John Karlen Bio, Wiki

John Karlen was an American character actor who played multiple roles on the ABC serial Dark Shadows, in various episodes between 206 and 1245, which aired from 1966 to 1971.

In 1971, he starred as the male lead in Daughters of Darkness. Karlen played Harvey Lacey, husband of Mary Beth Lacey (played by Tyne Daly), on the CBS crime series Cagney & Lacey (1982–88). He recently reprised the role of “Willie Loomis” for a new series of Dark Shadows audio dramas, produced by Big Finish Productions.

John Karlen Career

Karlen enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on a scholarship. His first acting experiences were on early television productions such as Kraft Television Theatre and From These Roots. His stage career began in 1959 in Sweet Bird of Youth.

Karlen accumulated roles on both stage and television before winning one of his signature roles in 1967 in the daytime serial Dark Shadows. While not appearing on Dark Shadows during those times, Karlen appeared on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing as Jock Porter and Hidden Faces as Sharkey Primrose. Karlen 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.

He moved to a series of guest appearances on television productions, establishing himself in 1982 as Harvey Lacey, husband of Tyne Daly’s character Mary Beth Lacey on Cagney & Lacey. Karlen appeared in 110 episodes over six years. He won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Harvey Lacey.

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

John Karlen Age

Karlen was born as John Adam Karlewicz on May 28, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, United States. At the time of his death on January 22, 2020, he was 86 years old.

John Karlen Height

Karlen stood at a height of 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall.

John Karlen Family

Karlen was the son of Helen Agnes (née Balondowicz) and Adam Marion Karlewicz. He was of Polish descent.

John Karlen Wife

Karlen was married to acting teacher Betty Karlen from 1963 to 1998. The couple had one child, Adam who was born in 1966.

John Karlen Net Worth

Karlen had an estimated net worth of $120 Million at the time of his death.

John Karlen Death

Karlen died on January 22, 2020, from heart failure in Burbank, California. The Twitter account Dark Shadows News reported Karlen’s passing: “We are sad to report the death of #DarkShadows actor John Karlen, who played Willie Loomis, the unforgettable foil to Barnabas Collins. John died on January 22 in hospice care in Burbank, California. He was 86 and had suffered a number of health setbacks over the past decade…”

John Karlen Movies and Tv Shows

Karlen Movies

• 1970: House of Dark Shadows – playing a role as Willie Loomis
• 1971: Daughters of Darkness – playing a role as Stefan
• 1971: Night of Dark Shadows – playing a role as Alex Jenkins
• 1976: A Small Town in Texas – playing a role as Deputy Lenny Lutz
• 1978: Killer’s Delight – playing a role as Danny
• 1981: Pennies from Heaven – playing a role as The Detective
• 1984: Racing with the Moon – playing a role as Mr. Nash
• 1984: Impulse Bob – playing a role as Russell
• 1984: Gimme an ‘F’ – playing a role as Bucky Berkshire
• 1986: Native Son – playing a role as Max
• 1991: The Dark Wind – playing a role as Jake West
• 1993: Surf Ninjas – playing a role as Mac
• 2016: The Job Interview – playing a role as The Applicant

Karlen Tv Shows

• 1973: The Magician – playing a role as Jim Russel
• 1973: Wide World – playing a role as Mystery Otto Roget
• 1974: Wide World – playing a role as Mystery Frank Linwood
• 1974: Doc Elliot – playing a role as Vincent Parker
• 1975: Medical Center – playing a role as Danny Taggert
• 1975: Police Story – playing a role as Rush
• 1977: ABC Weekend Special – playing a role as Bill Leggett
• 1977: Most Wanted – playing a role as Red Murphy
• 1994: Mad About You – playing a role as Gus Stemple

The table below answers some of the frequently asked questions about Karlen.