Leonard Barrie Corbin (born October 16, 1940) is an American actor.
His most well-known role came in the television series Northern
Exposure (1990â€"1995), for which he was consecutively nominated for
two Primetime Emmy Awards.Corbin was born in Lamesa, the seat of
Dawson County, south of Lubbock in West Texas. He is the son of the
former Alma LaMerle Scott (1918â€"1994), a teacher, and Kilmer Blaine
Corbin, Sr. (1919â€"1993), a school principal, judge, and Democratic
member of the Texas State Senate for two terms, from 1949â€"1957.
Corbin was named for author J. M. Barrie by his mother. He played
football briefly in eighth grade, but soon moved to the arts,
including acting and ballet classes. He graduated from Monterey High
School. Corbin studied theatre arts at Texas Tech University in
Lubbock. At 21, he joined the United States Marine Corps, served two
years, and then returned to Tech.Corbin began his career as a
Shakespearean actor in the 1960s, but today he is more likely to be
seen in the role of the local sheriff, military leader, or some other
authority figure, though on occasion, he has effectively portrayed
murderous villains, as well. To moviegoers, he is well remembered as
General Beringer in WarGames, John Travolta's uncle Bob Davis in Urban
Cowboy, co-starring with Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can, or
Roscoe Brown, July Johnson's bumbling deputy in the acclaimed Western
Lonesome Dove.From 1979 until 1984, he appeared in several episodes of
Dallas as Sheriff Fenton Washburn. In 1983, Corbin co-starred in the
famed television miniseries The Thorn Birds. Corbin played Mary
Carson's stockman Pete, who teaches the Clearys' sons how to shear
sheep on their aunt's gigantic sheep station Drogheda, in Australia.
In 1983â€"1984, Corbin played Merit Sawyer in the NBC television
series Boone. Corbin's role was that of a stern father to the young
actor Tom Byrd, who played Boone Sawyer, an aspiring singer. The
program was set in rural Tennessee during the 1950s and was created by
Earl Hamner, who had great success earlier with CBS's The Waltons.
His most well-known role came in the television series Northern
Exposure (1990â€"1995), for which he was consecutively nominated for
two Primetime Emmy Awards.Corbin was born in Lamesa, the seat of
Dawson County, south of Lubbock in West Texas. He is the son of the
former Alma LaMerle Scott (1918â€"1994), a teacher, and Kilmer Blaine
Corbin, Sr. (1919â€"1993), a school principal, judge, and Democratic
member of the Texas State Senate for two terms, from 1949â€"1957.
Corbin was named for author J. M. Barrie by his mother. He played
football briefly in eighth grade, but soon moved to the arts,
including acting and ballet classes. He graduated from Monterey High
School. Corbin studied theatre arts at Texas Tech University in
Lubbock. At 21, he joined the United States Marine Corps, served two
years, and then returned to Tech.Corbin began his career as a
Shakespearean actor in the 1960s, but today he is more likely to be
seen in the role of the local sheriff, military leader, or some other
authority figure, though on occasion, he has effectively portrayed
murderous villains, as well. To moviegoers, he is well remembered as
General Beringer in WarGames, John Travolta's uncle Bob Davis in Urban
Cowboy, co-starring with Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can, or
Roscoe Brown, July Johnson's bumbling deputy in the acclaimed Western
Lonesome Dove.From 1979 until 1984, he appeared in several episodes of
Dallas as Sheriff Fenton Washburn. In 1983, Corbin co-starred in the
famed television miniseries The Thorn Birds. Corbin played Mary
Carson's stockman Pete, who teaches the Clearys' sons how to shear
sheep on their aunt's gigantic sheep station Drogheda, in Australia.
In 1983â€"1984, Corbin played Merit Sawyer in the NBC television
series Boone. Corbin's role was that of a stern father to the young
actor Tom Byrd, who played Boone Sawyer, an aspiring singer. The
program was set in rural Tennessee during the 1950s and was created by
Earl Hamner, who had great success earlier with CBS's The Waltons.
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