Paul Le Mat
Encyclopedia
Paul Le Mat is an American actor
who first came to prominence in the 1973 film
American Graffiti
, which won him the Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actor
.
, Scottish
, English
, Cuban
, and Irish
descent. He graduated from Newport Harbor High School
in 1963, and, although he never received a degree, he attended various colleges in California.
A Vietnam veteran
, Le Mat was awarded the National Defense Medal and Vietnam Service Medal
.
He is married to Suzanne de Passe
and they have three girls - Emileena (1980-), Ruby (1982-), and Angelica (1984-).
in 1973. The same year, he appeared in American Graffiti
, a coming of age
film about a group of friends in Modesto, California
in the early 1960s. He played John Milner - a role that would earn him his first Golden Globe Award
. The film went on to receive universal acclaim, and was a box office hit. Le Mat also starred in Floyd Mutrux's 1975 crime spree film Aloha, Bobby and Rose
. In 1977, he starred in Jonathan Demme
's acclaimed comedy, Handle with Care
, which was later re-titled Citizens Band, which saw him reunite with his American Graffiti co-star Candy Clark
. Le Mat would reunite with Demme for 1980's Melvin and Howard
, in which he played the titular role of Melvin Dummar
. The film was based upon the true story of a gas station attendant who claimed to be an heir of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes
, and won two Academy Awards. It was met with rave reviews from Pauline Kael
and other top film critics, and Le Mat was nominated for a Golden Globe Award
. In 1979, Le Mat reprised his role of John Milner in More American Graffiti
.
In 1982, Le Mat played the Donald E. Westlake
character John Dortmunder
in Jimmy the Kid
, opposite Gary Coleman
in the role of Jimmy. He also provided the voice of Omar in the American release of the animated film Rock & Rule
. Le Mat starred in the made-for-TV movie The Burning Bed
opposite Farrah Fawcett
. The film was based on the true story of an abusive husband who drives his wife to drastic measures with his aggressive ways. Le Mat was awarded the second Golden Globe Award
of his career for his role in the film. He would go on to star in other television films such as The Night They Saved Christmas
, Into the Homeland and Secret Witness. He appeared in the TV miniseries On Wings of Eagles
, and in the film Puppet Master
. In the 1990s, Le Mat would continue to work on independent films and TV movies. He played Josiah Peale in Lonesome Dove: The Series, and in the follow-up Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years. He had a small role in the 1998 film American History X
. More recently, Le Mat starred in the film Stateside
.
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 the 1973 film
1973 in film
The year 1973 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces his second wife, Barbara Blakely. Blakely would later marry actor/singer Frank Sinatra....
American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
, which won him the Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actor
Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor
The Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor originated in 1948. Between 1954 and 1965, multiple winners were announced. The category was discontinued following the 1983 ceremonies.-Winners:*1948: Richard Widmark*1950: Richard Todd, Gene Nelson...
.
Life
Le Mat was born to Matthew (1914–1963) and Paula Le Mat (1912–1990). He is of FrenchFrench people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, 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,...
, English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, Cuban
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
, and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
descent. He graduated from Newport Harbor High School
Newport Harbor High School
Newport Harbor High School is a public high school in Newport Beach, in Orange County, California, in the United States. It is part of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.-History:...
in 1963, and, although he never received a degree, he attended various colleges in California.
A Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or...
, Le Mat was awarded the National Defense Medal and Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal
The Vietnam Service Medal is a military award which was created in 1965 by order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The distinctive design was the creation of sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, a former employee of the Army Institute of Heraldry. The medal is issued to recognize military service during...
.
He is married to Suzanne de Passe
Suzanne de Passe
Suzanne de Passe is an American television, music and film producer. As well as the Co-Chairman of de Passe Jones Entertainment Group-Career:Suzanne began her career at Motown as Creative Assistant to company founder, Berry Gordy...
and they have three girls - Emileena (1980-), Ruby (1982-), and Angelica (1984-).
Career
Le Mat starred in the pilot episode of FirehouseFirehouse (TV series)
Firehouse was a short-lived ABC television series in early 1974. Somewhat derivative of Emergency! and the recent best-selling novel Report From Engine Co. 82 by FDNY fireman Dennis Smith, this drama/adventure series was set in Los Angeles at a small inner-city fire station...
in 1973. The same year, he appeared in American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
, a coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
film about a group of friends in Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
in the early 1960s. He played John Milner - a role that would earn him his first Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
. The film went on to receive universal acclaim, and was a box office hit. Le Mat also starred in Floyd Mutrux's 1975 crime spree film Aloha, Bobby and Rose
Aloha, Bobby and Rose
Aloha, Bobby and Rose is a 1975 American drama film written and directed by Floyd Mutrux, and starring Paul Le Mat and Dianne Hull, in addition to Robert Carradine in an early role.-Plot:...
. In 1977, he starred in Jonathan Demme
Jonathan Demme
Robert Jonathan Demme is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. Best known for directing The Silence of the Lambs, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director, he has also directed the acclaimed movies Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, the Talking Heads concert movie Stop...
's acclaimed comedy, Handle with Care
Handle With Care (film)
Handle with Care is a 1977 comedy movie set in a small town in Nebraska and loosely based on the wide popularity of citizens' band radio, usually called "CB", at the time...
, which was later re-titled Citizens Band, which saw him reunite with his American Graffiti co-star Candy Clark
Candy Clark
Candace June "Candy" Clark is an American film and television actress, well known for her role as Debbie Dunham in the 1973 film American Graffiti, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress, a character she reprised in 1979 for the sequel More American Graffiti...
. Le Mat would reunite with Demme for 1980's Melvin and Howard
Melvin and Howard
Melvin and Howard is a 1980 American comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Demme. The screenplay by Bo Goldman was inspired by real-life Utah service station owner Melvin Dummar, who was listed as the beneficiary of USD$156 million in a will allegedly handwritten by Howard Hughes that was...
, in which he played the titular role of Melvin Dummar
Melvin Dummar
Melvin Earl Dummar is a Utah man who earned national attentionwhen he claimed to have saved reclusive business tycoon Howard Hughes in a Nevada desert in 1967, and to have been awarded part of Hughes' vast estate. Dummar's story was adapted into the Academy Award winning film Melvin and Howard, in...
. The film was based upon the true story of a gas station attendant who claimed to be an heir of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
, and won two Academy Awards. It was met with rave reviews from Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career, her work appeared in City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
and other top film critics, and Le Mat was nominated for a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
. In 1979, Le Mat reprised his role of John Milner in More American Graffiti
More American Graffiti
More American Graffiti is the 1979 sequel film to George Lucas's hit film American Graffiti. Whereas the first film followed a group of friends during the summer evening before they set off for college, this film shows us where the characters from the first film end up a few years later.Most of the...
.
In 1982, Le Mat played the Donald E. Westlake
Donald E. Westlake
Donald Edwin Westlake was an American writer, with over a hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with an occasional foray into science fiction or other genres...
character John Dortmunder
John Dortmunder
John Archibald Dortmunder is a fictional character created by Donald E. Westlake, and who is the 'hero' of 14 novels and 11 short stories published between 1970 and 2009. He first appeared in the novel The Hot Rock, published in 1970....
in Jimmy the Kid
Jimmy the Kid
Jimmy the Kid is a 1982 comedy film starring Gary Coleman and Paul Le Mat. It was directed by Gary Nelson, produced by Ronald Jacobs, and released in November 1982 by New World Pictures...
, opposite Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman
Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
in the role of Jimmy. He also provided the voice of Omar in the American release of the animated film Rock & Rule
Rock & Rule
Rock & Rule is a 1983 Canadian animated film from the animation studio Nelvana. It was produced and directed by the company's founders, Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert, and Clive A. Smith. The film features the voices of Greg Salata, Susan Roman, and Don Francks, with Catherine O'Hara, Chris...
. Le Mat starred in the made-for-TV movie The Burning Bed
The Burning Bed
The Burning Bed is a non-fiction book by Faith McNulty about battered Dansville, Michigan, housewife Francine Hughes. It was adapted to a film with screenplay by Rose Leiman Goldemberg. After thirteen years of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, James Berlin Hughes, she set fire to the...
opposite Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
. The film was based on the true story of an abusive husband who drives his wife to drastic measures with his aggressive ways. Le Mat was awarded the second Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
of his career for his role in the film. He would go on to star in other television films such as The Night They Saved Christmas
The Night They Saved Christmas
The Night They Saved Christmas is a 1984 RHI Entertainment Christmas film, executive produced by Robert Halmi, Senior and Junior; and originally developed for ABC. The film is about an oil company dynamiting in the North Pole in search of an oil field, unaware that they are endangering Santa Claus...
, Into the Homeland and Secret Witness. He appeared in the TV miniseries On Wings of Eagles
On Wings of Eagles
On Wings of Eagles is a 1983 thriller novel written by British author Ken Follett. Set against the background of the Iranian revolution, it tells the story of the rescue of Paul Chiapparone and Bill Gaylord from prison in Tehran by a team of Electronic Data Systems executives led by retired Col....
, and in the film Puppet Master
Puppet Master (film)
Puppet Master is a 1989 horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller...
. In the 1990s, Le Mat would continue to work on independent films and TV movies. He played Josiah Peale in Lonesome Dove: The Series, and in the follow-up Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years. He had a small role in the 1998 film American History X
American History X
American History X is a 1998 American drama film directed by Tony Kaye and starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong. It was distributed by New Line Cinema....
. More recently, Le Mat starred in the film Stateside
Stateside (film)
Stateside is a 2004 romantic drama film film based on a true story. It is an adventurous love story about a high school rich kid serving in the Marine Corps to avoid jail, who eventually falls in love with a schizophrenic actress. Those around them ask them to keep their distance from each other,...
.
Trivia
To date, Le Mat is the only multiple-time Golden Globe winner (for performances in film) who has never been nominated for an Academy Award.Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Firehouse Firehouse (TV series) Firehouse was a short-lived ABC television series in early 1974. Somewhat derivative of Emergency! and the recent best-selling novel Report From Engine Co. 82 by FDNY fireman Dennis Smith, this drama/adventure series was set in Los Angeles at a small inner-city fire station... |
Billy Dalzell | TV series; episode “Pilot” |
| 1973 | American Graffiti American Graffiti American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford... |
John Milner | Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year - Actor The Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor originated in 1948. Between 1954 and 1965, multiple winners were announced. The category was discontinued following the 1983 ceremonies.-Winners:*1948: Richard Widmark*1950: Richard Todd, Gene Nelson... |
| 1975 | Aloha, Bobby and Rose Aloha, Bobby and Rose Aloha, Bobby and Rose is a 1975 American drama film written and directed by Floyd Mutrux, and starring Paul Le Mat and Dianne Hull, in addition to Robert Carradine in an early role.-Plot:... |
Bobby | |
| 1977 | Handle with Care (aka Citizen’s Band) | Spider | |
| 1979 | More American Graffiti More American Graffiti More American Graffiti is the 1979 sequel film to George Lucas's hit film American Graffiti. Whereas the first film followed a group of friends during the summer evening before they set off for college, this film shows us where the characters from the first film end up a few years later.Most of the... |
John Milner | |
| 1980 | Melvin and Howard Melvin and Howard Melvin and Howard is a 1980 American comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Demme. The screenplay by Bo Goldman was inspired by real-life Utah service station owner Melvin Dummar, who was listed as the beneficiary of USD$156 million in a will allegedly handwritten by Howard Hughes that was... |
Melvin Dummar | Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1982 | Death Valley Death Valley (1982 film) Death Valley is a horror film starring Catherine Hicks, Edward Herrmann, Peter Billingsley, Stephen McHattie, Paul Le Mat, Mary Steelsmith and Earl W. Smith.It was directed by Dick Richards and written by Richard Rothstein.... |
Mike | |
| 1982 | The Gift of Life | Dwayne Sutton | Television film |
| 1982 | Jimmy the Kid Jimmy the Kid Jimmy the Kid is a 1982 comedy film starring Gary Coleman and Paul Le Mat. It was directed by Gary Nelson, produced by Ronald Jacobs, and released in November 1982 by New World Pictures... |
John Dortmunder John Dortmunder John Archibald Dortmunder is a fictional character created by Donald E. Westlake, and who is the 'hero' of 14 novels and 11 short stories published between 1970 and 2009. He first appeared in the novel The Hot Rock, published in 1970.... |
|
| 1983 | Rock & Rule Rock & Rule Rock & Rule is a 1983 Canadian animated film from the animation studio Nelvana. It was produced and directed by the company's founders, Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert, and Clive A. Smith. The film features the voices of Greg Salata, Susan Roman, and Don Francks, with Catherine O'Hara, Chris... |
Omar | Voice role |
| 1983 | Strange Invaders Strange Invaders Strange Invaders is a spoof science-fiction film made in 1983, as a tribute to the 1950s films, but most notably The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It stars Paul Le Mat, Nancy Allen and Diana Scarwid... |
Charles Bigelow | |
| 1984 | The Burning Bed The Burning Bed The Burning Bed is a non-fiction book by Faith McNulty about battered Dansville, Michigan, housewife Francine Hughes. It was adapted to a film with screenplay by Rose Leiman Goldemberg. After thirteen years of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband, James Berlin Hughes, she set fire to the... |
Mickey Hughes | Television film Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film |
| 1984 | The Night They Saved Christmas The Night They Saved Christmas The Night They Saved Christmas is a 1984 RHI Entertainment Christmas film, executive produced by Robert Halmi, Senior and Junior; and originally developed for ABC. The film is about an oil company dynamiting in the North Pole in search of an oil field, unaware that they are endangering Santa Claus... |
Michael Baldwin | Television film |
| 1986 | On Wings of Eagles | Jay Coburn | TV mini-series |
| 1986 | Long Time Gone | Nick Sandusky | Television film |
| 1987 | P.K. and the Kid | Kid Kane | |
| 1987 | Deadly Nightmares | Jake Purly | TV series; episode “Doctor’s Orders” |
| 1987 | The Hanoi Hilton The Hanoi Hilton (film) The Hanoi Hilton is a 1987 Vietnam War film which focuses on the experiences of American prisoners of war who were held in the infamous Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi during the 1960s and 1970s and the story is told from their perspectives... |
Earl Hubman | |
| 1987 | P.I. Private Investigators | Detective Wexler | |
| 1987 | Into the Homeland | Derrick Winston | Television film |
| 1988 | Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote Murder, 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,... |
Carl Mattson / Luke Purdue | TV series; episode “Showdown in Saskatchewan” |
| 1988 | Secret Witness | Kurt | Television film |
| 1988 | The Twilight Zone | Tom Bennett | TV series; episode "Appointment on Route 17 Appointment on Route 17 Appointment on Route 17 is the fiftieth episode Appointment on Route 17 is the fiftieth episode Appointment on Route 17 is the fiftieth episode (the fifteenth episode of the third season (1988-1989) of the television series The New Twilight Zone.-Opening narration:-Synopsis:... " |
| 1989 | Easy Wheels Easy Wheels Easy Wheels was written by Ivan Raimi and his brother Sam Raimi, and directed by David O'Malley. It was produced in between Evil Dead 2 and Darkman, and released in 1989.... |
Bruce | |
| 1989 | Puppet Master Puppet Master (film) Puppet Master is a 1989 horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller... |
Alex Whitaker | |
| 1989 | Grave Secrets | David Shaw | |
| 1989 | Veiled Threat | Jack Purcell | |
| 1989 | Blind Witness | Detective Mike Tuthill | Television fillm |
| 1992 | The Ray Bradbury Theater The Ray Bradbury Theater The Ray Bradbury Theater is an anthology series that ran for two seasons on HBO, three episodes per season from 1985 to 1986, and four additional seasons on USA Network from 1988 to 1992. It was later shown in reruns on the Sci Fi Channel... |
Charlie | TV series; episode “The Jar” |
| 1992 | In the Line of Duty: Siege at Marion | Doug Bodrero | Television film |
| 1992 | Woman with a Past | Merle | Television film |
| 1992 | Wishman Wishman Wishman is a 1992 fantasy film written and directed by Mike Marvin and starring Paul Le Mat, Geoffrey Lewis, Brion James and Quin Kessler.-Overview:... |
Basie | |
| 1992 | Deuce Coupe | Sheriff | |
| 1994 | Caroline at Midnight Caroline at Midnight Caroline at Midnight is a 1994 romantic/thriller film, written by Travis Rink and directed by Scott McGinnis.- Plot :Victoria is a dealer. She is playing a dangerous game. She is playing into the hands of her husband and his partner, who are dirty cops... |
Emmet | |
| 1994 | Sensation | Mitch Snyder | |
| 1995 | Deep Down | Ray | |
| 1995 | Grace Under Fire Grace Under Fire Grace Under Fire is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 1993 to February 1998. The show starred Brett Butler, and was the highest rated new comedy of the 1993–1994 season.- Premise of show :... |
The Stranger | TV series; episode “Memphis Bound” |
| 1994–1995 | Lonesome Dove: The Series | Josiah Peale | TV series; 16 episodes |
| 1995–1996 | Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years | Josiah Peale | TV series; 14 episodes |
| 1998 | American History X American History X American History X is a 1998 American drama film directed by Tony Kaye and starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong. It was distributed by New Line Cinema.... |
McMahon | |
| 1999 | The Outfitters | Robby | |
| 2000 | Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction is an American television anthology series created by Lynn Lehmann, presented by Dick Clark Productions, and produced and aired by the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. Each episode featured five stories, all of which appeared to defy logic, and some of which were... |
Sheldon Ludovic | TV series; episode “Eclipse” |
| 2001 | Big Bad Love Big Bad Love Big Bad Love is a 2001 film directed by Arliss Howard, who co-wrote the script with his brother, James Howard, based on a collection of short stories of the same name by Larry Brown. The story recounts an episode in the life of an alcoholic Vietnam veteran and struggling writer named Leon Barlow,... |
Monroe | |
| 2004 | Stateside Stateside (film) Stateside is a 2004 romantic drama film film based on a true story. It is an adventurous love story about a high school rich kid serving in the Marine Corps to avoid jail, who eventually falls in love with a schizophrenic actress. Those around them ask them to keep their distance from each other,... |
Dori’s Internist | |
| 2004 | The Long Shot The Long Shot The Long Shot, sometimes called The Long Shot: Believe in Courage, is a Hallmark Channel original movie that aired April 18, 2004. It stars Julie Benz and Marsha Mason and centers around a dressage competition.-Plot summary:... |
Guido Levits | Television film |
| 2009 | Chrome Angels | Elliot |