Roger Lee Garrett (July 16, 1940 – May 23, 2000) was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

. He acted on stage, and played

supporting roles ''Supporting Roles'' ( es, Papeles secundarios) is a 1989 Cuban drama film directed by Orlando Rojas. The film was selected as the Cuban entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.Marg ...

in television series and films. He had a

starring role In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, screenp ...

in the West Coast production of ''

Fortune and Men's Eyes ''Fortune and Men's Eyes'' is a 1967 play and 1971 film written by John Herbert about a young man's experience in prison, exploring themes of homosexuality and sexual slavery. Plot of the play The plot follows Smitty, a 17-year-old, after he ...

'' (1969), and a starring role in the horror/thriller motion picture ''

Night of the Cobra Woman ''Night of the Cobra Woman'' is a 1972 American horror film starring Joy Bang, Marlene Clark, and Roger Garrett. It was co-produced by New World Pictures and shot in the Philippines. Roger Corman expressed great disappointment in the final product ...

'' (1972). Some of the big name performers that Garrett appeared opposite are Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbara Eden,

Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dal ...

, Don Johnson, Jacqueline Bisset, Tuesday Weld, and Jack Nicholson.

Early life

He was born in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, the son of Gordon Glen Garrett (1909-1970) and Betty Zane Marshall, who were married on June 8, 1939 in

Flagstaff, Arizona Flagstaff ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Coconino County, Arizona, Coconino County in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2019, the city's estimated population was 75,038. Flagstaff's combined metropolitan area has ...

. On September 8, 1962, he and Janice Conroy (born c. 1944) were married in Los Angeles. They had a daughter, Tania Garrett (born January 1, 1963).

Acting career

Garrett first appeared on television as Clyde Farnsworth, a warlock who had turned himself into an obnoxious chair because Samantha rejected him, in a 1966 episode of ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typic ...

''. That was followed with an episode of ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series, created by Sidney Sheldon that starred Barbara Eden as a sultry, 2,000-year-old genie and Larry Hagman, as an astronaut with whom she falls in love and eventually marrie ...

''. He toured with a stage production of ''

The Impossible Years ''The Impossible Years'' is a 1965 comedy play written by Robert Fisher and Arthur Marx, son of comedian Groucho Marx. After two previews, the Broadway production, directed by Arthur Storch, opened on October 13, 1965, at the Playhouse Theatre, ...

'' in 1968,"Stage Role for Roger Garrett." ''Los Angeles Times''. Dec. 12, 1968. p. F 34. and was then cast by director

Sal Mineo Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976) was an American actor, singer, and director. He is best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), which earned him a nomination f ...

to star in the role as Mona in the West Coast premiere of the controversial gay-themed prison drama ''

'' by playwright John Herbert. The show was set to open on January 9, 1969, at the Coronet Theatre on North La Cienega Boulevard. An article with stage news in the ''Los Angeles Times'' of Sunday, January 5, 1969, reads:

"Sal Mineo, now directing his first play, took the cast of John Herbert's "Fortune and Men's Eyes" which opens Thursday night at the Coronet Theater, to
Chino Prison California Institution for Men (CIM) is a male-only state prison located in the city of Chino, San Bernardino County, California. It is often colloquially referenced as "Chino". In turn, locals call the prison "Chino Men's" or just "Men's" to avo ...
for a first hand rehearsal. The leads—Roger Garrett, Michael Greer, Don Johnson and
James Oliver
mdash;were booked into the prison for the weekend. The idea was to see what prison atmosphere was really like."

On a website about Mineo, it says, in reference to ''Fortune and Men's Eyes'', "The other character in the cell is Jan, or Mona, as he is called. He is a defenceless little bookworm who was persecuted by some toughs who said he made a pass so he is in the place for several months (this REALLY "cures" people of their demons, doesn't it?). It is Mona who watches Smitty's mind and spirit be turned to the "dark side" of its day. Roger Garrett was the actor who played this role. He was excellent and left a couple of months into the run to do a film—The Grasshopper, with Jacqueline Bissett and Jim Brown. Roger plays her hairdresser/confidante." Garrett appeared in three theatrical motion pictures, playing the role as Buck Brown in the drama/romance '' The Grasshopper'' (1970) starring Jacqueline Bisset,

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...

, and Joseph Cotten; the role as Noah's friend in the drama ''

A Safe Place ''A Safe Place'' is a 1971 American drama film written and directed by Henry Jaglom and starring Tuesday Weld, Orson Welles, and Jack Nicholson. Plot A young woman, named Noah, lives alone in a small apartment New York City. She is a mentally di ...

'' (1971) starring Tuesday Weld,

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

, and Jack Nicholson; and the role as Stan Duff opposite

Joy Bang Joy Bang (born June 15, 1945 as Joy Wener) is a former American actress best known for her film appearances in the early 1970s. Early life Bang was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and was adopted at one month old. She was raised in New York City, ...

and Marlene Clark in the horror/thriller ''

'' (1972). He made guest appearances on other popular TV shows, including ''

Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...

'', '' The Interns'', and ''

Laverne & Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' star ...

''.

Death

Roger Garrett died at age 59, on May 23, 2000, while in Cottonwood Cove, Nevada.

Filmography

Film

TV series

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Garrett, Roger 1940 births 2000 deaths American male stage actors American male television actors American male film actors 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Los Angeles