Michael Parks

Michael Parks

Parks in Then Came Bronson (1969)
Born Harry Samuel Parks
(1940-04-24) April 24, 1940
Corona, California, United States
Occupation Actor, singer
Years active 1963–present
Children James Parks

Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks; April 24, 1940)[1] is an American singer and actor.[2] He has appeared in many films and made frequent television appearances, but is probably best known for his work in recent years with filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, and Kevin Smith.

Early life

Parks was born in Corona, California, the son of a baseball player.[1] He drifted from job to job during his teenage years, including picking fruit, digging ditches, driving trucks, and fighting forest fires. He was briefly married at the age of 16. He is father to actor James Parks, to whom he is a single parent.

Career

In 1961, Parks portrayed the nephew of the character George MacMichael on the ABC sitcom The Real McCoys. He appeared as Cal Leonard in the 1963 Perry Mason episode "The Case of Constant Doyle", and gained recognition in the role of Adam in John Huston's The Bible: In the Beginning (1966). His other early roles included an appearance in two NBC series: the legal drama Sam Benedict, as Larry Wilcox in the 1962 episode "Too Many Strangers", and the medical drama The Eleventh Hour, as Mark Reynolds in the 1963 segment "Pressure Breakdown". He also appeared in The China Lake Murders and Stranger by Night, having portrayed a police officer in both.

Parks was the star of the series Then Came Bronson from 1969 to 1970. He sang the theme song for the show, "Long Lonesome Highway", which became a #20 Billboard Hot 100 and #41 Hot Country Songs hit.[3] Albums he recorded under MGM Records (the label of the studio which produced the series) include Closing The Gap (1969), Long Lonesome Highway (1970), and Blue. He also had various records of songs included on these albums. He played Philip Colby during the second season (1986–1987) of ABC's Dynasty spin-off series The Colbys. He appeared as Irish mob boss Tommy O'Shea in Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994), French-Canadian drug runner Jean Renault in the ABC television series Twin Peaks, Dr. Banyard in Deceiver (1997), Texas Ranger Earl McGraw in From Dusk till Dawn (1996), and Ambrose Bierce in From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000).

Parks played two roles in the Kill Bill film series, reprising the role of Earl McGraw in the first film and playing Esteban Vihaio in the second film. He most recently reprised the role of Earl McGraw in both segments of the film Grindhouse. His son, James Parks, played the son of Earl McGraw in Kill Bill, From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, Death Proof and Planet Terror. Parks played a villain in Kevin Smith's horror films Red State (2011) and Tusk (2014). Smith later announced on his podcast that Parks had recorded an album during Red State's production, after Smith and producer Jon Gordon noticed his singing talent during filming. The album, titled The Red State Sessions, was released on August 15, 2011 as a download from the film's website.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1965 Wild Seed Fargo
Bus Riley's Back in Town Bus Riley
1966 The Bible: In the Beginning Adam
The Idol Marco
1967 The Happening Sureshot
Stranger on the Run Vincent McKay
1973 Between Friends Tony
1976 The Last Hard Men Noel Nye
The Savage Bees Dr. Jeff DuRand
1977 Murder at the World Series Larry Marshall
Escape from Bogen County Jack Kern
Sidewinder 1 J.W. Wyatt
The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover Robert F. Kennedy
1978 Love and the Midnight Auto Supply Duke
Rainbow Roger Edens
1979 The Evictors Ben Watkins
Breakthrough Sgt. Anderson
North Sea Hijack Harold Shulman
1981 Hard Country Royce
1982 Savannah Smiles Lt. Savage
1986 The Return of Josey Wales Josey Wales Director
1988 Arizona Heat Larry Kapinski
1989 Nightmare Beach Doc Willet
Caged Fury Mr. Collins Associate producer
1990 The China Lake Murders Officer Donnelly
1991 The Hitman Det. Ronny "Del" Delany
1994 Death Wish V: The Face of Death Tommy O'Shea
1996 From Dusk till Dawn Earl McGraw
1997 Niagara, Niagara Walter
Deceiver Dr. Banyard
1998 Wicked Det. Boland
2000 From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter Ambrose Bierce
2003 Kill Bill: Volume 1 Earl McGraw
2004 Kill Bill: Volume 2 Esteban Vihaio
2006 The Listening James Wagley
2007 Grindhouse Earl McGraw Segments: Planet Terror / Death Proof
El Muerto Sheriff Stone
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford Henry Craig
2008 Noble Things Pete Collins
2010 Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball Fritz Tremor
2011 Red State Pastor Abin Cooper
2012 Argo Jack Kirby
Django Unchained LeQuint Dickey Mining Co. Employee
2013 We Are What We Are Doc Barrow
2014 Tusk Howard Howe
2016 Sex Me Up
Blood Father Preacher
Greater Leo
2017 Hostiles Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1958 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Skip Baxter Episode: "The Cadaver"
1961 The Law and Mr. Jones Mike Enslow Episode: "One by One"
The Asphalt Jungle Ty Episode: "The Sniper"
Straightaway Episode: "Pledge a Nightmare"
1962 Gunsmoke Park Episode: "The Boys"
Target: The Corruptors Rocky Kustak Episode: "Nobody Gets Hurt"
Stoney Burke Tack Reynolds Episode: "The Mob Riders"
1963 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Dr. Daniel Dana Episode: "Diagnosis: Danger"
The Greatest Show on Earth Cristos Episode: "The Hanging Man"
Perry Mason Cal Leonard Episode: "The Case of the Constant Doyle"
Arrest and Trial Gregory Wade Episode: "We May Be Better Strangers"
1963–1964 Channing Dante Donati 2 episodes
1964 Route 66 Tank Episode: "Cries of Persons Close to One"
1969–1970 Then Came Bronson Jim Bronson 26 episodes
1986–1988 The Equalizer 2 episodes
1990–1991 Twin Peaks Jean Renault 5 episodes
1996-1999 Walker Texas Ranger Major Caleb Hooks 2 episodes

Wagon train as a Priest the in color years

Discography

References

  1. 1 2 "Harry Samuel Parks". California Birth Index.
  2. "Michael Parks". The New York Times.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (August 2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 315. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
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