Michael Ontkean
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
A former child actor with the National Shakespeare Festival Ontkean first came to prominence in the TV series "The Rookies" (ABC, 1972-74). He has appeared in several films, notably opposite Paul Newman in "Slap Shot" (1977) and in the tame homosexual love story "Making Love" (1982), which reunited him with his TV wife Kate Jackson. He is best known to contemporary audiences as straight-arrow police chief Harry S. Truman in David Lynch's TV soap-opera-with-a-twist, "Twin Peaks" (1990). He reprised the role in Lynch's 1992 feature "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me." Ontkean also has appeared in many TV movies including opposite Jodie Foster in the WWII thriller "The Blood of Others" (HBO, 1984) and memorably as an accused murderer in "In a Child's Name" (CBS, 1991).
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1971
Brought to Hollywood by director and fellow Canadian Norman Jewison to test (unsuccessfully) for "Fiddler on the Roof"
1971
Moved to California; feature acting debut, "The Peace Killers"
1972
TV acting debut in series, "The Rookies"
1990
Starred as Sheriff Harry S. Truman in TV series, "Twin Peaks"
1994
Starred opposite Jaclyn Smith in Danielle Steel's "Family Album"
2004
Starred in the Fox drama "North Shore"
Family
Companions
