Chris Petersen (actor)
Encyclopedia
Chris Petersen is an American
actor
. Beginning his career as a child actor
at the age of 12, he is best known for his roles in the feature films When Every Day Was the Fourth of July
, The Swarm and The Little Dragons
. Rising to prominence among teen audiences during the late 1970s and 1980s, he is also remembered for starring in various teen anthology series of the time including ABC Afterschool Specials, CBS Afternoon Playhouse and NBC Special Treat, as well as for his co-starring role on Norman Lear's
"interactive" situation comedy, The Baxters
.
, California
, sometimes mistakenly credited professionally as "Chris Peterson". His younger brother is former child actor Pat Petersen
(born August 9, 1966), who also appeared in a number of films and television series of the time, including co-starring alongside Chris in the 1980 feature film The Little Dragons
(also known as Karate Kids, U.S.A.
).
. In the episode titled The Psychic, Petersen made his television debut with a small role as "Ringo", one of two boys who are caught stealing tires from Starsky's Ford Gran Torino
. In January 1978, Peterson had a guest-starring role on the NBC
period drama Little House on the Prairie
. In the episode titled The Rivals, Peterson played Jimmy Hill, a boy in Walnut Grove
, who Laura (Melissa Gilbert
) falls in love with and whose affections she feels she must compete for; ultimately resulting in what would be Laura's first kiss on the series.
television movie, When Every Day Was the Fourth of July
. In the film, Peterson starred as Danny Cooper (later portrayed by fellow child star Ronnie Scribner
in the sequel), a boy growing up in a small New England
town in 1937 who, along with his sister (Katy Kurtzman
), must find a way to exonerate the town's gentle misfit after he is accused of a murder. Later that same month, Peterson co-starred on the popular children's anthology series The ABC Afterschool Special. In the episode titled The Rag Tag Champs, Peterson played Pat McCleod, one of the players on a troubled baseball team in need of a qualified coach. In July of that year, Petersen appeared in his first feature film role in Irwin Allen's
camp disaster-thriller, The Swarm. In the film, Petersen had a featured role as "Hal", one of the boys who fire-bomb a hive of killer bees that are attacking the residents in their small Texas
town..
In December 1978, Petersen followed up with the lead role in a 5-part mini-series presentation of CBS Afternoon Playhouse. The series, an anthology showcase primarily aimed at adolescents, was CBS's
answer to the ABC Afterschool Special
. In the special presentation titled Joey and Redhawk, Peterson played the titular role of Joey, a 14-year-old from Ohio
who learns to survive in the Colorado
Rocky Mountains
with the help of an apache
he meets named Redhawk (Guillermo San Juan). Advertised as an "afternoon mini-series for young people", the feature film length story debuted on Monday December 4, 1978, with a 30-minute installment airing each day through Friday December 8, 1978, and also featured an early co-starring appearance by Eric Stoltz
as well as a teenage Danny Bonaduce
. In March 1979, Petersen appeared on the CBS
action-adventure series The Incredible Hulk. In the episode titled No Escape, Petersen guest-starred as Steve, a young teen who encouters "The Hulk" (Lou Ferrigno
) in an all-night laundromat and runs out frightened without his clothes.
In September 1979, Petersen landed one of the lead roles on the Norman Lear
situation comedy The Baxters
. On the series, Petersen co-starred as Jonah Baxter, the teenage son of a middle-class suburban family living in St. Louis
. The series was the first "interactive sitcom" of its kind, wherein the first half of each 30-minute episode presented a vignette dramatizing the events in the lives of the Baxter family, and the second half was an "instant analysis" talk show
segment, giving a live studio audience and guests an opportunity to express their opinions about the topic being presented that week. Although credited by several online sources as "Chris Peterson", this is simply a misspelling and he was credited properly on the show. The series was produced in Hollywood for the 1979–1980 season before production was moved to Ontario, Canada and an entirely new Baxter family was introduced, played by an all new cast.
In March 1980, Petersen appeared in a co-starring role on an episode of The NBC Special Treat, yet another anthology series showcasing adolescent teleplays akin to the ABC Afterschool Specials. In the episode titled The House at 12 Rose Street, Chris starred alongside fellow child actor Moosie Drier
, as one of the boys in an all-white suburban neighborhood when the first African-American family moves in. In July 1980, Peterson appeared in what would be his first and only starring feature film role in the action-comedy, The Little Dragons
(also known as Karate Kids U.S.A.
). The film co-starred both Chris and his younger brother Pat
as brothers Zack and Woody, two young karate
students who set out to rescue a new friend after she is kidnapped
and held for ransom by a woman (Ann Sothern
) and her two bumbling sons. Although most online sources list the film as being released in 1980, the Petersen brothers appear to be notably younger than in their various other roles during that same year. Indicated by their youthful appearance and hairstyles, the film appears to have been filmed sometime between 1977 and 1978.
, just as his brother Pat was rising to prominence as Michael Fairgate on the CBS
primtetime drama Knot's Landing, Chris Petersen's acting career was coming to its end. In October 1981, he had a small role on the NBC
mystery-crime drama Quincy, M.E.
. In the episode titled Memories of Allison, Peterson appeared as one of the students attending a high school "career day"; his character simply credited as "Boy". In November of that same year, Petersen made what would be his final on-screen appearance on the CBS
comedy-drama M*A*S*H. In the episode titled Wheelers and Dealers, Petersen appeared in a small role as one of three young recruits whom B. J. Hunnicutt challenges to a game of pinball
; this time simply credited as "Second Recruit".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Beginning his career as a child actor
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
at the age of 12, he is best known for his roles in the feature films When Every Day Was the Fourth of July
When Every Day Was the Fourth of July
When Every Day Was the Fourth of July is a 1978 NBC television movie about a Jewish-American family in 1937 Bridgeport, Connecticut. Narrated in first person flashback, the story follows a 12-year-old boy and his family who find themselves defending the town "misfit" after he's accused of murder. ...
, The Swarm and The Little Dragons
The Little Dragons
The Little Dragons is a 1980 American film about two young brothers who use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. Produced and directed by Curtis Hanson...
. Rising to prominence among teen audiences during the late 1970s and 1980s, he is also remembered for starring in various teen anthology series of the time including ABC Afterschool Specials, CBS Afternoon Playhouse and NBC Special Treat, as well as for his co-starring role on Norman Lear's
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
"interactive" situation comedy, The Baxters
The Baxters
The Baxters is an American situation comedy television series produced by Norman Lear. The series premiered in broadcast syndication in 1979 and lasted two seasons, ending in 1981. The series was the first "interactive" sitcom depicting a middle-class St...
.
Early life
Chris Petersen was born Christopher P. Petersen on August 18, 1963 in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, sometimes mistakenly credited professionally as "Chris Peterson". His younger brother is former child actor Pat Petersen
Patrick Petersen
Patrick Petersen is an American actor best known for his role as Michael Fairgate in the television drama Knots Landing. His character was the son of "Karen Fairgate MacKenzie"...
(born August 9, 1966), who also appeared in a number of films and television series of the time, including co-starring alongside Chris in the 1980 feature film The Little Dragons
The Little Dragons
The Little Dragons is a 1980 American film about two young brothers who use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. Produced and directed by Curtis Hanson...
(also known as Karate Kids, U.S.A.
The Little Dragons
The Little Dragons is a 1980 American film about two young brothers who use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. Produced and directed by Curtis Hanson...
).
Early career
Petersen began his television career in 1977 with a small featured role on the ABC action-crime series Starsky and HutchStarsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
. In the episode titled The Psychic, Petersen made his television debut with a small role as "Ringo", one of two boys who are caught stealing tires from Starsky's Ford Gran Torino
Ford Torino
The Ford Torino is an intermediate automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. The car was named after the city of Turin , which is considered the Detroit of Italy...
. In January 1978, Peterson had a guest-starring role on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
period drama Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie (TV series)
Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books...
. In the episode titled The Rivals, Peterson played Jimmy Hill, a boy in Walnut Grove
Walnut Grove, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 599 people, 291 households, and 178 families residing in the city. The population density was 577.7 people per square mile . There were 341 housing units at an average density of 328.9 per square mile...
, who Laura (Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress, writer, and producer, primarily in movies and television. Gilbert is best known as a child actress who co-starred as Charles Ingalls's second daughter, Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the dramatic television series Little House on the Prairie...
) falls in love with and whose affections she feels she must compete for; ultimately resulting in what would be Laura's first kiss on the series.
Teen career
In March 1978, Petersen landed his first film role in the NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television movie, When Every Day Was the Fourth of July
When Every Day Was the Fourth of July
When Every Day Was the Fourth of July is a 1978 NBC television movie about a Jewish-American family in 1937 Bridgeport, Connecticut. Narrated in first person flashback, the story follows a 12-year-old boy and his family who find themselves defending the town "misfit" after he's accused of murder. ...
. In the film, Peterson starred as Danny Cooper (later portrayed by fellow child star Ronnie Scribner
Ronnie Scribner
Ronnie Scribner is an American actor. A professional child actor and model since the age of 11, Scribner is best known for his iconic role as the child vampire, Ralphie Glick in the 1979 CBS mini-series Salem's Lot...
in the sequel), a boy growing up in a small New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
town in 1937 who, along with his sister (Katy Kurtzman
Katy Kurtzman
Katy Kurtzman is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress. In 1977, Michael Landon cast Katy as stuttering Anna who was abused by Nellie on Little House on the Prairie...
), must find a way to exonerate the town's gentle misfit after he is accused of a murder. Later that same month, Peterson co-starred on the popular children's anthology series The ABC Afterschool Special. In the episode titled The Rag Tag Champs, Peterson played Pat McCleod, one of the players on a troubled baseball team in need of a qualified coach. In July of that year, Petersen appeared in his first feature film role in Irwin Allen's
Irwin Allen
Irwin Allen was a television and film director and producer nicknamed "The Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genre. He was also notable for creating a number of television series.- Biography :...
camp disaster-thriller, The Swarm. In the film, Petersen had a featured role as "Hal", one of the boys who fire-bomb a hive of killer bees that are attacking the residents in their small Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
town..
In December 1978, Petersen followed up with the lead role in a 5-part mini-series presentation of CBS Afternoon Playhouse. The series, an anthology showcase primarily aimed at adolescents, was CBS's
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
answer to the ABC Afterschool Special
ABC Afterschool Special
The ABC Afterschool Special is an American television anthology series that aired on ABC from 1972 to 1996, usually in the late afternoon on week days. Most of the episodes were dramatic presentations of situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers. Several episodes were...
. In the special presentation titled Joey and Redhawk, Peterson played the titular role of Joey, a 14-year-old from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
who learns to survive in the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
with the help of an apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
he meets named Redhawk (Guillermo San Juan). Advertised as an "afternoon mini-series for young people", the feature film length story debuted on Monday December 4, 1978, with a 30-minute installment airing each day through Friday December 8, 1978, and also featured an early co-starring appearance by Eric Stoltz
Eric Stoltz
Eric Hamilton Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer. He is widely known for playing the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film Mask, which earned him the nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture...
as well as a teenage Danny Bonaduce
Danny Bonaduce
Dante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce is an American radio/television personality, comedian, professional wrestler, and former child actor...
. In March 1979, Petersen appeared on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
action-adventure series The Incredible Hulk. In the episode titled No Escape, Petersen guest-starred as Steve, a young teen who encouters "The Hulk" (Lou Ferrigno
Lou Ferrigno
Louis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron...
) in an all-night laundromat and runs out frightened without his clothes.
In September 1979, Petersen landed one of the lead roles on the Norman Lear
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
situation comedy The Baxters
The Baxters
The Baxters is an American situation comedy television series produced by Norman Lear. The series premiered in broadcast syndication in 1979 and lasted two seasons, ending in 1981. The series was the first "interactive" sitcom depicting a middle-class St...
. On the series, Petersen co-starred as Jonah Baxter, the teenage son of a middle-class suburban family living in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The series was the first "interactive sitcom" of its kind, wherein the first half of each 30-minute episode presented a vignette dramatizing the events in the lives of the Baxter family, and the second half was an "instant analysis" talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
segment, giving a live studio audience and guests an opportunity to express their opinions about the topic being presented that week. Although credited by several online sources as "Chris Peterson", this is simply a misspelling and he was credited properly on the show. The series was produced in Hollywood for the 1979–1980 season before production was moved to Ontario, Canada and an entirely new Baxter family was introduced, played by an all new cast.
In March 1980, Petersen appeared in a co-starring role on an episode of The NBC Special Treat, yet another anthology series showcasing adolescent teleplays akin to the ABC Afterschool Specials. In the episode titled The House at 12 Rose Street, Chris starred alongside fellow child actor Moosie Drier
Moosie Drier
Moosie Drier is an American television and film actor known for his voice that sounded like someone with a head cold. His career began as a child actor...
, as one of the boys in an all-white suburban neighborhood when the first African-American family moves in. In July 1980, Peterson appeared in what would be his first and only starring feature film role in the action-comedy, The Little Dragons
The Little Dragons
The Little Dragons is a 1980 American film about two young brothers who use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. Produced and directed by Curtis Hanson...
(also known as Karate Kids U.S.A.
The Little Dragons
The Little Dragons is a 1980 American film about two young brothers who use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. Produced and directed by Curtis Hanson...
). The film co-starred both Chris and his younger brother Pat
Patrick Petersen
Patrick Petersen is an American actor best known for his role as Michael Fairgate in the television drama Knots Landing. His character was the son of "Karen Fairgate MacKenzie"...
as brothers Zack and Woody, two young karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
students who set out to rescue a new friend after she is kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and held for ransom by a woman (Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern was an American film and television actress whose career spanned six decades.-Early life and career:...
) and her two bumbling sons. Although most online sources list the film as being released in 1980, the Petersen brothers appear to be notably younger than in their various other roles during that same year. Indicated by their youthful appearance and hairstyles, the film appears to have been filmed sometime between 1977 and 1978.
Later career
After finishing his year on The BaxtersThe Baxters
The Baxters is an American situation comedy television series produced by Norman Lear. The series premiered in broadcast syndication in 1979 and lasted two seasons, ending in 1981. The series was the first "interactive" sitcom depicting a middle-class St...
, just as his brother Pat was rising to prominence as Michael Fairgate on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
primtetime drama Knot's Landing, Chris Petersen's acting career was coming to its end. In October 1981, he had a small role on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
mystery-crime drama Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E., also called Quincy, is a United States television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC...
. In the episode titled Memories of Allison, Peterson appeared as one of the students attending a high school "career day"; his character simply credited as "Boy". In November of that same year, Petersen made what would be his final on-screen appearance on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
comedy-drama M*A*S*H. In the episode titled Wheelers and Dealers, Petersen appeared in a small role as one of three young recruits whom B. J. Hunnicutt challenges to a game of pinball
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
; this time simply credited as "Second Recruit".
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | When Every Day Was the Fourth of July When Every Day Was the Fourth of July When Every Day Was the Fourth of July is a 1978 NBC television movie about a Jewish-American family in 1937 Bridgeport, Connecticut. Narrated in first person flashback, the story follows a 12-year-old boy and his family who find themselves defending the town "misfit" after he's accused of murder. ... |
Daniel Cooper | TV movie |
| 1978 | The Swarm | Hal | Feature film |
| 1980 | The Little Dragons The Little Dragons The Little Dragons is a 1980 American film about two young brothers who use their karate skills to rescue a friend after she is held captive for ransom. Produced and directed by Curtis Hanson... |
Zack | Feature film |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977 | Starsky and Hutch Starsky and Hutch Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC... |
Ringo | Episode: "The Psychic" |
| 1978 | Little House on the Prairie Little House on the Prairie (TV series) Little House on the Prairie is an American Western drama television series, starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, about a family living on a farm in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s and 1880s. The show was an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books... |
Jimmy Hill | Episode: "The Rivals" |
| 1978 | ABC Afterschool Special ABC Afterschool Special The ABC Afterschool Special is an American television anthology series that aired on ABC from 1972 to 1996, usually in the late afternoon on week days. Most of the episodes were dramatic presentations of situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers. Several episodes were... |
Pat McCleod | Episode: "The Rag Tag Champs" |
| 1978 | CBS Afternoon Playhouse | Joey | Mini-series: "Joey and Redhawk" |
| 1979 | The Incredible Hulk | Steve | Episode: "No Escape" |
| 1979–80 | The Baxters The Baxters The Baxters is an American situation comedy television series produced by Norman Lear. The series premiered in broadcast syndication in 1979 and lasted two seasons, ending in 1981. The series was the first "interactive" sitcom depicting a middle-class St... |
Jonah Baxter | Season 1: Co-starring |
| 1980 | NBC Special Treat | (Unknown) | Episode: "The House at 12 Rose Street" |
| 1981 | Quincy, M.E. Quincy, M.E. Quincy, M.E., also called Quincy, is a United States television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC... |
"Boy" | Episode: "Memories of Allison" |
| 1981 | M*A*S*H | "Second Recruit" | Episode: "Wheelers and Dealers" |