Rick Lenz
Rick Lenz (born November 21, 1939, Springfield, Illinois) is an American actor, author and playwright.
Early career
Educated at the University of Michigan and New York University, Lenz directed the Jackson, Michigan Civic Theater for two years before going to New York to seek work as an actor. In 1965, at the time he was married to Sarah, of Jackson, the mother of his elder male children, at the age of 25, he made his Broadway debut in Mating Dance, starring Van Johnson. The show closed on opening night, but it was Lenz’s big break; stage producer David Merrick was in the audience and soon afterward cast him in the Broadway hit, Cactus Flower as understudy to the juvenile lead, Igor Sullivan. Lenz later took over the role and played it for a year. Film producer Mike Frankovich and Walter Matthau saw him in the part and cast him as Igor in the movie version of Cactus Flower (1969).
In the 1970s, Rick Lenz appeared in several Hollywood movies, including Scandalous John, Where Does It Hurt?, The Shootist, Melvin and Howard and How Do I Love Thee?.
Television
Lenz has appeared in such television shows as Green Acres, Hec Ramsey, Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Murder, She Wrote, Simon & Simon, Falcon Crest, Silver Spoons, Airwolf, Elvis and the Beauty Queen, and Malice in Wonderland.
Recent years
Lenz wrote The Epic of Buster Friend, which was produced off-Broadway in 1973 at the Theatre De Lys (now the Lucille Lortel Theatre) in New York City, and was later directed for PBS by Michael Kahn.
In 1981, he co-wrote the pilot of the ABC television series Aloha Paradise, as well writing several of the episodes. Lenz published his memoir North of Hollywood on February 15, 2012.[1]
Family
Lenz resides in Los Angeles with his spouse, Linda. He has three children.[1]
References
- 1 2 Jennings, Zeke (April 26, 2012). "Jackson-raised actor Rick Lenz gives insight to Hollywood in very personal memoir". MLive.com. Retrieved April 17, 2016.