Corbin Bernsen

Corbin Dean Bernsen (born September 7, 1954) is an American actor and film director. He appeared as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series L.A. Law, as Dr. Alan Feinstone in The Dentist, as retired police detective Henry Spencer on the USA Network comedy-drama series Psych, and as Roger Dorn in the films Major League, Major League II, and Major League: Back to the Minors. He also appeared regularly on The Resident, The Curse, General Hospital, and Cuts, and has had intermittent appearances on The Young and the Restless.

Early life Bernsen was born in North Hollywood, the eldest son of producer Harry Bernsen Jr. and soap actress Jeanne Cooper. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1972. Bernsen is also a "double Bruin", having received both a BA in Theatre Arts in 1977 and an MFA in Playwriting in 1979 from UCLA.

Career

Acting After a two-year appearance on the soap opera Ryan's Hope, The series became a hit, and the role earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, appearances on magazine covers, and guest-starring roles on Seinfeld and The Larry Sanders Show. He remained on L.A. Law for the entire run of the show, until it ended in 1994. He played the lead role in the two-season, NASA-themed series The Cape in 1996–97.

Bernsen appeared with British actor Bruce Payne in the films Kounterfeit and Aurora: Operation Intercept. He starred as the title character, Dr. Alan Feinstone, in the horror film The Dentist and its sequel. Bernsen was also cast as prima donna third baseman Roger Dorn in the sports comedy Major League and appeared in both of the film's sequels. Bernsen portrayed John Durant on General Hospital from September 2004 until the character was murdered in May 2006.

Bernsen played Jack Sherwood on Cuts, appeared twice on Celebrity Mole, and played a lawyer on Boston Legal. He appeared as another Q on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also had a recurring role as Captain Owen Sebring on the military drama

He also appeared as a guest star in one episode of Switched at Birth, the ABC Family television series. Bernsen currently appears as Kyle Nevin on the television series The Resident.

Producing

Bernsen was president and co-owner of Public Media Works, a new media company that develops entertainment for targeted fan bases. He directed and starred in Carpool Guy, the company's first film; it was targeted at soap opera fans and released on DVD in 2005.

Bernsen then went on to form Team Cherokee Productions. According to the book One Red Paperclip, in June 2006, Bernsen traded a role in the film Donna on Demand to Kyle MacDonald for a snow globe of the band Kiss. It was this role that MacDonald eventually traded for a two-story farmhouse.

In recent years, Bernsen focused on stories that explore aspects of Christian faith in today's world and how that can contribute to, but also tends to divide our common humanity. His first such film was Rust, released in 2010 by Sony Pictures. Bernsen, along with producing partner Chris Aronoff, formed Home Theater Films, an independent production company that develops, produces, and markets films and television shows. 25 Hill, the company's first title, was released in July 2012. This was followed by 3 Day Test (2012), Beyond the Heavens (2013), and Life with Dog (2017). Their film Mary 4 Mayor was due out in the fall of 2020.

Writing In October 2015, the Pelican Book Group released Bernsen's debut novel. The book, Rust: the Novel, is an adaptation of Bernsen's 2010 feature film, Rust, in which he played the main character and served as writer and director. Bernsen and his wife, Amanda Pays, have co-authored two books, Change Houses, Not Spouses and Open House: Reinventing Space for Simple Living, a coffee table book featuring remodeling and design ideas they have learned from remodeling their own homes.

Personal life Bernsen was married to Brenda Cooper from 1983 to 1987. Bernsen has been married to British actress Amanda Pays since 1988. They have four sons: Oliver, Angus, Henry, and Finley. Pays and Bernsen moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York in 2019 where he now focuses on film and television projects that can be shot locally.

Bernsen has one of the largest snow globe collections in the world, with over 8,000 globes. One notable globe in his collection is a Kiss motorized snow globe, for which Kyle MacDonald traded him in exchange for a speaking role in the film Donna on Demand. This was part of the famous "One Red Paperclip" series of trades, whereby MacDonald started with a red paperclip and ended with a farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan.

Filmography

Film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1979 Flying High Dan Ellison Episode: "It Was Just One of Those Days" 1980 The Waltons Casey Episode: "The Medal" 1984–1985 Ryan's Hope Ken Graham 5 episodes 1986–1994 L.A. Law Arnie Becker 171 episodesNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama (1989–90)Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (1987–88) 1987 Matlock Himself Episode: "The Network" 1988 Mickey's 60th Birthday Arnie Becker TV special 1989 Breaking Point Pike Television movie 1990 Saturday Night Live Himself Episode: "Corbin Bernsen/The Smithereens" 1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation Other Q (uncredited) Episode: "Deja Q" 1990 Dear John Blake McCarron Episode: "Hole in One" 1991 Out of This World Chad Episode: "Evie Nightinggale" 1991 Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story Morris Dees Television movie 1991 Dead on the Money Carter Matthews Television movie 1992 Grass Roots Will Lee Television movie 1992 Seinfeld Himself Episode: "The Trip: Part 1" 1992 Harry Television movie 1992 Love Can Be Murder Nick Peyton Television movie1993 The Larry Sanders Show Himself Episode: "The Stalker" 1993 Roc Jim Larson Episode: "The Millionaire Brother" 1993 Beyond Suspicion Stan Television movie 1994 Guns of Honor Brent Mallick Television movie 1994 The Nanny Glen Mitchell Episode: "Stock Tip" 1994 The Extraordinary Himself (host) 1994 I Know My Son Is Alive Dr. Mark Elshant Television movie 1994 Where Are My Children? Tom Scott Television movie1995Dangerous IntentionsTim WilliamsonTelevision movie 1995 A Whole New Ballgame Brett Sooner 7 episodes 1995 In the Heat of the Night Frank Cole Episode: "By Duty Bound" 1995 Tails You Live, Heads You're Dead Neil Jones/Roy Francis Netter Television movie 1995 Murderous Intent Brice Television movie 1996 Bloodhounds Harrison Coyle Television movie 1996 Murder on the Iditarod Trail Alex Jensen Television movie 1996 Inhumanoid Foster Carver Television movie 1996 Bloodhounds II Harrison Coyle Television movie 1996 Full Circle Harrison Winslow Television movie 1996–1997 The Cape USAF Col. Henry 'Bull' Eckert 17 episodes 1997 Touched by an Angel Eric Weiss Episode: "Angel of Death" 1997 Tidal Wave: No Escape John Wahl Television movie 1998 Loyal Opposition: Terror in the White House Secret Service Agent John Gray Television movie 1998 Riddler's Moon George Television movie 1998 Recipe for Revenge Dr. Chester Winnifield Television movie 1998 Young Hearts Unlimited Brian Television movie 1999 Tracey Takes On... Jack Dayton Episode: "Dating" 1999 7th Heaven Ted Grant Episode: "Sometimes That's Just the Way It Is" 1999 Twice in a Lifetime Roger Stovall/Bill Water Episode: "Death and Taxes" 1999 Nash Bridges Edward Jansen Episode: "Trade Off" 1999 Two of Hearts Bruce Saunders Television movie 1999–2004 JAG Captain Owen Sebring 8 episodes 2000 Battery Park Michael Episode: "Rabbit Punch" 2000 The Outer Limits Virgil Nygard Episode: "Abaddon" 2000 Son of the Beach Big Red Johnson Episode: "Miso Honei" 2000 Beggars and Choosers Sandy Peretz Episode: "Killer Sushi" 2000 Yes, Dear Gary Walden Episode: "Jimmy Gets a Job" 2000 Baywatch Barry Poe Episode: "Ties That Bind" 2001 The West Wing Henry Shallick 2 episodes 2001 V.I.P. Zack Henley Episode: "Val in Carnation" 2001 Jack & Jill Paul Barrett 2 episodes 2001 Citizen Baines Nicholas Tassler Episode: "Three Days in November" 2002 The Weakest Link Himself Episode: "L.A. Law Edition" 2002 Gentle Ben Fog Benson Television movie 2002 L.A. Law: The Movie Arnie Becker Television movie 2002 Atomic Twister Sheriff C. B. Bishop Television movie 2002 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus David Carver Television movie 2002 The Santa Trap Chief Tom Spivak Television movie 2003 Gentle Ben 2 Fog Benson Television movie 2003 Love Comes Softly Ben Graham Television movie 2003 Miss Match Stu 'Dr. Love' Scott Episode: "Divorce Happens" 2003 L.A. Dragnet Richard Atkins Episode: "All That Glitters" 2003 Celebrity Mole: Hawaii Himself 3 episodes 2003 Just Shoot Me! Himself Episode: "For the Last Time, I Do" 2004 Third Watch Carter Savage Episode: "Rat Bastard" 2004 NYPD Blue Bob Cavanaugh Episode: "I Love My Wives, But Oh You Kid" 2004 Celebrity Mole: Yucatan Himself 2 episodes 2004 Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss Steve Television movie 2004 They Are Among Us Norbert Television movie 2004–2017 The Young and the Restless Father Todd Williams 22 episodes 2004–2006 General Hospital John Durant 5 episodes 2005 Palmetto Pointe Old Ballplayer Episode: "All That You Can't Leave Behind" 2005 Law & Order: Criminal Intent William Hendry Episode: "Prisoner" 2005 Ordinary Miracles David Woodbury Television movie 2005–2006 Cuts Jack Sherwood 12 episodes 2006 Wheel of Fortune Himself Episode: "Soap Stars 4" 2006 Boston Legal Eli Granger Episode: "...There's Fire!" 2006–2014 Psych Henry Spencer 111 episodes 2007 Masters of Horror Ira Episode: "Right to Die" 2008 How Much Is Enough? Host 40 episodes 2008 Depth Charge Captain Richards Television movie 2008 Vipers Burton Television movie 2008 Confessions of a Go-Go Girl Nick Harvey Television movie 2008 For the Love of Grace Captain Washington Television movie 2009 The New Adventures of Old Christine Howard Episode: "For Love or Money" 2010 Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Himself Episode: "Comedy" 2011 Castle Lance Hastings Episode: "One Life to Lose" 2011 Criminal Minds Jerry Grandin Episode: "Today I Do" 2012 Switched at Birth James Wilkes Jr. Episode: "Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time" 2013 The Glades Michael Longworth 4 episodes 2013 Hawaii Five-0 Henry Upton Episode: Kupouli 'la (Broken) 2014 Motive Dr. Matthews Episode: "Deception" 2014 Scorpion Bob Connelly Episode: "Shorthanded" 2014 The League Bruce Episode: "Man Land" 2014 Anger Management Roger Episode: "Charlie & The 100th Episode" 2015 Grace and Frankie Dr. Paul Mason Episode: "The Fall"2015NCIS: New OrleansNavy Admiral Adam HuntleyEpisode: "The Abyss" 2015 It Had to Be You Nolan Powell Television movie 2017 Powerless Vanderveer Wayne Sr. Episode: "Sinking Day" 2017 American Gods Vulcan Episode: "A Murder of Gods" 2017 Psych: The Movie Henry Spencer Television movie 2018 Hap and Leonard Chief Cantuck 4 episodes 2018 Billions Bill McGann 2 episodes 2018 The Kominsky Method Himself Episode: "Chapter 3: A Prostate Enlarges" 2018–2021 Magnum P.I. Francis "Icepick" Hofstetler 4 episodes 2019–2022 The Resident Kyle Nevin 15 episodes 2019 The Punisher Anderson Schultz 4 episodes 2019 Fresh Off the Boat Mervin Episode: "Help Unwanted?" 2020 Tommy Milton Leakey 4 episodes 2020 Psych 2: Lassie Come Home Henry Spencer Television movie 2021 Psych 3: This Is Gus Henry Spencer Television movie 2022 City on a Hill Sinclair Dryden 7 episodes 2023 East New York Duke Jacobs 2 episodes 2023 White House Plumbers Richard Kleindienst Episode: "The Writer's Wife" 2023–2024 The Curse Paul4 episodes 2024 Clipped Pierce O'Donnell 3 episodes2025–present Your Friends & Neighbors Jack BaileyRecurring role; 10 episodes 2025 Duster Wade Ellis Recurring role; 6 episodes 2026 The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Duck Donovan 2 episodes