uprising. He co-starred in most of the Gambler films with Kenny Rogers, where his character provided comic relief. He also voiced General Moss in the films AniMen: Triton Force and AniMen: The Galactic Battle.
Bruce Boxleitner | |
|---|---|
 Boxleitner at Phoenix Comicon in 2011 | |
| Born | Bruce William Boxleitner May 12, 1950 Elgin, Illinois, U.S. |
| Education | Art Institute of Chicago |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, writer |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Known for | Luke Macahan Alan Bradley/Tron Lee Stetson a.k.a. Scarecrow Captain John Sheridan |
| Spouses | Kathryn Holcomb
(m. 1977; div. 1987)Verena King (m. 2016) |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
editBoxleitner was born on May 12, 1950, in Elgin, Illinois.[3] He attended Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, Illinois, and the Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago (now at DePaul University).[citation needed]
Career
editTelevision
editThis section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (February 2016) |
Boxleitner is best known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King (with Kate Jackson and Beverly Garland), and Babylon 5 (as John Sheridan in seasons 2–5, 1994–98).[4]
He also starred in The Gambler (as Billy Montana, alongside Kenny Rogers: 1980, 1983 and 1987) and in such television films as Judith Krantz's Till We Meet Again and Danielle Steel's Zoya. In 2005, he co-starred as Captain Martin Duvall in Young Blades. He has also starred in several films within the Babylon 5 universe, including Babylon 5: In the Beginning (TV, 1998), Babylon 5: Thirdspace (TV, 1998), Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (TV, 1999), and the direct-to-DVD Babylon 5: The Lost Tales (2007).
Boxleitner has appeared in many other TV shows, including an appearance in 1973 as Rick Welsh, a University of Minnesota Track Star, in the season four episode, "I Gave at the Office" in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Other appearances include Gunsmoke, Tales from the Crypt, Touched by an Angel, The Outer Limits and She Spies, and in 1982, he played Chase Marshall in the TV film Bare Essence, with Genie Francis. He was a member of the cast of Heroes for seasons three and four, playing New York Governor Robert Malden in three episodes. He also appears on the television series Chuck as the father of Devon Woodcomb. He was in such made-for-television films as The Secret, Hope Ranch, Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door, Pandemic, Sharpshooter and Aces 'N' Eights.
Boxleitner was a guest-star on NCIS in the fall of 2010. He played Vice Admiral C. Clifford Chase, a high-ranking Navy official.[5] Boxleitner also lends his voice to the animated version of his iconic character Tron in the animated series Tron: Uprising. The series premiered on Disney XD on June 7, 2012. He also reprises the character Alan Bradley/Tron from the films Tron and Tron: Legacy.[6] From 2013 to 2015, he played Bob Beldon, the owner of the local bed and breakfast, in the Hallmark Channel series Cedar Cove.[7][8]
Boxleitner later recurred on Supergirl portraying Baker, the Vice-President of the United States who is later sworn in as the new president after Lynda Carter's character Olivia Marsdin is outed as a Durlan by Mercy Graves and Otis Graves. He gained the role after Brent Spiner stepped down due to a scheduling conflict related to a family matter.[9]
From 2019, Boxleitner had a recurring role on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries series of films The Matchmaker Mysteries.[10]
Film
edit
He has also appeared in several films, including Tron (in which he played the title role) and The Baltimore Bullet (1980) with James Coburn. He reprised his role in the Tron sequel Tron: Legacy and in the video game Tron: Evolution which was released alongside the film Tron: Legacy, as he did for the sequel video game named Tron 2.0, and Disney/Square Enix crossover video game Kingdom Hearts II. Boxleitner also voiced Col. John Konrad in video game Spec Ops: The Line. He also starred as Confederate General James Longstreet in the 2003 film Gods and Generals. He provides the voice of Colin Barrow in the animated science fiction horror film Dead Space: Downfall, based on the video game Dead Space. Other films he has performed in include Kuffs, The Babe, Brilliant, Snakehead Terror, Legion of the Dead, King of the Lost World, Shadows in Paradise and Transmorphers: Fall of Man.
In July 2015, Boxleitner said that he is done with the Tron franchise, as "it's been too up and down for me. I would rather not just keep going. I don't want to repeat my career anymore."[11]
Modeling
editFrom 1986 to 1989, Boxleitner appeared in advertisements for Estee Lauder's "Lauder For Men".
Novels
editBoxleitner is the author of two science fiction novels with a Western setting, Frontier Earth (1999)[12] and Searcher (2001).[13]
Audio books
editBoxleitner played a major role in the audio dramatization of The Great Secret, part of the Golden Age of Fiction series by L. Ron Hubbard. He also played Captain Gavin Blaire in the unabridged version of World War Z.[citation needed]
Personal life
editBoxleitner's first marriage was to American actress Kathryn Holcomb, who co-starred with him on How The West Was Won as his on-screen sister Laura. They had two sons together.
Boxleitner's second marriage was to American actress Melissa Gilbert. They have a son born in 1995.[14] Gilbert also guest-starred as Boxleitner's on-screen wife, Anna Sheridan, during Season 3 of Babylon 5.[15] On March 1, 2011, Gilbert announced that she and Bruce had separated after 16 years of marriage.[16] On August 25 of the same year, it was reported that Gilbert had filed for divorce.[17]
In 2003, Boxleitner was appointed to the Board of Governors of the National Space Society, a nonprofit, educational space advocacy organization founded by Dr. Wernher von Braun.[18]
He was friends with actress Beverly Garland for nearly 30 years. He met her on an episode of How The West Was Won, and later co-starred alongside her on Scarecrow & Mrs. King, though he had very few scenes with her. Then, in 1986, Boxleitner presented Garland the Golden Boot Award. After the cancellation of Scarecrow, Boxleitner remained close to Garland, contacting her consistently, until her death, on December 5, 2008. He said in an interview, "I used to keep up with Beverly Garland until she passed. There was actually a hotel named after her. She was such a trip. She was a great lady."[19]
Bruce is currently married to publicist Verena King.[20]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Sixpack Annie | Bobby Joe | |
| 1980 | The Baltimore Bullet | Billie Joe Robbins | |
| 1982 | Tron | Alan Bradley / Tron | |
| 1990 | Breakaway | Joey | |
| 1991 | Diplomatic Immunity | Cole Hickel | |
| 1992 | Kuffs | Officer Brad Kuffs | |
| 1992 | The Babe | Joe "Jumpin' Joe" Dugan | |
| 1999 | Free Fall | Mark Ettinger | |
| 2000 | The Perfect Nanny | Dr. Robert Lewis | |
| 2001 | Life in the Balance | Eric Johnson | |
| 2002 | Contagion | President Howard | |
| 2002 | The Only Witness | Agent Nicholas Preston | |
| 2003 | Gods and Generals | Lieutenant General James Longstreet | |
| 2004 | Brilliant | Dr. Dietrich | |
| 2005 | Legion of the Dead | Sheriff Jones | |
| 2005 | King of the Lost World | Lieutenant Challenger | |
| 2007 | Babylon 5: The Lost Tales | President John J. Sheridan | Direct-to-video |
| 2008 | Dead Space: Downfall | Colin Barrow | Voice, direct-to-video |
| 2009 | Transmorphers: Fall of Man | Sheriff Hadley Ryan | Direct-to-video |
| 2010 | Shadows in Paradise | Captain Dyer | |
| 2010 | AniMen: Triton Force | General Moss | Voice |
| 2010 | Tron: Legacy | Alan Bradley / Tron / Rinzler | |
| 2011 | 51 | Colonel Martin | |
| 2011 | Tron: The Next Day | Alan Bradley | Short film |
| 2012 | AniMen: The Galactic Battle | General Moss | Voice |
| 2013 | Silver Bells | Bruce Dalton | Direct-to-video |
| 2018 | The Oath | Vice President Hogan | |
| 2023 | Babylon 5: The Road Home | John Sheridan | Voice, Direct-to-video[21] |
| 2023 | Far Haven | Ben Watkins |
Television films
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Chadwick Family | Danny | |
| 1975 | A Cry for Help | Richie Danko | |
| 1976 | The Macahans | Luke Macahan | |
| 1976 | Kiss Me...Kill Me | Douglas Lane | |
| 1977 | Murder at the World Series | Cisco | |
| 1978 | Happily Ever After | Jack | |
| 1980 | Kenny Rogers as The Gambler | Billy Montana | |
| 1981 | Fly Away Home | Carl Danton | |
| 1983 | Kenny Rogers as the Gambler: The Adventure Continues | Billy Montana | |
| 1983 | I Married Wyatt Earp | Wyatt Earp | |
| 1986 | Passion Flower | Larry Janson | |
| 1986 | Louis L'Amour's Down the Long Hills | Scott Collins | |
| 1987 | Angel in Green | Captain William Wicker | |
| 1987 | Kenny Rogers as the Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues | Billy Montana | |
| 1988 | Red River | Matthew Garth | |
| 1988 | The Town Bully | Robert Doniger | |
| 1989 | From the Dead of Night | Peter Langford | |
| 1989 | Road Raiders | Charlie Rhodes | |
| 1991 | Murderous Vision | Detective Kyle Robeshaw | |
| 1992 | The Secret | Patrick Dunmore | |
| 1992 | Perfect Family | Allan Bodine | |
| 1992 | Double Jeopardy | Jack Hart | |
| 1993 | Flight from Justice | Michael Shafer | |
| 1993 | House of Secrets | Dr. Frank Ravinel | |
| 1994 | Gunsmoke: One Man's Justice | Davis Healy | |
| 1994 | Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone | Sam - Sheriff of Cochise County | |
| 1994 | Gambler V: Playing for Keeps | Billy Montana | |
| 1995 | Danielle Steel's Zoya | Clayton Andrews | |
| 1998 | Babylon 5: In the Beginning | Captain John J. Sheridan | |
| Babylon 5: Thirdspace | |||
| 1999 | Babylon 5: A Call to Arms | ||
| 2002 | Perilous | Judd Ross | |
| 2002 | Hope Ranch | J.T. Hope | |
| 2003 | Killer Flood: The Day the Dam Broke | Jordan Walker | |
| 2004 | Snakehead Terror | Sheriff Patrick James | |
| 2004 | They Are Among Us | Hugh | |
| 2004 | Saving Emily | Gregory | |
| 2005 | Detective | Ketledge | |
| 2005 | A Killer Upstairs | Detective Bruning | |
| 2006 | Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door | Frank Lucas | |
| 2006 | Double Cross | James | |
| 2006 | Mystery Woman: Wild West Mystery | Clint Lawson | |
| 2007 | Pandemic | Kenneth Friedlander | |
| 2007 | Sharpshooter | Sheriff Gardner | |
| 2008 | Bone Eater | Sheriff Steve Evans | |
| 2008 | Aces 'N' Eights | D.C. Cracker | |
| 2010 | Lego Atlantis: The Movie | Captain Ace Speedman | Voice |
| 2011 | Love's Everlasting Courage | Lloyd Davis | |
| 2013 | The Thanksgiving House | Parker Mather | |
| 2015 | So You Said Yes | Nick Blanche | |
| 2016 | Wedding Bells | Charlie Turner | |
| 2016 | Double Mommy | Scott Davick | |
| 2017 | Gourmet Detective: Eat, Drink, and Be Buried | Jim Ross | |
| 2018 | The Christmas Contract | Tim Guidry | |
| 2019 | Matchmaker Mysteries: A Killer Engagement | Nick Columba | |
| 2019 | Holiday Date | Walter Miller | |
| 2020 | Roux the Day: A Gourmet Detective Mystery | Jim Ross | |
| 2020 | Matchmaker Mysteries: A Fatal Romance | Nick Columba | |
| 2021 | Matchmaker Mysteries: The Art of the Kill |
Television series
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Rick | Episode: "I Gave at the Office" |
| 1974 | Hawaii Five-O | Cam Farraday | Episode: "We Hang Our Own" |
| 1975 | Gunsmoke | Toby Hogue | Episode: "The Sharecroppers" |
| 1975 | Hawaii Five-O | Kevin Caulder | Episode: "And the Horse Jumped Over the Moon" |
| 1975 | Police Woman | Ed Krohl | Episode: "Paradise Mall" |
| 1976 | Baretta | Tom | Episode: "The Left Hand of the Devil" |
| 1976 | Hawaii Five-O | Paul Colburn | Episode: "The Capsule Kidnapping" |
| 1976–1979 | How the West Was Won | Luke Macahan | 25 episodes |
| 1979 | The Last Convertible | George Virdon | 3 episodes |
| 1980 | Wild Times | Vern Tyree | 2 episodes |
| 1981 | East of Eden | Charles Trask | Episode: "Part One" |
| 1982 | Bare Essence | Chase Marshall | 2 episodes |
| 1982–1983 | Bring 'Em Back Alive | Frank Buck | 17 episodes |
| 1983–1987 | Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Lee "Scarecrow" Stetson | 89 episodes |
| 1989 | Judith Krantz's Till We Meet Again | Jock Hampton | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Tales from the Crypt | Winton Robbins | Episode: "Top Billing" |
| 1994 | The Maharaja's Daughter | Patrick O'Riley | 3 episodes |
| 1994–1998 | Babylon 5 | Captain John J. Sheridan | 87 episodes Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor on Television |
| 1996 | ABC Afterschool Special | Mr. Mahar | Episode: "Me and My Hormones" |
| 1998 | Touched by an Angel | Scott Tanner | Episode: "The Peacemaker" |
| 1999 | Dead Man's Gun | Frank Santee | Episode: "Bad Boys" |
| 2000 | The Outer Limits | Senator Wyndom Brody | Episode: "Decompression" |
| 2000 | Twice in a Lifetime | Ray Patterson / Dr. Goode | Episode: "Fallen Angel" |
| 2003 | She Spies | The Chairman | 4 episodes |
| 2005 | Crossing Jordan | Foster Eldridge | Episode: "Family Affair" |
| 2005 | Commander in Chief | Tucker Baynes | Episode: "First Choice" |
| 2005 | Young Blades | Captain Martin Duvall | 13 episodes |
| 2006 | American Dad! | Lee "Scarecrow" Stetson | Episode: "Tears of a Clooney" |
| 2007 | Cold Case | Huck Oberland | Episode: "The Good-Bye Room" |
| 2008–2009 | Chuck | Dr. Woody Woodcomb | 2 episodes |
| 2008–2009 | Heroes | Robert Malden | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | NCIS | Vice Admiral C. Clifford Chase | Episode: "Broken Arrow" |
| 2011 | Chaos | Ray Bishop | Episode: "Glory Days" |
| 2012 | GCB | Burl Lourd | 4 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | Tron: Uprising | Tron | Voice, 17 episodes |
| 2013–2015 | Cedar Cove | Bob Beldon | 30 episodes |
| 2017 | NCIS | Vice Admiral C. Clifford Chase | Episode: "A Bowl of Cherries" |
| 2018–2019 | Supergirl | President Phillip Baker | 10 episodes |
| 2019 | When Calls the Heart | Gentlemen Johnny Boone | Episode: "Hope is with the Heart" |
| 2020 | Prop Culture | Himself | Episode: "Tron" |
| 2022 | The Orville | Planetary Union President | 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Blue Ridge | Robert 'Oak' Miller | 2 episodes |
| 2024 | Christmas Under the Northern Lights | Doug | Great American Family |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Tron 2.0 | Alan Bradley | |
| 2006 | Kingdom Hearts II | Tron | |
| 2010 | Tron: Evolution | ||
| 2012 | Spec Ops: The Line | Colonel John Konrad |
References
edit- ^ "UPI Almanac for Tuesday, May 12, 2020". United Press International. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ "Tron Legacy Star Bruce Boxleitner on the Rivalry Between Star Trek and Babylon 5". Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
- ^ "Bruce Boxleitner". TV Guide. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ "BRUCE BOXLEITNER as Captain John Sheridan - Babylon 5 GENUINE AUTOGRAPH". amazon.co.uk. Archived from the original on December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ "Exclusive: NCIS Enlists Scarecrow and Mrs. King's Bruce Boxleitner". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2010. He reprised this role in the spring of 2017.
- ^ Ernie Estrella (June 9, 2015). "9 reasons more TRON Uprising is the answer to Disney's TRON sequel problem". blastr. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
...the Grid's security program, Tron (Bruce Boxleitner) is slowly dying from a virus.
- ^ "Bruce Boxleitner Added to Cast as Series Regular in Hallmark Channel's "Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove"". The Futon Critic. May 20, 2013. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "Barbara Niven Added to Cast As Series Regular in Hallmark Channel's "Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove"". The Futon Critic. May 29, 2013. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "'Supergirl's' Brent Spiner Exits as Season 4 Role Recast With Bruce Boxleitner". The Hollywood Reporter. August 21, 2018. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ "About the Movies". Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. April 17, 2020. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ Topel, Fred (July 30, 2015). "Exclusive: Bruce Boxleitner on 'Tron 3′ – "I'm Done With It. I've Moved On"". Slashfilm. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ Boxleitner, Bruce (1999). Frontier Earth: HC. Ace Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-441-00589-5.
- ^ Boxleitner, Bruce (2001). Frontier Earth: Searcher. New York: Ace Books. ISBN 978-0-441-00799-8.
- ^ "Cover Story: Our Tiny Miracle – Vol. 45 No. 8". February 26, 1996. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "The-Complete-Babylon-5-Double-Autograph-DA1-Bruce-Boxleitner-and-Melissa-Gilbert The-Complete-Babylon-5-Double-Autograph-DA1-Bruce-Boxleitner-and-Melissa-Gilbert Have one to sell? Sell now The Complete Babylon 5 Double Autograph DA1 Bruce Boxleitner and Melissa Gilbert". ebay.com. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ Eng, Joyce. "Melissa Gilbert and Bruce Boxleitner Split". TVGuide. Archived from the original on March 4, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
- ^ Fleeman, Mike (August 25, 2011). "Melissa Gilbert Files for Divorce from Bruce Boxleitner". People. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
- ^ "NEWS RELEASE: ACTOR BRUCE BOXLEITNER APPOINTED TO NATIONAL SPACE SOCIETY BOARD OF GOVERNORS". nss.org. June 2, 1998. Archived from the original on December 16, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
- ^ "Bruce Boxleitner interview". lanterncitytv.com. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ "Bruce Boxleitner". hallmarkchannel.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ "'Babylon 5: The Road Home' Voice Cast Unveiled (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. May 10, 2023. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
External links
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