Michael Cole (actor)
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This article is about The Mod Squad actor, Michael Cole. For the WWE announcer, see Michael Cole.
Michael Cole is an American actor best known for his character Pete Cochran on the ABC television crime show, The Mod Squad which ran from 1968 to 1973.
Cole was born in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 3, 1945.
[edit] Career
Michael Cole has appeared in numerous films and TV shows, beginning in 1961 with a role in the film drama, Forbid Them Not. Other film credits include the role of Mark in the science fiction film The Bubble (1967). Later titled, "The Fantastic Invasion". ; Alan Miller in The Last Child (1971), which was nominated for a Golden Globe[1]; Cliff Norris in Beg, Borrow or Steal (1973); and an unnamed musician in the cult classic, The Wicker Man (1973). He did a great deal of stage work after "The Mod Squad" went off the air such as "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof".
Cole has also appeared and on Gunsmoke in 1966 as Kip. During the 70's he had many guest appearances on "Wonder Woman", "The Love Boat", "Chips", and so forth. In the 80's & '90's he worked on a piece for HBO called "Nickel Mountain". Also worked on shows such as "Murder she Wrote", "Fantasy Island", and "Diagnosis Murder". Later on, Mr. Cole was in Stephen King's (two part movie/made for tv), "It". Which aired in 1990 as the character of the older version of the disturbed Henry Bowers. The character of Harlan Barrett came in 1991 on ABC's "General Hospital".
It was his role as Pete Cochran, a troubled youth turned crime fighter, in The Mod Squad (1968-1973) that made Cole an international celebrity. Cole's boyish good looks and brooding, deep-voiced personality meshed perfectly with his character's backstory -- a ne'er-do-well son of wealthy parents booted from his home after stealing a car[2]. Produced by Aaron Spelling and Danny Thomas, The Mod Squad resonated with counterculture-era viewers, running five years for a total of 123 episodes[3].
According to TVGuide.com, Cole originally balked at the part of Pete when he realized he'd be playing an undercover cop, saying, "I'm not going to take the part of a guy who finks on his friends!" He changed his mind, however, when he read the script and gathered the show's potential appeal.
Cole is also known for a now-infamous episode in 1973 on the Australian television award show, The Logies. Stepping on stage during the live broadcast to accept an award, Cole -- described in subsequent news articles as either drunk[4] or "in a tired and emotional state"[5] -- gave a barely coherent "thank you" speech that ended with the actor uttering a four-letter profanity. Australia's Channel Nine, which aired the incident, received at least 100 complaints from outraged viewers[6].
Cole continues to act in various film and television projects, and played the character Charles Hadley in a 2006 episode of the NBC television series, ER. Michael Cole most recently made a guest appearance in the 2007 thriller "Mr. Brooks" as the attorney for Atwood (played by Demi Moore).
