Wolf Larson
Encyclopedia
Wolf Larson is a Canadian
actor.
, Germany
. His parents met when his father was stationed in Berlin for six years (his mother being of Scandinavian descent). The family moved to Ottawa, Canada in 1961, where his father, a doctor in Physics and Mathematics, became the Director of Applied Physics for the National Research Council of Canada
. Wolf has one sister named Joana.
He later became a very popular soccer
team captain and began to take part in acting and theater courses. But thinking he wasn't good enough, he quit his acting ambitions and began to concentrate on sports. Wolf attended Queen's University
in Kingston, Ontario
, where he received a B.A.
in Economics and Statistics. He continued his education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
, where he earned his MBA
, a stepping stone for what he originally expected would land him a job on Wall Street
.
Following his education, he stayed at U.N.L.V. to teach Finance for two years. Having built a solid educational foundation, Wolf felt it was time to move on and pursue other goals. He moved to Los Angeles
in 1985, but today still has a house in Vancouver
, Canada, where he spends a few weeks every year. In L.A. he met Robert Marcucci, an agent who saw the acting talent in him immediately and encouraged him to enroll in acting classes. While taking that advice, Wolf didn't have a lot of faith in having a prolonged career as an actor, so he launched a video/calendar production company called "Future World Productions."
Since that time, both Larson's business and acting careers flourished. His television credits include guest appearances on 'Thunder Alley
, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
, Simon & Simon
, Dynasty
, and Santa Barbara
. His film credits include Mad About You, Hard Ticket to Hawaii
, Picasso Trigger
, Expect No Mercy, Tracks of A Killer, Storm Chasers: Revenge of the Twister, and Hostile Force. In 1996, he was cast in the lead role of Det. Chase McDonald in the action series L.A. Heat
, co-starring Steven Williams
, which lasted two seasons.
His affinity for animals (he has six dogs), as well as his natural athletic ability, made him perfect for the leading role in Tarzán
. He is the first of 19 actors who have played Tarzan
to hold a Master's Degree in Business Administration. After completing the 75th episode of the Tarzán series, Wolf's manager approached him about playing the leading role in the television adaptation of Tribune's classic comic strip Smilin' Jack.
When not acting or managing his business, Wolf participates in a variety of sports including golf, football, baseball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, roller hockey, ice skating and tennis. He remains close friends with his L.A. Heat
co-stars Steven Williams
and Gary Hudson
.
He's also the managing director of the American Academy of Acting, along with actor Adrian Zmed.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
actor.
Biography
Wolf was born in West BerlinWest Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. His parents met when his father was stationed in Berlin for six years (his mother being of Scandinavian descent). The family moved to Ottawa, Canada in 1961, where his father, a doctor in Physics and Mathematics, became the Director of Applied Physics for the National Research Council of Canada
National Research Council of Canada
The National Research Council is an agency of the Government of Canada which conducts scientific research and development.- History :...
. Wolf has one sister named Joana.
He later became a very popular soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team captain and began to take part in acting and theater courses. But thinking he wasn't good enough, he quit his acting ambitions and began to concentrate on sports. Wolf attended Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
in Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, where he received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Economics and Statistics. He continued his education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
, where he earned his MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
, a stepping stone for what he originally expected would land him a job on Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
.
Following his education, he stayed at U.N.L.V. to teach Finance for two years. Having built a solid educational foundation, Wolf felt it was time to move on and pursue other goals. He moved to Los Angeles
Los 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...
in 1985, but today still has a house in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada, where he spends a few weeks every year. In L.A. he met Robert Marcucci, an agent who saw the acting talent in him immediately and encouraged him to enroll in acting classes. While taking that advice, Wolf didn't have a lot of faith in having a prolonged career as an actor, so he launched a video/calendar production company called "Future World Productions."
Since that time, both Larson's business and acting careers flourished. His television credits include guest appearances on 'Thunder Alley
Thunder Alley
Thunder Alley is an American sitcom which aired from March 9, 1994 to July 4, 1995 on ABC.-Premise:The show stars Edward Asner as retired race-car driver Gil Jones. The unaired original pilot episode featured Felicity Huffman in the role of Bobbi Turner, Gil's daughter. When ABC picked up the...
, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., often referred to as just Brisco or Brisco County,The series is referred to as just Brisco or by Brisco County by the creator and executive producer Carlton Cuse, actors involved with the show, and by many critics. Some examples include:* Cuse, Carlton, DVD extra...
, 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...
, Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
, and Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara (TV series)
Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
. His film credits include Mad About You, Hard Ticket to Hawaii
Hard Ticket to Hawaii
Hard Ticket to Hawaii is a 1987 action adventure film starring Ronn Moss, Dona Speir, Hope Marie Carlton, Cynthia Brimhall, and Harold Diamond. It is best known for a scene in which a man, thought to be "smoking some heavy doobies", skateboarding on his hands upside down, and a blowup doll are...
, Picasso Trigger
Picasso Trigger
Picasso Trigger is a 1988 action adventure film starring Steve Bond, Dona Speir, Hope Marie Carlton, Roberta Vasquez, Cynthia Brimhall, and Harold Diamond. It was written and directed by Andy Sidaris.-The Triple B Series by Andy Sidaris:...
, Expect No Mercy, Tracks of A Killer, Storm Chasers: Revenge of the Twister, and Hostile Force. In 1996, he was cast in the lead role of Det. Chase McDonald in the action series L.A. Heat
L.A. Heat
L.A. Heat is an American action series starring Wolf Larson and Steven Williams as Los Angeles police detectives, in the tradition of films like Lethal Weapon. The series aired on TNT from March 15, 1999.-Show history:...
, co-starring Steven Williams
Steven Williams
Steven Williams is an American actor of films and television.Williams was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Chicago. He is known for his role as Captain Adam Fuller on the Fox Network's hit TV series 21 Jump Street from 1987-91.He played Lt. Burnett on the CBS drama series The Equalizer in...
, which lasted two seasons.
His affinity for animals (he has six dogs), as well as his natural athletic ability, made him perfect for the leading role in Tarzán
Tarzán
Tarzán was a half-hour syndicated series that aired 1991–1994. In this version of the show, Tarzan was portrayed as a blond environmentalist, with Jane turned into a French ecologist....
. He is the first of 19 actors who have played Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
to hold a Master's Degree in Business Administration. After completing the 75th episode of the Tarzán series, Wolf's manager approached him about playing the leading role in the television adaptation of Tribune's classic comic strip Smilin' Jack.
When not acting or managing his business, Wolf participates in a variety of sports including golf, football, baseball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, roller hockey, ice skating and tennis. He remains close friends with his L.A. Heat
L.A. Heat
L.A. Heat is an American action series starring Wolf Larson and Steven Williams as Los Angeles police detectives, in the tradition of films like Lethal Weapon. The series aired on TNT from March 15, 1999.-Show history:...
co-stars Steven Williams
Steven Williams
Steven Williams is an American actor of films and television.Williams was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Chicago. He is known for his role as Captain Adam Fuller on the Fox Network's hit TV series 21 Jump Street from 1987-91.He played Lt. Burnett on the CBS drama series The Equalizer in...
and Gary Hudson
Gary Hudson (actor)
Gary Hudson was born on March 26, 1956, in Newport News, Virginia, and raised in historic Hilton Village where his father was also born. He left Virginia in 1977 after attending Christopher Newport College for two years to pursue his acting career in Los Angeles...
.
He's also the managing director of the American Academy of Acting, along with actor Adrian Zmed.
Filmography
- Creating America's Next Hit Television Show (2004; TV series) - Walter Montgomery #3
- Shakedown (2002) - Agent Alec 'Mac' MacKay
- Just Can't Get Enough (2001) (executive producer only)
- The Elite (2001) - Griffin
- Avalanche AlleyAvalanche AlleyAvalanche Alley is a 2001 live action Canadian television film starring Ed Marinaro, Nick Mancuso, Kirsten Robek and Wolf Larson....
(2001; TV movie) - Alex - Castlerock (2000) - Cade
- Crash and Byrnes (1999) - Jack 'Crash' Riley (also screenplay)
- Storm Chasers: Revenge of the Twister (1998; TV movie) - Will Stanton
- C-PopC-popC-pop is an abbreviation for Chinese popular music , a loosely defined musical genre by artists originating from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Others come from countries where the Chinese language is used by a large number of the population, such as Singapore and Malaysia...
(1998; TV movie) - Max 'Jet' Ease - Expect No Mercy (1996) - Warbeck
- Hostile Force (1996) - Tony Reineke
- Tarzan: The Legacy of Edgar Rice Burroughs (1996; TV special) - Himself
- L.A. HeatL.A. HeatL.A. Heat is an American action series starring Wolf Larson and Steven Williams as Los Angeles police detectives, in the tradition of films like Lethal Weapon. The series aired on TNT from March 15, 1999.-Show history:...
(1996–1998; TV series) - Det. Chester 'Chase' McDonald - Tracks of a Killer (1995) - Patrick Hausman
- TarzánTarzánTarzán was a half-hour syndicated series that aired 1991–1994. In this version of the show, Tarzan was portrayed as a blond environmentalist, with Jane turned into a French ecologist....
(1991–1994; TV series) - Tarzan - Mad About You (1990) - Jeff Clark
- Picasso TriggerPicasso TriggerPicasso Trigger is a 1988 action adventure film starring Steve Bond, Dona Speir, Hope Marie Carlton, Roberta Vasquez, Cynthia Brimhall, and Harold Diamond. It was written and directed by Andy Sidaris.-The Triple B Series by Andy Sidaris:...
(1988) - Jimmy-John - Hard Ticket to HawaiiHard Ticket to HawaiiHard Ticket to Hawaii is a 1987 action adventure film starring Ronn Moss, Dona Speir, Hope Marie Carlton, Cynthia Brimhall, and Harold Diamond. It is best known for a scene in which a man, thought to be "smoking some heavy doobies", skateboarding on his hands upside down, and a blowup doll are...
(1987) J.J. Jackson
Quotes
- (On his L.A. HeatL.A. HeatL.A. Heat is an American action series starring Wolf Larson and Steven Williams as Los Angeles police detectives, in the tradition of films like Lethal Weapon. The series aired on TNT from March 15, 1999.-Show history:...
character, Chase McDonald): "He's impulsive and a bit thoughtless. He acts first and thinks later. He doesn't know the word 'consequence.' I really enjoy playing him." - (On playing Tarzan, following in the footsteps of arguably the most famous portrayer, Johnny WeissmullerJohnny WeissmullerJohnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
): "It's a bit like playing James BondJames Bond (character)Royal Navy Commander James Bond, CMG, RNVR is a fictional character created by journalist and novelist Ian Fleming in 1953. He is the main protagonist of the James Bond series of novels, films, comics and video games...
after Sean ConnerySean ConnerySir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
. - "The good side of television is that your character grows and changes with you. And you have a check assured at the end of the month. The other side is that...it can sometimes become boring if it lasts for a long time, after you've done every possible thing with the character. With film, it isn't much of a problem because you only play the character for a short time before moving onto something else."