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Howard Hesseman
George Howard Hesseman
27 February 1940, Lebanon, Oregon
"WKRP [showed] something happening between people--there was something underneath about people trying to help each other out." -- Howard Hesseman, 1986
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As a member of " The Committee" Hesseman appeared weekly on " The Smothers Brothers' Comedy Hour" 1968-1969.
Howard Hesseman (born February 27, 1940) is an American actor best known for playing disc jockey Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati and schoolteacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class.
Hesseman was born in Lebanon, Oregon, the son of Edna (née Forster) and George Henry Hesseman. His parents divorced when he was five, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, a policeman. Hesseman attended the University of Oregon, and was later a founding member of the San Francisco-based improvisational comedy troupe The Committee with fellow actor David Ogden Stiers. Early in his acting career, he used the alias Don Sturdy, the name he also used as a radio DJ.
Hesseman is known for his role as anti-disco disc jockey John "Dr. Johnny Fever" Caravella on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati from 1978 – 1982, a role Hesseman prepared for by working as a DJ in San Francisco at KMPX-FM for several months. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1980 and 1981 for his portrayal of Fever. Hesseman is also remembered for his role as teacher Charlie Moore on the ABC series Head of the Class from 1986 to 1990. He also played Sam Royer, the man who married Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) on One Day at a Time.
Hesseman made several appearances as a member of the group therapy ensemble on The Bob Newhart Show.
In 1995, Hesseman played the title role of the Marquis de Sade in Quills at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, California, which included one scene in which he was fully naked. In 2001, Hesseman had a recurring role for three episodes of That '70s Show. In 2006, he appeared in two episodes of the ABC television series Boston Legal playing the unorthodox Judge Robert Thompson, as well as an episode of House. During his appearance as Judge Thompson, Hesseman paid homage to his role as a teacher in his earlier ABC series by hearing a court case while sitting atop the judge's bench, just as the character of Mr. Moore taught his class atop his desk.
In 2007, he played The Chemist on HBO's John From Cincinnati. He has also guest starred as an announcer at a horse track on Psych, in the episode "And Down the Track Comes Murder." Hesseman also guest-starred on the 2007 season premiere of NBC's ER, playing a man tripping on magic mushrooms who may or may not have been an orthopedic doctor from another hospital.
He has also appeared in numerous films, including Steelyard Blues, Billy Jack, This Is Spinal Tap, Doctor Detroit, Private Lessons, Rubin and Ed, Flight of the Navigator, About Schmidt, Amazon Women on the Moon and Police Academy 2, Gridlock'd, Out-of-Sync, Little Miss Millions, The Diamond Trap, Inside Out, Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Smart Story, Heat, My Chauffeur, Clue, The Princess Who Never Laughed, Silence of the Heart, One Shoe Makes It Murder, Honky Tonk Freeway, All About Steve, The Great American Traffic Jam, Americathon, Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo, The Big Bus, Jackson County Jail, Tunnel Vision, Shampoo, The Sunshine Boys, The Rocker and Martian Child. He voiced Munchie in the second sequel to Munchies, Munchie Strikes Back.
Under the alias of Don Sturdy, Hesseman made some television appearances including one episode of Dragnet in 1968 in which he portrayed a hippie named Jesse Chaplin who was the editor of an underground newspaper. In this Dragnet episode, his character was a panelist on a TV opinion show opposite Sgt. Friday and Officer Gannon.
He played a bit part in a final season episode of The Andy Griffith Show. In the episode, "Sam for Town Council," Hesseman has an exchange with Emmett Clark (Paul Hartman), who is running for town council against Sam Jones played by Ken Berry. Hesseman plays a character named Harry seen preparing fishing tackle outside a sporting goods store and complaining to Emmett how poor the fishing has been at a nearby fishing spot. Emmett promises to stock the pond with big perch in exchange for Harry's vote. Harry agrees and wears a campaign button supporting Emmett in the race. In the episode "Goober Goes to an Auto Show" he plays the Counterboy.
Attended the University of Oregon.
Member of the improvisational group, The Committee, 1965-75.
Before he became an actor, he was a real radio D.J. Hence, the "WKRP in Cincinnati" (1978) role fit him perfectly.
During "The Committee's" appearance on the July 18, 1969 "The Dick Cavett Show" (1968) Howard called one of his cast members "fellow baby." Nearly a decade later on "WKRP in Cincinnati" (1978) he would make this phrase one of the most popular sayings of Dr. Johnny Fever, the role that he is most identified with.
Arrested for selling 1 ounce of marijuana in San Francisco in 1966.
Was a close friend and sometime lover of Janis Joplin in the late 1960s.
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