John Karlen

John Karlen (born John Adam Karlewicz; May 28, 1933 – January 22, 2020) was an American actor. He was best known for his multiple roles on the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows from 1967 to 1971, most notably as Willie Loomis, and as Harvey Lacey on the crime drama television series Cagney & Lacey (1982–88). He won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1986 for the latter role.

Early life and education Karlen was born May 28, 1933, in Brooklyn, the son of Polish American parents Helen Agnes (née Balondowicz) and Adam Marion Karlewicz. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on a scholarship.

Career Karlen's first acting experiences were on early television productions such as From These Roots and Kraft Television Theatre. His Broadway stage career began in 1959 in Sweet Bird of Youth.

He accumulated roles on both stage and television before winning one of his signature roles in 1967 in the daytime serial Dark Shadows. It was Karlen's pivotal character of Willie Loomis who released vampire Barnabas Collins from his coffin, setting off the events of the series. Karlen would stay with the television series for 182 episodes, playing various characters through 1971. In addition to Willie, he played Carl Collins, a parallel-universe William H. Loomis, Desmond Collins and Kendrick Young. In the 1971 film Night of Dark Shadows, he played Alex Jenkins along with other cast members from the Dark Shadows TV show.

While not appearing on Dark Shadows in the late sixties, he appeared on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing as Jock Porter and Hidden Faces as Sharkey Primrose. He reunited with his Dark Shadows co-stars for the 1970 House of Dark Shadows as Willie Loomis, and, in 1971, with Night of Dark Shadows as Alex Jenkins. From 2006 to 2019, Karlen reprised the role of Loomis for a series of Dark Shadows audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions.

Karlen moved to a series of guest appearances on television productions, establishing himself in 1982 as Harvey Lacey Sr., husband of Tyne Daly's character Mary Beth Lacey on Cagney & Lacey. He appeared in 110 episodes over six years. Karlen won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Harvey Lacey Sr. in 1986; he received 2 further nominations, in 1985 and 1987.

His career included numerous movie roles, during which he reprised the Harvey Lacey Sr. character in four Cagney and Lacey television movies: Cagney & Lacey: The Return in 1994, Cagney & Lacey: Together Again and Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling in 1995, and Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions in 1996.

Personal life and death In 1963, Karlen married acting teacher Betty Karlen. They divorced in 1998.

Death Karlen died from heart failure in Burbank, California on January 22, 2020, at age 86.

Filmography + Film Year Title Role Notes 1970 House of Dark Shadows Willie Loomis 1971 Daughters of Darkness Stefan Chilton Night of Dark Shadows Alex Jenkins 1976 Deputy Lenny Lutz 1978 Killer's Delight Danny 1981 Pennies from Heaven Detective 1984 Racing with the Moon Mr. Nash Impulse Bob Russell Gimme an 'F' "Bucky" Berkshire 1986 Native Son Boris Max 1991 The Dark Wind Jake West 1993 Surf Ninjas Mac 2016 The Job Interview The Applicant Short film

+ Television Year Title Role Notes 1949 The Big Story Andy Franks "Theory and Practice" 1957 Kraft Television Theatre Young Man "Heroes Walk on Sand" 1959 Naked City Chuck "The Manhole" Armstrong Circle Theatre Private First Class James Cook "Thunder Over Berlin" 1962 The Detectives Frankie "Strangers in the House" Lieutenant Tyrell "Signals for an End Run" 1963 Stoney Burke Mickey "Job" The Doctors Danny "Danny Boy" Delaney 6 episodes Hallmark Hall of Fame Ned "The Patriots" 1964 East Side/West Side Billy "One Drink at a Time" Brenner Ben Laney "Laney's Boy" 1966 Hawk John Polanski "The Longleat Chronicles" 1967 N.Y.P.D. Gary Doyle "Murder for Infinity" Love Is a Many Splendored Thing Jock Porter "Episode #1.55" 1967–71 Dark Shadows Willie LoomisCarl CollinsWilliam H. LoomisDesmond CollinsKendrick Young 182 episodes 1968 Hidden Faces "Sharkey" Primrose Unknown episodes 1971 Another World Casey 18 episodes 1972 Night of Terror Pete Manning TV movie Ed "Through a Flame Darkly" Johnny Wexford "Belinda, End of Little Miss Bubble Gum" 1973 Shirts and Skins Herbie Bush TV movie Jim Russel "The Vanishing Lady" Egan Jack / Ida Deveaux TV movie Wide World Mystery Otto Roget "Frankenstein: Part 1" Medical Center Frank Crane "Judgment" Police Story Detective #1 "Slow Boy" Kojak "Pinky" "Web of Death" 1974 The Invasion of Carol Enders David Hastings TV movie Wide World Mystery Frank Linwood "Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest" Shazam! Nick Roberts "Thou Shalt Not Kill" Doc Elliot Vincent Parker "The Pharmacist" Melvin Purvis: G-Man Tony Anthony Redecci TV movie 1975 Medical Center Danny Taggert "No Hiding Place" Mannix Hood #1 "Quartet for a Blunt Instrument" Delancey Street: The Crisis Within Richard Copell TV movie Trilogy of Terror Mr. Anmar TV movie The Kansas City Massacre Sam Cowley TV movie Police Story "Rush" "Incident in the Kill Zone" Joe Forrester Mason "The Witness" Mobile One Mickey Scanlon "The Boxer" Vernon "Poisoned Snow" 1976 Alan Campbell TV movie Nat Reeves "No Minor Vices" Serpico Eddie Hibbard "Rapid Fire" Reverend Ezekiel L. Henshaw "The Baptism" Hawaii Five-O Harris "Anatomy of a Bribe" 1977 Police Story Shep "Prime Rib" Charlie's Angels Leonard Chaffey "Angel Baby" Benton "Welcome Home, Vince" ABC Weekend Special Bill Leggett "My Dear Uncle Sherlock" Hunter Power Plant Worker "Bluebird Is Back" All in the Family Leo "Mike Goes Skiing" Most Wanted "Red" Murphy "The White Collar Killer" 1978 Kojak Hicks "The Captain's Brother's Wife" Barnaby Jones Johnny Alban "A Frame for Murder" Barnaby Jones Eddie "Easy Eddie" "The Scapegoat" Leo "Rosendahl and Gilda Stern Are Dead" Colorado C.I. Kessler TV movie Rocky "The Lady on Thursday at Ten" 1979 The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang Charlie Powers TV movie Lou Grant Ken Navaretti "Gambling" Sword of Justice Jerry Lombardi "Blackjack" The Return of Mod Squad Marty TV movie Kaz Fred "The Battered Bride" Supertrain Quinn "Express to Terror" Starsky & Hutch Stanton "Ballad for a Blue Lady" Quincy, M.E. Sergeant Alistair Adams "Semper-Fidelis" Quincy, M.E. Customs Agent Brice "Hot Ice" Vega$ Eddie Stolvak "The Day the Gambling Stopped" 1980 Duane Haley TV movie 1981 Vega$ Geddes "Out of Sight" Quincy, M.E. Customs Agent Brice "Dear Mummy" American Dream Coach Ritter "American Dream" Trapper John, M.D. Marty "A Case of the Crazies" 1982 Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story Uncle George TV movie King's Crossing Sheriff "The Home Front" Hill Street Blues Corrupt South Ferry Cop Loomis 2 episodes Fame Detective Kessler "Tomorrow's Farewell" 1982–1988 Cagney & Lacey Harvey Lacey 110 episodes 1983 Bay City Blues Clancy 2 episodes The Winds of War Ed, PBY Pilot "Into the Maelstrom" Miss Lonelyhearts Reverend Walker TV movie 1985 Finder of Lost Loves Dr. Arthur Barwell "Final Analysis" Hostage Flight DiSalvo TV movie 1986 Welcome Home, Bobby Geffin TV movie The Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Chapel TV movie 1987 Downpayment on Murder Albert TV movie The New Mike Hammer Adam Simon "Green Lipstick" Daddy Mike Burnette TV movie 1988 Police Story: Burnout Captain Harrison TV movie ABC Afterschool Special Joe Farrell "Date Rape" 1989 Snoops Lieutenant Sam Akers 4 episodes227 Nathan Pollack "Jackée" Baby Cakes Al TV movie The Cover Girl and the Cop Lieutenant Wingo TV movie Murder, She Wrote Lieutenant Martin McGinn "The Grand Old Lady"' 1990 Nightmare on the 13th Floor Sergeant Madden TV movie 1991 In a Child's Name Joe Silvano 2 episodes Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin Jake Morrison TV movie 1992 Murder, She Wrote Patrick MacNair "To the Last Will I Grapple with Thee" Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story John Garner TV movie 1993 Without Warning: Terror in the Towers Jack McAllister TV movie 1994 Roseanne: An Unauthorized Biography Jerry Barr TV movie MacShayne: Winner Takes All Waldo Church TV movie Cagney & Lacey: The Return Harvey Lacey TV movie 1994–1995 Mad About You Gus Stemple 3 episodes 1995 Murder, She Wrote Superintendent Arthur Joyce 2 episodes Cagney & Lacey: Together Again Harvey Lacey TV movie Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling Harvey Lacey TV movie 1996 Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions Harvey Lacey TV movie

Stage credits