Dennis Burkley

Dennis Henry Burkley (September 10, 1945 – July 14, 2013) was an American actor. In a career spanning four decades, he appeared in numerous films and television series. He is best known for his role as Principal Carl Moss in King of the Hill.

Early life Burkley was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Imogene (née Ware) and Henry Burkley. He grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas, and graduated from Texas Christian University.

Career In his 1980s and 1990s appearances, Burkley was most recognizable for his large and frame, scruffy beard, and Southern accent.

In the 1970s, he established himself as a television character actor with appearances on many programs, including Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Maude, the Rockford Files, and Quincy, M.E.. In the 1980s, he came into his own as an actor with a high profile role on Hill Street Blues and another memorable role as Cal, the Texas-born junkyard partner of Fred G. Sanford in Sanford, the short-lived Sanford and Son sequel from 1980 to 1981. He provided the voice of several supporting characters on the animated television series King of the Hill (set in his home state of Texas). In 2005, he wrote and directed a film titled Repetition and also played a small role in the television series My Name Is Earl.

In films, he played Dozer, a biker with a severe speech impediment who befriends Rocky Dennis and his mother in the movie Mask. Burkley appeared in the drug culture drama Rush in 1991, the Chevy Chase comedy Fletch Lives, and Sylvester Stallone's Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. He appeared in the Kevin Costner golf comedy Tin Cup. Other movies included The Doors and Murphy's Romance.

Personal life Burkley was married to Laura Alderdice from 1967 until his death. They had two children.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1973 Bummer! Butts 1974 Nightmare Honeymoon Bubba 1976 Stay Hungry Heavy #2 1976 The Call of the Wild 'Stoney' TV movie 1977 Heroes Gus 1978 Laserblast Deputy Pete Ungar1985MaskDozer 1985 The Slugger's Wife Chuck 1985 Murphy's Romance Freeman Coverly 1986 Stewardess School 'Snake' Pellino 1987 Wanted: Dead or Alive Farnsworth 1987 Malone Dan Bollard 1987 Who's That Girl Benny 1987 No Way Out Mate 1988 Pass the Ammo Joe 'Big Joe' Becker 1989 Fletch Lives Joe Jack 1989 An Innocent Man Butcher 1990 Lambada Uncle Big 1990 The End of Innocence 'Tiny' 1991 The Doors 'Dog' 1991 Suburban Commando Deak 1991 Rush Motorcycle Guy 1992 Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot Mitchell 1992 Wishman Max 'The Squealer' 1992 Four Eyes and Six Guns Luke Doom TV movie 1992 Sidekicks Hank 1992 Beyond the Law 'Oatmeal' 1993 Son in Law Theo 1995 Eye of the Stalker Danny Zerbo Private investigator 1996 Tin Cup Earl 1996 Cheyenne Knopfler 1997 Touch Hillbilly 1997 Fathers' Day Calvin 1997 Con Air Dale, The Bartender Uncredited 1998 Possums Orville Moss 1998 The First 9½ Weeks Sheriff Marlon Tolette Direct-to-video film 2000 Vice Sergeant Hunt 2001 Knight Club Redneck 2001 Wish You Were Dead Sam Daniels 2003 Pauly Shore Is Dead Celebrity Judge #3 2003 Hollywood Homicide Hank, The Bartender 2005 Repetition Teacher 2005 Keep Your Distance Gus

Television Year Title Role Notes 1973”Emergency” Biker Episode: “Frequency” 1976 Starsky & Hutch Eddie Bell Episode: "Omaha Tiger" 1976 Family Roy Axelrod Episode: "Point of Departure" 1976 McCloud 'Big Mama' Episode: "Bonnie and McCloud" 1976 One Day at a Time Photographer Episode: "The Maestro" 1976–1978 Maude Sam Dickey 3 episodes 1976–1979 The Rockford Files Thomas 'Animal' Nicholas / Bartender / Howard 3 episodes 1977 Eight Is EnoughBuff CodyEpisode: "Mortgage Burnin' Blues" 1977 Quincy, M.E. Thomas 'Tom-Tom' Tomlinson Episode: "No Deadly Secret" 1977–1978 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Mac Slattery 85 episodes 1978 Baretta Ronco Episode: "It's a Boy" 1979 B.J. and the Bear Harry Cunningham Episodes: "Lobo's revenge" and "Lobo" 1979 Hanging In Sam Dickey 2 episodes 1980 The Dukes of Hazzard Bubba Episode: "Find Loretta Lynn" 1980 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Harry Cunningham Episode: "Police Escort" 1980–1981 Sanford Cal Pettie 26 episodes 1981 The Greatest American Hero Preacher Episode: "Hog Wild" 1982 Gimme a Break! Dr. George Avery Episode: "Porko's II" 1983 Amanda's Billy Rae Episode: "The Man Who Came on Wednesday" 1983 Hill Street Blues Sonny Crockett 4 episodes 1983 Scarecrow and Mrs. King Earl Dowd Episode: "Always Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth" 1984 Night Court 'Cannibal' Episode: "The Blizzard" 1985 The Dukes of Hazzard Mickey Larsen Episode: "Strange Visitor to Hazzard" 1986 Who's the Boss? 'Pee Wee' Episode: "When Worlds Collide" 1987 Outlaws Farmer Episode: "Primer" 1989 Who's the Boss? 'Pee Wee' Episode: "Tony and the Professor" 1991 The New WKRP in Cincinnati Jocko Episodes: "Here Comes Everybody" Parts 1 & 2 1991 Designing Women Buford Episode: "The Pride of Sugarbakers" 1991 Carol & Company The Game Devil Episode: "Myna and the Messenger" 1993 Family Matters Repairman Episode: "An Officer and a Waldo" 1994 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Hatfield McCoy Episode: "Fresh Prince: The Movie" 1995 ER Tom Perry Episode: "What Life?" 1996 NYPD Blue Ernie 'Pig' Episode: "Auntie Maimed" 1996 Renegade 'Smokey' Episode: "Self Defense" 1996 Dave's World Rude Guy Episode: "Missed Manners" 1996 High Incident Detective Cryer Episode: "Who'll Stop the Bombs?" 1996 Baywatch Nights Horace Calhoun Episode: "The Cabin" 1997 Coach Joe Bob Episode: "A Boy and His Doll" 1997 Living Single Jonathan Remington Episode: "The Clown That Roared" 1997 Pacific Blue D.W. McQueen Episode: "Inside Straight" 1997 The Visitor Louie Episode: "Caged" 1998 Tracey Takes On... Fat Detective Episode: "Religion" 1998 JAG Larry 'Jungle Larry' Episode: "Yesterday's Heroes" 1998 Players Sonny Episode: "Con-tinental" 1998 Home Improvement Larry Episode: "Tim's First Car" 1998Martial Law Warden Jalouse Episode: "Lock-Up" 1999 The Jamie Foxx Show Duke Episode: "Bro-Jack" 2000 The Magnificent Seven Horace Episode: "Serpents" 2000 The Fugitive Bill Episode: "Guilt" 2001 The Drew Carey Show Biker #3 Episode: "Drew and the Motorcycle" 2001 Dead Last Unknown Episode: "Laughlin It Up" 2002 Reba Fred Episode: "He's Having a Baby" 2005 The Exonerated Sheriff Carroll TV movie 2005–2008 My Name Is Earl Junkyard Owner / Roy Wade / Impound Owner 3 episodes 1997–2010 King of the Hill Principal Moss / Carl Voice, 35 episodes