Laurence Luckinbill | |
|---|---|
 Luckinbill in 2008 | |
| Born | Laurence George Luckinbill (1934-11-21)November 21, 1934 (age 91) Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Lana and Lilly Wachowski (nieces) |
Laurence George Luckinbill (born November 21, 1934) is an American actor, playwright and director. He has worked in film, television and theatre, doing triple duty in the theatre by writing, directing and starring in stage productions. He is known for penning and starring inone-man shows based upon the lives of U.S. presidentTheodore Roosevelt, authorErnest Hemingway, and famous American defense attorneyClarence Darrow; starring in a one-man show based upon the life of U.S. presidentLyndon B. Johnson; and for his portrayal ofSpock's half-brotherSybok in the filmStar Trek V: The Final Frontier.
Luckinbill was born inFort Smith, Arkansas, the son of Agnes (née Nulph) and Laurence Benedict Luckinbill.[1] He is the uncle of film directorsLana and Lilly Wachowski, the children of his sister, Lynne. He isRoman Catholic.[2]
He attendedFort Smith Junior College from 1951 to 1952, received aBachelor of Arts degree from theUniversity of Arkansas in 1956, received aMaster of Fine Arts degree from theCatholic University of America in 1958, attendedNew York University in 1980, and studied acting atHB Studio in New York City.[3]
He is married to actressLucie Arnaz, daughter ofLucille Ball andDesi Arnaz. They have three children together: Simon, Joseph and Katharine. Arnaz and Luckinbill have toured together in theatrical productions such asThey're Playing Our Song.[3] He also has two sons from his previous marriage to actressRobin Strasser, Nicholas and Benjamin.[4]
On television, he started out with roles on the American soap operasWhere the Heart Is andThe Secret Storm.[3][5] He starred as espionage agent Glenn Garth Gregory in the 1972–1973ABC dramatic television seriesThe Delphi Bureau.[3][5] He has performed in numerous episodes of television series, includingLaw & Order,Barnaby Jones,Columbo (episode "Make Me a Perfect Murder"),The Mary Tyler Moore Show andMurder, She Wrote. He also played Lillian Hellman's lawyer Joseph L. Rauh in the television filmDash and Lilly (1999).[5]
His 1961 Broadway debut was inA Man for All Seasons.[3] He starred inPavel Kohout's 1976 Broadway playPoor Murderer at theEthel Barrymore Theatre,Michael Cristofer'sThe Shadow Box (1977) at theMorosco Theatre, for which he received a nomination forBest Featured Actor in a Play, and inThomas Babe'sA Prayer for My Daughter (1978) atThe Public Theater. His theatre career has included writing and directing. Luckinbill has written and performed in several one-man shows, including,Hemingway,Teddy andAn Evening with Clarence Darrow. He has also starred in numerous productions ofLyndon, which he did not write.[6][7] One production was at theLBJ Museum inAustin, Texas, whereLady Bird Johnson was among attendees.
He appeared in the drama filmThe Boys in the Band (1970), reprising the role of Hank,[8] which he originated on stage. He portrayed Spock's half-brother Sybok inStar Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989).[5]Sean Connery was originally contacted to star in the role but was busy withIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade.[9]William Shatner discovered Luckinbill by chance by channel-surfing late one night and seeing him perform as Johnson.[10] When Shatner called to offer him the role, Luckinbill accepted immediately.[11]
Other film appearances includeSuch Good Friends (1971),The Promise (1979) andCocktail (1988). He also narrated the documentaryMoonwalk One (1971).[12] In the early 1970s, Luckinbill was the commercial spokesperson forTrans World Airlines (TWA), appearing in several television commercials for the United States airline.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | The Boys in the Band | Hank | |
| 1971 | Such Good Friends | Richard | |
| 1972–1973 | The Delphi Bureau | Glenn Garth Gregory | 9 episodes |
| 1972 | Corky | Wayne Nesbitt | |
| 1974 | Death Sentence | Don Davies | ABC Movie of the Week |
| Harry O | Father Paul Vecchio | 1 episode: Mortal Sin | |
| 1976 | The Money | Richard Banks | |
| 1978 | Columbo | Mark McAndrews | Season 7, episode 3 |
| 1979 | The Promise | Dr. Peter Gregson | |
| 1982 | One More Try | Adam Margolin | unsoldpilot[13] |
| 1984 | Not for Publication | Mayor Franklyn | |
| 1988 | Cocktail | Mr. Mooney | |
| Messenger of Death | Homer Foxx | ||
| 1989 | Star Trek V: The Final Frontier | Sybok | |
| 1999 | Crucible of Empire: The Spanish-American War | William McKinley (voice) | Television documentary film |
