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Morning Man Classic: Michael Ontkean!
Except for a cameo in the George Clooney film The Descendents, dreamy Michael Ontkean hasn’t been seen in a any new movies or TV shows in several years but the actor we know best from Twin Peaks, The Rookies and the film Making Love certainly made an impression.
Now 71, the Canadian actor was such a good hockey player growing up and at the University of Vermont that he was offered a contract to play professionally with the New York Rangers.
But the child of well-known Canadian performers Leonard and Muriel Ontkean loved acting more and headed to Hollywood in 1970. He soon landed a series of TV guest spots (including The Partridge Family!) and became a star when he was cast in The Rookies. He left the hit show after just two seasons and spent a few years writing poetry before returning to acting in 1977 with the hit Paul Newman film Slap Shot which united his two loves: acting and hockey.
He went on appearing in various films such as Voices (1979 with Amy Irving), Willie and Phil (1980) and Summer (1981 with Brooke Adams) and in 1982 reunited with Rookies co-star Kate Jackson in the film Making Love in which they played a married couple coping with the fact that Ontkean had fallen in love with another man played by Harry Hamlin.
After appearing in such films as Made to Order and The Allnighter, he landed another of his best-known roles: Sheriff Harry Truman in the 1990 TV series Twin Peaks.
Many other roles followed, my favorite of which was the 1994 miniseries Family Album opposite Jaclyn Smith. He has not had any credits since a series of guest appearances in 2004 on the Fox series North Shore.
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
Tim says:
I remember sneaking in to the midnight showing of Making Love so no one would know I was going to a gay movie. So once inside, I see a buddy with his BF. My friend said TIM!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh the things we had to do……long ago and far, far away!
Jim Steele says:
I watched “Making Love” as many times as I could when it came out. I was soooo in love with this man.
Richard V says:
OMG yes Michael is all that and a box of Cracker Jacks too boot. I remember going to see the movie Making Love and only hoped that they made a good movie, the same thing with Brokeback, both surprise me that I fell in love with these movies. I’ve has the privilige of meeting Harry Hamlin, super cool dude.
Michael, your awesome.
John Griffiths says:
One of my all time yummers!
Johnny Diaz says:
I had a huge crush on him. I remember him in 1987′s Maid To Order with Ally Sheedy. He played the chauffeur and love interest