Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Tom Shadyac
Jim Carrey
Courteney Cox
Sean Young
James P Crapser
Christopher Daniel Barnes
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Ace Ventura is an unconventional detective who specializes in locating lost pets. When he's hired to find the Miami Dolphins football team's missing mascot, a dolphin named Snowflake, Ace finds himself hot on the trail of kidnappers who have also abducted the team's star quarterback.
Director
Tom Shadyac
Cast
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/JimCarrey.29569.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Jim Carrey
Courteney Cox
Sean Young
James P Crapser
Christopher Daniel Barnes
Jeff Cross
Jeff Uhlenhake
Chaz Mena
![](https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/UdoKier.101786.jpg?imwidth=188&height=141)
Udo Kier
Alex Webster
Raynor Scheine
Scott Mitchell
Herbert Goldstein
Bill Zuckert
Judy Clayton
Margo Peace
Antoni Corone
Frank Adonis
Jeff Dellenbach
Robert Barrett
Tom Wahl
Randall Cobb
Robert Ferrell
Florence Mistrot
Paul Mazurkiewicz
Tone Loc
Gary Munch
Dan Marino
Noble Willingham
Dwight Stephenson
David Margulies
Tiny Ron
Dan Marino
John Archie
John Capodice
Manuel L Garcia
Terry Miller
Will Knickerbocker
Don Shula
Jack Owen
Alice Drummond
Henry Landivar
Mark Margolis
Cristina Karman
Peter Stoyanovich
Rebecca Ferratti
Troy Evans
Kim Bokamper
Jane B Johnson
Randall Cobb
Marco Coleman
Crew
Peter Afterman
Michael N Arbogast
Steven Banks
Gary Barber
Tommy Barone
Donna Battersby
Greg Beber
Ingrid Behrens
Odin Benitez
Betty Bennett
Jack Bernstein
Jack Bernstein
Jack Bernstein
Jerry Bertolami
Gaston Biraben
Raymond Blair
Peter Bogart
Peter Bogart
Lewis Bowen
Tim Boyle
Will Brantley
Steven Brooksbank
Courtney Brown
Joe Bucaro
Michael Calabrese
Jay Cannistraci
James D Carpenter
Bernard Carr
Jim Carrey
Jeff Carson
Kevin Cerchiai
Anthony Chiofalo
Buford Cobb
Chris Cockroft
William Les Collins
Craig Conwell
Kenneth J Cooney
Dennis Coulum
Jeff Courtie
Larry W Crenshaw
Tom Deakman
Philip Delaney
Alexis I Dupont
David Duttinger
Alex Edlin
Gabriel C Ell
William A Elliott
Wally Emery
Russell C. Fager
Peter Farber
Jon Baronn Farmer
Jeff Fisher
Robert Fitzgerald
Matthew Fleck
Richard Fojo
Andrew Giammanco
Bill Goff
Zoila Gomez
Olga R Gonzalez
Phil Green
Melanie Grefe
Terry Gusmano
Randall Guth
Diane Gutterud
William Hassell
Kelly Helstrom
Paul J Hendricks
Joe Hess
Michael Hilkene
Birgitte Holmgaard
Tanya Hotton
Margo Hunt
Bob Israel
Pirty Lee Jackson
Scott Jacobson
Dean F Janik
Robert John
Cheryl Johnson
Gainer Johnson
Alan R Jordan
Gordon Keath
Mike Kirton
Jamie Klein
Edward Knott
Lenny Kravitz
Richard J Kupfer
Rick Lacoste
Eugene Lebowitz
Jody Levin
Pauletta Lewis
Tamara Lindberg
Eric W Lindermann
Tone Loc
Tone Loc
Julio Macat
Julio Macat
April Mackin
Artie Malesci
Richard F Malone
Eddie J Manson
Gail K Markley
Jamie Marshall
John Jay Massa
Paul Massey
David Mastron
Sarah Mcanally
Mark Mccarthy
Michael J Mccarthy
Michael J Mccarthy
William M. Mcconnell
Dana Mcfadden
Rhona Meyers
Scott Millan
Terry Miller
Michelle Minyon
Gene Moffatt
Cath Morrison
Alan Muraoka
Pattison A Newberry
Ira Newborn
Andrew Nicholls
David M O'dell
Steve Oedekerk
Anthony Pani
Richard Pecora
Steve Pederson
Hugh Peretti
Joe Perry
Geri Peterson
Randy Peterson
Regina Gayle Phillips
Blake Pickett
Dana Porter
Pamela B Priest
Sheryl Leigh Ptak
Mark Rathaus
Bobbie Read
Malcolm Reid
Michael Scott Reid
Tim Robbie
Michael D Roberts
James G. Robinson
Louise Rosner
Catherine Rowe
Joan Rowe
Vivian Russo
Barry James Ryan
Gary Ryan
John R Salemi
Gaston M Santiso
Felipe Savahge
Skip Schields
Valerie Schields
Lalo Schifrin
Wolf Schmidt
Philip G Schneider
Shaun Schroeder
Frederick W Schwendel
Jim Seckel
William B Seckel
Tom Shadyac
Robert Short
John Sider
Jeff Simon
George Simporis
Mary Jo Slater
Todd P Smith
Dan Stein
Geoff Stephens
Steve Stephens
Steve Stephens
Dan Sweetman
Pat Tantalo
Tommie Tarver
Elaine Taverrite
Don Thompson
Douglas S Turner
Steven Tyler
Jim Vickers
Michael Viglietta
Emae Villalobos
Paul Eric Vistocco
Eric Wade
Kelly M Webb
Norman Weber
Melanie Webster
Stuart Wein
George David Weiss
Nelson Wertz
Janet M West
Cary Whitaker
Dorwyl Lavant Williams
Gina Williams
Ronald Williams
Susan Inge Wood
Don Zimmerman
John Zimmerman
Kim Zimmerman
Film Details
Technical Specs
Articles
Noble Willingham (1931-2004)
Born on August 31, 1931 in Mineola, Texas, Willingham was educated at North Texas State University where he earned a degree in Economics. He later taught government and economics at a high school in Houston, leaving his life-long dreams of becoming an actor on hold until the opportunity presented itself. Such an opportunity happened when in late 1970, Peter Bogdonovich was doing some on-location shooting in south Texas for The Last Picture Show (1971); at the urging of some friends, he audition and won a small role in the picture. From there, Willingham slowly began to find work in some prominent films, including Bogdonovich's Paper Moon (1973), and Roman Polanski's Chinatown (1974). Around this time, Willingham kept busy with many guest appearances on a variety of popular shows: Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Waltons, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Rockford Files and several others.
Critics didn't take notice of his acting abilities until he landed the role of Leroy Mason, the soulless plant manager who stares down Sally Field in Norma Rae (1979). Few could forget him screaming at her, "Lady, I want you off the premises now!" with unapologetic malice. It may have not been a likable character, but after this stint, better roles came along, most notably the corrupt Dr. Fenster in Robert Redford's prison drama Brubaker (1980); and the evil sheriff in the thriller The Howling (1981).
By the late '80s, Willingham was an in-demand character actor, and he scored in three hit films: a border patrol sergeant - a great straight man to Cheech Marin - in the ethnic comedy Born in East L.A.; his wonderfully avuncular performance as General Taylor, the military brass who was sympathetic to an unorthodox disc jockey in Saigon, played by Robin Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam (both 1987); and his good 'ole boy villainy in the Rutger Hauer action flick Blind Fury (1988). His performances in these films proved that if nothing else, Willingham was a solid backup player who was adept at both comedy and drama.
His best remembered role will no doubt be his six year run as the genial barkeep C.D. Parker opposite Chuck Norris in the popular adventure series Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-99). However, film reviewers raved over his tortured performance as a foul-mouthed, bigoted boat salesman who suffers a traffic downfall in the little seen, but searing indie drama The Corndog Man (1998); the role earned Willingham a nomination for Best Actor at the Independent Spirit Awards and it showed that this ably supporting performer had enough charisma and talent to hold his own in a lead role.
In 2000, Willingham tried his hand at politics when he unsuccessfully tried to unseat Democrat Max Dandlin in a congressional campaign in east Texas. After the experience, Willingham returned to acting filming Blind Horizon with Val Kilmer in 2003. The movie is to be released later this year. Willingham is survived by his wife, Patti Ross Willingham; a son, John Ross McGlohen; two daughters, Stari Willingham and Meghan McGlohen; and a grandson.
by Michael T. Toole
![Noble Willingham (1931-2004)](https://prod-images.tcm.com/img/film-participant-detail/Featured-Artilce_Placeholder.png)
Noble Willingham (1931-2004)
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States Winter February 4, 1994
Released in United States on Video June 14, 1994
Began shooting May 10, 1993.
Completed shooting July 19, 1993.
Released in United States Winter February 4, 1994
Released in United States on Video June 14, 1994