J. Kenneth Campbell is an American film, stage, and television actor who has been cast in over 80 roles. He was born in Flushing, New York. Campbell studied acting under theatrical fight director Patrick Crean, and was an acting instructor himself at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

J. Kenneth Campbell
Born
EducationCheshire Academy
University of Arizona
OccupationActor
Years active1970–present
Parents
RelativesEugene Campbell (grandfather)
Clay Clement (great-uncle)
Kim Gruenenfelder (niece)
Emma Rosenblum (niece)
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Marine Corps
Battles / warsVietnam War
AwardsPurple Heart

Early life

edit

James Kenneth Campbell II was born in Flushing, New York to Dorothea Burke and lawyer James Kenneth Campbell.[1][2] His father, who served as the longtime Village Justice of Saltaire, New York and was a senior partner at the law firm of Alexander and Green,[2] authored a bill for Governor Nelson Rockefeller to improve conditions at psychiatric hospitals in New York, which the New York State Legislature subsequently passed and the governor signed.[1]

The second of seven children, Campbell was raised on Long Island and graduated from Cheshire Academy. Campbell began his studies at the University of Arizona, but left to study under Sanford Meisner.[citation needed] Having been drafted into the United States Army in 1967, Campbell enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Wounded in action during the Vietnam War, Campbell was awarded a Purple Heart and honorably discharged.[citation needed]

Career

edit

Television

edit

Campbell has made several appearances in television shows, made-for-TV movies, miniseries, and specials. Campbell appeared on the daytime soap operas Another World and Search for Tomorrow in the 1980s. He also had guest appearances on several popular TV series through the years as well, including: The Mod Squad, The Rookies and Baa Baa Black Sheep in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he appeared in Spenser: For Hire, Matlock and Cheers. The 1990s saw him appearing in popular series L.A. Law, Touched by an Angel, Melrose Place, and Walker, Texas Ranger. Then in the 2000s, he landed guest roles in Diagnosis: Murder, Charmed and Frasier.[3][4]

Stage

edit

On stage, Campbell played the Viscount de Valvert in the 1973 musical Cyrano, and appeared in The Philadelphia Story, which ran from 1980 to 1981 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. In 1981 he starred as Macduff in the Broadway revival of William Shakespeare's Macbeth at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, alongside Philip Anglim, Maureen Anderman, and Kelsey Grammer.[5] He starred as King Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons alongside Charlton Heston in 1986 and 1987, at the Union Square Theatre, as part of the Roundabout Theatre Company.[3] His Broadway credits included The Boys of Winter (1985), The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (1983), The Philadelphia Story (1908), The Freedom of the City (1974), and Cyrano (1973).[6]

In 2017, Campbell portrayed President Lyndon Baines Johnson in an Actors' Playhouse production of All the Way in Miami.[7]

Personal life

edit

Campbell is a grandnephew of Clay Clement, an actor who was one of the earliest members of the Screen Actors Guild, and the grandson of The Long Whip author Eugene Campbell.[1] Campbell's niece through his sister Carol is author Kim Gruenenfelder, and his niece through his sister Barbara is media executive Emma Rosenblum.[8]

Filmography

edit
Feature Films
Year Title Role Notes
1970 The Mod Squad Sooey 1 episode
1973 The Rookies Dude 1 episode
1977 Wonder Woman Taft 1 episode
1977 Black Sheep Squadron Commander Billings 1 episode
1978 Cops and Robin Detective Furie TV Movie
1978 Lou Grant Jones 1 episode
1978 Crash TV movie
1979 Love and Bullets Newscaster Uncredited
1980 The Changeling[9] Security Guard
1981 Macbeth Macduff TV movie
1983 Chiefs Dr. Tom Manton 2 episodes; as Kenneth Campbell
1983 Kennedy Secret Service Man 5 episodes; as Kenneth Campbell
1984 George Washington Richard Henry Lee 1 episode
1984 The Edge of Night Russ Powell 20 episodes
1985 Sudden Death[10] Kosakowski
1985 Search for Tomorrow Roy Arnold 195 episodes
1986 American Playhouse Walter Ralegh 1 episode
1980–1986 Another World Herman Ludwig / Jordan Scott 45 episodes
1986 Spenser: For Hire Deputy Hagen 1 episode
1986 Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star Ray Anderson TV movie
1987 The Survivalist[3][a] President's Spokesman
1987 Mr. President 1 episode
1987 Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (voice)
1988 Buck James Morgan Woolwine 1 episode
1988 Waxwork[11] Marquis de Sade
1988 Deadline: Madrid Paul Johnson TV movie
1988 Favorite Son Thomas 1 episode
1988 War and Remembrance Cmdr. Hoban (Devilfish) 1 episode
1988 China Beach Colonel Wadsworth 1 episode
1988 Cheers Bob Speakes 1 episode
1989 The Abyss DeMarco
1989 An Innocent Man Lieutenant Freebery
1989 The Young Riders Indian Agent Walker 1 episode
1990 Drug Wars: The Camarena Story Stephen Matson 3 episodes
1990 The Last of the Finest[3][b] Calvert
1990 Johnny Ryan D.A. Frank Hogan TV movie
1990 L.A. Law Judge Walter Stone 2 episodes
1990 The Great Los Angeles Earthquake Todd Harris TV movie
1991 Flight of the Intruder[4] Lieutenant Commander 'Cowboy' Parker
1991 Murder 101 Tim Ryder TV movie
1991 Lifestories Coach Staggerhorn 1 episode
1991 P.S. I Luv U Jack Hanson 1 episode
1992 Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot Ross
1992 Jake and the Fatman Tom Chetwin 1 episode
1992 Interceptor Engineer
1993 The Legend of Prince Valiant Assassin (voice) 1 episode
1993 Deadfall[3] Huey
1994 Cosmic Slop segment: The First Commandment TV movie
1994 Cobb[4] Professor Cobb
1988–1995 Matlock Agt. Ed Wingate / Scott Walker / Jack Berlin 5 episodes
1994–1995 Renegade Sheriff / D.A. Dennis Piaza 2 episodes
1996 Picket Fences Jonathan Braun 1 episode
1996 High Tide Kinkaid 1 episode
1996 Mars Attacks![10] Doctor
1997 Turbulence Captain Matt Powell
1997 Ulee's Gold Sheriff Bill Floyd
1997 Touched by an Angel Cotton 1 episode
1997 Night Man Dr. Gerard Parker 1 episode
1997 Operation Delta Force 2: Mayday Flint Lukash TV movie
1998 Pensacola: Wings of Gold Sheriff Hawkins 1 episode
1998 Ally McBeal Donald Yorkin 1 episode
1998 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Officer Craig Hoffman 1 episode; segment "The Wall"
1998 Bulworth[4] Anthony
1998 Seven Days Colonel Vickery 2 episodes
1998 Melrose Place Sheriff Spencer 1 episode
1997–1999 The Journey of Allen Strange Shaw 2 episodes
1999 Michael Landon, the Father I Knew Andy Glennon TV movie
1999 Blue Streak[3][c] FBI Section Commander Peterson
1999 Walker, Texas Ranger Roger Woodson 1 episode
1999 Sonic Impact[3] Pilot Tom Rush
2000 U.S. Seals Cane Whitlock / Rusty 'Blaise'
2000 Charmed Elias Lundy 1 episode
2000 Angel Angel's Father 1 episode
2000 Diagnosis: Murder Col. Lucian Chandler 1 episode
2001 Tomcats[12] Mr. MacDonald
2001 The Huntress Rango Burke 3 episodes
2001 Free[3] James Jenkins
2002 Collateral Damage[10] Ed Coonts
2003 Straight from the Heart Howard Jamison TV movie
2003 Frasier Mr. Michaels 1 episode
2003 The Guardian Mr. Lightstone 1 episode
2003 Threat Matrix 1 episode
2005 Guess Who[12] Nathan Rogers
2005 Commander in Chief The Admiral 1 episode
2008 The Butcher's Daughter Richard Beaumont Short film
2008 Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance Walter Short film
2009 The Only Good Indian[12] McCoy
2010 The Whole Truth Larry Combs 1 episode
2013 Bluebird[10] Deputy

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Also known as Jack Tillman: The Survivalist
  2. ^ Also known as Blue Heat and Street Legal
  3. ^ Also known as Der Diamanten–Cop

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Frey, Emma (1969). The History of the Frey Family. pp. 8–14. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Paid Notice: Deaths CAMPBELL, J. KENNETH (KEN), SR". New York Times. April 1, 2004. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Campbell, J. Kenneth". Encyclopedia.com.
  4. ^ a b c d "J. Kenneth Campbell". TVGuide.
  5. ^ Shakespeare, William (1981). "Macbeth". Playbill. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  6. ^ "J. Kenneth Campbell". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  7. ^ Dolen, Christine (March 30, 2017). "Political lessons of epic 'All the Way' stand tall". The Miami Herald. p. C 1. Retrieved October 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Frey, Emma (1969). The History of the Frey Family. p. 14. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  9. ^ Muir, John Kenneth (2010). Horror Films of the 1980s. McFarland. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-7864-5501-0.
  10. ^ a b c d "J. Kenneth Campbell". Rotten Tomatoes.
  11. ^ Muir, John Kenneth (2010). Horror Films of the 1980s. McFarland. p. 709. ISBN 978-0-7864-5501-0.
  12. ^ a b c "J. Kenneth Campbell". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019.
edit
  NODES
INTERN 1
Note 4