John Vernon | |
|---|---|
| File:John Vernon.JPG Vernon as the Mayor of San Francisco in Dirty Harry, 1971 | |
| Born | Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz[1] February 24, 1932 Zehner, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Died | February 1, 2005 (aged 72) Westwood, California, United States |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | Banff School of Fine Arts |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts |
| Years active | 1956–2005 |
| Spouse(s) | Nancy West (divorced) |
| Children | 3 |
John Keith Vernon (born Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz; February 24, 1932 – February 1, 2005) was a Canadian actor. He made a career in Hollywood after achieving initial television stardom in Canada. He was best known for playing Dean Wormer in Animal House, the Mayor in Dirty Harry and Fletcher in The Outlaw Josey Wales.
Early life[]
Vernon was born Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz in Zehner, Saskatchewan.[1] He was one of two sons of Adolf Agopsowicz, a grocer, and his wife Eleonore Krückel (also spelled as Kriekle or Kriekel). Both parents' families immigrated to the Edenwold district in the late 19th century from the Austrian crownland and duchy of Bukovina. The Agopsowicz family were part of the community of Armenians in Poland. Vernon was of Armenian, German, and Polish descent.[2][page needed]
From 1935 to 1953 he attended St. Joseph's School and Campion College in Regina, Saskatchewan, where his acting career began under the direction of Rev. Arthur Nelson, S.J. and Mary Ellen Burgess at Regina Little Theatre.[3] Vernon was educated at the Banff School of Fine Arts and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before becoming a live stage actor for CBC Television's dramatic programs. In 1974, he completed a season at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England, playing Malvolio.
Career[]
Early roles[]
Vernon made his screen debut in 1956 as the voice of Big Brother in Michael Anderson's film version of George Orwell's 1984 starring Edmond O'Brien. He returned to Canada afterwards and gained film experience appearing on the TV series Tugboat Annie and The Last of the Mohicans.
He made his Broadway debut in 1964 as DeSoto opposite Christopher Plummer and David Carradine in The Royal Hunt of the Sun. During the Golden Age of CBC Drama in the 1960s he co-starred in Edna O'Brien's A Cheap Bunch of Nice Flowers, opposite Colleen Dewhurst, and in Uncle Vanya, opposite William Hutt and Rita Gam. He appeared in the CBC series Wojeck in the late 1960s, playing a crime-fighting medical examiner, but left to further his acting career in the United States.
In 1967, he appeared opposite Lee Marvin in Point Blank. In 1969, he played Cuban revolutionary Rico Parra in Alfred Hitchcock's Cold War-era spy movie Topaz. He appeared on The High Chaparral as the leader of a group of striking Irish Miners (1969) in "No Irish Need Apply". In 1970, he guest-starred in the Hawaii Five-O episode "Force Of Waves" as Cal Anderson, and he appeared in the two-part episode "The Banker" of The Silent Force in 1971. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he made four appearances over five years on the TV series Mission: Impossible as four different lead villains. In 1974, Vernon turned in a supporting performance in Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night.
In 1971, he played the by-the-book mayor of San Francisco, perpetually frustrated by Clint Eastwood, in the first Dirty Harry movie. He later parodied this role in the premiere episode of Sledge Hammer! and One More Train to Rob. In 1972 he appeared as a villain in the Fear Is the Key. In 1973 he appeared in Charley Varrick. In 1974 he co starred in the film The Black Windmill with Michael Caine and Donald Pleasence. Also in 1974, he appeared in The Questor Tapes. In 1975, he starred in Brannigan, alongside John Wayne and Richard Attenborough. In 1976, he played Fletcher in Eastwood's The Outlaw Josey Wales.
Villain[]
In 1975, John Vernon portrayed "Ben Larkin," a Chicago gangster in the John Wayne movie "Brannigan," which was set in London, England.
Vernon played Dean Vernon Wormer of fictional Faber College in Animal House (a role that he would reprise in the short-lived television sequel Delta House). He also played Mr. Prindle in Herbie Goes Bananas, Dr. Stone, Ted Striker's psychiatrist, in Airplane II: The Sequel, and Sherman Krader in Ernest Goes to Camp.
In 1979, Vernon played villainous American bigot Jonathon Pritts in New Mexico who was trying to steal the land from Mexican landowners in the Louis L'Amour story of The Sacketts.
He also appeared in several cult exploitation and action films in the 1980s, most notably Chained Heat and Savage Streets, both starring Linda Blair, and Jungle Warriors, opposite Sybil Danning. He made light of his villain image (playing a character called "Mr. Big") in the 1988 Blaxploitation spoof I'm Gonna Git You Sucka: a character thinks Vernon should be "above exploitation films" and Vernon replies that many famous actors have done exploitation films, listing Jamie Lee Curtis, Angie Dickinson, and Shelley Winters as examples.
Vernon played "Ted Jarrett" in the season two The A-Team episode "Labor Pains" (1983). Vernon also played "Cameron Zachary" in the season two Knight Rider episode "A Good Knight's Work" (1984). Vernon later played "John Bradford Horn" in the season three Airwolf episode "Discovery" (1986). In 1986, he played the Principal in Fuzz Bucket. He played Sergeant Curt Mooney in Killer Klowns from Outer Space and was a lead in the short-lived 1990s series Acapulco H.E.A.T. In Charley Varrick (1973), he played a mafia boss.
Vernon guest-starred as the grouchy principal Dinkler in "Brad to Worse", an episode of Duckman on USA Network.
Voice work[]
Vernon did extensive voice work. He voiced the Prosecutor on the animated film Heavy Metal. He worked on such animated TV series as The Marvel Super Heroes portraying Tony Stark/Iron Man and Sub-Mariner among others, Batman: The Animated Series, The Incredible Hulk, Wildfire, Spider-Man, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy and Delgo.
Personal life[]
Vernon was the father of actresses Kate and Nan Vernon, and son, actor Chris Vernon.[1]
Death[]
Vernon died of complications following heart surgery on February 1, 2005, in Westwood, California, only 23 days shy of his 73rd birthday. He was cremated after a private funeral service.[1]
Selected filmography[]
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- 1984 (1956) as Big Brother (uncredited)
- Nobody Waved Good-bye (1964) as Lot Supervisor
- Point Blank (1967) as Mal Reese
- Bonanza (1968 TV) as Yonder Man
- Justine (1969) as Nessim
- Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969) as George Hacker
- Topaz (1969) as Rico Parra
- One More Train to Rob (1971) as Timothy Xavier Nolan
- Face-Off (1971) as Fred Wares
- Dirty Harry (1971) as The Mayor
- Bearcats! (1971) as Jason Ryker in episode 1, "The Devil Wears Armor"
- Journey (1972) as Boulder Allin
- Fear Is the Key (1972) as Vyland
- Cannon (1972–1975), 2x14 Hard Rock Roller Coaster, 3x07 Night Flight To Murder, 4x19 The Set Up, 5x13/14 The Star
- Charley Varrick (1973) as Maynard Boyle
- The Questor Tapes (1974) as Geoffrey Darrow
- Sweet Movie (1974) as Aristote Alplanalpe, a.k.a. M. Kapital
- The Black Windmill (1974) as McKee
- W (1974) as Arnie Felson
- Brannigan (1975) as Larkin
- Swiss Family Robinson (1975) as Charles Forsythe
- The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) as Fletcher
- Drum (1976) (scenes deleted)
- A Special Day (1977) as Emanuele, the husband of Antonietta
- The Uncanny (1977) as Pomeroy (segment "Hollywood 1936")
- Angela (1978) as Ben Kincaid
- Golden Rendezvous (1977) as Luis Carreras
- National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) as Dean Vernon Wormer
- It Rained All Night the Day I Left (1980) as Killian
- Fantastica (1980) as Jim McPherson
- Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) as Prindle
- The Kinky Coaches and the Pom Pom Pussycats (1981) as Coach 'Bulldog' Malone
- Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) as Dr. Stone
- Curtains (1983) as Jonathan Stryker
- Chained Heat (1983) as Warden Bacman
- The Blood of Others (1984) as Charles
- Jungle Warriors (1984) as Vito Mastranga
- Savage Streets (1984) as Principal Underwood
- Fraternity Vacation (1985) as Chief Ferret
- Doin' Time (1985) as Big Mac
- Rat Tales (1986)
- Terminal Exposure (1987) as Mr. Karrothers
- Ernest Goes to Camp (1987) as Sherman Krader
- Blue Monkey (1987) as Roger Levering
- Dixie Lanes (1988) as Elmer Sinclair
- Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) as Curtis Mooney
- Deadly Stranger (1988) as Mr. Mitchell
- Office Party (1988) as Mayor
- I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) as Mr. Big
- Afganistan - The last war bus (L'ultimo bus di guerra) (1989) as Ken Ross
- Mob Story (1989) as Don "Luce" Luciano
- Object of Desire (1990)
- The Naked Truth (1992) as Von Bulo
- Malicious (1995) as Detective Pronzini
- The Gnomes' Great Adventure (1995) as Omar / Master Ghost (voice)
- Stageghost (2000) as Slim
- Sorority Boys (2002) as Old Man
- Welcome to America (2002) as Det. Golding
Animation[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Heavy Metal | Prosecutor | segment "Captain Sternn" |
| 2003 | Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman | Rupert Thorne | Direct-to-video |
| 2008 | Delgo | Nohrin Judge | (final film role) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | The Marvel Super Heroes | Iron Man/Tony Stark /[4]/ Sub-Mariner/Prince Namor,[4] /Major Glenn Talbot / Major Corey | |
| 1986 | Wildfire | Wildfire | 13 Episodes |
| 1992-1994 | Batman: The Animated Series | Rupert Thorne | 9 Episodes |
| 1994 | Fantastic Four | Doctor Doom | Episodes: "The Mask of Doom: Part 1" |
| 1995 | Pinky and the Brain | Admiral | Episode: "Das Mouse" |
| 1996 | Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm | Shao Kahn | 3 Episodes |
| 1996 | Spider-Man | Doctor Strange | Episode: "Doctor Strange" |
| 1994 | Duckman | Principal Dinkler | Episode: "From Brad to Worse" |
| 1996-1997 | The Incredible Hulk | General Ross | 14 Episodes |
| 1998 | Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain | Principal | Episode: "Gee, Your Hair Spells Terrific" |
| 2000 | Pigs Next Door | Grand Porcinus | Uncredited, Episode: "Hog Island" |
| 2003-2005 | The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy | Warden Toadblatt | 3 Episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Adventures of Batman & Robin | Rupert Thorne | |
| 2000 | Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 | Tesla trooper | |
| 2000 | Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn | Goldander Blackenrock / Baron Ployer | |
| 2000 | Star Trek: Klingon Academy | Academy Communications Officer / Federation Commander 2 | |
| 2001 | Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge | ||
| 2002 | Earth & Beyond | Proconsul Dionysius Kerr | |
| 2004 | Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel | Rhombus / Glowing Ghoul | |
| 2005 | Area 51 | Additional Voices |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Bernstein, Adam (February 4, 2005). "Actor John Vernon, 72; 'Animal House' Dean". The Washington Post: p. B06. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62220-2005Feb3.html.
- ↑ Edenwold Anniversary Committee (1981). Where Aspens Whisper: Edenwold. Edenwold: Edenwold Anniversary Committee. ISBN 9780889252523. OCLC 15879980.
- ↑ Cory Toth - Encyclopedia Of Saskatchewan. "The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan | Details". Esask.uregina.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2017-05-03.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://www.animationmagazine.net/top-stories/iron-man-the-first-and-cheapest
External links[]
- John Vernon at the Internet Movie Database
- John Vernon at Find a Grave