David Ackroyd
Encyclopedia
David Ackroyd is an American
actor
, who first came to prominence in soap opera
s such as The Secret Storm
and Another World
. He was born in Orange, New Jersey
, a suburb of Newark
.
work as Gary Ewing in Dallas
until Ted Shackelford
successfully took over the role when the character moved front and center with the spin-off drama Knots Landing
. Coincidentally, Shackelford's last recurring role prior to Dallas was on "Another World". David's prime on-camera work occurred in the late 1970s with a series of strong co-star roles in the mini-series The Dark Secret of Harvest Home
as the doomed Ned Constantine; The Word and the TV-movies And I Alone Survived and Women in White.
He began to find supporting roles in such movies as The Mountain Men
, The Sound of Murder, Wrestling with God, Dark Angel
and Xena: Warrior Princess
.
He also did the voice of John Cavanaugh/Prince Corran of Dar-Shan in the animated series Wildfire as well as several characters in The New Yogi Bear Show
, The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible
, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
and The New Adventures of Captain Planet.
On Broadway, Ackroyd appeared in Unlikely Heroes, a 1971 production of three plays based on the stories of Philip Roth
; and Children of a Lesser God
, in which he replaced John Rubinstein
as the lead character, James Leeds, in 1981. Since the late 1990s and into the 2000s, Ackroyd has narrated
documentary television series like History's Mysteries
and UFO Files
: "Alien Engineering".
Ackroyd moved to Montana in 1996 and in 2003 co-founded Alpine Theatre Project in Whitefish, a professional acting company which has featured appearances by such notable performers as Olympia Dukakis, John Lithgow and Kelli O'Hara. He is the company's Artistic Development Director.
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...
, who first came to prominence in soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s such as The Secret Storm
The Secret Storm
The Secret Storm is a soap opera which ran on CBS from February 1, 1954 to February 8, 1974. The series was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life...
and Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
. He was born in Orange, New Jersey
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a city and township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134...
, a suburb of Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
.
Career
Extended his all-stage career into film and television in the early 1970s, beginning with daytime leading man outings in The Secret Storm and Another World. He progressed to prime timePrime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
work as Gary Ewing in Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
until Ted Shackelford
Ted Shackelford
Ted Shackelford is an American actor best known for his role as Gary Ewing on the CBS television series Knots Landing, in which he starred from 1979–93...
successfully took over the role when the character moved front and center with the spin-off drama Knots Landing
Knots Landing
Knots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
. Coincidentally, Shackelford's last recurring role prior to Dallas was on "Another World". David's prime on-camera work occurred in the late 1970s with a series of strong co-star roles in the mini-series The Dark Secret of Harvest Home
The Dark Secret of Harvest Home
The Dark Secret of Harvest Home is a 1978 television miniseries thriller, produced by Universal TV. The screenplay was based on the 1973 novel Harvest Home by Tom Tryon.-Cast and crew:...
as the doomed Ned Constantine; The Word and the TV-movies And I Alone Survived and Women in White.
He began to find supporting roles in such movies as The Mountain Men
The Mountain Men
The Mountain Men is a 1980 Adventure/Western film starring Charlton Heston and Brian Keith.-Plot:Charlton Heston stars as an argumentative, curmudgeonly mountain man by the name of Bill Tyler. His co-star, Brian Keith, in the role of Henry Frapp, is Bill's good friend and fellow trapper...
, The Sound of Murder, Wrestling with God, Dark Angel
I Come in Peace
I Come in Peace is a 1990 science fiction action thriller feature film about a rule-breaking vice cop who becomes involved in the investigation of a number of mysterious drug-related murders on the streets of Houston, Texas. The film was directed by Craig R...
and Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
.
He also did the voice of John Cavanaugh/Prince Corran of Dar-Shan in the animated series Wildfire as well as several characters in The New Yogi Bear Show
The New Yogi Bear Show
The New Yogi Bear Show is a 30-minute weekday animated series which aired on syndication in 1988 and featured one of Hanna-Barbera's most well-known classic characters, Yogi Bear...
, The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible
The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible
The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible is a direct-to-video series produced by Hanna-Barbera that tells of three young adventurers—Derek, Margo, and 'their nomad friend' Moki—who travel back in time to watch biblical events take place first-hand.-Overview:Foreign exchange...
, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest is an animated action-adventure television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996 to April 16, 1997. A revival of the 1960s Jonny Quest franchise, it features teenage adventurers Jonny Quest, Hadji Singh,...
and The New Adventures of Captain Planet.
On Broadway, Ackroyd appeared in Unlikely Heroes, a 1971 production of three plays based on the stories of Philip Roth
Philip Roth
Philip Milton Roth is an American novelist. He gained fame with the 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, an irreverent and humorous portrait of Jewish-American life that earned him a National Book Award...
; and Children of a Lesser God
Children of a Lesser God (play)
Children of a Lesser God is a play by Mark Medoff, published in 1980 focusing on the conflicted professional and romantic relationship between deaf former student, Sarah Norman, and her teacher, James Leeds. The play was specially written for the Deaf actress Phyllis Frelich, based to some extent...
, in which he replaced John Rubinstein
John Rubinstein
John Arthur Rubinstein is an American film, Broadway, and television actor, a composer of film and theatre music, and a director in theatre and television.-Early life:...
as the lead character, James Leeds, in 1981. Since the late 1990s and into the 2000s, Ackroyd has narrated
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
documentary television series like History's Mysteries
History's Mysteries
History's Mysteries is an American documentary television series on the History Channel.-Overview:The 154 episodes of the series were produced from 1994-2006. Each season consisted of 12 to 14 one-hour episodes that focused on historical events or subjects considered to be mysterious by the general...
and UFO Files
UFO Files
UFO Files was an American television series that was produced from 2004 to 2007 for The History Channel. The program covered the phenomena of unidentified flying and submerged objects, close encounters with alleged extraterrestrial life, and alleged military and government cover-up conspiracies.In...
: "Alien Engineering".
Ackroyd moved to Montana in 1996 and in 2003 co-founded Alpine Theatre Project in Whitefish, a professional acting company which has featured appearances by such notable performers as Olympia Dukakis, John Lithgow and Kelli O'Hara. He is the company's Artistic Development Director.
Actor
- The Secret StormThe Secret StormThe Secret Storm is a soap opera which ran on CBS from February 1, 1954 to February 8, 1974. The series was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life...
(1971–1974) - Another WorldAnother World (TV series)Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
(1974–1977) - KojakKojakKojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
(1975) - Exo-Man (1977)
- Lou GrantLou Grant (TV series)Lou Grant is an American television drama series starring Ed Asner in the titular role as a newspaper editor. Unusual in American television, this drama series was a spinoff from a sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Aired from 1977 to 1982, Lou Grant won 13 Emmy Awards, including "Outstanding Drama...
(1978) - The Dark Secret of Harvest HomeThe Dark Secret of Harvest HomeThe Dark Secret of Harvest Home is a 1978 television miniseries thriller, produced by Universal TV. The screenplay was based on the 1973 novel Harvest Home by Tom Tryon.-Cast and crew:...
(1978) - Tom and Joann (1978)
- Dallas (1978)
- The WordThe WordThe Word may mean:in bookstores:*The Word Bookstore, a philosophy and poetry bookstore in Montreal*Word , a Christian bookstore chain in Australiain the Christian faith:*The Bible*Christ the Logos...
(1978) - And I Alone Survived (1978)
- Women in White (1979)
- Little WomenLittle WomenLittle Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott . The book was written and set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts. It was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869...
(1979) - Mind Over MurderMind over Murder"Mind Over Murder" is the fourth episode of the first season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 25, 1999. The episode features Peter after he is placed under house arrest, and decides to open his own bar in the family's...
(1979) - The Yeagers (1980)
- The Mountain MenThe Mountain MenThe Mountain Men is a 1980 Adventure/Western film starring Charlton Heston and Brian Keith.-Plot:Charlton Heston stars as an argumentative, curmudgeonly mountain man by the name of Bill Tyler. His co-star, Brian Keith, in the role of Henry Frapp, is Bill's good friend and fellow trapper...
(1980) - A Gun in the House (1981)
- The Sound of Murder (1982)
- Knots LandingKnots LandingKnots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
(1982) - Trapper John, M.D.Trapper John, M.D.Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
(1982) - McClain's LawMcClain's LawMcClain's Law is an American crime drama television series that aired on NBC during the 1981-1982 season. New episodes ended on March 20, and rebroadcasts continued until August 24, 1982.-Summary:...
(1982) - The Facts of LifeThe Facts of Life (TV series)The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
(1982) - Cocaine: One Man's Seduction (1983)
- Deadly Lessons (1983)
- DynastyDynastyA dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
(1983) - Whiz KidsWhiz Kids (TV series)Whiz Kids is an American action/adventure television series which aired on CBS for one season during the 1983-1984 television season. The show follows the adventures of a group of four teenagers — Richie, Alice, Hamilton and Jeremy — who are amateur computer experts and detectives...
(1983) - When Your Lover Leaves (1983)
- After MASH (1983)
- The Sky's No Limit (1984)
- Hunter (1984)
- Cover Up (1984)
- RiptideRiptideA riptide is a dangerous ocean current.Riptide or Rip Tide may also refer to:* Rip Tide, a Doctor Who novella* Riptide , by Douglas Preston and Lincon Child* Riptide , short story anthologies...
(1984) - Hardcastle and McCormickHardcastle and McCormickHardcastle and McCormick is a 1980s action/drama television series from Stephen J. Cannell Productions, shown on ABC from 1983–1986, starring Brian Keith as Judge Milton C. Hardcastle and Daniel Hugh Kelly as ex-con and race car driver Mark "Skid" McCormick.The show's premise involves the...
(1985) - Picking Up the PiecesPicking Up the PiecesPicking Up the Pieces is a 2000 film directed by Alfonso Arau and starring Woody Allen.-Story:Allen plays Tex, a butcher who kills his unfaithful wife Candy, played by Sharon Stone. After cutting up the body, Tex buries most of her body parts in the desert in New Mexico. A blind woman accidentally...
(1985) - St. ElsewhereSt. ElsewhereSt. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood...
(1985) - The Nativity (1986)
- The Children of Times Square (1986)
- Stark: Mirror Image (1986)
- The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the BibleThe Greatest Adventure: Stories from the BibleThe Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible is a direct-to-video series produced by Hanna-Barbera that tells of three young adventurers—Derek, Margo, and 'their nomad friend' Moki—who travel back in time to watch biblical events take place first-hand.-Overview:Foreign exchange...
(1986) - Wildfire (1986)
- The A-TeamThe A-TeamThe A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
(1986) - A Smoky Mountain ChristmasA Smoky Mountain ChristmasA Smoky Mountain Christmas is a 1986 fantasy television film directed by Henry Winkler . It stars Dolly Parton and Lee Majors.-Plot:...
(1986) - Nutcracker: Money, Madness & Murder (1987)
- Tales from the Hollywood Hills: Natica Jackson (1987)
- Cagney & LaceyCagney & LaceyCagney & Lacey is an American television series that originally aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from October 8, 1981 to May 16, 1988...
(1985–1987) - Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton StoryPoor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton StoryPoor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story is a 1987 television biographical drama starring Farrah Fawcett. The film chronicles the life of Barbara Hutton, who was one of the richest American socialite women, but was never happy. Released in two versions, as a TV miniseries and TV movie, the...
(1987) - HotelHotelA hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
(1988) - Windmills of the GodsWindmills of the GodsWindmills of the Gods is a 1987 thriller novel by American writer Sidney Sheldon.-Plot summary:Mary Ashley, a professor at Kansas State University, is offered an ambassadorship by Paul Ellison, the US president. She rejects the offer because her husband, Dr. Edward Ashley, does not want to leave...
(1988) - MacGyverMacGyverMacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
(1985–1988) - Memories of MeMemories of MeMemories of Me is a 1988 film by director Henry Winkler, starring Billy Crystal, Alan King, and JoBeth Williams.- Plot :After a heart attack, Abbie Polin , a New York doctor, goes to Los Angeles to see his father, Abe , who works in Hollywood as the "king of the extras." Their relationship has been...
(1988) - Highway to HeavenHighway to HeavenHighway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.- Season 1 :- Season 2 :- Season 3 :- Season 4 :- Season 5 :...
(1988) - The New Yogi Bear ShowThe New Yogi Bear ShowThe New Yogi Bear Show is a 30-minute weekday animated series which aired on syndication in 1988 and featured one of Hanna-Barbera's most well-known classic characters, Yogi Bear...
(1988) - Studio 5-BStudio 5-BStudio 5-B was 1989 short-lived drama series about a Canadian TV news channel. Six episodes aired on ABC Network between January and May 1989.-Cast:*Kerrie Keane as Carla Montgomery*Wendy Crewson as Gail Browning...
(1989) - A Peaceable KingdomA Peaceable KingdomA Peaceable Kingdom is an American television drama series that aired in 1989. The series was short-lived and was cancelled after only seven episodes .-Series history:...
(1989) - Wrestling with God (1990)
- Dark AngelI Come in PeaceI Come in Peace is a 1990 science fiction action thriller feature film about a rule-breaking vice cop who becomes involved in the investigation of a number of mysterious drug-related murders on the streets of Houston, Texas. The film was directed by Craig R...
(1990) - History's Mysteries: Drake's Secret Voyage (1991)
- Hell Hath No FuryHell Hath No FuryHell Hath No Fury is the critically acclaimed second album of Virginia hip hop duo Clipse, released on December 7, 2006 in the U.S. and in November of 2006 in some parts of Europe. Like the group's debut album, Hell Hath No Fury is produced by The Neptunes. The guest appearances are limited to...
(1991) - Stop at NothingStop at NothingStop at Nothing is the fourth album by the Maryland technical death metal band Dying Fetus. The album, like its predecessor, Destroy the Opposition, was produced by the band and Steve Carr....
(1991) - Breaking the Silence (1992)
- The Fear Inside (1992)
- The Round TableThe Round Table (TV series)The Round Table is an American television series that aired on NBC on friday nights from September 18, 1992 to October 16, 1992.The 1992 TV-series The Round Table set in Washington D.C. focused on the lives of a group of 20-30 youths who frequently met at the bar The Round Table...
(1992) - Dead On (1993)
- Love, Cheat & Steal (1993)
- The New Adventures of Captain Planet (1993)
- Murder, She WroteMurder, She WroteMurder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
(1986–1994) - Against the Wall (1994)
- Fortune Hunter (1994)
- Walker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas RangerWalker, Texas Ranger is an American television action crime drama series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis, and starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Ranger Division. The show aired on CBS in the spring of 1993, with the first season consisting of three pilot episodes. Eight full...
(1994) - The Cosby MysteriesThe Cosby MysteriesThe Cosby Mysteries is a American television mystery series that starred Bill Cosby. It was the first television series to star Cosby since The Cosby Show and lasted only one season...
(1995) - Xena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
(1996) - The Real Adventures of Jonny QuestThe Real Adventures of Jonny QuestThe Real Adventures of Jonny Quest is an animated action-adventure television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996 to April 16, 1997. A revival of the 1960s Jonny Quest franchise, it features teenage adventurers Jonny Quest, Hadji Singh,...
(1996) - No Strings Attached (1997)
- RavenRavenRaven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
(1997) - Prison Life (2000)
Self
- In Search of History: The Heretic King (1998)
- The Mysteries of Amelia Earhart (1998)
- In Search of History: The First Americans (1998)
- History's Mysteries: The First Detective (1999)
- History's Mysteries: The Inquisition (1999)
- History's Mysteries: Chain Gangs (2000)
- History's Mysteries: Body Snatchers (2000)
- Horror or Hoax (2000)
- History's Mysteries: Ghost Plane of the Desert - Lady Be Good (2000)
- History's Mysteries: Amityville -The Haunting (2000)
- History's Mysteries: Vikings, Fury from the North (2001)
- Meteors: Fire in the Sky (2005)
- UFO Files: Alien Engineering (2006)
- The Universe (2007)