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IMDbPro

Michael Ontkean

  • Actor
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Michael Ontkean
Trailer
Play trailer1:33
A Killing Spring (2002)
17 Videos
44 Photos
Michael Ontkean, best known for playing the minor league hockey player Ned Braden in the cult classic Slap Shot (1977), was born on January 24, 1946 in Vancouver, British Columbia. His parents, Leonard and Muriel (née Cooper) Ontkean, were actors. Michael was raised Catholic and attended Catholic elementary and high schools. Like many young Canadian men, he grew up playing hockey. He was good enough to earn a hockey scholarship to the University of New Hampshire, a Division I program. He was a standout player at UNH in his three seasons as a varsity player from 1966-69. (Division I hockey teams did not allow freshmen to play on the varsity team in those days.) After graduating from UNH in 1969, he did not pursue a professional hockey career but appeared on the Canadian series Hudson's Bay (1959), which ran for one season in 1959-60, but did not appear again professionally as an actor until an episode of Ironside (1967) was broadcast in 1970. He moved to Los Angeles to become an actor.

After taking roles on episodic TV shows and appearing in TV movies from 1970-72, he had his breakthrough with a lead in the TV series The Rookies (1972), which debuted in September 1972. He played policeman Willie Gillis on the series, but left after the 1973-74 season and was replaced by Chris Owens (Bruce Fairbairn). His co-star, Kate Jackson, would later appear as his wife in the then-controversial 1982 film Making Love (1982), in which Ontkean played a married man who leaves his wife after coming out after an affair with his gay lover.

Earlier, Ontkean's skill as a hockey player enabled him to beat out Peter Straus and other actors for the role as the disaffected Ned Braden in Slap Shot (1977). In the film, he performed all of his on-ice shots himself. Subsequently, he had a major role in Paul Mazursky's Willie & Phil (1980), but neither that movie or "Making Love" was a hit. (Peter Strauss -- who lost the role in "Slap Shot" to Ontkean but became a bigger star after the success of Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) -- turned down the role of the closeted gay husband played by Ontkean in "Making Love".)

Ontkean's most memorable role since the early 1980s was Sheriff Harry S. Truman) in David Lynch's cult classic TV series Twin Peaks (1990). He lives in Hawaii with his wife, Jamie Smith Jackson.
BornJanuary 24, 1946
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BornJanuary 24, 1946
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Photos44

"Slap Shot," Michael Ontkean & Paul Newman
Merry Clayton and Michael Ontkean in Maid to Order (1987)
Michael Ontkean in Maid to Order (1987)
"Slap Shot," Michael Ontkean & Paul Newman
Michael Ontkean in Twin Peaks (1990)
Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Ontkean in Twin Peaks (1990)
Michael Ontkean in The Partridge Family (1970)
Susan Dey and Michael Ontkean in The Partridge Family (1970)
Michael Ontkean in The Partridge Family (1970)
George Clooney, Matt Corboy, Tom McTigue, Michael Ontkean, Matt Esecson, Jon McManus, Hugh Foster, Stanton Johnston, and Tiare R. Finney in The Descendants (2011)
Michael Ontkean in Twin Peaks (1990)
Michael Horse and Michael Ontkean in Twin Peaks (1990)

Known for

Paul Newman in Slap Shot (1977)
Slap Shot
7.3
  • Ned Braden
  • 1977
Twin Peaks (1990)
Twin Peaks
8.8
TV Series
  • Sheriff Harry S. Truman
Willie & Phil (1980)
Willie & Phil
5.9
  • Willie Kaufman
  • 1980
Brooke Burns, Nikki Deloach, and Amanda Righetti in North Shore (2004)
North Shore
6.7
TV Series
  • Gordon Matthews
  • Gordy Matthews

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (2014)
    Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces
  • George Clooney in The Descendants (2011)
    The Descendants
  • Natalie Brown in Sophie (2008)
    Sophie
  • Brooke Burns, Nikki Deloach, and Amanda Righetti in North Shore (2004)
    North Shore
  • Ghost Cat (2004)
    Ghost Cat
  • Wendy Crewson in A Killing Spring (2002)
    A Killing Spring
  • Green Sails (2000)
    Green Sails
  • Helen Shaver, Alan Thicke, Doug Abrahams, Kristian Ayre, Koenraad Beugelink, Kaitlyn Burke, Eric Johnson, Michael Ontkean, Gordon Tootoosis, Kimberley Warnat, Paul Ziller, and Broud The Bear in Bear with Me (2000)
    Bear with Me
  • The Outer Limits (1995)
    The Outer Limits
  • Barclay Hope and Nancy Anne Sakovich in PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1996)
    PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal
  • Nico the Unicorn (1998)
    Nico the Unicorn
  • A Chance of Snow (1998)
    A Chance of Snow
  • Just a Little Harmless Sex (1998)
    Just a Little Harmless Sex
  • Summer of the Monkeys (1998)
    Summer of the Monkeys
  • Swann (1996)
    Swann

Videos17

The Descendants
Clip 0:42
The Descendants
Trailer
Trailer 2:00
Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 2:48
Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 1:06
Official Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 1:57
Trailer
Twin Peaks:The First Season
Trailer 1:32
Twin Peaks:The First Season
Slap Shot
Trailer 1:47
Slap Shot
Clara's Heart
Trailer 0:31
Clara's Heart
A Killing Spring
Trailer 1:33
A Killing Spring
Danielle Steel's Family Album
Trailer 3:06
Danielle Steel's Family Album
Twin Peaks: Wounds And Scars
Trailer 6:35
Twin Peaks: Wounds And Scars
Twin Peaks: Deleted Scenes
Trailer 2:05
Twin Peaks: Deleted Scenes

Personal details

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    • January 24, 1946
    • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    • Jamie Smith-Jackson1987 - present (1 child)
    • Leonard Ontkean
    • (Sibling)
  • (July 1 to 17, 1982) He played Jim and Dr. John in the revue, "Tennessee Williams: A Celebration," in a Williamstown Theatre Festival production at the Main Stage in Williamstown, Massachusetts with Karen Allen (Laura Wingfield; Esmeralda; Miriam); Tom Atkins (Stanley Kowalski; Kilroy); Erica Auerbach (child); Dimitrios Balodimas (Young John); Emery Battis (Rev. Winemiller; Nonno; Maurice); Victor Bevine (Val); Samantha Calamari (child); Chris Clemenson (Father DeLeo, Chris, Mark, Maurice's Gofer, Bellhop, Doctor); Martin Curland (Stuff, Stanley's companion, Tom Jr.); Gwen DeLuca (Angel); Jerome Dempsey (Gutman; Big Daddy); Jency DuPont (Young Alma); Joyce Ebert (The Princess); Michael French (Bobby, Jack-in-Black, Sky); Jeremy Garnish (child); Anthony Goldwyn (Hemingway, Jack, Bellhop); Frank Hankey (Salesman, Policeman); Katherine Helmond (Marguerite; Hannah; Carolyn); Megan Hertzig (Young Alma); Becky Howland (child); Jason Howland (child); Leah Joki (Jane, Nellie, Leona); Lesley Kahn (Isabel, Rosa, Willie); Christopher Kavanaugh (child); Daniel Hugh-Kelly (Chance Wayne); Laurie Kennedy (Stella Kowalski; Alma; Celeste, Trinket, Grace); Scott LaFeber (George, Bellhop); Roberta Maxwell (Maggie; Carol Cutrere; Woman); Allen McCullough (Chicken, Policeman); Todd Melin (child); Marty Moran; James Naughton (Brick; Alvaro); George Morforgen (Jacques/Quixote; Lawrence, Writer, Nightingale, Scott); Joan McMurtrey (Mrs. Wire, Mrs. Venable, Lady Mulligan, Leona, Gypsy, Bodey); Tori Nichols (child); Carrie Nodella (Charlotte, Myrtle); Robert Nugent Jr. (Young John); Carrie Nye (Blanche DuBois; Zelda); Austin Pendleton (Tom Wingfield; Mr. Charlie, The Writer, August); Margaret Phillips (Amanda Wingfield; Big Mama); Howard Samuelsohn (Sancho Panza, Young Collector, Bellhop); Shenna Santelli (child); Dwight Schultz (Mitch; Lord Byron; Shannon); Steven Skybell (Dusty, Man at New Year's Eve Party, Bellhop); Heather Spear (child); Myra Lucretia Taylor (Miss Lucy, Helena, Trinket, Vee), Nurse Porter); Maria Tucci (Serafina; Catharine); Jane White (Lady; Maxine; Mrs. Gofort) and Rachel Whitmer (child) in the cast. Marge Champion was choreographer, movement advisor and trustee emerita. Tennessee Williams; Ralph Renzi and Elliott Norton were in attendance. Nikos Psacharapoulos was artistic director and director. Tony Straiges was scenic designer. Jess Goldstein was costume designer. Pat Collins was lighting designer. Tom Brennan was associate director. Michael O'Flaherty was music supervisor and composer. Robert Barron and Kay Matschullat were director's assistants. Andrew Mendelson and Regan McLemore were vocal consultants. Deborah Brown was casting director. Tom Brennan, Bonnie Monte, Austin Pendleton and the company were additional script assistants. Mark Healy was stage manager. Scott LaFeber was assistant stage manager. Jay Spadone was conductor. Lehman and Paul Cowan were clarinet and saxophone players. Gerald Mortenson was trumpeter. Scott Sherman was drummer. Joe Messina played Bass. Jim Thompson was guitarist and mandolin player. Doug Mclean was harmonica player. Deborah Lapidus, Jay Spadone and Brad Flickinger were additional musical composers.
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    • 3 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    Had contracts with the hockey teams the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Rangers.

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