John Beck (born January 28, 1943) is an American retired actor, known best for his role as Mark Graison in the television series ''

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 ...

'' during the mid-1980s.

Early life

Beck was born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

but he grew up in Evanston and Joliet on his father's ranch, with the goal of becoming a

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

. His goals changed at the age of sixteen after performing in a play in high school to overcome shyness. Three years later, Beck relocated to California and had jobs in television commercials. In 1963–1964, Beck attended

Joliet Junior College Joliet Junior College (JJC) is a public community college in Joliet, Illinois. Founded in 1901, it was the first public community college founded in the United States. In Spring 2014, the college enrolled 16,375 students. Every year, 48,000 st ...

but quit to begin acting in plays in other cities.

Career

Beck's television debut was as a Sergeant in the 1965 episode "Russian Roulette" of the television series ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy sitcom television series created by Sidney Sheldon and starring Barbara Eden as a beautiful but guileless 2,000-year-old Jinn, genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut with whom s ...

''. His first regular role was for the television

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 '' Nichols'' (1971-1972) alongside

James Garner James Scott Garner (né Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, which included ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Ch ...

, playing the roles of Orv/Ketcham. One of Beck's earliest movie roles was as Skinny in ''

Cyborg 2087 ''Cyborg 2087'' is a 1966 science fiction film directed by Franklin Adreon and written by Arthur C. Pierce. The film stars Michael Rennie, Karen Steele, Wendell Corey, and Warren Stevens. Plot In 2087, free thought is illegal and the pop ...

'' (1966). Beck played Erno who commands a revolt against a totalitarian government in

Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

'' Sleeper'' (1973). That same year, he appeared as John W. Poe in the

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic '' The Wild Bunch'' received two Academy Award nominations and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Instit ...

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, ...

''. In 1975, he appeared opposite

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

as Moonpie in the science-fiction film ''

Rollerball Rollerball may refer to: * Rollerball pen, a type of ballpoint pen and ink * Roller ball (pointing device), a trackball-device invented by Ralph Benjamin * ''Rollerball'' (1975 film), a science fiction film based on the short story "Rollerball Mu ...

''. The following year he played Shoulders in the disaster movie spoof ''

The Big Bus ''The Big Bus'' is a 1976 American satire, satirical comedy film directed by James Frawley, and starring Joseph Bologna and Stockard Channing. Parodying the then-popular disaster film, disaster genre, it follows the maiden cross-country trip of ...

'' (1976). He had a leading role in '' The Other Side of Midnight'' (1977), which the critics condemned, but the movie was a financial success. Other movie credits include '' Audrey Rose'' (1977), ''

Deadly Illusion ''Deadly Illusion'' is a 1987 action/crime thriller film directed by Larry Cohen and William Tannen. It stars Billy Dee Williams, Vanity, and Morgan Fairchild. Plot Hamberger is a freelance private eye without a license and without a car, who h ...

'' (1987), ''

In the Cold of the Night ''In the Cold of the Night'' is a 1990 American erotic thriller film produced and directed by Greek filmmaker Nico Mastorakis, who also wrote the screenplay with Fred C. Perry. It stars Jeff Lester, Adrianne Sachs, Marc Singer, Brian Thompson ...

'' (1990), ''

A Climate for Killing ''A Climate for Killing'' (also known as ''A Row of Crows'') is a 1991 American thriller-drama film written and directed by J. S. Cardone and starring John Beck, Katharine Ross, Steven Bauer and Mia Sara. Plot Before a rodeo in Yuma, Arizon ...

'' (1991), ''Last Time Out'' (1994), ''

Black Day Blue Night ''Black Day Blue Night'' is a 1995 American crime thriller film directed by J. S. Cardone and starring Gil Bellows, Michelle Forbes, Mia Sara, J. T. Walsh, Tim Guinee, and John Beck. The film is about two women, Hallie (Sara) and Rinda (For ...

'' (1995), ''Dark Planet'' (1997), ''

A Place to Grow ''A Place to Grow'' (aka ''Moissons du coeur, Les France'' French TV title) is a 1995 drama film written and directed by Merlin (Merle) Miller. Plot Upon his brother's death, Matt Walker, a recording artist, returns to his hometown to sell th ...

'' (1998), ''

Chain of Command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. Military chain of command In a military context, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders ...

'' (2000), ''Crash Point Zero'' (2001), '' Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision'' (2003), and ''Crash Landing'' (2005). Beck also had guest roles for television series and movies, one of the most popular being his 67-episode stint as Mark Graison on ''

''. Guest appearances include those for ''

Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American Drama (film and television), drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'', ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

'', '' Diagnosis: Murder'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'', ''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980, to May 1, 1988, during its first-run broadcast on ...

'', ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...

'', '' Matlock'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

The Mod Squad ''The Mod Squad'' is an American crime drama series, originally broadcast for five seasons on ABC from September 24, 1968, to March 1, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Clarence Williams III as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, Pegg ...

'', ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'', ''Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake'', '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', ''

Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced by Ma ...

'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'' (1989), and ''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action fiction, action Crime drama, crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both the film and the series starring Chuck Norr ...

'', among others. Recurring

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

roles include Dorian Blake in '' Peyton Place: The Next Generation'', Sam Curtis in '' Flamingo Road'', David Raymond in '' Santa Barbara'', and Bruce in ''

Passions ''Passions'' is an American television soap opera that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1999, to September 7, 2007, and on DirecTV's The 101 Network from September 17, 2007, to August 7, 2008. Created by screenwriter James E. Reilly and ...

''. As a voice actor, Beck played the role of the

Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher ma ...

, Frank Castle in '' Spider-Man: The Animated Series''.

Personal life

On April 23, 1971, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, Beck married Valerie Shellibeer (also known by her

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

, Tina Carter). The couple had a son and three daughters.

Filmography

A partial filmography follows.

Film

* ''

'' (1966) as Skinny * ''A Good Time with a Bad Girl'' (1967) as Cowboy (uncredited) * ''

Three in the Attic ''Three in the Attic'' (stylized as ''3 in the Attic'') is a 1968 comedy-drama film directed by Richard Wilson and starring Christopher Jones and Yvette Mimieux, with Judy Pace and Maggie Thrett. Nan Martin, John Beck, and Eve McVeagh appe ...

'' (1968) as Jake * '' Lawman'' (1971) as Jason Bronson * '' Mrs. Pollifax-Spy'' (1971) as Lulash * ''

'' (1973) as Poe * '' Paperback Hero'' (1973) as Pov * '' Sleeper'' (1973) as Erno Windt * ''Only God Knows'' (1974) as Reverend Philip Norman * ''

Nightmare Honeymoon ''Nightmare Honeymoon'' is a 1974 American crime-thriller film directed by Elliot Silverstein, starring Dack Rambo and Rebecca Dianna Smith. Plot Newlyweds David and Jill Webb (Dack Rambo and Rebecca Dianna Smith) want nothing more than to co ...

'' (1974) as Lee * ''

'' (1975) as Moonpie * ''

'' (1976) as Shoulders * ''

Sky Riders ''Sky Riders'' (also known as ''Assault on the Forbidden Fortress'') is a 1976 American action film directed by Douglas Hickox and starring James Coburn, Susannah York and Robert Culp. The rescue sequences were filmed in Meteora in Greece ...

'' (1976) as Ben * '' Audrey Rose'' (1977) as Bill Templeton * '' The Other Side of Midnight'' (1977) as Larry Douglas * ''

'' (1987) as Alex Burton * ''

'' (1990) as Rudy * ''

'' (1991) as Kyle Shipp * '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'' (1991) as Waiter (uncredited) * ''Last Time Out'' (1994) as Joe Dolan * ''

'' (1995) as Chief Morris Reed * ''Dark Planet'' (1997) as General * ''

'' (1998) as Paul Shuler * ''

'' (2000) as General Peterson * '' The Alternate'' (2000) as President Fallbrook * ''Militia'' (2000) as Dep. Dir. Anderson * ''Crash Point Zero'' (2001) as Dr. Maurice Hunter * '' Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision'' (2003) as O'Rourke * ''

Crash Landing A crash landing (emergency landing) is an unplanned landing by an aircraft. Crash Landing may also refer to: Film and television * ''Crash Landing'' (1958 film), an American film featuring Gary Merrill * ''Crash Landing'' (1999 film), a Chin ...

'' (2005) as General McClaren

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, John Living people American male film actors American male television actors American male soap opera actors American male voice actors Male actors from Joliet, Illinois 1943 births