Howard Hesseman (born February 27, 1940) is an American actor best
known for playing DJ Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati, Captain
Pete Lassard in Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, Sam Royer on
One Day at a Time, and schoolteacher Charlie Moore on Head of the
Class.Hesseman was born in Lebanon, Oregon, the son of Edna (née
Forster) and George Henry Hesseman. His parents divorced when he was
five, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, a police
officer. He graduated from Silverton High School in 1958. Hesseman
attended the University of Oregon, and was later a founding member of
the San Francisco-based improvisational comedy troupe The Committee
with fellow actor David Ogden Stiers. Early in his acting career, he
used the alias Don Sturdy, the name he also used as a radio DJ.Under
the alias of Don Sturdy, Hesseman made his first television
appearances, including one episode of Dragnet in 1968 in which he
portrayed a hippie named Jesse Chaplin, the editor of an underground
newspaper. In this Dragnet episode, his character was a panelist on a
TV show opposite Sgt. Friday and Officer Gannon.He played a bit part
in two final-season episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. In the episode
"Sam for Town Council," Hesseman has an exchange with Emmett Clark
(Paul Hartman), who is running for town council against Sam Jones
played by Ken Berry. Hesseman plays a character named Harry seen
preparing fishing tackle outside a sporting goods store and
complaining to Emmett how poor the fishing has been at a nearby
fishing spot. Emmett promises to stock the pond with big perch in
exchange for Harry's vote. Harry agrees and wears a campaign button
supporting Emmett in the race. In the episode "Goober Goes to an Auto
Show", Hesseman, also credited as Don Sturdy, plays the Counterboy,
serving hot dogs and root beers to Goober and his old trade school
rival Roy Swanson, played by Noam Pitlik. Hesseman made several
appearances as Mr. Plager, a member of the group therapy ensemble on
The Bob Newhart Show, who was later revealed to be gay. He became a
playwright in the sixth season of the show, writing a play about the
characters in the group. In several other episodes of the show,
Hesseman's voice can be heard as a TV announcer. In 1969, he appeared
uncredited with The Committee (though at the time using the name Don
Sturdy) in several sketches on The Dick Cavett Show, and appeared in
one sketch with guest Janis Joplin.
known for playing DJ Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati, Captain
Pete Lassard in Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, Sam Royer on
One Day at a Time, and schoolteacher Charlie Moore on Head of the
Class.Hesseman was born in Lebanon, Oregon, the son of Edna (née
Forster) and George Henry Hesseman. His parents divorced when he was
five, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, a police
officer. He graduated from Silverton High School in 1958. Hesseman
attended the University of Oregon, and was later a founding member of
the San Francisco-based improvisational comedy troupe The Committee
with fellow actor David Ogden Stiers. Early in his acting career, he
used the alias Don Sturdy, the name he also used as a radio DJ.Under
the alias of Don Sturdy, Hesseman made his first television
appearances, including one episode of Dragnet in 1968 in which he
portrayed a hippie named Jesse Chaplin, the editor of an underground
newspaper. In this Dragnet episode, his character was a panelist on a
TV show opposite Sgt. Friday and Officer Gannon.He played a bit part
in two final-season episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. In the episode
"Sam for Town Council," Hesseman has an exchange with Emmett Clark
(Paul Hartman), who is running for town council against Sam Jones
played by Ken Berry. Hesseman plays a character named Harry seen
preparing fishing tackle outside a sporting goods store and
complaining to Emmett how poor the fishing has been at a nearby
fishing spot. Emmett promises to stock the pond with big perch in
exchange for Harry's vote. Harry agrees and wears a campaign button
supporting Emmett in the race. In the episode "Goober Goes to an Auto
Show", Hesseman, also credited as Don Sturdy, plays the Counterboy,
serving hot dogs and root beers to Goober and his old trade school
rival Roy Swanson, played by Noam Pitlik. Hesseman made several
appearances as Mr. Plager, a member of the group therapy ensemble on
The Bob Newhart Show, who was later revealed to be gay. He became a
playwright in the sixth season of the show, writing a play about the
characters in the group. In several other episodes of the show,
Hesseman's voice can be heard as a TV announcer. In 1969, he appeared
uncredited with The Committee (though at the time using the name Don
Sturdy) in several sketches on The Dick Cavett Show, and appeared in
one sketch with guest Janis Joplin.
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