Howard Hesseman

Howard Hesseman (February 27, 1940 – January 29, 2022) was an American actor known for his television roles as burned-out disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati (for which he earned two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series) and the lead role of history teacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class. He appeared regularly on television and in film from the 1970s to 2010s, with his other noteworthy roles including Sam Royer (the husband of lead character Ann Romano) in the last two seasons of One Day at a Time and a supporting role as Captain Pete Lassard in the film Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment.

Early life Howard Hesseman was born in Lebanon, Oregon, on February 27, 1940. His parents divorced when he was five, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, a police officer. He graduated from Silverton High School in 1958.

Career Under the alias of Don Sturdy, Hesseman made his first television appearances, including the episode "Public Affairs: DR-07" of the show Dragnet in 1968. He portrayed a hippie named Jesse Chaplin, the editor of an underground newspaper. In this Dragnet episode, his character was a panelist on a TV show opposite Sgt. Friday and Officer Gannon.

He played a bit part in two final-season episodes of The Andy Griffith Show. In the episode "Sam for Town Council", Hesseman played a character named Harry, who has an exchange with Emmett Clark (Paul Hartman), who is running for town council against Sam Jones, played by Ken Berry. Harry complains to Emmett how poor the fishing has been at a nearby fishing spot. Emmett promises to stock the pond with big perch in exchange for Harry's vote. Harry agrees and wears a campaign button supporting Emmett in the race. In the episode "Goober Goes to an Auto Show", Hesseman, also credited as Don Sturdy, played the counter boy, serving hot dogs and root beers to Goober and his old trade-school rival Roy Swanson, played by Noam Pitlik.

On July 18, 1969, he appeared with the improvisational comedy group The Committee in several sketches on The Dick Cavett Show, including one with guest Janis Joplin. Hesseman also appeared in a number of skits as part of The Committee in the 1971 classic film Billy Jack.

Hesseman made several appearances as Mr. Plager, a member of the group therapy ensemble on The Bob Newhart Show; Mr. Plager eventually came out as gay. Hesseman became a playwright in the sixth season of the show, writing a play about the characters in the group. In several other episodes of The Bob Newhart Show, Hesseman's voice can be heard as a TV announcer.

Hesseman is best known for his role as DJ John "Dr. Johnny Fever" Caravella on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati from 1978 to 1982, a role Hesseman prepared for by working as a DJ in San Francisco at KMPX-FM for several months. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1980 and 1981 for his portrayal of Fever. He reprised the role in nine episodes of The New WKRP in Cincinnati, and also directed several episodes of that 1991-93 series revival.

Hesseman portrayed Sam Royer, the man who married Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) on the sitcom One Day at a Time from 1982 to 1984. He then played history teacher Charlie Moore on the ABC series Head of the Class for four seasons from 1986 to 1990. His film appearances included the comedy film Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985) as Captain Pete Lassard, the mystery film Clue (1985) as the Chief of Police, and the Disney film Flight of the Navigator (1986) as NASA research facility scientist Dr. Louis Faraday.

Hesseman made three appearances on Saturday Night Live, one in which he paid tribute to, and told jokes about, the recently deceased John Belushi and the other in which NBC showed a picture of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, which Hesseman mooned off-camera. He also encouraged the viewing audience to moon the picture and send pictures in to NBC. In 1994, he introduced lost footage of Janis Joplin in a documentary on Woodstock. In 1995, Hesseman played the role of the Marquis de Sade in Quills at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, California, which included one scene in which he was fully naked. In 2001, Hesseman had a role on three episodes of That '70s Show. In 2002, he played Larry Hertzel in Alexander Payne's comedy-drama About Schmidt.

In 2006, Hesseman played the unorthodox Judge Robert Thompson in three episodes of Boston Legal, and also appeared in an episode of House. During his appearance as Judge Thompson, Hesseman paid homage to his role as a teacher in his earlier ABC series by hearing a court case while sitting atop the judge's bench, just as the character of Mr. Moore taught his class atop his desk. In 2007, he played The Chemist on HBO's John From Cincinnati. He guest-starred as an announcer at a horse track on Psych, in the episode "And Down the Stretch Comes Murder.” Hesseman guest-starred on the 2007 season premiere of NBC's ER, playing a man tripping on magic mushrooms who may or may not have been an orthopedist from another hospital. In 2009, he appeared in Rob Zombie's Halloween II and the Sandra Bullock film, All About Steve. Hesseman starred in The Sunshine Boys at the New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park, Kansas, from September to November 2010. In February 2011, he portrayed Dr. Elliot D. Aden in the 11th-season CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead.” Dr. Aden was head of Department of Defense project called Stonewall at WLVU, which did research in fringe psychological concepts such as extrasensory perception and out-of-body experiences.

Personal life and death Hesseman was married to Kathy Mason from 1965 until 1974.

He was later married for 33 years to actress Caroline Ducrocq.

He died from complications of colorectal surgery in Los Angeles, California, on January 29, 2022, at age 81.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1968 Petulia Hippie 1969 Some Kind of a Nut The Bartender Uncredited 1971 Billy Jack Drama Teacher #2 As Don Sturdy The Christian Licorice Store Last Party Guest 1972 Cisco Pike Recording Engineer As Don Sturdy 1973 Steelyard Blues Frank Veldini Jory Santa Rosa Bartender Uncredited Kid Blue Confectionary Man 1975 Shampoo Red Dog Prisoners Whiffs Dr. Gopian The Sunshine Boys Mr. Walsh, Commercial Director 1976 Tunnel Vision Senator McMannus Jackson County Jail David Silent Movie Executive The Big Bus Jack 1977 The Other Side of Midnight O'Brien Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo Fred 1978 Loose Shoes Ernie Piles 1979 Americathon Kip Margolis The Jerk Carnival Worker Uncredited 1981 Private Lessons Lester Honky Tonk Freeway Snapper 1983 Doctor Detroit "Smooth" Walker Focus on Fishko Sy Short 1984 This Is Spinal Tap Terry Ladd 1985 Clue The Chief Uncredited Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment Captain Pete Lassard 1986 My Chauffeur McBride Flight of the Navigator Dr. Louis Faraday Inside Out Jack Heat Pinchus Zion 1987 Amazon Women on the Moon Rupert King Segment "Titan Man" 1991 Rubin and Ed Ed Tuttle 1993 Little Miss Millions Nick Frost 1994 Munchie Strikes Back Munchie Voice 1995 Out-of-Sync Detective Caldwell 1996 Boys' Night Out Sheba / Mr. Cabot Short 1997 Gridlock'd Blind Man 1998 The Way to Santiago Johnson Short 1999 The Sky Is Falling Yogi Cook 2002 Teddy Bears' Picnic Ted Frye The Mesmerist Mr. Valdemar About Schmidt Larry Hertzel 2006 Man About Town Ben Giamoro Domestic Import Lou Kimmelman 2007 Martian Child Dr. Berg 2008 The Rocker "Gator" 2009 Halloween II "Uncle Meat" All About Steve Mr. Horowitz 2012 Bigfoot Mayor Tommy Gillis A Helping Hand Howard Short 2016 Wild Oats Vespucci Silver Skies Billy Emmett in Peopleland Howard Oozman Short 2018 Dirty Politics "Big Oil"

Television Year Title Role Notes 1968 The Andy Griffith Show Hot Dog Vendor Episode: "Goober Goes to an Auto Show" 1968 Dragnet 1969 Jesse Chaplin (as Don Sturdy) Episode: "Public Affairs: DR-07" 1971 The Feminist and the Fuzz Hippie TV movie (uncredited) 1973 The Blue Knight TV movie 1974 Firehouse Hanley Episode: "The Hottest Place in Town" Another April Dennis Webber TV movie Rhoda Kirk Stevens Episode: "I'll Be Loving You, Sometimes" 1975 Mannix Ray Bennett Episode: "A Ransom for Yesterday" Hustling Detective TV movie Sanford and Son Professor Stoneham Episode: "The Family Man" The Blue Knight Resident Episode: "Pilot" Harry O Senator Lawler Episode: "Tender Killing Care" 1976 Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur AP Man TV movie Family Store Manager Episode: "A Special Kind of Loving" Switch M.W. Episode: "Pirates of Tin Pan Alley" Baretta Walker Episode: "Street Edition" Laverne & Shirley Dr. Grayson Episode: "Oh Hear the Angels' Voices" 1976–1977 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Dr. Robert Williams 13 episodes 1977 Delvecchio "Goldie" Episode: "Dying Can Be a Pleasure" Tail Gunner Joe Lieutenant Ted Cantwell TV movie Westside Medical "Buzz" Canfield Episode: "The Witch of Four West" The Amazing Howard Hughes Jenks TV movie The TVTV Show Ralph Buckler TV movie Blansky's Beauties Dr. Berg Episode: "Nancy Breaks a Leg" Quincy, M.E. District Attorney Jerry Douglas Episode: "A Dead Man's Truth" Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo Fred TV movie 1974–1978 The Bob Newhart Show Craig Plager / Augie 6 episodes 1978 The Ghost of Flight 401 Bert Stockwell TV movie The Rockford Files Al Steever Episode: "The House on Willis Avenue" Husbands, Wives & Lovers Dave Episode: "Ron Moves in and Helene Steps Out" Soap Mr. Franklin 7 episodes The Comedy Company Roger Dustleman TV movie More Than Friends Avery Salminella TV movie Outside Chance David TV movie 1978–1982 WKRP in Cincinnati Dr. Johnny Fever 86 episodes 1979 You Can't Take It with You Wilbur C. Henderson TV movie 1980 Gridlock Senor Smooth (voice) TV movie Skyward Koup Trenton TV movie 1982 Victims Charles Galloway TV movie One Shoe Makes It Murder Joe Hervey TV movie 9 to 5 Episode: "Home Is Where the Hart Is" 1983 Love, Sidney Earl Edwards Episode: "The Shrink" Likely Stories, Vol. 4 Seymour Z. Fishko TV movie 1982–1984 One Day at a Time Sam Royer 16 episodes 1984 Mister Roberts Doc TV movie Best Kept Secrets Jim Osborne TV movie Silence of the Heart Carl Lewis TV movie 1985 George Burns Comedy Week Episode: "The Honeybunnies" Murder, She Wrote Sheldon Greenberg Episode: "Widow, Weep for Me" 1986 Faerie Tale Theatre King Episode: "The Princess Who Had Never Laughed" 1987 Six Against the Rock Joseph "Dutch" Cretzer TV movie 1988 The Diamond Trap Detective Rollings TV movie 1986–1990 Head of the Class Charlie Moore 96 episodes 1990 Call Me Anna John Ross TV movie 1991 Murder in New Hampshire: The Pamela Wojas Smart Story Paul Maggioto TV movie 1992 Black Death Calvin Phillips TV movie The Ray Bradbury Theatre Bayes Episode: "Downwind from Gettysburg" Hot Chocolate Mr. Cassidy TV movie 1991–1993 The New WKRP in Cincinnati Dr. Johnny Fever 10 episodes 1993 Lethal Exposure Taylor TV movie 1995 Burke's Law Chuck Mason Episode: "Who Killed the Gadget Man?" 1996 Innocent Victims Smithline TV movie 1997 The Outer Limits Dr. Emory Taylor Episode: "Music of the Spheres" High Stakes Wayne Dreyer TV movie On the 2nd Day of Christmas David TV movie 1998 Two Guys and a Girl Mr. Bergen Episode: "Two Guys, a Girl and a Dad" 1999 The Practice Judge C. Williams Episode: "A Day in the Life" Tracey Takes On... Todd Episode: "Drugs" Family Law Howard Thomas / Randall Episode: "The Fourth Trimester" The Pretender Landlord Episode: "Extreme" 2000 Touched by an Angel Flynn Hodge Episode: "Monica's Bad Day" 2001 Level 9 General Richard Scheffer Episode: "Wetware" Three Sisters Jerry Keats Episode: "The In-Laws" That '70s Show Max 3 episodes Thieves Hal Bloomberg Episode: "Jack's Back" Crossing Jordan Barney Reynolds Episode: "Sight Unseen" 2002 Maybe It's Me Mr. Finn Episode: "The Crazy-Girl Episode" 2003 It's All Relative Monty Episode: "Road Trippin'" Boomtown Mel Castle Episode: "The Big Picture" 2004 Oliver Beene Dr. Fenniger Episode: "Superhero" 2005 Crazy for Christmas Fred Nickells TV movie 2006 House Henry Errington Episode: "Sex Kills" 2006–2007 Boston Legal Judge Robert Thompson 3 episodes 2007 Psych Barry Saunder Episode: "And Down the Stretch Comes Murder" John from Cincinnati Erlemeyer 2 episodes ER Dr. James Broderick Episode: "The War Comes Home" 2010 Lie to Me Sam Hendricks Episode: "Beat the Devil" 2011 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dr. Aden Episode: "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead" Drop Dead Diva Cole Lamburt Episode: "The Wedding" 2012 Mike & Molly Otis Episode: "Mike Likes Lasagna" 2013 HitStreak 2015 The Homeless Detective Howard Oozman TV movie 2016 Chicago Med Clyde Glickman Episode: "Withdrawal" A Christmas in Vermont Nick Harper TV movie 2017 Fresh Off the Boat Mr. Royce 2 episodes