Stephen Collins

Stephen Weaver Collins (born October 1, 1947) is an American former actor. He is known for playing Eric Camden on the WB/ CW television series '' 7th Heaven'' from 1996 to 2007. Afterwards, Collins played the roles of Dayton King on the ABC television series ''No Ordinary Family'' and Gene Porter in the NBC television series ''Revolution'', father of Elizabeth Mitchell's character, Rachel Matheson. Before ''7th Heaven'', Collins was known for his roles as Commander Willard Decker in the 1979 film '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' and fighter pilot Jake Cutter in the ABC television series ''Tales of the Gold Monkey''. In 2014, his career came to an end after he confessed to sexual abuse against multiple minors.

Early life

Stephen Collins was born on October 1, 1947, in Des Moines, Iowa, to mother Madeleine (née Robertson) and father Cyrus Stickney Collins, an airline executive. Collins was raised with his two older brothers in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, and attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, graduating ''cum laude.'' While at Amherst, he played bass guitar in a number of bands. He was also then a singing member of the Amherst College Zumbyes.

Career

Stephen Collins is known for his role as Eric Camden in the television drama series '' 7th Heaven'' during the series' run from 1996 to 2007 and for his role as Captain Willard Decker in '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' (1979). His other notable television credits include Jake Cutter in the cult series ''Tales of the Gold Monkey'' and his role in '' Tattingers'', as well as guest appearances in ''The Waltons'', ''Barnaby Jones'', ''Charlie's Angels'', and numerous miniseries and television films. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work opposite Ann-Margret in the miniseries '' The Two Mrs. Grenvilles'' (1987), and played John F. Kennedy in the miniseries '' A Woman Named Jackie'' (1991), which won the Emmy for Best Miniseries. He also played the lead role opposite Lauren Hutton in the television film ''The Rhinemann Exchange'' (1977), based on Robert Ludlum's bestselling novel.

Collins was above-the-title billed in '' Loving Couples'' (1980) with Shirley MacLaine, James Coburn and Susan Sarandon. He co-starred with Diane Keaton in both ''The First Wives Club'' (1996) and '' Because I Said So'' (2007). He has co-starred with Meredith Baxter in three films, ''All the President's Men,'' ''A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story,'' and ''Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter'', both of which were television films broadcast on CBS in 1992.

In the 2010–11 television season, Collins starred in the short-lived ABC series ''No Ordinary Family''. On ABC's '' Brothers & Sisters'', he played a potential love interest for Ron Rifkin's character Saul Holden. Collins appeared in season eight of ''The Office'' playing Andy Bernard's father in the episode, " Garden Party".

In 2013, Collins began appearing in the NBC series ''Revolution'' as Dr. Gene Porter, the leader of the town of Willoughby and father of Rachel Matheson (played by Elizabeth Mitchell). and in two episodes of ''Falling Skies'' in season three. His final guest spots include '' The Fosters'', ''Devious Maids'', and ''Penance''.

Personal life

Stephen Collins was married to Marjorie Weinman from 1970 to 1978. In 1985, he married actress Faye Grant, whom he had met on the set of ''Tales of the Gold Monkey'' in 1982. Together they have a daughter, Kate, who was born in 1989. They separated in 2012, and, after 30 years of marriage, a final divorce decree was issued in January 2015.

Collins is an Episcopalian and a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and has taken part in the advanced TM Yogic Flying technique since 1980. Until October 2014, he was a national co-director of the Committee for Stress-Free Schools, which advocates practicing TM in schools and funds TM research. Since 2019, Collins has been in a relationship with Jenny Nagel, a ''7th Heaven'' super fan.

His nephew is Eve 6 frontman Max Collins.

Sexual abuse against minors

On October 7, 2014, the New York City Police Department began investigating Collins after an audio tape leaked to the media revealed a male voice, purported to be that of Collins, admitting to past sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 14.

A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson stated that Collins had been investigated by the department in 2012 after receiving a claim from 18 years earlier regarding sexual abuse. The LAPD further stated that its investigation did not allow it to "substantiate the allegation" against Collins.

In a December 2014 interview with ''People'', Collins admitted to "inappropriate sexual conduct with three female minors" in 1973, 1982, and 1994.

The abuses were also the subject of an episode of the 2025 docuseries ''Hollywood Demons''.Monday, March 24: ‘Hollywood Demons’ Exposes the Dark Side of Being in the Spotlight - Channel Guide Magazine
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Filmography

Television

Films

Discography

Published works

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References

External links

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Stephen Collins cast bio on The CW
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Stephen
1947 births
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American novelists
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male actors
American Episcopalians
American male film actors
American male novelists
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American thriller writers
Amherst College alumni
Child sexual abuse in the United States
Living people
Male actors from Des Moines, Iowa
Male actors from Iowa
Male actors from New York (state)
Musicians from Des Moines, Iowa
Novelists from Iowa
Novelists from New York (state)
People from Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Writers from Des Moines, Iowa