John Pleshette is an American actor and screenwriter, best known for his role as Richard Avery on the television drama Knots Landing, and for portraying Lee Harvey Oswald in the TV movie The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald. Pleshette also wrote several scripts for Knots Landing in the 1980s.

Career In a television acting career spanning decades, Pleshette has appeared in such shows as The Rockford Files; Highway to Heaven; Kojak; Magnum P.I.; Simon & Simon; Murder, She Wrote; MacGyver; Beauty and the Beast; L.A. Law; The Larry Sanders Show; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; ER; NYPD Blue; The Sopranos; Law & Order: LA; and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Pleshette played Lee Harvey Oswald in the television film The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1977), and appeared in the TV miniseries Seventh Avenue the same year. In 1979, he was cast in the role of Richard Avery on Knots Landing. Series creator David Jacobs was acquainted with Pleshette's work, and Pleshette was married to literary agent Lynn Pleshette, Jacobs' ex-wife. Pleshette appeared on Knots Landing for four seasons (1979–83), and returned briefly in 1987. During the 1980s, he wrote several scripts for the series.

Pleshette also appeared in the Blake Edwards comedy S.O.B. (1981), and Micki & Maude (1984). He appeared in the episode 'The Judas Bug" of the ABC crime drama The Feather and Father Gang in 1977, and in MacGyver in the Season Two episode "D.O.A.: MacGyver".

Personal life Pleshette is Jewish; his grandfather changed his surname from Kravitz to Pleshet when he immigrated to pre-state Palestine, adding the "te" later. He is a cousin of the late actress Suzanne Pleshette. He graduated from Brown University in 1964.

Filmography

Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1970End of the RoadFinkle1972ParadesMurray1972The Irish Whiskey RebellionKinch1978House CallsTheatrical agent1979Rocky IIDirector1981S.O.B.Capitol Studios Vice-president1984Micki & MaudeHap Ludlow1988ParamedicsDoctor Lido1990Vietnam, TexasHarold1993Eye of the StrangerJoe1995Born to Be WildDonald Carr1997The Curse of InfernoMr. Wizzard1998The Truman ShowNetwork Executive2003DetonatorStuart Newman2003The FailuresPrincipal Holbrook2007Sex and BreakfastOlder Man in Elevator2009Gentlemen BroncosMerve2016The Wandering DayC S LongacreDirect-to-video

Television YearTitleRoleNotes1964The Patty Duke ShowPeteEpisode: "Simon Says"1967Coronet BlueDanEpisode: "Faces"1973The DoctorsJoe HilliganEpisode #1.26071974KojakResidentEpisode: "You Can't Tell a Hurt Man How to Holler"1975–1976Doctors' HospitalDr. Danvers6 episodes1976Mary Hartman, Mary HartmanHugh Boswell9 episodes1976Bell, Book and CandleNickyTelevision film1977Seventh AvenueMarty Cass3 episodes1977The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew MysteriesCarl FryEpisode: "The Flickering Torch Mystery"1977The Feather and Father GangSchecterEpisode: "The Judas Bug"1977The Trial of Lee Harvey OswaldLee Harvey OswaldTelevision film1978The UsersKip Nathan1978The Rockford FilesDanny Green / Julius 'Jay' Rockfelt2 episodes1979–1987Knots LandingRichard Avery77 episodes1980Once Upon a FamilyWillie HedgesTelevision film1980Tenspeed and Brown ShoeBill KingmanEpisode: "The Robin Tucker's Roseland Roof and Ballroom Murder"1982The Kid with the Broken HaloJeff McNultyTelevision film1983Whiz KidsRichard ChapmanEpisode: "Red Star Rising"1984Burning Rage Frank VandenbergTelevision film1984, 1986Simon & SimonDr. John Ashfield / Attorney Dorsey Pender2 episodes1985MacGruder and LoudMalcolm SkeatEpisode: "Pilot"1985Magnum, P.I.Steve ElliotEpisode: "Compulsion"1985Stormin' HomeAl SingerTelevision film1985Malice in WonderlandTommy Gallep1986Welcome Home, BobbyJohn Hammill1986Mrs. Delafield Wants to MarryDavid Elias1986Murder, She WroteNicky SapersteinEpisode: "Stage Struck"1987MacGyverLancer / BensonEpisode: "D. O. A.: MacGyver"1987, 1988Highway to HeavenStanley / Charley Trapola2 episodes1988Windmills of the GodsEddie1988Shattered InnocenceMel ErmanTelevision film1990Murder in ParadiseWagner Thorne1990HunterRon NiemanEpisode: "Final Confession"1990Beauty and the BeastJimmy Faber2 episodes1990, 1991L.A. LawMark Kumpel1991Deadly GameTelevision filmTelevision film1991–1993Civil WarsAl Noonan4 episodes1992The Wonder YearsCharlie Barrett2 episodes1993Bloodlines: Murder in the FamilyNeil WoodmanTelevision film1993The Larry Sanders ShowLeoEpisode: "Larry's Agent"1993Percy & ThunderBill SlocumTelevision film1994Dr. Quinn, Medicine WomanDetective Simpson2 episodes1994, 1995Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanDr. Emil Hamilton1995–1997Murder OneGary Blondo15 episodes1996Diagnosis: MurderDr. John FosterEpisode: "Murder in the Dark"1996The SentinelBrother ChristopherEpisode: "Vow of Silence"1997Party of FiveProfessor ConklinEpisode: "I Declare"1997ERStuartEpisode: "Ambush"1997Murder One: Diary of a Serial KillerGary Blondo6 episodes1998The PretenderSean FlanaganEpisode: "A Stand-Up Guy"1998The PracticeAttorney Nick JamisonEpisode: "Trees in the Forest"1998The Day Lincoln Was ShotWilliam H. SewardTelevision film1998Mike Hammer, Private EyeAugustus Hancock "Auggie" Sterling II2 episodes1998ArlissOrsonEpisode: "My Job Is to Get Jobs"1999G vs EWallace AugurEpisode: "Cliffhanger"2001NYPD BlueGerald Holzman, Esq.Episode: "Thumb Enchanted Evening"2001James DeanBilly RoseTelevision film2001Curb Your EnthusiasmTherapistEpisode: "The Thong"2002For the PeopleDr. GoodwinEpisode: "Come Blow Your Whistle"2004The SopranosDr. Ira FriedEpisode: "All Happy Families"2004Helter SkelterMr. KrenwikleTelevision film2004JAGProsecutor Joe WilsonEpisode: "Camp Delta"2005NCISTom CrawleyEpisode: "Model Behavior"2006, 2007The NineMr. Kates2 episodes2008Eli StoneJudge NettlesEpisode: "Two Ministers"2010Kosher PigPaul CohenTelevision film2011Law & Order: LAJudgeEpisode: "Reseda"2012American Horror Story: AsylumCommittee ChairmanEpisode: "The Coat Hanger"2013Happily DivorcedRabbiEpisode: "I Object!"2013MistressesJudge KavanaughEpisode: "When One Door Closes..."

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