Kene Holliday

Kenneth Earl Holliday (born June 25, 1949) is an American actor of stage, film, and television. He is known for his role as Ben Matlock's original private investigator, Tyler Hudson, on Matlock, and as Sgt. Curtis Baker on Carter Country from 1977 until 1979. He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the film Great World of Sound.

Biography Holliday, from the Copiague area of Long Island, New York, was raised in a Christian home, born into a Baptist family. At age 12, he lost his father. With the encouragement of his mother, he participated in track at Copiague High School where he was part of the Fantastic Four Relay Team and was the star of his football team. He was nicknamed as Mr. Hotshot and was known as a "scoring machine" on and off the football field. He graduated in 1967 and attended University of Maryland on a full scholarship. As he recalled, times were turbulent, and the football team was preparing to go on strike against the NCAA over a change in coaches.

He was "jazzed" by a class he took related to the history of theater and acting became his new passion. In 1969, as an undergraduate he played Yank in The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill. He was the first black person to perform in a leading role on the college's "main stage."

After graduation from college his first work was with the Inaugural Theater Group at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. There, he conducted workshops as a founding member of the D.C. Black Repertory Company. In 1975, he was fired from his job because of his continued problems with drugs and alcohol. His chemical abuse continued for the next 14 years. However, despite those problems he starred in the role of Carlyle in David Rabe's Vietnam War–era play Streamers at the Lincoln Theatre.

That play led him to Los Angeles in 1976 where he guest-starred on several shows such as Kojak; What's Happening!!; The Incredible Hulk; Quincy, M.E.; Lou Grant; Soap and its spin-off series, Benson; The Jeffersons; The Fall Guy; Hart to Hart and Doogie Howser, M.D. He guest starred on many other shows. His first "featuring" television series was Carter Country where he co-starred with Victor French as Sgt. Curtis Baker from 1977 until 1979. He also was featured in Roots: The Next Generations and starred in a series of pilots which failed to make it to the air as regular series. Kene provided the voice of the character Roadblock in the 1980s cartoon series, G.I. Joe and 1987's G.I. Joe: The Movie. In 1985, he appeared in the TV film Badge of the Assassin.

In early 1986, while providing the voice of Roadblock, he received a phone call from producers Fred Silverman and Dean Hargrove. He was their first choice to play Matlock's private investigator Tyler Hudson on the Matlock series opposite TV veteran Andy Griffith. Holliday said in a 2012 interview with Blake Radio that when he was 11 years old he occasionally watched The Andy Griffith Show; he had recognized all the characters from his mentor's show and won the Matlock role. He was eventually fired from the series due to ongoing concerns around his substance abuse.

Other TV work and personal life

He has numerous television and movie appearances to his credit, including roles in G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987), CBS’s made-for-television movie Miracle on the Mountain (2000), Hope & Faith (2004), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2005).

He published a book of poetry in 1998 entitled The Book of K-III: The Contemporary Poetics of Kene Holliday.

Following his departure from Matlock in 1989, Holliday became a traveling evangelist, and spent the next decade preaching in gospel musicals. Holliday married his wife, Linda Copling, on April 6, 1996.

In 2002, Holliday paused his work to became the round-the-clock caregiver for his mother, who has Alzheimer's disease and subsequently became a member of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1976 Kojak Assistant D.A. Dunn Episode: "A Shield For Murder" (parts 1 and 2) 1977–79 Carter Country Sergeant Curtis Baker 44 episodes 1978 Incredible Hulk Paul Episode: "Earthquakes Happen" 1978 Battle of the Network Stars Himself Episode: "Battle of the Network Stars IV" 1978 What's Happening!! The Gong Show Judge Himself Episode: "Going, Going, Gong" 1979 Quincy M.E. Father Tony Hamilton Episode: "Never a Child" 1979 Roots: The Next Generations Detroit MiniseriesPart III 1980 Soap Eddie Dawson Episode 60 1980 Benson Jake Episode: "Takin' It to the Streets" 1981 See China and Die Sgt. Alvin Sykes Television film 1982 Hart to Hart William Dean Episode: "Hart and Sole" as William Dean 1982 Chicago Story Dr. Jeff House 1984 Benson Earl (Benson's brother) Episode: "The Reunion" 1984 The Philadelphia Experiment Major Clark 1984 No Small Affair Walt Cronin 1985 Badge of the Assassin Albert Washington Television film 1985–86 G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Roadblock (voice) 36 episodes 1986 Diary of a Perfect Murder Tyler Hudson Television film 1986 The Fall Guy Lt. Joe Budd Episode: "In His Shadow" 1986–90 Matlock Tyler Hudson seasons 1–3; appeared in episode 4 & 14 in season 4 1987 G.I. Joe: The Movie Roadblock (voice) Direct-to-video 1987 If It's Tuesday, It Still Must Be Belgium Bon Sperling Television film 1990 Perry Mason: Case of the Silenced Singer Joe Dillon 1991 The Josephine Baker Story Sidney Bechet Television film 1991 Doogie Howser, M.D. Raymond's Old Mentor Episode: "Truth and Consequences" 1992 Jake and the Fatman Montgomery Dubois Episode: "Ain't Misbehavin'" 1996: Diagnosis Murder Burke's Producer Episode: "FMurder" 2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Coach Veneziano Episode: "Ripped" 2007 Great World of Sound Clarence 2008 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Cold Case Detective Episode: "Last Rites" 2009 Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City Theodore the Saxophone Player Videogame

Accolades Gotham Awards 2008: Breakthrough Actor: Great World of Sound (Nominated) Independent Spirit Award 2008: Best Supporting Male: Great World of Sound (Nominated)