Jerry Hardin (born November 20, 1929) is an American actor. Hardin has appeared in film and television roles, including the character nicknamed Deep Throat in ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...

''. He has guest starred in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and '' Star Trek: Voyager''. He amassed over 100 appearances in film and television and over 75 theatrical credits. They include '' The Rockford Files'', '' Roots: The Gift'', ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. The show's ensemble cast stars Beatrice Arthur, Betty ...

'', '' Sliders'', '' Cujo'' (1983), '' Big Trouble in Little China'' (1986), '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (1987), ''

Little Nikita ''Little Nikita'' is a 1988 American thriller film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring River Phoenix and Sidney Poitier. The film marks the first collaboration between Phoenix and Poitier (the second being ''Sneakers'' in 1992). Plot ...

'' (1988), '' The Firm'' (1993).

Early life and education

Hardin was born in

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, Texas on November 20, 1929. His father was a rancher, and Jerry spent his youth actively involved with his local church and performing in school plays. He attended

Southwestern University Southwestern University (Southwestern or SU) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwester ...

Georgetown, Texas Georgetown is a city in Texas and the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 67,176 at the 2020 census, and according to 2024 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 101,344. It is no ...

, on a scholarship before going on to study at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating with an Acting (RADA Diploma) in 1953. He spent several years in London before returning to the United States to begin acting in New York, performing in regional theatre for twelve years.Lowry, pp. 91–94.

Career

Hardin began acting on television in the 1950s, mostly in character roles. He amassed over 100 appearances by the early 1990s, in addition to more than 75 theatrical credits by the early 1960s.Lovece, p. 27. His television appearances include roles in the 1976

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series '' Sara'', '' The Rockford Files'', '' Roots: The Gift'', ''

WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional AM radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson. It was based upon his experiences obs ...

'', '' Family Ties'', ''

'', '' World War III'', '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', '' Star Trek: Voyager'', '' Sliders'', and '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman''. Hardin appeared in such films as '' Thunder Road'' (1958), '' Our Time'' (1974), '' Wolf Lake'' (1978), '' Chilly Scenes of Winter'' (1979), '' 1941'' (1979), '' Reds'' (1981), '' Missing'' (1982), '' Tempest'' (1982), '' Honkytonk Man'' (1982), '' Cujo'' (1983), '' Mass Appeal'' (1984), '' Warning Sign'' (1985), '' Big Trouble in Little China'' (1986), ''

Let's Get Harry ''Let's Get Harry'' is a 1986 American adventure film directed by Stuart Rosenberg. It stars Michael Schoeffling, Thomas F. Wilson, Glenn Frey, Rick Rossovich, Ben Johnson (actor), Ben Johnson, Mark Harmon, Gary Busey, and Robert Duvall. The fil ...

'' (1986), '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (1987), ''

'' (1988), '' The Milagro Beanfield War'' (1988), '' Blaze'' (1989), '' The Hot Spot'' (1990), '' The Firm'' (1993). Hardin's appearance in '' Roots: The Gift'' is notable because he was one of five

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

actors who had a "preunion" in this production. LeVar Burton ( Geordi La Forge in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''), Avery Brooks ( Benjamin Sisko in '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''), Kate Mulgrew and Tim Russ ( Kathryn Janeway and

Tuvok Tuvok is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise and a main character in the television series '' Star Trek: Voyager''. Tuvok is a Vulcan who serves as the ship's second officer, Chief of Security, and Chief Tactical Officer ...

in '' Star Trek: Voyager'') were also in the cast. While the others played major Star Trek characters, Hardin had notable guest roles: Radue in ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' " When the Bough Breaks", Samuel Clemens in ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' " Time's Arrow", and Neria in ''Star Trek: Voyager'' " Emanations".

Deep Throat

His role in 1993's ''The Firm'' won Hardin the attention of television writer Chris Carter, who cast him in the recurring role of Deep Throat in the series ''

''. Hardin believed his initial appearance in the second episode of the first season, airing on September 17, 1993, would be a one-time role, but he soon found himself regularly commuting to the series'

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

filming location on short notice.Lovece, pp. 27–28. After filming the character's death in the first season finale, " The Erlenmeyer Flask", Hardin was toasted with champagne, and told by Carter that "no one ever really dies on ''X-Files''". As such, Hardin made several more appearances as Deep Throat after this, seen in visions in the third season's " The Blessing Way" and the seventh season's " The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati", in flashbacks in the fourth season's " Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man", and as one of the guises assumed by a shapeshifting alien in the third season's finale, " Talitha Cumi".

Personal life

Hardin is married, with two children. His wife Diane (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Hill) is an acting coach. Despite Hardin's claim that he "did my best to discourage my own children from doing it", his daughter Melora Hardin is also an actress, known for roles as Trudy Monk in ''

Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

'' and Jan Levinson in ''

The Office ''The Office'' is the title of several mockumentary sitcoms based on a British series originally created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as '' The Office'' in 2001. The original series also starred Gervais as manager and primary charac ...

''. His son Shawn Hardin worked for television studio NBC.Lowry, p. 93.

Footnotes / References

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External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardin, Jerry 1929 births Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art American male film actors American male television actors Jerry Living people Male actors from Dallas Southwestern University alumni