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IMDbPro

John Schuck

  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
John Schuck
Trailer 1
Play trailer1:01
The Hiding Place (2023)
8 Videos
24 Photos
Of English and German heritage, lumbering, oval-faced John Schuck was born Conrad John Schuck, Jr. in Boston, Massachusetts on February 4, 1940, the son of an English professor who taught at, among others, both Princeton College and SUNY Buffalo while John was growing up. Following graduation from Denison University, where he appeared in a number of plays, John turned to regional theatre work ("Marat/Sade," etc.), including the Cleveland Playhouse, Baltimore Center Stage, and American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.

Discovered at ACT for film by Robert Altman, the director featured him as Captain Walter "Painless Pole" Waldowski, the virginal army camp dentist, in the classic Korean War film M*A*S*H (1970), giving him a memorable "deflowering" scene with sexy Jo Ann Pflug. Altman continued to use John in Brewster McCloud (1970), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) and, most assuredly, in Thieves Like Us (1974), arguably his best movie role as a bank robber on the lam.

On 70's television, in addition to guest spots on such programs as "Gunsmoke," "Mission: Impossible," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Room 222," "Bonanza," "Ironside" and "Love, American Style," "Schuck won a regular part as an inept but altruistic sergeant alongside Rock Hudson's police commissioner for six seasons on McMillan & Wife (1971). Following this, however, he found himself somewhat stereotyped as simple-minded, lovable lugs such as the robot on the silly short-lived comedy Holmes and Yoyo (1976), as buddy Murray in the revamped series The New Odd Couple (1982) and as Herman Munster on The Munsters Today (1988), a revisit to the ghoulish 1960s television family. He also kept his name alive on such popular games shows as "The $25,000 Pyramid," "Hollywood Squares" and "Password."

More challenging guest role work has come to him on occasion with television series such as NYPD Blue (1993), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Star Trek: Voyager (1995) and Babylon 5 (1993) and in the historically acclaimed TV movie Roots (1977). In the popular films Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), John appeared in various roles and earned himself a place in the hearts of Trekkie fans all over the nation. Other film roles over time have included Blade (1973), Just You and Me, Kid (1979), Earthbound (1981), Finders Keepers (1984), Outrageous Fortune (1987), The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988), My Mom's a Werewolf (1989) and Dick Tracy (1990).

The musical stage also took a shine to him. An accomplished singer, John appeared semi-regularly (from 1979 until 2006) as the bald-domed, gruff-speaking Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks in the hit musical "Annie," not only on Broadway but on tours and in smaller theater venues. He also garnered success playing Frank Butler in "Annie Get Your Gun" with Bernadette Peters on tour. Other roles over time have included the musicals "The Sound of Music", "Peter Pan", "The Most Happy Fella" and "She Loves Me." He co-starred in the original premiere of "Grumpy Old Men" in 2011 and then returned to Broadway in 2013 as a replacement in the Gershwin musical "Nice Work If You Can Get It."

Into the millennium, on TV John played a police captain on an episode of "Diagnosis Murder," had a recurring role as a Chief of Detectives in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), and had another recurring role as shop keeper Carl in the skateboarding adventure series Zeke and Luther (2009). He also appeared in the films Closer to God (2014) and All Light Will End (2018).

A sailor on the sly, John Schuck is father to son Aaron via his first marriage (1978-1983) to former actress Susan Bay Nimoy. He married his current wife, painter Harrison Houlé, in 1990.
BornFebruary 4, 1940
  • More at IMDbPro
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    • Agent info
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BornFebruary 4, 1940
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 wins total

    Photos24

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    Known for

    Robert Duvall, Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman, and Jo Ann Pflug in M*A*S*H (1970)
    M*A*S*H
    7.3
    • Capt. 'Painless' Waldowski
    • 1970
    Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and DeForest Kelley in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
    Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
    7.2
    • Klingon Ambassador
    • 1991
    Walter Koenig, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
    Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
    7.3
    • Klingon Ambassador
    • 1986
    Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
    McCabe & Mrs. Miller
    7.6
    • Smalley
    • 1971

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actor



    • John Schuck, John Theo, and Taylor Novak in Untitled (Without Sound) (2024)
      Untitled (Without Sound)
      Short
      • Marcus
      • The Yank
      • 2024
    • John Schuck, Nan Gurley, and Carrie Tillis in The Hiding Place (2023)
      The Hiding Place
      7.5
      • Casper Ten Boom
      • 2023
    • Rita Moreno, Emily Kinney, and Justin Gaston in Santa Bootcamp (2022)
      Santa Bootcamp
      6.1
      • Chris
      • 2022
    • Sam Jones III, John Schuck, Bill Billions, Katie Garfield, Josh Moody, James J. Fuertes, Andy Buckley, Aaron Munoz, Ted Welch, Rich Redmond, Ashley Pereira, Alexandra Harris, Kate Kilcoyne, Chris Blake, Jason Hill, Iain Tucker, Waylen Thomas Hardy, and Briana Tedesco in All Light Will End (2018)
      All Light Will End
      3.8
      • Psychiatrist
      • 2018
    • Tale of the Kite (2016)
      Tale of the Kite
      9.7
      Short
      • Grandpa
      • 2016
    • Closer to God (2014)
      Closer to God
      4.6
      • Sydney
      • 2014
    • Zeke and Luther (2009)
      Zeke and Luther
      6.4
      TV Series
      • Carl
      • 2009–2011
    • Mariska Hargitay in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)
      Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
      8.1
      TV Series
      • Chief of Detectives Muldrew
      • 2004–2010
    • Great Performances (1971)
      Great Performances
      7.9
      TV Series
      • Capt. George Brackett (as Conrad John Schuck)
      • 2006
    • Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery, Connor Trinneer, and Linda Park in Star Trek: Enterprise (2001)
      Star Trek: Enterprise
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Antaak
      • 2005
    • String of the Kite
      6.7
      Short
      • Grandpa Lucky Santucci
      • 2003
    • Titus (2000)
      Titus
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Bob Marshall
      • 2001
    • Tony Goldwyn, Maura Tierney, Hugh Dancy, Reid Scott, Mehcad Brooks, and Odelya Halevi in Law & Order (1990)
      Law & Order
      7.8
      TV Series
      • Stefan Havel
      • 2001
    • The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)
      The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
      6.7
      • Mize
      • 2001
    • Scott Bakula in The Trial of Old Drum (2000)
      The Trial of Old Drum
      6.3
      TV Movie
      • Uncle Lon
      • 2000

    Videos8

    Trailer
    Trailer 6:15
    Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 2:00
    Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 2:00
    Trailer
    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:41
    Official Trailer
    The Hiding Place
    Trailer 1:01
    The Hiding Place
    Tales From The Crypt Presents: Demon Knight: Blu Ray
    Trailer 2:14
    Tales From The Crypt Presents: Demon Knight: Blu Ray
    The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
    Trailer 2:31
    The Curse of the Jade Scorpion

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Alternative names
      • Conrad John Schuck
    • Height
      • 6′ 0½″ (1.84 m)
    • Born
      • February 4, 1940
      • Boston, Massachusetts, USA
    • Spouses
        Harrison Houlé1990 - present
    • Relatives
      • Peter Schuck(Sibling)
    • Other works
      Played "Mr. Kirby" in "You Can't Take It with You", a play by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman (Geffen Playhouse at the Brentwood Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA).
    • Publicity listings
      • 3 Interviews
      • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Is the first actor ever to use the F-word in a major motion picture (M*A*S*H (1970)).
    • Quotes
      It's much more fun to come in and do the other stuff. A) You don't have to work as hard, but B) the parts are much more interesting. I would much rather play the character roles I do than the leading guy. As long as you're able, you can keep working. Longevity is terrific.
    • Trademarks
        His stage role of Daddy Warbucks in "Annie", with a fully shaved head.

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