Nicholas Pryor (born Nicholas David Probst; January 28, 1935) is an American actor. He has appeared in various television series, films, and stage productions.

Life and career

Pryor was born Nicholas David Probst in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore wa ...

, the son of Dorothy (née Driskill) and J. Stanley Probst, a pharmaceutical manufacturer. His early film credits include appearances in ''

The Happy Hooker ''The Happy Hooker: My Own Story'' is a best-selling memoir by Xaviera Hollander, a call girl, published in 1971. It sold over 20 million copies. Robin Moore, who took Hollander's dictations of the book's contents, came up with the title, while Yv ...

'' (1975), '' Smile'' (1975), and as nervous college professor Samuel Graves in the 1976 film '' The Gumball Rally''. Notable film credits included appearing alongside William Holden and

Lee Grant Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, during the mid-1920s) is an American actress, documentarian, and director. She made her film debut in 1951 as a young shoplifter in William Wyler's '' Detective Story'', co-starring Kirk Doug ...

in '' Damien: Omen II'' (1978), as one of the sick passengers in '' Airplane!'' (1980), the role of Joel Goodson (

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

)'s father in the hit movie ''

Risky Business ''Risky Business'' is a 1983 American teen comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Brickman (in his directorial debut) and starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. Best known as Cruise's breakout film, ''Risky Business'' was a critica ...

'' (1983), and as Julian Wells ( Robert Downey Jr.)'s estranged father in '' Less than Zero'' (1987). His other film credits include '' The Falcon and the Snowman'' (1985), '' Pacific Heights'' (1990), '' Executive Decision'' (1996), '' The Chamber'' (1996) and '' Collateral Damage'' (2002). Pryor's most notable television role was that of A. Milton Arnold, the Chancellor of California University, in the television series '' Beverly Hills, 90210''. Pryor's character, who appeared on the show from 1994 to 1997, was a widower and the father of one daughter, Claire (portrayed by Kathleen Robertson). His other television appearances included '' The Adams Chronicles'' (1976), '' Washington: Behind Closed Doors'' (1977) and ''

Gideon's Trumpet ''Gideon's Trumpet'' is a 1964 book by Anthony Lewis describing the story behind the 1963 landmark court case ''Gideon v. Wainwright'', in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that criminal defendants have the right to an attorney ...

'' (1980). In 1964, Pryor was an original cast member of the new soap opera '' Another World'', playing Tom Baxter until the character was killed off after six months. In 1973 Pryor was the second actor to play the role of P.I. Joel Gantry on '' The Edge of Night''. For several years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he played the role of Victor Collins on ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...

'' and its spin-off, '' Port Charles''.

Personal life

Pryor has been married to actress Christine Belford since July 1993.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Biography from ABC Network's ''Port Charles''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pryor, Nicholas 1935 births American male film actors American male television actors American male soap opera actors Living people Male actors from Baltimore 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors