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Actor:

Reginald VelJohnson

  • Born: Aug 16, 1952 in Queens, New York City, New York
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '80s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Comedy, Mystery
  • Career Highlights: Turner and Hooch, Die Hard, Grass Roots
  • First Major Screen Credit: Die Hard (1988)

Biography

African-American actor Reginald VelJohnson is the ideal choice for "urban everyman" roles: his sour-apple facial expression, bald pate, and chubby frame are perfectly suited for the many policemen and blue-collar workers he has played over the years. Beginning in small parts in films like Ghostbusters (1984), VelJohnson gained a following with supporting roles in Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Die Hard (1988). A guest spot as an undercover cop on a 1989 episode of TV's Perfect Strangers led to VelJohnson's longest professional engagement to date. In the company of former Perfect Strangers regular Jo-Marie Payton-France, Reginald VelJohnson, since the fall of 1989, starred as Chicago cop Carl Winslow on the weekly comedy series Family Matters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

 
 
Wikipedia: Reginald VelJohnson
Reginald VelJohnson
Reginald_Veljohnson.jpg
Born August 16 1952 (1952--) (age 55)
Queens, New York, U.S.

Reginald VelJohnson (born August 16, 1952) is an American film, stage and television actor, who is perhaps best known for his role as Carl Winslow on the sitcom Family Matters and as LAPD Sgt. Al Powell in the hit film Die Hard (1988) and the sequel Die Hard 2 (1990).

Biography

Personal life

VelJohnson was born in Queens, New York[1] to Eve, a nurse, and Dan Johnson, a hospital attendant.[2] His father left the family when VelJohnson was thirteen years old, and his mother subsequently remarried to John Reilly.[1] VelJohnson attended New York University.[1] He has homes in Los Angeles, California and Raleigh, North Carolina.

VelJohnson is often mistaken for actor James Avery and vice-versa, a joke that was played out on an episode of Family Matters.

Career

VelJohnson is known for playing police officers in movies and on television. However, he has made other appearances as similarly uniformed characters. In Ghostbusters, he had a brief appearance as a jail guard, and in Crocodile Dundee, he plays a limo driver. VelJohnson played Sgt. Al Powell in the 1988 hit Die Hard and its sequel, Die Hard 2 in 1990. VelJohnson also played a police officer alongside Tom Hanks in Turner and Hooch (1989) and a minor role in the 2002 film Like Mike. VelJohnson replayed his role of Sgt. Al Powell in the Gamecube video game title, Die Hard: Vendetta; also in 2002.

Since the end of Family Matters, besides making a few guest appearances on TV shows, VelJohnson has done mostly theater work. He has also written a critically acclaimed series of short stories called Division Street. One of them, called Sunday Evening Haircut, was made into a short film in 2005, which starred Reginald himself, alongside Kiki Shepard. VelJohnson has made notable guest appearances in several TV shows, including The Equalizer, Diagnosis Murder, Twice in a Lifetime, Will & Grace, Monk, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Eve, Crossing Jordan, The Parkers and That's So Raven.

In 2007, he appeared in the short films Reverse, Nerve Endings, and Time Upon A Once which were made during the reality show On the Lot.[3] He will play Scott's dad in 41 Dollars (The Scott Hicks Story).

In the comic book Invincible, the title character attends Reginald VelJohnson High School. The school's principal is also modelled after VelJohnson.


Filmography

Year Title Role Other notes
2007 Three Days to Vegas Johnny
2007 Out at the Wedding Dexter
2006 Hidden Secrets Norman Wexler
2005 Suits on the Loose Steedman
2005 Sunday Evening Haircut O.C.
2002 The King Slutzky
2002 Like Mike Mr. Boyd
2002 Waitin' to Live Willard Loggins
2000 Ground Zero Burt Green
1993 Posse Preston
1991 A Fond Little Memory
1990 Die Hard 2 Sgt. Al Powell
1989 Turner & Hooch Det. David Sutton
1988 Die Hard Sgt. Al Powell
1988 Plain Clothes Captain Graff
1987 Magic Sticks Licorice
1986 Crocodile Dundee Gus
1985 Ambulance Driver
1984 Ghost Busters Jail Guard
1981 Wolfen Morgue Attendant

Television

Year Title Role Other notes
2007 On the Lot Neighbour in 'Time Upon A Once' Episode: 11 Cut to 10 & 10 Directors Complete
2006 Monk Todd Episode: Mr. Monk and the Class Reunion
2006 Eve Rev. Everett Episode: Oh, Brother
2005 Ghost Whisperer Danny Small Episode: Undead Comic
2005 That’s So Raven Ambassador Episode: The Royal Treatment
2003 The Parkers Sterling Oglevee Episode: A Sterling Relationship
2002 Will & Grace Dr. Kaplan Episode: It's the Gay Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
2002 In-Laws Chester - The Mattress King Episode: The Mattress Kings
2002 Crossing Jordan Mr. Holden Episode: Someone to Count On
2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dr. Phillip Kane Episode: Face Lift
Episode: Gentle, Gentle
2001 The Fugitive Maurice Beaumont Episode: Lagniappe
2000 Twice in a Lifetime Dr. David Bryant Episode: Whistle Blower
1999 The Hughleys Rev. Bennett Episode: Daddy's Going to Hell
1998 Diagnosis: Murder Dr. David Sinclair Episode: The Last Resort
1989-1998 Family Matters Carl Winslow
1996 Deadly Pursuits Ed Conroy
1994 One of Her Own Det. Bob Hymes
1994 A Cool Like That Christmas Dad
1993 Yuletide in the 'hood
1993 Dream On Santa Episode: Silent Night, Holy Cow
1992 Tales from the Crypt Hotel Guest Episode: Werewolf Concerto
1992 Grass Roots Mickey Henderson
1990 The Bride in Black Barry Gates
1990 Judge
1989 Perfect Strangers Carl Winslow Episode: Crimebusters
1988
1988 227 The Santa Thief Episode: The Night They Arrested Santa Claus
1985-1988 The Equalizer
Harmon Hunter
Arthur Williams
Episode: Lady Cop
Episode: Dead Drop
Episode: Sea of Fire
1986 Doing Life Taylor

References

External links


 
 

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Copyrights:

Actor. Copyright © 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Reginald VelJohnson" Read more

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