Gerald McRaney
Encyclopedia
Gerald Lee "Mac" McRaney (born August 19, 1947) is an American
television
and movie
actor
. McRaney is best known as one of the stars of the television shows Simon & Simon
, Major Dad
, and Promised Land. He was a series regular for the first season of Jericho
.
, the son of Edna and Clyde McRaney, a builder. He is of Scottish
and Choctaw
Indian ancestry. He attended college at the University of Mississippi
. Before hitting it big as an actor, McRaney worked in the Louisiana oil fields.
in a gunfight on Gunsmoke
, in the episode "Hard Labor," which was first broadcast on February 24, 1975. He starred in 1969's Night of Bloody Horror, a low-budget slasher film in which he played the lead character Wesley Stuart. Gerald participated in the Dukes of Hazzard
series in the episode "Hazzard Connection" (November 9, 1979). He played a receptionist in two different episodes of The Rockford Files
and a heroin-addicted Vietnam War
veteran in one episode of Hawaii Five-O
. In addition, he starred in numerous episodes of The Incredible Hulk playing roles as a jealous boyfriend, an evil race car driver, and an angry police officer. He played an unnamed town local in the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations
. However, McRaney is perhaps best known as one of the stars of the 1980s television show Simon & Simon
. A veteran actor of television, he is known for starring roles on Major Dad
and Promised Land, and a recurring role on Designing Women
. McRaney portrayed General Alan Adamle in two episodes of the NBC drama The West Wing. He played a prominent role in the second and third seasons of HBO television series Deadwood
, as famed gold prospector George Hearst
. McRaney had a starring role in the CBS
post-apocalyptic series Jericho
as Johnston Green. In addition, he has acted in many television films such as Not Our Son (1995), Going for Broke (2003), as General George S. Patton
in Ike: Countdown to D-Day
(2004), and appeared as Dan's father in One Tree Hill
. He starred in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
and Diagnosis: Murder
(Episode 1.13 "Lily") as Det. Andy Ruggio, appeared in the 2005 music video for Fall Out Boy
's "Sugar, We're Goin Down
".
In 1999 he starred in the film A Holiday Romance
as Cal Peterson. In the late 2000s, McRaney co-hosted the cable outdoor hunting and shooting series (a McRaney hobby) "The World of Beretta", which featured rifle and shotgun products of the sponsor in a number of exciting hunting locations around the world; and often featured a celebrity shooter to hunt with McRaney. He starred as the villanous General Morrison in the 2010
film The A-Team
.
In 2011, he began playing a recurring role as a judge on the USA drama "Fairly Legal".
, whom he met during her guest appearance on a Simon & Simon episode two years earlier, on May 28, 1989. She is his third wife. Although he played a Marine Corps veteran on Simon and Simon and a Marine Corps officer on Major Dad, McRaney is not one himself but has always been very supportive of veterans. He made many visits to support the soldiers in Operation Desert Storm
. During one USO
-sponsored trip, McRaney visited sailors and Marines onboard ships ported in Toulon
, France
on Thanksgiving
of 1993. He signed autographs for the men on board the ships. While on board the USS Ashland
, he autographed one sailor's cowboy hat. He visited troops during Operation Restore Hope in Somalia
in 1993.
Politically he is a conservative Republican. and a member of the National Rifle Association
.
In September 2004, McRaney was treated surgically, and apparently wholly successfully, for lung cancer
in Houston, Texas
.
In 2010 he was the host of a cable series on Spike TV encouraging viewers "Don't be a Victim" titled: "Practical Tactical", "What If", "Because Lives Depend on it", and "Concealed Carry School". One episode highlighted an instance where his lifelong friend and former costar Jameson Parker
was shot twice.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
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...
. McRaney is best known as one of the stars of the television shows Simon & Simon
Simon & Simon
Simon & Simon is an American detective television series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker.-History:The original 1978 pilot called Pirate's Key was set in Florida...
, Major Dad
Major Dad
Major Dad is an American sitcom created by Richard C. Okie and John G. Stephens that originally ran from 1989 to 1993 on CBS, starring Gerald McRaney as Major John D. MacGillis and Shanna Reed as his wife Polly...
, and Promised Land. He was a series regular for the first season of Jericho
Jericho (TV series)
Jericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States...
.
Early life
McRaney was born in Collins, MississippiCollins, Mississippi
Collins is a city in Covington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 2,761 at the 2005 census. It is the county seat of Covington County....
, the son of Edna and Clyde McRaney, a builder. He is of Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and Choctaw
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
Indian ancestry. He attended college at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
. Before hitting it big as an actor, McRaney worked in the Louisiana oil fields.
Career
McRaney holds the distinction of being the last guest star to meet Marshal Matt DillonMarshal Matt Dillon
Marshal Matt Dillon is a fictional character featured on both the radio and television versions of Gunsmoke. He serves as the U.S. Marshal of Dodge City, Kansas who works to preserve law and order in the western frontier of the 1870s. The character was created by writer John Meston, who...
in a gunfight on Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, in the episode "Hard Labor," which was first broadcast on February 24, 1975. He starred in 1969's Night of Bloody Horror, a low-budget slasher film in which he played the lead character Wesley Stuart. Gerald participated in the Dukes of Hazzard
Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
series in the episode "Hazzard Connection" (November 9, 1979). He played a receptionist in two different episodes of The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
and a heroin-addicted Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran in one episode of Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
. In addition, he starred in numerous episodes of The Incredible Hulk playing roles as a jealous boyfriend, an evil race car driver, and an angry police officer. He played an unnamed town local in the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations
Roots: The Next Generations
Roots: The Next Generations is a 1979 television miniseries that continues the story of the family of Alex Haley from the 1880s, and their life in Henning, Tennessee, to the 1960s, with Haley researching his family history and his travels to Africa to learn of his ancestor, Kunta Kinte...
. However, McRaney is perhaps best known as one of the stars of the 1980s television show Simon & Simon
Simon & Simon
Simon & Simon is an American detective television series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker.-History:The original 1978 pilot called Pirate's Key was set in Florida...
. A veteran actor of television, he is known for starring roles on Major Dad
Major Dad
Major Dad is an American sitcom created by Richard C. Okie and John G. Stephens that originally ran from 1989 to 1993 on CBS, starring Gerald McRaney as Major John D. MacGillis and Shanna Reed as his wife Polly...
and Promised Land, and a recurring role on Designing Women
Designing Women
Designing Women is an American television sitcom that centered on the working and personal lives of four Southern women and one man in an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. It aired on the CBS television network from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993. The show was created by head writer...
. McRaney portrayed General Alan Adamle in two episodes of the NBC drama The West Wing. He played a prominent role in the second and third seasons of HBO television series Deadwood
Deadwood (TV series)
Deadwood is an American Western drama television series created, produced and largely written by David Milch. The series aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. The show is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before...
, as famed gold prospector George Hearst
George Hearst
George Hearst was a wealthy American businessman and United States Senator, and the father of newspaperman William Randolph Hearst.-Early life and education:...
. McRaney had a starring role in 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...
post-apocalyptic series Jericho
Jericho (TV series)
Jericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States...
as Johnston Green. In addition, he has acted in many television films such as Not Our Son (1995), Going for Broke (2003), as General George S. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
in Ike: Countdown to D-Day
Ike: Countdown to D-Day
Ike: Countdown to D-Day is a 2004 American television film originally aired on the American television channel A&E and was directed by Robert Harmon and written by Lionel Chetwynd....
(2004), and appeared as Dan's father in One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
. He starred in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
and Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
(Episode 1.13 "Lily") as Det. Andy Ruggio, appeared in the 2005 music video for Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
's "Sugar, We're Goin Down
Sugar, We're Goin Down
"Sugar, We're Goin Down" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy, and the lead single from their third album, From Under the Cork Tree . With the music composed by lead vocalist and guitarist Patrick Stump and all lyrics penned by bassist Pete Wentz, the single reached No...
".
In 1999 he starred in the film A Holiday Romance
A Holiday Romance
A Holiday Romance is a 1999 film directed by Bobby Roth and starring Naomi Judd, Andy Griffith, and Gerald McRaney. This film has been released on DVD.-Cast:*Naomi Judd - Lily Waite*Andy Griffith - Jake Peterson*Gerald McRaney - Cal Peterson...
as Cal Peterson. In the late 2000s, McRaney co-hosted the cable outdoor hunting and shooting series (a McRaney hobby) "The World of Beretta", which featured rifle and shotgun products of the sponsor in a number of exciting hunting locations around the world; and often featured a celebrity shooter to hunt with McRaney. He starred as the villanous General Morrison in the 2010
2010 in film
The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and...
film The A-Team
The A-Team (film)
The A-Team is an American action film based on the television series of the same name. It was released in cinemas in the United States on June 11, 2010, by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Joe Carnahan and produced by Stephen J. Cannell and the Scott brothers Ridley and Tony...
.
In 2011, he began playing a recurring role as a judge on the USA drama "Fairly Legal".
Personal life
He married actress Delta BurkeDelta Burke
Delta Ramona Leah Burke is an American television and film actress. Her television work includes a leading role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
, whom he met during her guest appearance on a Simon & Simon episode two years earlier, on May 28, 1989. She is his third wife. Although he played a Marine Corps veteran on Simon and Simon and a Marine Corps officer on Major Dad, McRaney is not one himself but has always been very supportive of veterans. He made many visits to support the soldiers in Operation Desert Storm
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. During one USO
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
-sponsored trip, McRaney visited sailors and Marines onboard ships ported in Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
of 1993. He signed autographs for the men on board the ships. While on board the USS Ashland
USS Ashland (LSD-48)
USS Ashland is a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was the secondNavy ship to be named for Ashland, the home of Henry Clay, in Lexington, Kentucky.Ashland was laid down on 4 April 1988,...
, he autographed one sailor's cowboy hat. He visited troops during Operation Restore Hope in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
in 1993.
Politically he is a conservative Republican. and a member of the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
.
In September 2004, McRaney was treated surgically, and apparently wholly successfully, for lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
In 2010 he was the host of a cable series on Spike TV encouraging viewers "Don't be a Victim" titled: "Practical Tactical", "What If", "Because Lives Depend on it", and "Concealed Carry School". One episode highlighted an instance where his lifelong friend and former costar Jameson Parker
Jameson Parker
Francis Jameson Parker Jr. is an American actor, best known as the co-star of the 1980s television series Simon & Simon.-Biography:Parker studied drama at Beloit College...
was shot twice.