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James Karen was an American character actor of Broadway, film and television. Karen was best known for his roles in Poltergeist, The Return of the Living Dead, Invaders from Mars, and in The Pursuit of Happyness.
Birth Name
Jacob Karnofsky
Born
Wednesday, 28 November 1923
Died
Tuesday, 23 October 2018
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Great Buster | Self | 2018 |
| Cynthia | Frank Teague | 2018 |
| Bender | Old Man Bender | 2017 |
| Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk | Interviewee #1 | 2017 |
| NOTFILM | Himself / Self | 2015 |
| Green Briefs | Anthony | 2013 |
| America's Most Haunted | Ralph George | 2013 |
| Ambush at Dark Canyon | Seymour Redfield | 2012 |
| The Butterfly Room | Taxidermist / Sales Clerk | 2012 |
| Drew Peterson: Untouchable | Pastor Tom Keller | 2012 |
Actor Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Great Buster | Self | 2018 |
| Cynthia | Frank Teague | 2018 |
| Bender | Old Man Bender | 2017 |
| Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk | Interviewee #1 | 2017 |
| NOTFILM | Himself / Self | 2015 |
| Green Briefs | Anthony | 2013 |
| America's Most Haunted | Ralph George | 2013 |
| Ambush at Dark Canyon | Seymour Redfield | 2012 |
| The Butterfly Room | Taxidermist / Sales Clerk | 2012 |
| Drew Peterson: Untouchable | Pastor Tom Keller | 2012 |
| They Won't Stay Dead: A Look at Return of the Living Dead Part II | Himself / Self | 2011 |
| More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead | Himself / Self | 2011 |
| Sympathy for Delicious | Father Rohn | 2010 |
| When the World Breaks | Self | 2010 |
| Jack and the Beanstalk | Verri Saddius / Saddius | 2009 |
| Dark and Stormy Night | Seyton Ethelquake | 2009 |
| The Cleveland Show | (voice) | 2009 |
| Red Carpet Report | Self | 2009 |
| Trail of the Screaming Forehead | Reverend Beaks | 2008 |
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | Mr. Teague, Frank | 2007 |
| Return of the Living Dead: The Dead Have Risen | Self | 2007 |
| The Pursuit of Happyness | Martin Frohm | 2006 |
| Secret's Out | Self - Guest | 2006 |
| Superman Returns | Ben Hubbard | 2006 |
| Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy | Leroy Parker | 2006 |
| I'm King Kong!: The Exploits of Merian C. Cooper | Self - Interviewee | 2005 |
| Movies That Shook the World | Self | 2005 |
| Garbo | Self - Interviewee | 2005 |
| American Dad! | Larry Herman | 2005 |
| Unscripted | Dante's Friend | 2005 |
| So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM | Narrator / Self - Host / Himself - Host | 2004 |
| A House on a Hill | Sy | 2003 |
| Cold Case | Steve Pratt '08 | 2003 |
| Time Machine: Banned from the Bible | Additional Narration | 2003 |
| First Monday | Justice Michael Bancroft | 2002 |
| Mulholland Drive | Wally Brown | 2001 |
| The Nightmare Room | Tobias Langley | 2001 |
| Thirteen Days | George Ball | 2000 |
| Any Given Sunday | Christina's Advisor | 1999 |
| Judging Amy | Dr. Irwin Garner | 1999 |
| The Parkers | Rupert Van Lowe | 1999 |
| One Last Flight | Gramps | 1999 |
| My Last Love | Phil Morton | 1999 |
| Mulholland Dr. | Wally Brown | 1999 |
| Apt Pupil | Victor Bowden | 1998 |
| Universal Horror | interview / Self / Self - Interviewee | 1998 |
| Girl | Dad | 1998 |
| Shadow of Doubt | Norman Calloway | 1998 |
| Freedom Strike | President Mitchell | 1998 |
| NightMan | Secretary of Defense Laughton | 1997 |
| Always Say Goodbye | William Tager | 1997 |
| Behind Enemy Lines | TV Reporter | 1997 |
| The Practice | Judge Knapp, Judge M. Knapp | 1997 |
| Joyride | The Client / Mayor | 1997 |
| River Made to Drown In | Ray | 1997 |
| Dark Skies | Harry Carruthers | 1996 |
| E! True Hollywood Story | Himself | 1996 |
| Up Close & Personal | Tom Orr | 1996 |
| Nixon | Bill Rogers | 1995 |
| Piranha | Governor | 1995 |
| JAG | Former COMSUBPAC, Senator Barrington | 1995 |
| Ned and Stacey | Patrick Kirkland | 1995 |
| Congo | Elliot's Boss / College President | 1995 |
| Tough and Deadly | Winston Briggers | 1995 |
| Bonanza: Under Attack | Mr. Stewart | 1995 |
| The Companion | Peter Franklin | 1994 |
| Touched by an Angel | Mark Abernathy | 1994 |
| Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love | Mylan Whitfield | 1994 |
| Future Shock | Kafka | 1994 |
| Staying Afloat | George | 1993 |
| A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion | Assistant District Attorney Al Sampson | 1993 |
| Walker, Texas Ranger | Senator | 1993 |
| Class of '96 | Prof. Drake | 1993 |
| Hearts Afire | Norman Lynch | 1992 |
| The Larry Sanders Show | Sheldon Davidoff | 1992 |
| Melrose Place | Judge Mike Thomas | 1992 |
| Bodies of Evidence | Gil Murphy | 1992 |
| The Commish | Jimmy Malloy | 1991 |
| Sisters | Judge | 1991 |
| Absolute Strangers | Dr. X | 1991 |
| The Unborn | Dr. Richard Meyerling | 1991 |
| Lies Before Kisses | Arthur | 1991 |
| Spirit of the Eagle | Adult Little Eli (Narrator) | 1991 |
| The Willies | Mr. Jenkins / Uncle Harry / Jenkins | 1990 |
| Beverly Hills, 90210 | Minister | 1990 |
| Shattered Dreams | Charles O'Donnell | 1990 |
| Vital Signs | Dean of Students | 1990 |
| Drug Wars: The Camarena Story | Aide | 1990 |
| The Closer | Ned Randall | 1990 |
| Mancuso, FBI | Nagan | 1989 |
| Booker | Jack Wingate | 1989 |
| The New Lassie | Officer Stanley | 1989 |
| Seinfeld | Mr. Canterman | 1989 |
| Girlfriend from Hell | Carl's Dad | 1989 |
| Coach | James Armstrong | 1989 |
| Cult People | Himself / Self | 1989 |
| Murphy Brown | Arvin | 1988 |
| Return of the Living Dead II | Ed | 1988 |
| Wall Street | Lynch | 1987 |
| Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow | Self | 1987 |
| Jake and the Fatman | The Mayor, Lyle Vandegrift | 1987 |
| Square One Television | Prosecutor | 1987 |
| Mathnet | Prosecutor | 1987 |
| Drive-in Madness! | Himself / Host / Narrator / Self - Host - Narrator | 1987 |
| Designing Women | Kearney, Mr. Kearney | 1986 |
| Sledge Hammer! | Governor Fritz La Chatte | 1986 |
| L.A. Law | Dr. Everett Kyle | 1986 |
| Hardbodies 2 | Logan | 1986 |
| Invaders from Mars | Gen. Climet Wilson | 1986 |
| Matlock | Ed Billings | 1986 |
| Jagged Edge | Andrew Hardesty | 1985 |
| MacGyver | Robert Sanborn / Papillon | 1985 |
| Amazing Stories | Richard Whelan | 1985 |
| 227 | Lawyer | 1985 |
| The Golden Girls | Raymond | 1985 |
| The Return of the Living Dead | Frank | 1985 |
| Moonlighting | Alan | 1985 |
| Charles in Charge | Austin Miller, Mr. Bartlett | 1984 |
| Three's a Crowd | Dr. Richard Kimberley | 1984 |
| Who's the Boss? | Jerry | 1984 |
| Highway to Heaven | Mr. Simenton | 1984 |
| Sam's Son | Mr. Collins | 1984 |
| The Boy Who Loved Trolls | Richman | 1984 |
| Little House: The Last Farewell | Nathan Lassiter | 1984 |
| Emerald Point N.A.S. | Admiral Lovell | 1983 |
| Hardcastle and McCormick | C. Calvin Moore | 1983 |
| Webster | Dr. Farraday | 1983 |
| Frances | Judge Hillier | 1983 |
| Kiss Me Goodbye | Lawyer | 1982 |
| Time Walker | Dr. Wendell J. Rossmore | 1982 |
| Tucker's Witch | Earl Crayton | 1982 |
| Cheers | Dr. Bennett Ludlow | 1982 |
| Family Ties | Philip | 1982 |
| The Powers of Matthew Star | Major Wymore | 1982 |
| Poltergeist | Mr. Teague | 1982 |
| Herbie, the Love Bug | Minister | 1982 |
| Simon & Simon | Insurance Agent | 1981 |
| Take This Job and Shove It | Loomis | 1981 |
| Dynasty | Avril Dawson | 1981 |
| The Jazz Singer | Barney Callahan | 1980 |
| Magnum, P.I. | Andrew Clifton, the IAD Cop | 1980 |
| F.D.R.: The Last Year | Adm. McIntire | 1980 |
| Tenspeed and Brown Shoe | Charles Lovel | 1980 |
| Knots Landing | Max Craig | 1979 |
| Topper | Fred Korbell | 1979 |
| Trapper John, M.D. | Krewitt | 1979 |
| Blind Ambition | Earl Silbert | 1979 |
| The China Syndrome | Mac Churchill | 1979 |
| The Ordeal of Patty Hearst | Psychologist | 1979 |
| The Paper Chase | Mr. Pearson | 1978 |
| F.I.S.T. | Andrews | 1978 |
| Dallas | Elton Lawrence | 1978 |
| Opening Night | Bellboy | 1977 |
| Capricorn One | Vice President Price | 1977 |
| The Gathering | Bob Block | 1977 |
| Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night | Dr. Sutterman | 1977 |
| Lou Grant | Tyler Armitage | 1977 |
| Lucan | Murdoch | 1977 |
| The Love Boat | Mr. Rixie | 1977 |
| Eight Is Enough | Eliot Randolph | 1977 |
| Quincy M.E. | Dr. Tom Pierce, Mr. Maszek, Dr. Chet Rawlings, Dr. Lench | 1976 |
| Executive Suite | Carter | 1976 |
| Delvecchio | Porter | 1976 |
| Serpico | Ed Demarest | 1976 |
| All the President's Men | Hugh Sloan's Lawyer / Hugh Sloan's attorney | 1976 |
| Family | Dr. Addison | 1976 |
| The Bionic Woman | George Morehouse | 1976 |
| One Day at a Time | Fred Emerson | 1975 |
| The Blue Knight | Talford | 1975 |
| The Invisible Man | Hotel Manager | 1975 |
| Starsky and Hutch | Carter | 1975 |
| The Jeffersons | Herbert Purcell | 1975 |
| Police Woman | Driver | 1974 |
| Amazing Grace | Annenberg | 1974 |
| The Rockford Files | John LaPointe, Martin Horvath | 1974 |
| ABC Afterschool Specials | Mr. Fairchild | 1972 |
| M*A*S*H | Dr. Stephen Chesler | 1972 |
| The Streets of San Francisco | Frank Batz | 1972 |
| The Waltons | Martin Walters | 1972 |
| Rivals | Child Psychiatrist | 1972 |
| McMillan & Wife | George Pauling | 1971 |
| I Never Sang for My Father | Old Age Home Director | 1970 |
| Hercules in New York | Professor Camden | 1970 |
| Hawaii Five-O | Wingfield | 1968 |
| Film | Passerby | 1966 |
| Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster | Dr. Adam Steele / Dr. Steele | 1965 |
| Car 54, Where Are You? | Bird Owner | 1961 |
| The Defenders | Rabbi Fine, Paul Damon | 1961 |
| Lux Video Theatre | Llewellyn | 1950 |
| Repertory Theatre | 1948 |
