Kenneth Tigar (born September 24, 1942) is an American actor, primarily on American television, and translator.

Kenneth Tigar
Born
Kenneth Leslie Tigar

(1942-09-24) September 24, 1942 (age 82)
Occupation(s)Actor, translator
Years active1975–present

Life

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Kenneth Leslie Tigar was born into a Jewish family in Chelsea, Massachusetts, and raised in the Greater Boston Area.[1][2]

He received his BA and Ph.D. in German literature from Harvard University. As an undergraduate, he was active in theater as both an actor and a director. He spent a year at the University of Göttingen and performed in Vienna and other European cities.[3]

Career

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Tigar made his film debut in The Happy Hooker (1975). He went on to play Mr. Raymaker in Just One of the Guys (1985) and Professor Swivet in 18 Again! (1988). Tigar's later film roles include playing a bomb squad leader in Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) and Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Weil in Primal Fear (1996), a lawyer in Conspiracy Theory (1997), and a brief but pivotal part as a German resister to Loki in The Avengers (2012).

He has appeared in numerous television shows, including starring as the short-tempered Captain Jensen in L.A. Heat from 1997 to 1999, appearing in a total of 47 episodes. He guest-starred in two episodes of Cheers, playing different characters – "The Boys in the Bar" in Season 1 as a gay character called Fred, and later in Season 4's "Don Juan Is Hell", as a professor of Diane's.[4] He also played Dr. Gordon on Dallas, Sid Sidlevich (Maggie's boss) on Growing Pains, Fritz Heath on Dynasty, Dr. Keinholz on ER, and Walter Doyle on House of Cards,[5] among many other roles.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1975 The Happy Hooker Steve Screen debut
1978 The Gypsy Warriors SS Captain Schullman
1981 Gangster Wars Thomas E. Dewey
1985 Just One of the Guys Mr. Raymaker
Creator Pavlo
1987 Jake's M.O. Sol Godlman
1988 18 Again! Professor Swivet
Phantasm II Father Meyers
1989 Lethal Weapon 2 Becker (bomb squad leader)
The Runnin' Kind Stan Shank
1992 Lethal Weapon 3 Becker (bomb squad leader)
1993 My Life Dr. Califano
Snapdragon Captain
1995 Jade Corporate Man
Rage Harry
1996 Cadillac Ranch Clown (as Ken Tigar)
Primal Fear Weil
Riot Harry Johansen
1997 Little Bigfoot Largo
Conspiracy Theory Lawyer
Hollywood Safari Sheriff Todd
A Thousand Acres Doctor
The Underground Tim Scully
2000 Blessed Art Thou Robert
2005 Time of Fear Coroner
2012 The Avengers Old German Man
2014 The Union Earl
2015 Hell's Heart Father Francis

Television works (selected)

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Year Production Role Notes
1976 The Adams Chronicles Secretary TV miniseries, 1 episode
19761981 Barney Miller Stefan Koepeknie / Elliot Porter / Fletcher / Jesus Christ / Philip Pollock 6 episodes
1977 Man from Atlantis Dr. Miller Simon 3 episodes
The Waltons Clem Beal
1978 Actor The Farmer TV movie
1978 Charlie's Angels Danner Episode: "Antique Angels"
1978 Kaz Verdict in Department 12
1978 The Rock Rainbow Jim TV movie
1978 The Rockford Files Jerry Simpson Episode: "Local Man Eaten by Newspaper"
1979 Project U.F.O. Ron Denby Episode: "Sighting 4024: The Scoutmaster Incident"
1979 Barnaby Jones Gavin Brewster Episode: "Fatal Overture"
1979 The Golden Gate Murders Father O'Brien TV movie
1980 Love, Natalie The Guest TV movie
1980 Eight Is Enough Mr. Whitney Episode: "Jeremy"
1980 The Babysitter Tom Montgomery TV movie
1981 CHiPs Webb Episode: "Finders Keepers"
The Gangster Chronicles Thomas E. Dewey 13 episodes
Nero Wolfe Morty Barbage Episode: "The Blue Ribbon Hostage"
Park Place Hammond Episode: "Crazy Judge"
The Big Black Pill Trotter TV movie
WKRP in Cincinnati Dr. Hunnisett Episode: "Frog Story"
1982 Pray TV Parker TV movie
1982 Bosom Buddies Spinkus Episode: "Hildy's Dirt Nap"
1982 The Facts of Life Mr. Garfield Episode: "Daddy's Girl"
1983 Knight Rider Dr. Kempler Episode: "Give Me Liberty... or Give Me Death"
1983 Missing Pieces Alan Rosenus TV movie
1983 Special Bulletin Dr. Abraham Sczrsma TV movie
1983 Thursday's Child Bill Richardson TV movie
19831984 Hart to Hart Baldwin / Harold Ashby 2 episodes
19831985 Cheers Fred / Dr. Lowell Greenspon 2 episodes
19831986 Hill Street Blues Randolph Scripps 2 episodes
1984 Fatal Vision Pathologist TV movie
1985 Simon & Simon Larry Trowbridge 2 episodes
Night Court Mr. Slotkin 1 episode - "The Hostage"
1986 Magnum, P.I. Milton Collins Episode: "Death and Taxes"
Hunter Judge Calvin Tyler Episode: "True Confessions"
Webster Mr. Terry Episode: "A Test of Character"
19861993 L.A. Law Clarence O'Malley
1987 The Betty Ford Story Dr. Lukash TV movie
Dallas Dr. Gordon 4 episodes
Night Court Gus Melman 1 episode - "Her Honor, Part 4"
Highway To Heaven Mr. Meyers 1 episode - "Normal People"
19871989 Growing Pains Sid Sidlevich 6 episodes
1988 Star Trek: The Next Generation Margan (uncredited) 1 episode - "Symbiosis"
19881989 Dynasty Fritz Heath 5 episodes
1989 Who's the Boss? Mr. Timmons Episode: "In Sam We Trust"
1990 Newhart "Mom" - Game store owner 1 episode
1992 Quantum Leap Ben Steiner
1993 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Dr. Samuel Platt 1 episode - Pilot
1995 Beverly Hills, 90210 Mr. Warren
1996 Murder, She Wrote Dave Pittman
1997 Star Trek: Voyager Dammar
1997 Sunset Beach Dr. Anthony Moulton 2 episodes
1998 ER Dr. Keinholz 2 episodes
1998 Route 9 Bank Manager TV movie
1999 The X-Files Dr. Plant 1 episode - "S.R. 819"
1999 The West Wing Congressman Gladman
1999 L.A. Heat Captain Jensen
2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Terrence Winthrop 1 episode - "Privilege"
20082009 Fringe Johan Lennox speaking German
2010 Boardwalk Empire Doctor Lissenger (Dentist)
2011 Nurse Jackie Dentist
2012 Elementary Philip Armistead[6]
20132018 House of Cards Walter Doyle[7] 4 episodes
20132014 Alpha House Senator Paul Mower[8] 4 episodes
2016 Madam Secretary Scientist 1 episode - "On the Clock"
20162019 The Man In The High Castle Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler 13 episodes
2017 Blindspot Sean Clark[9]
2018–2022 Bull Judge Javonovich 2 episodes
2020, 2023 Hunters Heinz Richter 2 episodes - "In the Belly of the Whale"; "The Trial of Adolf Hitler"
2021 Evil Winston Episode: "S Is for Silence"[10]
2024 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Detective (ret.) Ed McCluskey 1 episode - "Marauder"

References

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  1. ^ "Veteran character actor Kenneth Tigar at Geva". YouTube. January 21, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  2. ^ "Actor Kenneth Tigar discusses "Freud's Last Session"". January 22, 2014.
  3. ^ Tigar archives, hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu. Accessed November 3, 2022.
  4. ^ Society), SPS (Sitcom Preservation (2014-09-01). Cheers TV Show: A Comprehensive Reference. Praetorian Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9679852-3-7.
  5. ^ "House of Cards Full Cast and Crew". November 2, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2018 – via IMDb.
  6. ^ "Déjà Vu All Over Again". March 14, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2016 – via IMDb.
  7. ^ "House of Cards Full Cast and Crew". November 2, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2018 – via IMDb.
  8. ^ "Alpha House". April 19, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2016 – via IMDb.
  9. ^ "Name Not One Man". February 8, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017 – via IMDb.
  10. ^ "S Is for Silence". 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2024 – via IMDb.
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