Jameson Parker

Francis Jameson Parker Jr. (born November 18, 1947) is an American actor, best known for his roles as the first Brad Vernon in the soap opera One Life to Live, and as A.J. Simon on the 1980s television series Simon & Simon.

Early life and education Jameson Parker Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 18, 1947. He is the son of Jameson and Sydney Buchanan ( Sullivan) Parker. His father had been general legal counsel for the Parker family steel mill, an investment analyst, and government attorney (working first with the Maryland Public Expenditure Council and later with the United States Naval Reserve). In 1947, he was in private practice, but about to embark on a career as a diplomat with the United States Department of State.

His mother was the daughter of Mark Sullivan Sr., a former editor of Collier's and later columnist with the New York Herald Tribune newspaper. She was a short story author (under a pen name), and a reporter for The Washington Post. His parents eloped on June 8, 1933, and married in Rockville, Maryland.

Jameson Parker Sr. died in 1972. His widow married her husband's Harvard Law School friend, Lewis Metcalfe Walling, a former New Deal labor attorney, in 1974.

Jameson Jr. attended St. Albans School, Washington, D.C., and a Swiss prep school. He studied drama at Beloit College in Wisconsin.

Acting career At Beloit College, he acted in student theater productions, and, while living in Washington, D.C., he landed a job with a production of The Great White Hope at the Arena Stage and then acted in theatrical productions of Caligula and Indians. The United Artists film received a limited theatrical release and grossed under $1 million. Another film from early in his acting career was the controversial White Dog (1982).

In addition, he played the leads in several CBS television movies: Women at West Point (1979), Anatomy of a Seduction (1979), The Gathering II (1979), The Promise of Love (1980), Callie and Son (1981), and A Caribbean Mystery (1983).

He became well known by co-starring as A.J. Simon in Simon & Simon from 1981 to 1989. With his Simon & Simon co-star Gerald McRaney he appeared in the theatrical movie Jackals, which Parker co-produced. After completing this movie, he returned to Beloit College to star in a live summer stock theatrical production as Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. In 1987, starred alongside Donald Pleasence in John Carpenter's horror movie Prince of Darkness.

Parker guest-starred on the CBS series Walker, Texas Ranger as a corrupt cop. He appeared in the television movies Who Is Julia? (1986), Dead Before Dawn (1993), and Violation of Trust (1991). He guest starred on the sitcom Major Dad with his Simon & Simon co-star Gerald McRaney.

Parker's last known acting work was in 2003–2004, after a four-year hiatus, when he appeared in four episodes of JAG. In 2003, he co-hosted the show A Dog's Life with wife Darleen on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN). In 2009, Parker did voice-over work as the narrator for the documentary Endangered Species: California Fish and Game Wardens.

Writing career Parker has written five books: recounts his life after Simon & Simon

Personal life Parker has been married three times. On July 19, 1969, he married Anne Taylor Davis in Fairfax County, Virginia, with whom he has one daughter. The two divorced on August 7, 1975, in Alexandria, Virginia. In 1976, Parker married Bonnie Dottley in New York City; the couple have three children. They divorced in 1992. He married Darleen Carr on June 18, 1992.

On October 1, 1992, Parker was shot in the left armpit and right arm by a neighbor during a verbal altercation concerning dog waste. He made a full recovery, and the neighbor was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1975 Crossfire TV movie 1975–76 Somerset Dale Robinson Daytime serial 1976–78 One Life to Live Brad Vernon Daytime serial 1976 Once an Eagle TV miniseries 1977 79 Park Avenue TV miniseries 1978 The Immigrants TV movie 1979 Women at West Point J.J. Palfrey TV movie 1979 The Bell Jar Buddy Willars 1979 Anatomy of a Seduction Ed Taggert TV movie 1979 The Gathering, Part II Bud TV movie 1980 Family Jack Episode: "Jack of Hearts" 1980 Hart to Hart Whitney Rogers Episode: "A Question of Innocence" 1980 A Small Circle of Friends Nick Baxter 1980 The Promise of Love Sam Daniels TV movie 1981 Callie & Son Randy Bordeaux TV movie 1981–89 Simon & Simon A.J. Simon 156 episodes 1982 Bret Maverick Whitney Delaworth III Episodes: "Faith, Hope and Clarity" (Parts 1 & 2) 1982 White Dog Roland Grale 1982 Magnum, P.I. A.J. Simon Episode: "Ki'is Don't Lie" 1983 A Caribbean Mystery Tim Kendall TV movie 1983 Whiz Kids A.J. Simon Episode: "Deadly Access" 1986 Jackals Dave Buchanon 1986 Who Is Julia? Don North TV movie 1987 Prince of Darkness Brian Marsh 1989 Spy Frank Harvey TV movie 1990 Waiting for the Wind David Short 1991 Major Dad Evan Charters Episode: "Polly's Choice" 1991 She Says She's Innocent Eric Reilly TV movie 1991 Curse of the Crystal Eye Luke Ward 1991 Murder, She Wrote Gordon Forbes Episode: "The Skinny According to Nick Cullhane" 1991 Murder, She Wrote Dane Kenderson Episode: "Terminal Connection" 1991 Pros and Cons Jace Novak Episode: "May the Best Man Win" 1992–93 The Legend of Prince Valiant Sir Kay (voice) 5 episodes 1993 Dead Before Dawn Robert Edelman TV movie 1994 Burke's Law Ben Hutchins Episode: "Who Killed Nick Hazard?" 1995 Simon & Simon: In Trouble Again A.J. Simon TV movie 1995 ABC Afterschool Special John Atkins Episode: "Long Road Home" 1996 Have You Seen My Son Mike Pritcher TV movie 1996 Dead Man's Island Lyle Stedman TV movie 1996 Walker, Texas Ranger Sgt. Bob Horne Episode: "The Brotherhood" 1997 Something Borrowed, Something Blue Richard Ives TV movie 1997 Promised Land Dr. Smith Episode: "Take Back the Night" 1998 The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue Troy (voice) Direct-to-video 2003–04 JAG Harrison Kershaw 4 episodes 2009 Endangered Species: California Fish and Game Wardens Narrator (voice) Documentary