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Michael Ontkean

Actor

Michael Ontkean

Born January 24, 1946 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada40 films

Michael Leonard Ontkean (born January 24, 1946) is a Canadian retired actor. Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Ontkean relocated to the United States to attend the University of New Hampshire on a hockey scholarship before pursuing a career in acting in the early 1970s.

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He initially came to prominence portraying Officer Willie Gillis on the crime drama series The Rookies from 1972 to 1974, followed by lead roles in the hockey sports comedy film Slap Shot (1977) and the romantic comedy Willie & Phil (1980). In 1982, he had a starring role opposite Harry Hamlin and Kate Jackson in the drama Making Love, in which he portrayed a married man who comes to terms with his homosexuality. Ontkean continued to appear in films, such as Clara's Heart (1988) and Postcards from the Edge (1990) before being cast as Sheriff Harry S. Truman on David Lynch's Twin Peaks (1990–1991), the role for which he is best known.

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The best way into Michael Ontkean's work
Twin Peaks posterFirst watchTwin Peaks19898.5as Sheriff Harry S. TrumanAn idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
The Descendants poster6.8The Descendants2011Slap Shot poster6.8Slap Shot1977Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces poster7.2Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces2014Postcards from the Edge poster6.6Postcards from the Edge1990Maid to Order poster5.5Maid to Order1987Clara's Heart poster5.5Clara's Heart1988

Filmography

40 films as actor
  1. 2014Twin Peaks: The Missing PiecesSheriff Harry S. Truman
  2. 2011The DescendantsCousin Milo
  3. 2003Mrs. Ashboro's CatWes Merritt
  4. 2002A Killing SpringTom Keaton
  5. 2000Bear with MeGreg Bradley
  6. 2000Green SailsJohn Scott
  7. 1999Just a Little Harmless SexJeff
  8. 1998A Chance of SnowMatthew 'Matt' Parker
  9. 1998Summer of the MonkeysJohn Lee
  10. 1998Nico the UnicornTom Gentry
  11. 1997SwannStephen
  12. 1996The Stepford HusbandsMick Davidson
  13. 1996The Man Next DoorEli Cooley
  14. 1993Whose Child Is This? The War for Baby JessicaJan DeBoer
  15. 1993RaptureJeff Lisker
  16. 1992Legacy of Lies
  17. 1990In Defense of a Married ManRobert
  18. 1990Postcards from the EdgeRobert Munch
  19. 1989Twin PeaksSheriff Harry S. Truman
  20. 1989Cold FrontDerek McKenzie
  21. 1989Bye Bye BluesTeddy Cooper
  22. 1988Clara's HeartBill Hart
  23. 1987Maid to OrderNick McGuire
  24. 1987The AllnighterMickey Leroi
  25. 1987Street JusticeCurt Flynn
  26. 1986The Right of the PeopleChristopher Wells
  27. 1985Kids Don't TellJohn Ryan
  28. 1984Just the Way You ArePeter Nichols
  29. 1984The Blood of OthersJean
  30. 1983The WitchingFrank Brandon
  31. 1982Making LoveZach
  32. 1980Willie & PhilWillie Kaufman
  33. 1979VoicesDrew Rothman
  34. 1977Slap ShotNed Braden
  35. 1972NecromancyFrank Brandon
  36. 1972Hot Summer WeekWill
  37. 1972Pickup on 101Chuck
  38. 1972The RookiesWillie Gillis
  39. 1971The Peace KillersJeff
  40. 1971The Boy from Dead Man's Bayou