J. Don Ferguson (November 21, 1933 – October 1, 2008
), sometimes credited as Don Ferguson, was an American character actor who appeared in feature films and television programs. He was a prominent
stage actor
An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
in
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...
, regional stage theater productions. Ferguson also was an NCAA basketball tournament referee for ten years, and this experience led to his being cast in several related acting roles.
Filmography
Film
* ''
The Longest Yard'' (1974) as Football Referee (uncredited)
* ''
Gator'' (1976) as Bartender
* ''
The Lincoln Conspiracy'' (1977) as Lt. Luther Baker
* ''
Our Winning Season'' (1978) as Coach Michael Murphy
* ''
Norma Rae'' (1979) as Peter Gallat
* ''The Prize Fighter'' (1979) as Referee #1
* ''
Little Darlings'' (1980) as Husband
* ''
The Long Riders'' (1980) as Preacher
* ''
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia'' (1981) as Hawkins
* ''
The Loveless'' (1981) as Tarver
* ''
Sharky's Machine'' (1981) as Rally Emcee
* ''Tennessee Stallion'' (1982) as Fred
* ''The American Snitch'' (1983) as Sonny Barton
* ''
Tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...
'' (1984) as Gov. Harold R. Sims, Tennessee
* ''
Kidco'' (1984) as TV Show Announcer
* ''
Maximum Overdrive'' (1986) as Andy
* ''Running Mates'' (1986) as Robert Adams
* ''
Date with an Angel'' (1987) as Harlan Rafferty
* ''Final Cut'' (1988) as Sheriff Thompson
* ''
Fast Food
Fast food is a type of Mass production, mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. ''Fast food'' is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheat ...
'' (1989) as Dean Witler
* ''
The Return of Swamp Thing'' (1989) as Bob
* ''
Freejack'' (1992) as Promoter
* ''
My Cousin Vinny'' (1992) as Guard #1
* ''
The Program'' (1993) as Referee
* ''
Radioland Murders'' (1994) as Johnny Ace, Hard Boiled Dick (as Don Ferguson)
* ''
The War'' (1994) as Mine Foreman
* ''
Something to Talk About'' (1995) as Announcer
* ''
Eddie'' (1996) as Game Referee
* ''
Fled
''Fled'' is a 1996 American Buddy film, buddy action comedy film directed by Kevin Hooks. It stars Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin as two prisoners chained together who flee during an escape attempt gone bad.
Plot
An interrogator prepa ...
'' (1996) as Chairman
* ''
Raney'' (1997) as Thurman Daddy Bell
* ''
I Know What You Did Last Summer'' (1997) as MC
* ''
Major League: Back to the Minors'' (1998) as Mick the Umpire
* ''
Remember the Titans'' (2000) as Executive Director
* ''
The Legend of Bagger Vance'' (2000) as Citizen
* ''Movievoyeur.com'' (2000) as Sheriff Ames
* ''
The Substitute: Failure Is Not an Option'' (2001) as Colonel Teague
* ''
Juwanna Mann'' (2002) as UBA Referee
* ''
The Second Chance'' (2006) as Jeremiah Jenkins (final film role)
Television
* ''F. Scott Fitzgerald and 'The Last of the Belles (1974, TV Movie) as Man in Speakeasy
* ''
The Greatest Gift'' (1974, TV Movie) as Jim Friedlin
* ''
Summer of My German Soldier'' (1978, TV Movie) as Mr. Jackson
* ''
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
''I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'' is a 1969 autobiography describing the young and early years of American writer and poet Maya Angelou. The first in a Maya Angelou#Chronology of autobiographies, seven-volume series, it is a Bildungsroman, ...
'' (1979, TV Movie) as
Mr. Donleavy
* ''
Barnaby Jones'' (1980, TV Series) as Ross Chapman
* ''
When the Circus Came to Town'' (1981, TV Movie) as Andre Probashka
* ''
Murder in Coweta County'' (1983, TV Movie) as Jim Hillin
* ''
Windmills of the Gods'' (1988, TV Series) as Ian Villers
* ''
Unconquered'' (1989, TV Movie) as Mr. Woods
* ''Traveling Man'' (1989, TV Movie) as Riker
* ''
In the Heat of the Night'' (1989–1993, TV Series) as Rev. Winchell / Kevin Riley / Rev. Kenneth Haskell
* ''
Murder in Mississippi'' (1990, TV Movie)
* ''When Will I Be Loved?'' (1990, TV Movie) as Man at Bar #1
* ''In the Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas'' (1991, TV Movie) as James Blasingame
* ''Nightmare in Columbia County'' (1991, aka ''Victim of Beauty'', TV Movie) as Bob Smith
* ''
In the Line of Duty: Street War'' (1992, TV Movie) as Gun Shop Owner
* ''
I'll Fly Away'' (1993, TV Series) as Harry Saunders
* ''
Linda'' (1993, TV Movie) as Davis Vernon
* ''A Kiss to Die For'' (1993, TV Movie) as Harold Graham
* ''
Matlock'' (1993–1994, TV Series) as Reverend Wesley Masters / Mr. Walters / Mr. Bostwick
* ''Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story'' (1995, TV Movie) as Wendy Blevins
* ''
From the Earth to the Moon
''From the Earth to the Moon: A Direct Route in 97 Hours, 20 Minutes'' () is an 1865 novel by Jules Verne. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club, a post-American Civil War society of weapons enthusiasts, and their attempts to build an en ...
'' (1998, TV Mini-Series) as Senator Stephen Young
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, J. Don
1933 births
2008 deaths
American male film actors
American male television actors
Male actors from Savannah, Georgia
20th-century American male actors