David Graf | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Graf in 1989 | |
| Born | Paul David Graf (1950-04-16)April 16, 1950 Lancaster, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | April 7, 2001(2001-04-07) (aged 50) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Rose Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1981–2001 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Paul David Graf (April 16, 1950 – April 7, 2001) was an American actor, best known for his role asSgt. Eugene Tackleberry in thePolice Academy series of films.[1][2]
Graf was born inLancaster, Ohio and graduated fromLancaster High School in 1968. He studiedtheatre atOtterbein College inWesterville, a suburb ofColumbus, Ohio, where he graduated in 1972. He attendedgraduate school atThe Ohio State University until 1975, when he dropped out to pursue his acting career.
Graf made his first television appearance as a contestant on thegame showThe $20,000 Pyramid in December 1979, where he teamed with actressPatty Duke. He would later appear on subsequent versions of the show as a celebrity contestant, twice with Duke. As a struggling actor in the early 1980s, he also took small roles in popular TV shows, includingM*A*S*H,The Dukes of Hazzard,Airwolf,Hardcastle and McCormick andThe A-Team.
He made his film debut in 1981 when he played Gergley in the dramaFour Friends. Graf later played the trigger-happy Eugene Tackleberry in the 1984 comedyPolice Academy, and starred in each of the sequels. In 1986, Graf had a role as Councilman Harlan Nash on the short-lived sitcomHe's the Mayor. In 1990, Graf appeared in the final two episodes of the seriesBeauty and the Beast. In 1992, Graf returned to play a minor role as a police officer again for the comedy seriesSeinfeld during its fourth-season episode "The Ticket" and also appeared onNight Court. He played Tackleberry for the final time in a guest appearance on the short-livedPolice Academy: The Series. Also in November 1992, Graf appeared onFamily Matters where he played Sgt. Shiska.
Graf made various guest appearances following his role in thePolice Academy series, including a recurring role inThe West Wing, several appearances inStar Trek: Voyager episode ("The 37s") andStar Trek: Deep Space Nine. In the latter series, he played aKlingon calledLeskit in the fifth-season episode "Soldiers of the Empire".
Graf was Lt. Weismann in the movieSuture in 1993 and Ralph Brinker in theDisney Channel movieBrink! in 1998.
Graf made a guest appearance in an episode of the short-lived ABC sitcomTeen Angel as a camp leader for Steve Beauchamp's little sister Katie, in the 1997–1998 season. In 2000, he made an appearance onThe Amanda Show as a paramedic who accidentally swapped pagers withAmanda Bynes. He also made an appearance onLois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman season 2 episode 20 as a reporter for the Daily Planet.
Graf had a small role in 1995'sThe Brady Bunch Movie, portraying Alice's boyfriend Sam Franklin, the butcher. In 1996, Graf made a guest appearance inPromised Land, which was a spinoff ofTouched by an Angel. He played the role of a grieving husband whose wife died while working for a company and he went there trying to find answers to her death.
Graf guest starred in several episodes of ABC's sitcomStep By Step in the 1990s. He also starred in the second episode of the third season of ABC'sHome Improvement as angler Chuck Norwood. Some of his last acting performances were two guest appearances asThe Pentagon staff member Colonel Chase in the seriesThe West Wing ("The Drop-In" and "The Portland Trip") and as Jacques Douche in theSon of the Beach TV series episode "Grand Prix". Graf's last acting role was theNickelodeon sitcomThe Amanda Show, just three months before his death.
Besides his acting, Graf was a representative of theScreen Actors Guild. As well as serving as a Hollywood union rep, he was on SAG's national board, TV-theatrical steering committee, and national disciplinary review committee. Graf sought fair treatment for his fellow actors and actresses, which included efforts for better working conditions for the acting community.[3]
Graf marriedKathryn Graf in 1983.[4] They had two sons.[5]
While attending his brother-in-law's wedding inPhoenix, Arizona, on April 7, 2001, Graf died from a suddenheart attack at the age of 50.[4] He is buried at Forest Rose Cemetery inLancaster, Ohio.[1]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Four Friends | Gergley | |
| 1981 | The Dukes of Hazzard | Maury | Season 3, Ep. 22The Canterbury Crock |
| 1982 | M*A*S*H | Lt. Spears | Season 10, Ep. 14 "A Holy Mess" |
| 1983 | Voyagers | Sgt. Mike | Season 1, Ep. 14 "Sneak Attack" |
| 1983 | The A-Team | Cooper | Season 2, Ep. 4 "Bad Time on the Border" |
| 1984 | Police Academy | Cadet Eugene Tackleberry | |
| 1984 | Irreconcilable Differences | Bink | |
| 1984 | Airwolf | Billie | Season 2, Ep. 1 "Sweet Britches" |
| 1985 | Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment | Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry | |
| 1986 | Police Academy 3: Back in Training | ||
| 1987 | Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol | ||
| 1987 | Love at Stake | Nathaniel | |
| 1987 | Night Court | Horace "Hondo" Jenkins | Season 5, episode 6 "Mac's Dilemma" |
| 1988 | Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach | Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry | |
| 1989 | Police Academy 6: City Under Siege | ||
| 1990 | Elvis | Bob Neal (promoter) | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Without a Pass | White Officer - 1990 | |
| 1991 | Quantum Leap | Sheriff Nolan | Season 3, Ep 16 "Southern Comforts" |
| 1992 | Family Matters | Sergeant Shishka | 1 episode |
| 1992 | Seinfeld | Cop #2 | 1 episode |
| 1993 | American Kickboxer 2 | Howard | |
| 1993 | For Their Own Good | Miles | |
| 1993 | Suture | Lt. Weismann | |
| 1993 | Home Improvement | Chuck Norwood | Season 3 Ep.2Aisle See You in My Dreams |
| 1994 | Guarding Tess | Lee Danielson | |
| 1994 | Police Academy: Mission to Moscow | Sgt. Eugene Tackleberry | |
| 1994 | Roseanne: An Unauthorized Biography | Tom Arnold | TV movie |
| 1995 | Fist of Legend | English version, Voice | |
| 1995 | Dragon Kid | Voice | |
| 1995 | Star Trek: Voyager | Fred Noonan | "The '37s"[6] |
| 1995 | The Brady Bunch Movie | Sam Franklin | |
| 1996 | Hijacked: Flight 285 | Alcoholic | |
| 1996 | Citizen Ruth | Judge Richter | [7] |
| 1996 | Martin | Officer Hayes | |
| 1997 | Step by Step | Dave | Season 6, Ep. 4 “Just Say Maybe” |
| 1997 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Leskit | Season 5, Ep. 21 "Soldiers of the Empire" |
| 1998 | Brink! | Ralph Brinker | |
| 1999 | Touched by an Angel | Dewey Burton | Season 5, Ep. 18 "Anatomy Lesson" |
| 1999 | JAG | John Newman | Season 4, Ep. 18 “Shakedown” |
| 2000 | Rules of Engagement | ARG Commander | |
| 2000 | The Cactus Kid | Charles | |
| 2000 | Arli$$ | Col. Sadowski | |
| 2000 | Becker | Lloyd Martin | Season 2, Ep. 21 "Sight Unseen" |
| 2000 | Diagnosis Murder | John | Season 7, Ep. 21 "Swan Song" |
| 2000-2001 | The West Wing | Colonel Chase | "The Drop-In" and "The Portland Trip" |
