Tim Thomerson

Last updated

Tim Thomerson
Born
Joseph Timothy Thomerson

(1946-04-08) April 8, 1946 (age 78)
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian
Years active1975present
SpouseTeri Blythe

Joseph Timothy Thomerson (born April 8, 1946) is an American actor and comedian. [1] He is best known for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers [2] film series, his work in numerous low-budget features, and his comedic television roles. He appeared in the films Uncommon Valor , Air America , Volunteers , Who's Harry Crumb? , Iron Eagle , and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas . [3]

Contents

Early life

Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He was brought up in both Hawaii and in San Diego. Following a stint in the Army National Guard, where he served as a cook in a tank company with actor Brion James, Thomerson chose to become an actor while taking a job as a set builder and prop man at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre, famous for its Shakespearean productions.

Following college, Thomerson began a career as a stand-up comedian, honing his skills. He appeared in comedy clubs, including The Bitter End in Greenwich Village, The Improv in Los Angeles, and Catch a Rising Star in New York City.

Career

Initial success

Thomerson entered the world of stand-up comedy in the 1970s. In Los Angeles, he became a regular at the Comedy Store and the Improv and made numerous appearances on television variety shows and in Las Vegas.

One of Thomerson's early acting breaks came from director Robert Altman who, after seeing Thomerson's stand-up act, cast him in the film A Wedding . Thomerson first came to prominence in the short-lived comedy science-fiction TV series, Quark in 1977–78, as Gene/Jean, a character of dual gender who randomly switched between the two.

Feature film actor

Thomerson began a long career in television and film starting in the mid-1970s, starting with roles such as the criminal psychologist Jerry Moriarity in the slasher film, Fade to Black (1980) before moving on to starring roles such as the time-traveling future cop Jack Deth in the 1985 low-budget science-fiction film, Trancers , his most famous role.

In 1986, Thomerson reunited with a few of his Trancers co-stars for the World War II science-fiction film, Zone Troopers ; he also appeared in the vampire film, Near Dark , and played a villain opposite Melanie Griffith's heroine in the science-fiction film, Cherry 2000 . He also appeared in NBC's television film, The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988) as the Hulk's opponent, Jack LeBeau.

When Charles Band started Full Moon Features in the late 1980s, one of his first projects was the sequel Trancers II (1991), in which he reunited Thomerson with much of the cast from the first film. Thomerson would later appear in each of the sequels, except for Trancers 6 .

Another notable film role was that of Brick Bardo in Dollman (1991), a Dirty Harry-like alien cop who is only 13 inches (33 cm) tall; the character also appeared briefly in Bad Channels and more substantially in Dollman vs. Demonic Toys

In the 1990s, he was a series regular on the TV police drama, Sirens , followed by a regular, co-starring role on the series, Land's End .

Filmography

YearFilmRoleOther notes
1975 Mannix 'Rusty'Episode: "A Word Called Courage"
A Shadow in the StreetsChickTelevision movie
Hustling 'Two to a Cell' Cop (uncredited)Television movie
1976 Laverne & Shirley 'Silky' MulcheckEpisode: "The Bachelor Party"
Harry O ReporterEpisode: "Hostage"
City of Angels SeyersEpisode: "The Parting Shot"
Car Wash KennyAs Timmothy Tomerson
1977Benny And Barney: Las Vegas UndercoverBarney TuscomTelevision movie
All That Glitters 'Sonny' PackerTV series
TerracesSteveTelevision movie
Which Way Is Up? Tour GuideAs Timothy Thomerson
1977-1978 Quark Gene/JeanTV series regular (8 episodes)
1978 Remember My Name JeffAs Timothy Thomerson
Record City Marty
A Wedding Russell Bean
1978 Hawaii Five-O Mike ChandlerEpisode: "Death Mask"
1979 Mork & Mindy (ep. 13) SergieGuest in TV series
The Associates Johnny DankoTV series regular
Angie GianniTV series regular
1980Getting ThereLesterTelevision movie
Carny 'Doubles'
Fade to Black Jerry Moriarty
1981 Take This Job and Shove It Ray Binkowski
In TroubleMr. DamrushTelevision movie
Golden GateFrank NightingaleTelevision movie
St. Helens Sheriff Dwayne Temple
1981-1982 The Two of Us Reggie CavanaughTV series regular
1982 Some Kind of Hero Cal
Bare Essence BillyTelevision movie
Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again Dr. Knute Lanyon
Honkytonk Man Highway Patrolman
1983Likely Stories, Vol. 2TV series
Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn Rhodes
The Osterman Weekend Motorcycle cop
Uncommon Valor 'Charts'
Gun Shy Theodore OgilvieTV series
1984 Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour HimselfPanelist (March 1984)
Rhinestone Barnett Kale
His MistressTom GoodmanTelevision movie
1984-1988 Hunter Mule Mulelowski / Police Sergeant Harry Traynor / Police Detective Gil GlasgowEpisodes "Honorable Profession" (1988) ... Mule Mulelowski
"Change Partners and Dance"(1986) ... Police Sgt. Harry Traynor
"Pen Pals" (1984) ... Police Det. Gil Glasgow
1985 Trancers Jack Deth
Volunteers John Reynolds
Murder, She Wrote Lieutenant Clyde Pitts
1986 Iron Eagle Colonel Ted Masters
Ratboy Alan ReynoldsUncredited
Zone Troopers Sergeant
The Twilight Zone Billy DiamondTV Series (Take My Life... Please!) [4]
The B.R.A.T. PatrolMajor Dan HackettTelevision movie
1987Glory YearsJack SandersTelevision movie
Near Dark Loy Colton
Tour of Duty Sergeant Aubrey Decker1 episode. The Good, the Bad, and the Dead
Cherry 2000 Lester
Down and Out in Beverly Hills Jerry BaskinTV series


1988 A Tiger's Tale Lonny
The Wrong Guys Tim
The Incredible Hulk Returns Jack LeBeauTelevision movie
1989 Who's Harry Crumb? Vince Barnes
1990Vietnam, TexasMax Heron
Air America Babo
The Flash Jay AllenTelevision movie
Murder, She Wrote Bert RogersTV series
Midnight Caller Perry FineTV series
1991 Trancers II Jack Deth
Dollman Brick Bardo
Baywatch Jim 'Buzz' BuchannonTV series
Golden Girls StevieTV series
1992 Eddie Presley Shock Comic
StringerJack Mitchett
Intimate StrangerMalcolm HenthoffTelevision movie
Bad Channels Brick Bardo
Trancers III Jack Deth
1993 Die Watching Detective Lewis
Nemesis Farnsworth
Dollman vs. Demonic Toys Brick Bardo
The Harvest Steve Mobley
Knights FarmerUncredited
Brainsmasher... A Love Story Detective Black
1994 Fleshtone Buddy Fields
Natural Causes The Westerner
Trancers 4: Jack of Swords Jack Deth
The Cisco Kid LundquistTelevision movie
Hong Kong 97 Jack McGraw
Trancers 5: Sudden Deth Jack Deth
1995MalevolenceMr. Williams
DominionFitz
SpitfireRex Beechum
Sirens Sergeant James 'Buddy' ZunderTV series
HeatseekerOldest Elder
Walker Texas Ranger Mitch BoltonTV series
1996 Back to Back Thomas
Nemesis 3: Prey Harder Farnsworth 2
Pacific Blue The AngelTV series
Land's End Dave 'Thunder' ThorntonTV series
Kid CopArnold Downey
1997BlastPolice Commissioner
Xena: Warrior Princess Meleager The MightyTV series
When Time ExpiresRifkin KossTelevision movie
The Angry Beavers Leonard Beaver (voice)TV series
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Woody SamsTV series
1998CrossfireCrane
Together & AloneDaddy
Escape from Atlantis Liam GallagherTelevision movie
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas HoodlumCameo
Border to Border'Poet'
1999 Red Team William Heywood
Dirt Merchant Jack
Suckers Detective Laughlin
Unseen Evil Ranger Chuck Macneil
The Magnificent Seven Guy RoyalTV series
Last ChanceSam
DetourMel Kiner
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Mr. AlcerroTV series
2000GanglandDr. Adams
Submerged Owen Cantrell
Highway 395 Unknown
The Princess & the Barrio BoyMonsignor O'DellTelevision movie
2001Devil's PreySheriff Harry
They Crawl The Exterminator
Unseen Evil Ranger Chuck MacNeil
2002 Gale Force Phillip Edwards
Shoot or Be Shot Uncle Bill
The Killing PointMr. Banyon
Ocean PointMike
Project Viper Sheriff MorganTelevision movie
Con Express Bill Barnes
The District Colonel CarlTV series
Days of Our Lives Oliver WentworthTV series
2003 Cliché Chief Jackson
Air MarshalSenator Chambers
2004 Paparazzi Uniformed Officer
A Lousy Ten Grand Judge
2005The Nowhere ManUnknown
Dual Deston / Jared
Swarmed Phineas WashburnTelevision movie
Hell to Pay Reverend
Junior PilotCaptain Noonanalso known as Final Approach
2006 The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Arnie Swift
To Kill a MockumentaryWill
Sasquatch Mountain Eli
Forget About It Al 'Arizona Al'
A.I. AssaultAdmiral HarrisonTelevision movie
Bottoms Up A.J. Mancini
Left in Darkness Joe
Evil Bong Jack Deth
Christmas Do-Over ArthurTelevision movie
2007God's EarsUncle Steve
Urban Decay Detective Thompson
Blue Lake MassacreMarshall Lex
Good God Bad DogBill Monahan
Live Evil The Priest
2008 Wicked Lake Jake
2009 War Wolves Frank Bergman
2011 Shameless A.B. FisherTV series
2012Season of DarknessDetective Kesler
MoniKaThomas
2013The Silicon Assassin ProjectFreddy JonesTV series
2016 Catfish Blues Eddie
2017Asylum of DarknessDetective Kesler

Video games

YearVideo gameRole
2011 Homefront Voice of Freedom
Saints Row: The Third Cyrus Temple
2013 Saints Row IV Simulation Cyrus Temple

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References

  1. "Movies". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2007. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  2. Thomas, Kevin (September 24, 1985). "Movie Review: 'Trancers' Plague L.A. in a Futuristic Shake-Up". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  3. Brenner, Paul (2008). "Movie Reviews". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  4. "Take My Life... Please!/Devil's Alphabet/The Library". IMDb .