Howard Hesseman
Biography
Howard Hesseman was an American actor who worked steadily in television and film from the 1970s into the 2010s. Born in Lebanon, Oregon, he helped found the San Francisco improv troupe The Committee and made early TV appearances under the name Don Sturdy, including a 1968 Dragnet episode. He became famous as offbeat radio DJ Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati, earning two Primetime Emmy nominations for supporting actor in a comedy; he reprised the role on The New WKRP and directed episodes of that series. He also played Sam Royer on One Day at a Time and took the lead as teacher Charlie Moore in Head of the Class. His film roles included Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985), Clue (1985), Flight of the Navigator (1986), About Schmidt (2002), and later appearances in Halloween II (2009) and All About Steve (2009). He died in 2022.
81years old at death
- Born Lebanon
- Died Los Angeles
- Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
Movie Career
- Films
- 35
- Career span
- 52 years1968 to 2020
First and latest
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Getting ready for a role
To get ready for playing DJ Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati, Hesseman spent several months working as a DJ at KMPX-FM in San Francisco.
About the name
Early in his acting career, Hesseman went by the alias Don Sturdy, which he also used while working as a radio DJ at KMPX, an underground FM station in San Francisco, in the late 1960s.
Early training
With David Ogden Stiers, Hesseman helped start The Committee, an improvisational comedy troupe based in San Francisco. Before that he had studied at the University of Oregon.
First role
Hesseman made his first television appearances under the alias Don Sturdy, including a 1968 Dragnet episode in which he played a hippie newspaper editor named Jesse Chaplin.
Behind the camera
Hesseman directed several episodes of The New WKRP in Cincinnati, the 1991-93 revival in which he also reprised his role as Dr. Johnny Fever in nine episodes.
Howard Hesseman movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
James Frawley directed two of these films, Neal Israel two. Two actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Severn Darden's page
Beans Morocco's page
Colleen Camp's page
Michael McKean's page
Chevy Chase's page
Karen Black's page
All films by James Frawley
All films by Neal Israel
Also two films together17 more actors
- Bradley CooperAll About Steve (2009) and The Rocker (2008)
- Rene AuberjonoisThe Big Bus (1976) and Petulia (1968)
- Veronica CartwrightLife After The Navigator (2020) and Flight of the Navigator (1986)
- Mary WoronovThe Princess Who Had Never Laughed (1986) and Jackson County Jail (1976)
- Cliff De YoungLife After The Navigator (2020) and Flight of the Navigator (1986)
- John BeckThe Other Side of Midnight (1977) and The Big Bus (1976)
- Sam J. JonesLife After The Navigator (2020) and My Chauffeur (1986)
- Allan ArbusAmericathon (1979) and Cisco Pike (1971)
- Nan MartinDoctor Detroit (1983) and Jackson County Jail (1976)
- Matt AdlerLife After The Navigator (2020) and Flight of the Navigator (1986)
- Roger BowenSteelyard Blues (1973) and Petulia (1968)
- Raymond ForchionLife After The Navigator (2020) and Flight of the Navigator (1986)
- Richard SchaalAmericathon (1979) and Steelyard Blues (1973)
- Joey CramerLife After The Navigator (2020) and Flight of the Navigator (1986)
- Zane BuzbyThis Is Spinal Tap (1984) and Americathon (1979)
- Jonathan SangerLife After The Navigator (2020) and Flight of the Navigator (1986)
- Albie WhitakerLife After The Navigator (2020) and Flight of the Navigator (1986)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Howard Hesseman's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$327 million
17 of the 35 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 35 films: 17 worldwide figure; 5 us gross only; 6 never in cinemas; 7 figure not found.
- 17Worldwide figure
- 5US gross only
- 6Never in cinemas
- 7Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 90% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$106M32.4% of the total
- 2$56M17.0% of the total
- 3$40M12.3% of the total
- 4$39M12.1% of the total
- 5$19M5.7% of the total
- 6$15M4.5% of the total
- 7$10M3.2% of the total
- 8$9.4M2.9% of the total
$33.1 millionfrom the other 9 films with a worldwide figure, 10% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.