Frank Woodrow Boers Jr. (February 28, 1942 – June 16, 2021) was an American actor and television director. He is best known for his role as sales manager Herb Tarlek on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.

Early life Bonner was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Grace Marie "Mamie" (née Dobbins) Boers Delahoussay, a singer, and Frank Woodrow Boers, a saxophonist. He was raised in Malvern, Arkansas.

Career Bonner began acting in the experimental 1967 independent film The Equinox ... A Journey into the Unknown, which was reshot and re-edited as the 1970 cult classic Equinox (in which he is credited as Frank Boers Jr.).

He later had several small roles in movies and on television, including Mannix, Emergency!, and Love, American Style. In 1978 he joined the cast of WKRP in Cincinnati, finding his signature role as Herb Tarlek, the crass and ineffectual station advertising sales agent, noted for his garish plaid suits and white shoes.

Bonner appeared as a guest star in two episodes of the sitcom Night Court in the 1980s. He had a supporting role as Detective Mooney in the short-lived Disney action series Sidekicks (1986–87). From 1988 to 1990, Bonner played the role of Father Hargis, headmaster of the fictional St. Augustine's Academy, on the TV show Just the Ten of Us, which was a spin-off of Growing Pains. He also appeared in one of the early episodes of the television show Newhart. He reprised the role of Herb Tarlek in the 1991 spinoff The New WKRP in Cincinnati and in a 2004 rock video for Canadian indie rock band Rheostatics (for the song "The Tarleks" from their album 2067.

After directing six episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati, he directed for other television shows in the 1980s and 1990s, including Who's the Boss?, Head of the Class (starring his WKRP alumni Howard Hesseman), Evening Shade, Newhart, and every episode of the NBC Saturday morning sitcom City Guys. Bonner appeared in five episodes of Saved by the Bell: The New Class and directed four episodes.

Personal life and death Bonner was married five times: to Sharon Gray (1966–1971); actress Mary Alice Rings (1972–1975); playwright Lillian Garrett-Groag (1977–1980); Catherine M. Sherwood (1981–? until their divorce); and Gayle Hardage, his former high school sweetheart (2006–2021; his death). He had five children: a daughter (Desiree Boers-Kort) with his first wife, Sharon Gray; three sons (Michael, Matthew, and Justin); and a stepdaughter, DeAndra Freed. Bonner also had seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild at the time of his death. Michael predeceased his father.

In 1979, Bonner was injured in a parasailing accident at the El Mirage Lake Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, northeast of Los Angeles. He was approximately in the air—suspended under an ascendancy parachute pulled by a tow vehicle—when a sudden, unexpected gust of wind collapsed the chute, causing him to fall to the lake bed and suffer internal injuries and injuries to his back. Subsequently, he appeared on crutches in episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati (the season 2 episode "A Family Affair") and an All-Star Special episode of Family Feud.

Bonner died on June 16, 2021, aged 79, in Laguna Niguel, California, of complications from Lewy body dementia. Bonner was a resident of Beverly Hills, California.

Filmography

As actor Year Title Role Notes1970 Equinox Jim Hudson Feature film The Young Lawyers Walt Episode: "Where's Aaron" Nancy Hank Episode: "Boys' Night Out" 1971 Mannix Hypnotized Man Episode: "Catspaw"1972 Nichols Gruber Episode: "About Jesse James" The Hoax Clete Dempsey Feature film1973 Little Cigars Gene (Hotel Bellman) The F.B.I. Johnson Episode: "The Confession" Hawkins 1st Yankee Episode: "Blood Feud" Emergency! Walt Episode: "Body Language"1974 Love, American Style Jerry Segment: "Love and the Extra Job" Cannon Allecino Episode: "Kelly' Song" Fer-de-Lance Compton Television film1975 Las Vegas Lady Claude Feature film Cannon Bill Episode: "The Victim" 1976 Police Woman Donny's Father Episode: "The Pawn Shop" 1977 Man from Atlantis Bartender Episode: "C.W. Hyde" 1978–1982 WKRP in Cincinnati Herb Tarlek Main role, 88 episodes 1979 Sex and the Single Parent Peter Television film1981 The Love Boat Dr. Jonathan Hunt Episode: "Country Blues/Daddy's Little Girl/Jackpot" Fantasy Island Jack Simon Episode: "Romance Times Three/Night of the Tormented Soul"1982 The Facts of Life Goes to Paris Garth Kiley Television film Gimme a Break! Officer Baxter Episode: "The Chief's Gay Evening" 1983 The Love Boat Ben Phillips Episode: "The Captain's Replacement/Sly as a Fox/Here Comes the Bride-Maybe"1984 Newhart Mr. Pack Episode: "Kirk Pops the Question" Legmen Leo Gibson Episode: "I Shall Be Re-Released" The Duck Factory Mel Kemper Episode: "The Annies" No Man's Land Deputy Thad Prouty Television film Simon & Simon Brad Daniels Episode: "Deep Cover"1985 Matt Houston Fred Episode: "Death Watch" Gimme a Break! Warren Episode: "Police Mamas" George Burns Comedy Week Stu Episode: "Home for Dinner" Scarecrow and Mrs. King Henry 'Buck' McConnell 2 episodes Crazy Like a Fox Chick Episode: "Requiem for a Fox" 1985-1986 Night Court Howie / Preston Cowdrey 2 episodes1986 The Longshot Realtor Feature film Punky Brewster Cheapo Chester Episode: "Cherie Lifesaver" Blacke's Magic Hal Renquist Episode: "Death Goes to the Movies" Murder, She Wrote Earl Fargo Episode: "Murder in the Electric Cathedral" Sidekicks Detective R.T. Mooney Recurring role, 5 episodes Night Court Preston Cowdrey Episode: "Prince of a Guy" 1988 You Can't Hurry Love Chuck Hayes Feature film 1988–1990 Just the Ten of Us Father Robert Hargis Main role, 22 episodes 1991 Going Under Soviet General Feature film 1991–1993 The New WKRP in Cincinnati Herb Tarlek Main role, 45 episodes 1993 Evening Shade Walt Thompson Episode: "She What?!" 1994–1997 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Mr. Harrington Recurring role, 5 episodes1995 The Mommies Director Episode: "Selling Out" The Colony Frank Williamson Television film 1997 USA High Mr. Giggles (Dentist) Episode: "The Odd Couple" 1998 Motel Gressil Feature film 2000 City Guys Jake Episode: "Meet Mr. History" 2003 A Light in the Forest Kimmel Feature film2004 Shut Up and Kiss Me Harvey Ballister A Norwegian Lunch Teacher Short film 2008 Remembering Phil Motel Clerk Feature film 2014 Under the Hollywood Sign Larry

As director Year Title Notes 1980–1982 WKRP in Cincinnati 6 episodes 1982 Family Ties Episode: "No Nukes Is Good Nukes" 1986–1990 Head of the Class 2 episodes1988 Frank's Place Episode: "The Bum Out Front" The Van Dyke Show Episode: "Fatal Condo" 1988–1990 Just the Ten of Us 8 episodes 1989 Who's the Boss? Episode: "Working Girls" 1989–1990 The Famous Teddy Z 2 episodes1990 Evening Shade Episode: "Fast Women" You Take the Kids Episode: "Merry Christmas to All and a Pointy Hat to You"1991–1993 Harry and the Hendersons 11 episodes The New WKRP in Cincinnati 7 episodes1995 Fudge Episode: "Bad Housekeeping" The Mommies 4 episodes 1996 Campus Cops Episode: "Sister, Sister" 1997 Saved by the Bell: The New Class 4 episodes 1997–1998 USA High 6 episodes 1997–2001 City Guys 105 episodes 2003 Living Straight TV film 2010 Desire and Deceit Unknown episode

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