John Larroquette

Infobox actor


imagesize = 200px
caption = Larroquette in 1988
birthname = John Bernard Larroquette
birthdate = birth date and age|1947|11|25
birthplace = New Orleans, Louisiana
emmyawards = Outstanding Supporting Actor - Comedy Series
1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 "Night Court"
Outstanding Guest Actor - Drama Series
1998 "The Practice"

John Bernard Larroquette (born November 25, 1947) is an American film and television actor. His best known roles include Dan Fielding on the series "Night Court" and Mike McBride in the Hallmark Channel series "McBride". He joined the cast of "Boston Legal" in fall 2007.

Biography

Early life

Larroquette was born in New Orleans, Louisiana the son of Bertha Oramous (née Helmstetter), a department store clerk, and John Edgar Larroquette, [ [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800037999/bio John Larroquette Biography - Yahoo! Movies ] ] who was in the U.S. Navy. [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/5/John-Larroquette.html John Larroquette Biography (1947-) ] ] He played reed instruments as a child and moved to Los Angeles, California in 1973.

Early Career

Larroquette's first role was uncredited, as a U.S. soldier in "Follow Me, Boys!" (1966). He also had an uncredited role as the narrator of "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974). His most memorable non-comedy role was in the 1970s NBC program "Baa Baa Black Sheep" where he portrayed a WWII U.S. Marine Corps fighter pilot named Luke Witkowski. Larroquette first broke into TV on the soap opera "Doctors' Hospital". During the filming of the Bill Murray/John Candy hit comedy film "Stripes"(1981), his nose was nearly cut off in an accident. He was running down a hall into a door which was supposed to open, but it didn't, and his head went through the window in the door."20 Questions," "Playboy", April 1990]

"Night Court" (1984-1993)

Larroquette is perhaps best known for his role as boorish, sex-obsessedattorney Dan Fielding on "Night Court", a role for which he won Emmy Awards in 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1988. In 1989, he asked not to be considered for an Emmy. [http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/random_roles_john_larroquette/2 AV Club "Random Roles: John Larroquette", June 5, 2008] ] His four consecutive wins were, at the time, a record. "Night Court" ran on NBC from 1984 until 1992. Only Larroquette, Harry Anderson, and Richard Moll (as Bull Shannon) appeared in every episode of the series.

"The John Larroquette Show", other roles

Larroquette later starred on "The John Larroquette Show" as the character John Hemmingway. The show was lauded by critics and enjoyed a loyal cult following. In 1998, he guest-starred on three episodes of the legal drama "The Practice". His portrayal of Joey Heric, a wealthy, wisecracking, narcissistic psychopath with a habit of stabbing his gay lovers to death, won him his fifth Emmy Award. He reprised the role for one episode in 2002, for which he was once again Emmy-nominated. He also appeared on an episode of "The West Wing" as Lionel Tribbey, White House Counsel, and later on an Episode of the show House.

His starring roles include the 1989 movie "Second Sight", with Bronson Pinchot, and "Madhouse", with Kirstie Alley. Other movies Larroquette had significant roles in include: "Blind Date", "Stripes", "Meatballs Part II", "Summer Rental", "", "JFK", and "Richie Rich".

"McBride", "Boston Legal", and other recent roles

In 2003, Larroquette narrated the remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", this time fully credited. From 2004 to 2006, he played the title role in the "McBride" series of American TV movies. He currently stars as Carl Sack in the TV series Boston Legal. He also guest starred in the drama "House" where he played a previously catatonic father awakened to try to save his son, and on Chuck as veteran spy Roan Montgomery. [http://www.theinsideronline.com/news/5917/ Celebrity News, Gossip, Photos, Videos and more on The Insider ] ]

Personal life

Larroquette has three children with his wife, Elizabeth Ann Cookson. He is also a registered member of the Libertarian Party, a fact to which he alluded when he made an appearance on Dennis Miller's CNBC show on the "Varsity Panel".fact|date=March 2008 During an appearance on Tom Snyder's show, Larroquette mentioned that he almost quit the party when they nominated Howard Stern to run for governor of New York.fact|date=March 2008

Larroquette was born and raised in New Orleans, LA in the middle ninth ward. He lived in New Orleans until he was 22. He returned there after Hurricane Katrina and found the home in which he lived until age 12. He stated that returning to New Orleans after the hurricane was like returning to a post-apocalyptic world.fact|date=March 2008

His cell phone number is reputedly 310-691-6496. This number was given to the title character Boxer Santaros, portrayed by actor Dwayne Johnson (also known as WWE wrestler "The Rock") in the movie "Southland Tales", and he calls it and reaches Larroquette's character, Vaughn Smallhouse. If one calls it in real life, one gets a voice mail for John Larroquette (though the voice identifying him is not his), though it may not be a phone number he actively uses.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) rumors dispelled

A rumor circulated on the internet that Larroquette suffered from Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS); Larroquette once did serve as a spokesman for the disease; however, on January 14, 2008, while appearing as a guest on The Bob Rivers Show on KZOK he stated that the IBS rumor was completely false [ [http://www.bobrivers.com/player/player.asp?ID=7126&SPEED=2&atype=onair The Bob Rivers Show Audio Player ] ] . He noted this falsehood again on March 28, 2008 during the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Other Past Health Issues

In the seventies and eighties, Larroquette battled alcoholism. On The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on March 10, 2007 he joked, "I was known to have a cocktail or 60".fact|date=March 2008 He had also revealed that he'd suffered from black outs when drinking, a condition he describes as 'horrible'.fact|date=March 2008 To illustrate the severity of these black outs, he told Leno about one experience he had while drinking in which he woke up from a nap, realizing he was on a plane and had no idea where it was headed. He said that he was too embarrassed to ask where they were headed. (He eventually found out the plane was headed from Los Angeles to his hometown of New Orleans.) ["The Tonight Show with Jay Leno", October 4, 2007.]

Hobbies and Interests

Larroquette enjoys collecting rare books. Authors whose works he has focused on include Samuel Beckett, Charles Bukowski, Anthony Burgess, William Burroughs and Robinson Jeffers.He is an avid fan of the New Orleans Saints.fact|date=March 2008

Filmography

Television

;Starring
*"Doctors' Hospital"
*"Baa Baa Black Sheep"
*"Night Court"
*"The John Larroquette Show"
*"Payne"
*"The 10th Kingdom"
*"The Incurable Collector"
*"Happy Family"
*"McBride"
*"Boston Legal"

;Guest roles
*"Celebrity Bull Riding" - Brian Kirchberg
*"House" - Vegetative State Guy (Gabriel Wozniak)
*"The Practice" - Joey Heric
*"The West Wing"- Lionel Tribbey, White House Counsel
*"Dave's World"
*"Dallas"
*"Mork & Mindy"
*"Three's Company"
*"Kojak"
*"Sanford and Son"
*"Chuck"
*"Arrested Development" (cameo, as himself)
*"Joey
*"Kitchen Confidential"
*"Match Game (1998 version, sub host)

Film

*"Southland Tales (2007)"
*"" (2006) (uncredited)
*"Wedding Daze (2004)"
*"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003)
*"Beethoven's 5th" (2003)
*"The Heart Department" (2001)
*"The 10th Kingdom" (2000)
*"Walter and Henry" (1999)
*"Richie Rich" (1994)
*"Tune in Tomorrow" (1990)
*"Madhouse" (1990)
*"Second Sight" (1989)
*"Blind Date" (1987)
*"Convicted" (1986 TV)
*"Summer Rental" (1985)
*"" (1984)
*"Choose Me" (1984)
*"Meatballs 2" (1984)
*"Hysterical" (1983)
*"" (1983)
*"Cat People" (1982)
*"Green Ice" (1981)
*"Stripes" (1981)
*"Altered States" (1980)
*"The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974) (also uncredited)
*"Follow Me, Boys!" (1966) (uncredited)

Larroquette has appeared on the "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" on numerous occasions, as well as several appearances on both David Letterman's shows. He has hosted "Saturday Night Live" twice. He also won another Emmy Award for his guest spot on "The Practice."

References

External links

*imdb|0488662
* [http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/random_roles_john_larroquette The Onion A.V. Club] Random Roles interview