Vince Van Patten

Vincent Van Patten (born October 17, 1957) is an American actor. He was born in Bellerose, New York.

He is the youngest son of actor Dick Van Patten and his wife, Pat, née Poole, a former June Taylor dancer. Van Patten was first urged into show business at age nine by his father’s agent. A commercial for Colgate toothpaste was followed by more than thirty other commercials before his father was cast in the TV series, Arnie, and moved his family from Long Island to Los Angeles.

Through the 1970s, the child actor Van Patten guest-starred in over three dozen classic television series including Bonanza, The High Chaparral, Medical Center, Adam-12, The Courtship of Eddie's Father and a variety of television movies. At age 16, he was cast in Apple's Way, a CBS series in which he played the son of an architect who leaves the big city to raise his family in small-town Appleton, Iowa. Three years later, Van Patten co-starred in The Bionic Boy, a two-hour ABC spinoff of the popular Lee Majors vehicle, The Six Million Dollar Man. He also appeared in a 2 part episode "Mind Stealers from Outer Space" which aired on CBS 12/2/1977 and 12/9/1977 on Wonder Woman as Johnny, a college student whose body was taken over by an aliens from outer space. In 1978, he appeared in the cult classic, Rock 'n' Roll High School. He appeared in several other films in the 1970s and 1980s. More recently, he starred in, and directed, The Break^[1], playing a washed-up tennis pro who coaches an up-and-coming young player.

Van Patten was also a professional tennis player who in 1979 was awarded the ATP Rookie of the Year award. The highlight of his career came in 1981 when he defeated John McEnroe and two other top seeded pros to win the Seiko World Super Tennis tournament in Tokyo, Japan.

He is currently co-host and commentator for the weekly World Poker Tour television program. Also in the poker world, he has endorsed the online poker website Hollywood Poker which is run in conjunction with Ongame Network, with actor James Woods. Van Patten regularly plays at Hollywood Poker and contributes content to the site. He also appears in commercials for Milwaukee's Potawatomi Bingo Casino and the WPT World Poker Room at Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut. He has also written a book on the subject with Robert J Randisi, titled The Picasso Flop (ISBN 0892960701).^[2]

From his first marriage, to Betsy Russell, he has two sons, Richard and Vince. His second marriage, on April 15, 2003, was to Eileen Davidson, by whom he has one child, Jesse.

He is related to several other actors: he is brother of James Van Patten and Nels Van Patten, nephew of Joyce Van Patten, half-nephew of Timothy Van Patten, and cousin of Talia Balsam.

References

1. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112574/
2. ^ "The Books: The Picasso Flop by Vince Van Patten and Robert J. Randisi". Hachette Book Group USA. http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780759517073.htm. Retrieved 3-8 2009. 

External links

• Vincent Van Patten at the Internet Movie Database
• Vince Van Patten biography
• World Poker Tour profile
• PokerListings.com Player profile
• InsidePoker magazine interview