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Tim Thomerson

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Tim Thomerson
Born
Joseph Timothy Thomerson

(1946-04-08) April 8, 1946 (age 78)
Occupation(s)Actor, comedian
Years active1975–present
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]

Early life

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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

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Initial success

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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

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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

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Year Film Role Other notes
1975 Mannix 'Rusty' Episode: "A Word Called Courage"
A Shadow in the Streets Chick Television movie
Hustling 'Two to a Cell' Cop (uncredited) Television movie
1976 Laverne & Shirley 'Silky' Mulcheck Episode: "The Bachelor Party"
Harry O Reporter Episode: "Hostage"
City of Angels Seyers Episode: "The Parting Shot"
Car Wash Kenny As Timmothy Tomerson
1977 Benny And Barney: Las Vegas Undercover Barney Tuscom Television movie
All That Glitters 'Sonny' Packer TV series
Terraces Steve Television movie
Which Way Is Up? Tour Guide As Timothy Thomerson
1977-1978 Quark Gene/Jean TV series regular (8 episodes)
1978 Remember My Name Jeff As Timothy Thomerson
Record City Marty
A Wedding Russell Bean
1978 Hawaii Five-O Mike Chandler Episode: "Death Mask"
1979 Mork & Mindy (ep. 13) Sergie Guest in TV series
The Associates Johnny Danko TV series regular
Angie Gianni TV series regular
1980 Getting There Lester Television movie
Carny 'Doubles'
Fade to Black Jerry Moriarty
1981 Take This Job and Shove It Ray Binkowski
In Trouble Mr. Damrush Television movie
Golden Gate Frank Nightingale Television movie
St. Helens Sheriff Dwayne Temple
1981-1982 The Two of Us Reggie Cavanaugh TV series regular
1982 Some Kind of Hero Cal
Bare Essence Billy Television movie
Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again Dr. Knute Lanyon
Honkytonk Man Highway Patrolman
1983 Likely Stories, Vol. 2 TV series
Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn Rhodes
The Osterman Weekend Motorcycle cop
Uncommon Valor 'Charts'
Gun Shy Theodore Ogilvie TV series
1984 Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour Himself Panelist (March 1984)
Rhinestone Barnett Kale
His Mistress Tom Goodman Television movie
1984-1988 Hunter Mule Mulelowski / Police Sergeant Harry Traynor / Police Detective Gil Glasgow Episodes "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 Reynolds Uncredited
Zone Troopers Sergeant
The Twilight Zone Billy Diamond TV Series (Take My Life... Please!)[4]
The B.R.A.T. Patrol Major Dan Hackett Television movie
1987 Glory Years Jack Sanders Television movie
Near Dark Loy Colton
Tour of Duty Sergeant Aubrey Decker 1 episode. The Good, the Bad, and the Dead
Cherry 2000 Lester
Down and Out in Beverly Hills Jerry Baskin TV series


1988 A Tiger's Tale Lonny
The Wrong Guys Tim
The Incredible Hulk Returns Jack LeBeau Television movie
1989 Who's Harry Crumb? Vince Barnes
1990 Vietnam, Texas Max Heron
Air America Babo
The Flash Jay Allen Television movie
Murder, She Wrote Bert Rogers TV series
Midnight Caller Perry Fine TV series
1991 Trancers II Jack Deth
Dollman Brick Bardo
Baywatch Jim 'Buzz' Buchannon TV series
Golden Girls Stevie TV series
1992 Eddie Presley Shock Comic
Stringer Jack Mitchett
Intimate Stranger Malcolm Henthoff Television 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 Farmer Uncredited
Brainsmasher... A Love Story Detective Black
1994 Fleshtone Buddy Fields
Natural Causes The Westerner
Trancers 4: Jack of Swords Jack Deth
The Cisco Kid Lundquist Television movie
Hong Kong 97 Jack McGraw
Trancers 5: Sudden Deth Jack Deth
1995 Malevolence Mr. Williams
Dominion Fitz
Spitfire Rex Beechum
Sirens Sergeant James 'Buddy' Zunder TV series
Heatseeker Oldest Elder
Walker Texas Ranger Mitch Bolton TV series
1996 Back to Back Thomas
Nemesis 3: Prey Harder Farnsworth 2
Pacific Blue The Angel TV series
Land's End Dave 'Thunder' Thornton TV series
Kid Cop Arnold Downey
1997 Blast Police Commissioner
Xena: Warrior Princess Meleager The Mighty TV series
When Time Expires Rifkin Koss Television movie
The Angry Beavers Leonard Beaver (voice) TV series
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Woody Sams TV series
1998 Crossfire Crane
Together & Alone Daddy
Escape from Atlantis Liam Gallagher Television movie
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Hoodlum Cameo
Border to Border 'Poet'
1999 Red Team William Heywood
Dirt Merchant Jack
Suckers Detective Laughlin
Unseen Evil Ranger Chuck Macneil
The Magnificent Seven Guy Royal TV series
Last Chance Sam
Detour Mel Kiner
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Mr. Alcerro TV series
2000 Gangland Dr. Adams
Submerged Owen Cantrell
Highway 395 Unknown
The Princess & the Barrio Boy Monsignor O'Dell Television movie
2001 Devil's Prey Sheriff Harry
They Crawl The Exterminator
Unseen Evil Ranger Chuck MacNeil
2002 Gale Force Phillip Edwards
Shoot or Be Shot Uncle Bill
The Killing Point Mr. Banyon
Ocean Point Mike
Project Viper Sheriff Morgan Television movie
Con Express Bill Barnes
The District Colonel Carl TV series
Days of Our Lives Oliver Wentworth TV series
2003 Cliché Chief Jackson
Air Marshal Senator Chambers
2004 Paparazzi Uniformed Officer
A Lousy Ten Grand Judge
2005 The Nowhere Man Unknown
Dual Deston / Jared
Swarmed Phineas Washburn Television movie
Hell to Pay Reverend
Junior Pilot Captain Noonan also known as Final Approach
2006 The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Arnie Swift
To Kill a Mockumentary Will
Sasquatch Mountain Eli
Forget About It Al 'Arizona Al'
A.I. Assault Admiral Harrison Television movie
Bottoms Up A.J. Mancini
Left in Darkness Joe
Evil Bong Jack Deth
Christmas Do-Over Arthur Television movie
2007 God's Ears Uncle Steve
Urban Decay Detective Thompson
Blue Lake Massacre Marshall Lex
Good God Bad Dog Bill Monahan
Live Evil The Priest
2008 Wicked Lake Jake
2009 War Wolves Frank Bergman
2011 Shameless A.B. Fisher TV series
2012 Season of Darkness Detective Kesler
MoniKa Thomas
2013 The Silicon Assassin Project Freddy Jones TV series
2016 Catfish Blues Eddie
2017 Asylum of Darkness Detective Kesler

Video games

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Year Video game Role
2011 Homefront Voice of Freedom
Saints Row: The Third Cyrus Temple
2013 Saints Row IV Simulation Cyrus Temple

References

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  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.
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