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Trivia
Howard Hesseman
Edit
Was a close friend and sometime lover of
Janis Joplin
in the late 1960s.
Before he became an actor, he was a real radio D.J. Hence, the
WKRP in Cincinnati (1978)
role fit him perfectly.
As a member of
The Committee
he appeared weekly on
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967)
(1968-69).
During
The Committee
's appearance on
Janis Joplin/The Committee/Michael Thomas (1969)
, Howard called one of his cast members "fellow baby." Nearly a decade later on
WKRP in Cincinnati (1978)
he would make this phrase one of the most popular sayings of Dr. Johnny Fever, the role that he is most identified with.
He quit the University of Oregon for San Francisco and the stage. There, under the assumed name Don Sturdy (it was kind of a joke); he joined
The Committee
, an improv group that also included
Rob Reiner
and
Penny Marshall
. He appeared in credits as Don Sturdy in at least four productions:
Dragnet 1967 (1967)
,
The Andy Griffith Show (1960)
,
Cisco Pike (1971)
and
Billy Jack (1971)
.
Attended the University of Oregon.
Arrested for selling one ounce of marijuana in San Francisco in 1966.
Member of the improvisational group
The Committee
from 1965-75.
Friends with
Gordon Jump
.
Played the younger brother of Eric Lassard (
George Gaynes
) in
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985)
, although in reality he and Gaynes were born 23 years apart.
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