Michael Parks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Michael Parks | |
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| Born | Harry Samuel Parks April 24, 1940 Corona, California U.S. |
Michael Parks (born April 24, 1940[1]) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in almost 50 films and has made frequent TV appearances, but is probably best known for his work in recent years with Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Personal life
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (April 2007) |
Parks was born Harry Samuel Parks in Corona, California to a truck driver father.[2] He drifted from job to job during his teenage years. He was married at the age of fifteen.[3]
[edit] Career
Parks first gained recognition as the star of the television series Then Came Bronson from 1969-1970. He also sang the theme song for the show, "Long Lonesome Highway," which became a Top 40 hit in 1970. Other early roles included The China Lake Murders and Stranger by Night. He played a police officer in both. He later played Philip Colby during the second season (1986-1987) of Dynasty spin-off series The Colbys. He also played Jean Renault, on Twin Peaks.
He appeared as Irish mob boss Tommy O'Shea in Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994), French-Canadian drug runner Jean Renault in the television series Twin Peaks, Doctor Banyard in "Deceiver" (1997), Texas Ranger Earl McGraw in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), which was written by Tarantino and directed by Rodriguez, and then took a leading role as Ambrose Bierce in its straight-to-video prequel From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000). He also played two roles in Tarantino's Kill Bill, reprising Earl McGraw in Vol. 1, and playing Esteban Vihaio, the 80-year-old ex-pimp, in Vol. 2. He has most recently reprised the role of Earl McGraw in both segments of the Tarantino/Rodriguez film Grindhouse.
His son, James Parks, is also an actor. He has played the son of his father's character, Earl McGraw, three times: Kill Bill, From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, and Tarantino's segment Death Proof in Grindhouse.
[edit] Filmography
- Then Came Bronson played Jim Bronson 1969-70 TV Series 26 episodes
- Noble Things (2007) as Pete Collins
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) as Henry Craig
- El Muerto (2007) as Sheriff Stone
- Grindhouse (segments Planet Terror/Death Proof) (2007) as Earl McGraw
- Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) as Esteban Vihaio
- Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) as Earl McGraw
- From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000) as Ambrose Bierce
- Wicked (1998) as Detective Boland
- Deceiver (1997) as Doctor Banyard
- From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) as Texas Ranger Earl McGraw
- Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994) as Tommy O'Shea
- Hard Country (1981) as Royce
- The Bible: In the Beginning (1966) as Adam
- Bus Riley's Back In Town (1965) as Bus Riley with Ann Margret, Kim Darby, Jocelyn Brando, Larry Storch, David Carradine
- Wild Seed (1965) starring Michael Parks and Celia Kaye
[edit] References
- ^ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com
- ^ Michael Parks Biography (1938-)
- ^ Michael Parks Biography - Yahoo! Movies
