J. A. Preston
| J. A. Preston | |
|---|---|
|
Preston as Walter Ingles with his girlfriend (played by Ja'net Dubois) on Good Times circa 1976. | |
| Born |
James Allen Preston November 13, 1932[1] Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Education | North Carolina College |
| Years active | 1971–2006 |
| Known for | Ozzie Cleveland – Hill Street Blues |
| Spouse(s) |
Merilyn Alsop (m. 1957; div. 1972) |
| Children | 3 |
James Allen Preston (born November 13, 1932), known professionally as J. A. Preston is an American actor. Preston is best known for his role as Ozzie Cleveland on the NBC primetime television series Hill Street Blues which originally aired from 1981 to 1987.
Biography
Born James Allen Preston in Washington, DC, on November 13, 1933. He attended public schools in the nation's capital and earned a track scholarship to a college in North Carolina. J. A. married Merilyn Alsop in 1957. His acting career accelerated to recurring TV series roles when he moved from New York to California in 1976. Preston attended public schools before earning a track scholarship to North Carolina College.[2] In addition to his role on Hill Street Blues, Preston is also known for his roles as Leo Daltry in Dallas, Richard Matthews in Santa Barbara, court martial judge Col J.A. Randolph, USMC in the 1992 film A Few Good Men, and the minor but important role of a USAF Major General in Air Force One (1997).[2] Preston also appeared on the NBC television series The A-Team as a judge presiding over a military tribunal convened to try the A-Team.
Personal
Preston was married once. From 1957 until 1972, Preston was married to Merilyn Alsop (1934–2010). Preston and Alsop had three children; Scotti (born in 1958), Dominique (born in 1959) and James Allen, Jr. (born in 1961).[3]
Selected filmography
- Mississippi Summer (1971)
- The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973) – Dawson
- Two-Minute Warning (1976) – Policeman #1
- Silver Streak (1976) – Waiter (uncredited)
- Real Life (1979) – Dr. Ted Cleary
Roots: The Next Generations TV mini-series as College President Harper
- Americathon (1979) – Morty
- High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane (1980) – Alonzo
- Body Heat (1981) – Oscar Grace
- The White Lions (1981) – Aniel
- Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985) – Conn MacCleary
- Fire Birds (1990) – General Olcott
- Narrow Margin (1990) – Martin Larner
- Captain Ron (1992) – Magistrate
- A Few Good Men (1992) – Judge Julius Alexander Randolph
- Contact (1997) – Senator (uncredited)
- Air Force One (1997) – USAF Major General (uncredited)
- Sweet Deadly Dreams (2006) – Mott
Theatre
- Henry IV, Part 1 – Delacorte Theater (1968)
- Henry IV, Part 2 – Delacorte Theater (1968)
- Freeman – American Place Theatre (1973)[4]
References
- ↑ Aveleyman - J.A. Preston
- 1 2 "J.A. Preston". IMBdPro.
- ↑ "Merilyn Alsop Preston Taylor: Obituary", May 1, 201.
- ↑ "Search for J.A. Preston". Lortel Archives.
External links
- J. A. Preston on IMDb
- "J. A. Preston Biography", Film Reference.