Greg Evigan

Last updated

Greg Evigan
Greg Evigan.jpg
Evigan in 2008
Born
Gregory Ralph Evigan

(1953-10-14) October 14, 1953 (age 71)
Education Sayreville War Memorial High School
Occupations
  • Actor
  • composer
  • producer
Years active1971–present
Known for B. J. and the Bear
My Two Dads
TekWar
Pacific Palisades
General Hospital
Spouse
Pamela C. Serpe
(m. 1979)
Children
Website evigan.com

Gregory Ralph Evigan (born October 14, 1953) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He began his career in theater, appearing in the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar , followed by a stage production of the musical Grease , in which he portrayed the lead, Danny Zuko. Evigan made his feature film debut in Scorchy (1976), then was cast as the lead in the comedy series B. J. and the Bear , in which he starred between 1979 and 1981.

Contents

Evigan continued to appear as a guest star on numerous television series throughout the 1980s before being cast as the lead Joey Harris in the comedy series My Two Dads (1987–1990). He later appeared on the science fiction series TekWar (1995–1996), and had guest-starring roles on Melrose Place (1996–1997) and 7th Heaven (1997). He subsequently had starring roles on the soap opera Pacific Palisades (also 1997), and portrayed a record executive in the Canadian series Big Sound from 2001 to 2002.

Evigan's other film credits include the Joey Travolta–directed drama films Mel (1998) and Arizona Summer (2004), the Western film 6 Guns (2010), and the Hallmark Channel film Once Upon a Holiday (2015). In 2018, he guest-starred in a multi-episode arc as Jim Harvey on the soap opera General Hospital .

Early years

Evigan was born October 14, 1953, in South Amboy, New Jersey, [1] the son of Ralph Milan Evigan, an electrician, [2] and his wife, Barbara Elizabeth Evigan, a homemaker. [3] Beginning at age 8, Evigan was classically trained in piano, and went on to play the organ and saxophone. [2] As a teenager, he played in several rock bands. [2] Evigan grew up in Sayreville, New Jersey, and attended Sayreville War Memorial High School, graduating in 1971. [4] In 2007 he was inducted into the school's Alumni Hall of Fame for his contributions to the arts. [4]

Career

Evigan began his career after graduating high school, appearing as a replacement in small ensemble roles in the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971, [5] as well as the touring production. [2] Between 1972 and 1973, he starred as Danny Zuko in the Broadway production of Grease , reprising the role for the show's residency in Chicago, alongside Marilu Henner. [2] Evigan moved to Los Angeles and was cast in his feature film debut in the exploitation film Scorchy (1976), starring Connie Stevens. [6]

Evigan at the time of B.J. and the Bear TV show, 1979 Greg Evigan - 1979.jpg
Evigan at the time of B.J. and the Bear TV show, 1979

In 1978, he was cast as Billie Joe "B.J." McKay, a truck driver whose best friend was a chimpanzee named Bear, in the series B.J. and the Bear . [2] Following the series' conclusion in 1981, Evigan continued to work in television, with recurring guest roles on Masquerade (1984) and Murder, She Wrote (1986), then was cast in the comedy series My Two Dads (1987–1990), in which he portrayed a man who co-parents the daughter of his deceased girlfriend alongside her ex-boyfriend. [7]

In 1989, he starred in the sci-fi film DeepStar Six , [6] and later appeared opposite William Shatner in the sci-fi series TekWar , based on a series of books by Shatner. TekWar originated as a series of two-hour television movies in 1994, and then became a series of hour-long episodes that ran in 1995 and 1996. [8] Between 1996 and 1997, Evigan guest-starred as Dr. Dan Hathaway on the soap opera Melrose Place , [9] followed by a main role on Pacific Palisades , in which he portrayed one of several friends who relocate from the Midwest to California. [9] Evigan had a lead role in Joey Travolta's directorial debut, the drama Mel (1998). [10] In 2001, he starred in the psychological thriller film Spirit opposite Elisabeth Moss, playing the father of a teenage girl who believes their home is haunted. [11] He reunited with director Joey Travolta, appearing in his family drama Arizona Summer (2004), [10] followed by a supporting part in River's End (2005). [12] Evigan returned to theater in 2008, appearing as Gar in a stage adaptation of Mask at the Pasadena Playhouse. [13]

In 2015, Evigan had a supporting role in the Hallmark Channel film Once Upon a Holiday, co-starring his daughter Briana. [9] He had a guest-starring role on the network crime series Bones in 2017, [9] followed by a multi-episode character arc as Jim Harvey on General Hospital in 2018. [14]

Personal life

On June 3, 1979, Evigan married dancer Pamela C. Serpe. [2] The couple has three children. Their daughters, Briana (born 1986) and Vanessa (born 1981) are actresses, while their son Jason (born 1983) is a musician and former frontman of a Los Angeles-based band After Midnight Project.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1976 Scorchy Alan [6]
1987 Stripped to Kill Detective Heineman [6]
1988Private Road: No TrespassingBrad Carlton [10]
1987Echoes in CrimsonGrant Dunovan [10]
1989 DeepStar Six Kevin McBride [6]
1996 Spectre Will SouthAlternate titles: House of the Damned; Escape to Nowhere [15]
1998 Mel Peter [10]
1998The PawnRay [10]
2000Die! Die! Die!MattAlternate title: Sweet Revenge [10]
2002PetsPatrick O'Brian [10]
2004 Arizona Summer Rick [10]
2005River's EndChuck Kramer [10]
2008100 Million BCLCDR Ellis Dorn [10]
2008 Journey to the Center of the Earth Joseph Harnet [10]
2009 Megaconda Parker
2009Split SecondChristian
2010 6 Guns Sheriff Barr [10]
2011 Cinnamon Kevin FallonAlternate title: My Dog's Christmas Miracle [10]
2015Only God CanPastor Rodney [10]
201516 and MissingMonte
2016Terror BirdsHarvey Sullivan
2019A Thousand Miles BehindGary
2020The Christmas ListingHerb Erickson

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1976 Good Heavens DuaneEpisode: "Funny Fellow"
1976 The Six Million Dollar Man Joe HamiltonEpisode: "The Bionic Boy"
1977 A Year at the Top Greg6 episodes
1978 The Runaways Eddie CouchEpisode: "The Lies We Live In"
1978–1981 B.J. and the Bear Billie Joe 'B.J.' McKay47 episodes [9]
1978 Dallas Willie GuestEpisode: "Runaway" [9]
1978 One Day at a Time Doug2 episodes
1979 Barnaby Jones Blue SimpsonEpisode: "Target for a Wedding"
1983 Fame Will GuntherEpisode: "Relationships" [9]
1983–1984 Masquerade Danny Doyle13 episodes [9]
1984 The Yellow Rose Trey ChampionEpisode: "Debt of Honor"
1986NorthstarJack NorthTV movie [10]
1986 Murder, She Wrote Brad Kaneally2 episodes [9]
1986 Hotel Tony PattersonEpisode: "Hornet's Nest"
1987 Matlock Eric Gordon / Josh Sinclair2 episodes [9]
1987 Deadly Nightmares JohnnieEpisode: "In the Name of Love"
1987–1990 My Two Dads Joey Harris60 episodes [7]
1989The Lady ForgetsTony ClayTV movie [10]
1989 Alfred Hitchcock Presents David WhitmoreEpisode: "In the Driver's Seat"
1991 P.S. I Luv U Cody Powell / Joey Paciorek13 episodes [9]
1991 Lies Before Kisses RossTV movie [10]
1992 Columbo: A Bird in the Hand Harold McCainTV movie
1992Just DesertsTed ThornTV movie
1993 Jack's Place Mitch AdamsEpisode: "The Seventh Meal"
1994 One of Her Own Charlie LloydTV movie [10]
1994–1996 TekWar Jake Cardigan18 episodes [8]
1995Deadly Family SecretsEddieTV movie [10]
1996–1997 Melrose Place Dr. Dan Hathaway12 episodes [9]
1997 7th Heaven Ron KramerEpisode: "Faith, Hope and the Bottom Line" [9]
1997 Pacific Palisades Robert Russo13 episodes [9]
1998Nobody Lives ForeverDetective Rick BarrishTV movie
1998 Earthquake in New York John RykkerTV movie [10]
1999SurvivorAdam KingTV movie [10]
1999 Family Rules Nate Harrison6 episodes
1999 Touched by an Angel Bo BeaumontEpisode: "Then Sings My Soul"
1999 Veronica's Closet Justin2 episodes
2000 Oh Baby Billy2 episodes [9]
2000–2001 Big Sound Bill Sutton22 episodes [9]
2001SpiritJesseTV movie [10]
2001 Reba Bill HadenEpisode: "The Man and the Moon" [9]
2002 He Sees You When You're Sleeping JoeTV movie [10]
2003 Straight From the Heart Edward MorganTV movie [9]
2003 JAG Master Chief ShattuckEpisode: "Empty Quiver"
2004FoundCharles DrakeTV movie [10]
2005 CSI: Miami Sean WalshEpisode: "Money Plane" [9]
2005 Cerberus Marcus CutterTV movie [9]
2006 Our House Todd PrestonTV movie [9]
2006 Hoboken Hollow Tom StockwellTV movie [10]
2007 Desperate Housewives Charles McLainEpisode: "Into the Woods" [9]
2008 Poison Ivy: The Secret Society Professor Andrew GravesTV movie [10]
2008 Mail Order Bride Tom RourkeTV movie [10]
2008Phantom RacerJJ SawyerTV movie [10]
2008 Cold Case Chuck PierceEpisode: "One Small Step" [9]
2009 Heat Wave Ed DobbsTV movie [10]
2011 Metal Tornado Jonathan KaneTV movie [10]
2012 The Glades Bruce PhillipsEpisode: "Fountain of Youth" [9]
2012 The Finder BronskiEpisode: "Bullets" [9]
2013Invasion RoswellPatrickTV movie
2013Shadow on the MesaPeter DowdyTV movie [10]
2015Once Upon a HolidayGeorgeTV movie [9]
2015 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Bruce WatersEpisode: "Merchants of Menace" [9]
2017 Bones Rick TobineEpisode: "The Final Chapter: The Grief and the Girl" [9]
2018 General Hospital Jim Harvey26 episodes
2018 9-1-1 Roger2 episodes

Stage credits

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1971 Jesus Christ Superstar Annas [2] Mark Hellinger Theatre [5]
1972–1973 Grease Danny ZukoBroadway; Chicago tour [2]
2008MaskGar Pasadena Playhouse [13]

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