Gregory Ralph Evigan (born October 14, 1953) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He began his career in theater, appearing in the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar, followed by a stage production of the musical Grease, in which he portrayed the lead, Danny Zuko. Evigan made his feature film debut in Scorchy (1976), then was cast as the lead in the comedy series B.J. and the Bear, in which he starred between 1979 and 1981.
Evigan continued to appear as a guest star on numerous television series throughout the 1980s before being cast as the lead Joey Harris in the comedy series My Two Dads (1987–1990). He later appeared on the science fiction series TekWar (1995–1996), and had guest-starring roles on Melrose Place (1996–1997) and 7th Heaven (1997). He subsequently had starring roles on the soap opera Pacific Palisades (also 1997), and portrayed a record executive in the Canadian series Big Sound from 2001 to 2002.
Evigan's other film credits include the Joey Travolta–directed drama films Mel (1998) and Arizona Summer (2004), the Western film 6 Guns (2010), and the Hallmark Channel film Once Upon a Holiday (2015). In 2018, he guest-starred in a multi-episode arc as Jim Harvey on the soap opera General Hospital.
Early years Evigan was born October 14, 1953, in South Amboy, New Jersey, the son of Ralph Milan Evigan, an electrician, and his wife, Barbara Elizabeth Evigan, a homemaker.Greg Evigan profile, filmreference.com; accessed August 15, 2017. Beginning at age 8, Evigan was classically trained in piano, and went on to play the organ and saxophone. As a teenager, he played in several rock bands. Evigan grew up in Sayreville, New Jersey, and attended Sayreville War Memorial High School, graduating in 1971. In 2007 he was inducted into the school's Alumni Hall of Fame for his contributions to the arts.
Career Evigan began his career after graduating high school, appearing as a replacement in small ensemble roles in the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971, as well as the touring production. Between 1972 and 1973, he starred as Danny Zuko in the Broadway production of Grease, reprising the role for the show's residency in Chicago, alongside Marilu Henner. Evigan moved to Los Angeles and was cast in his feature film debut in the exploitation film Scorchy (1976), starring Connie Stevens.
In 1978, he was cast as Billie Joe "B.J." McKay, a truck driver whose best friend was a chimpanzee named Bear, in the series B.J. and the Bear. Following the series' conclusion in 1981, Evigan continued to work in television, with recurring guest roles on Masquerade (1984) and Murder, She Wrote (1986), then was cast in the comedy series My Two Dads (1987–1990), in which he portrayed a man who co-parents the daughter of his deceased girlfriend alongside her ex-boyfriend.
In 1989, he starred in the sci-fi film DeepStar Six, and later appeared opposite William Shatner in the sci-fi series TekWar, based on a series of books by Shatner. TekWar originated as a series of two-hour television movies in 1994, and then became a series of hour-long episodes that ran in 1995 and 1996. Between 1996 and 1997, Evigan guest-starred as Dr. Dan Hathaway on the soap opera Melrose Place, followed by a main role on Pacific Palisades, in which he portrayed one of several friends who relocate from the Midwest to California. Evigan had a lead role in Joey Travolta's directorial debut, the drama Mel (1998). In 2001, he starred in the psychological thriller film Spirit opposite Elisabeth Moss, playing the father of a teenage girl who believes their home is haunted. He reunited with director Joey Travolta, appearing in his family drama Arizona Summer (2004), followed by a supporting part in River's End (2005). Evigan returned to theater in 2008, appearing as Gar in a stage adaptation of Mask at the Pasadena Playhouse.
In Britain, Evigan is particularly well known for When Insects Attack, a humorous parody of When Animals Attack! in which American actor Greg Evigan (in reality Mark Gatiss) provides narration for a depiction of someone being improbably attacked by insects. The segment appeared on Lee and Herring’s BBC television programme This Morning With Richard Not Judy in the 1990s.
In 2015, Evigan had a supporting role in the Hallmark Channel film Once Upon a Holiday, co-starring his daughter Briana. He had a guest-starring role on the network crime series Bones in 2017, followed by a multi-episode character arc as Jim Harvey on General Hospital in 2018.
Personal life On June 3, 1979, Evigan married dancer Pamela C. Serpe. The couple has three children. Their daughters, Briana (born 1986) and Vanessa (born 1981) are actresses, while their son Jason (born 1983) is a musician and former frontman of a Los Angeles-based band, After Midnight Project.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1976 Scorchy Alan 1987Stripped to Kill Detective Heineman 1988Private Road: No Trespassing Brad Carlton 1987 Echoes in Crimson Grant Dunovan1989DeepStar Six Kevin McBride1996Spectre Will South Alternate titles: House of the Damned; Escape to Nowhere 1998 Mel Peter 1998 The Pawn Ray 2000 Die! Die! Die! Matt Alternate title: Sweet Revenge 2002 Pets Patrick O'Brian 2004 Arizona Summer Rick2005 River's End Chuck Kramer 2008 100 Million BC LCDR Ellis Dorn 2008 Journey to the Center of the Earth Joseph Harnet2009 Megaconda Parker2009 Split Second Christian 2010 6 Guns Sheriff Barr 2011Cinnamon Kevin Fallon Alternate title: My Dog's Christmas Miracle 2015Only God Can Pastor Rodney 2015 16 and Missing Monte 2016 Terror Birds Harvey Sullivan 2019 A Thousand Miles Behind Gary 2020 The Christmas Listing Herb Erickson
Television Year Title Role Notes 1976 Good Heavens Duane Episode: "Funny Fellow"1976 The Six Million Dollar Man Joe Hamilton Episode: "The Bionic Boy" 1977 A Year at the Top Greg 6 episodes1978 The Runaways Eddie Couch Episode: "The Lies We Live In" 1978–1981 B.J. and the Bear Billie Joe 'B.J.' McKay 47 episodes 1978 Dallas Willie Guest Episode: "Runaway" 1978 One Day at a Time Doug 2 episodes1979 Barnaby Jones Blue Simpson Episode: "Target for a Wedding" 1983 Fame Will Gunther Episode: "Relationships"1983–1984 Masquerade Danny Doyle 13 episodes1984 The Yellow Rose Trey Champion Episode: "Debt of Honor" 1986 Northstar Jack North TV movie 1986 Murder, She Wrote Brad Kaneally 2 episodes1986 Hotel Tony Patterson Episode: "Hornet's Nest" 1987 Matlock Eric Gordon / Josh Sinclair 2 episodes 1987 Deadly Nightmares Johnnie Episode: "In the Name of Love" 1987–1990 My Two Dads Joey Harris 60 episodes1989 The Lady Forgets Tony Clay TV movie1989 Alfred Hitchcock Presents David Whitmore Episode: "In the Driver's Seat" 1991 P.S. I Luv U Cody Powell / Joey Paciorek 13 episodes1991Lies Before Kisses Ross TV movie 1992 Columbo: A Bird in the Hand Harold McCain TV movie 1992 Just Deserts Ted Thorn TV movie 1993 Jack's Place Mitch Adams Episode: "The Seventh Meal"1994 One of Her Own Charlie Lloyd TV movie 1994–1996 TekWar Jake Cardigan 18 episodes1995 Deadly Family Secrets Eddie TV movie 1996–1997 Melrose Place Dr. Dan Hathaway 12 episodes1997 7th Heaven Ron Kramer Episode: "Faith, Hope and the Bottom Line"1997 Pacific Palisades Robert Russo 13 episodes1998 Nobody Lives Forever Detective Rick Barrish TV movie1998 Earthquake in New York John Rykker TV movie 1999 Survivor Adam King TV movie1999Family Rules Nate Harrison 6 episodes1999Touched by an Angel Bo Beaumont Episode: "Then Sings My Soul"1999 Veronica's Closet Justin 2 episodes2000 Oh Baby Billy 2 episodes2000–2001 Big Sound Bill Sutton 22 episodes2001 Spirit Jesse TV movie2001 Reba Bill Haden Episode: "The Man and the Moon" 2002 He Sees You When You're Sleeping Joe TV movie2003Straight From the Heart Edward Morgan TV movie2003 JAG Master Chief Shattuck Episode: "Empty Quiver"2004 Found Charles Drake TV movie 2005CSI: Miami Sean Walsh Episode: "Money Plane" 2005 Cerberus Marcus Cutter TV movie2006 Our House Todd Preston TV movie 2006 Hoboken Hollow Tom Stockwell TV movie 2006 My Silent Partner Steven Webber TV movie2007Desperate Housewives Charles McLain Episode: "Into the Woods"2008Poison Ivy: The Secret Society Professor Andrew Graves TV movie2008Mail Order Bride Tom Rourke TV movie2008 Phantom Racer JJ Sawyer TV movie 2008 Cold Case Chuck Pierce Episode: "One Small Step" 2009 Heat Wave Ed Dobbs TV movie2011Metal TornadoJonathan Kane TV movie 2012The GladesBruce Phillips Episode: "Fountain of Youth" 2012The Finder BronskiEpisode: "Bullets" 2013 Invasion Roswell Patrick TV movie 2013 Shadow on the Mesa Peter Dowdy TV movie2015Once Upon a Holiday George TV movie 2015CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationBruce WatersEpisode: "Merchants of Menace" 2017BonesRick Tobine Episode: "The Final Chapter: The Grief and the Girl" 2018General Hospital Jim Harvey26 episodes 20189-1-1 Roger2 episodes
Stage credits Year Title Role Notes 1971 Jesus Christ Superstar Annas Mark Hellinger Theatre 1972–1973 Grease Danny Zuko Broadway; Chicago tour 2008 Mask Gar Pasadena Playhouse
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