# John Dennis Johnston

John Dennis Johnston (born May 14, 1950) is an American film and television actor.

## Career

He appeared in a number of feature films including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Streets of Fire, and Flesh+Blood, as well as various TV series such as In Plain Sight and The Golden Girls.
He appeared in both Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1983 and in one episode of the Twilight Zone TV series in 1987.

## Personal life

Johnston attended Hunter College in New York City where he studied drama under Lloyd Richards and Harold Clurman. In 1981, he married Karla Pitti, daughter of the cowboy-singer and actor Carl Pitti. They later separated.
An avid cyclist, he is a cycling safety activist who has pushed for safe-driving legislation.

## Selected filmography

* Captains and the Kings (1972, TV miniseries) .... Medical Orderly
* Police Woman (1976–1977, TV series) .... Arky / Bishoff
* Roots (1977, TV Mini-Series) .... Man At Cockfight
* Annie Hall (1977) .... Police Officer
* The Rockford Files (1976–1977, TV series) .... Henry Schlager / Grady Northcourt
* Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) .... Special Forces
* Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978, TV Movie) .... 'Chopper'
* The Rose (1979) .... Milledge
* Knots Landing (1980, TV Series) .... Alien
* Charlie's Angels (1976–1980, TV Series) .... Harley Mason / Jerry Adams
* Back Roads (1981) .... Gilly
* Best of the West (1982, TV Series) - Curtis
* The Beast Within (1982) .... Horace Platt
* The Executioner's Song (1982, TV Movie) .... Jimmy - Poker Game
* The Blue and the Gray (1982, TV Mini-Series) .... Lieutenant Hardy
* Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again (1982) .... Macho Kid
* 48 Hrs. (1982) .... Torchy's Patron
* Reckless (1983)
* Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) .... Co-Pilot (segment "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet")
* The Rousters (1983, TV Movie)
* The Dukes of Hazzard (1983, TV Series) .... 'Sledge' Beaudry
* Lone Star Country (1983)
* Streets of Fire (1984) .... Pete The Mechanic
* A Breed Apart (1984) .... Miller
* The A-Team (1983-1985, TV series) .... Archer / 'Snake'
* Pale Rider (1985) .... Deputy Tucker
* Flesh+Blood (1985) .... Summer
* The New Twilight Zone (1987, TV series, episode: "The Junction") .... Charlie (segment "The Junction")
* St. Elsewhere (1986–1987, TV Series) .... Nick Moats
* Extreme Prejudice (1987) .... 'Merv'
* Married... with Children (1987, TV series, episode: "How Do You Spell Revenge?") .... Jimmy
* The Squeeze (1987) .... Nick
* Sunset (1988) .... Ed
* Pink Cadillac (1989) .... Waycross
* Communion (1989) .... Fireman
* Golden Girls (1989, TV series, episode: "Mary Has A Little Lamb") .... Merrill
* Murder in Mississippi (1990, TV movie) .... Hatchet-Faced Man
* Matlock (1991–1992, TV series)
* In the Best Interest of the Children (1992, TV Movie) .... Harlan Pepper
* Reasonable Doubts (1992, TV Series) .... Carl Lorkey / Carl Lurkee
* Highlander: The Series (1992, TV series, episode: "Mountain Men") .... Carl The Hermit
* Wyatt Earp (1994) .... Frank Stillwell
* Wagons East! (1994) .... Cattle Rustler (uncredited)
* Art Deco Detective (1994) .... Detective Arthur Decowitz
* In Pursuit of Honor (1995, TV Movie) .... Sergeant Thomas Mulcahey
* White Dwarf (1995, TV Movie) .... Morgus, Osh's Assistant
* A Walk in the Clouds (1995) .... Lout #1
* Wild Bill (1995) .... Ed Plummer
* The Siege at Ruby Ridge (1996, TV Movie) .... Tony Vickers
* Precious Find (1996) .... Bartender
* Forest Warrior (1996) .... Williams
* Millennium (1996, TV series, episode: "Broken World") - Sheriff Falkner
* Snide and Prejudice (1997) .... Sheffield
* Joseph's Gift (1998) .... Parker
* Heartwood (1998) .... Carl Burris
* Purgatory (1999, TV Movie) .... Lamb / 'Lefty' Slade
* Perfect Murder, Perfect Town (2000, TV movie)
* Walker, Texas Ranger (1996–2001, TV series) .... Mike Shilts / Cody Diggs
* Firestarter: Rekindled (2002, TV Mini-Series) .... Joel Lowen
* JAG (2003, TV Series) .... Barclay Cale
* Without a Trace (2005, TV Series) .... Patrick Orton
* Supernatural (2006, TV Series) .... Pa Bender
* In Plain Sight (2009–2010, TV series, episodes: "Father Goes West" and "Don't Cry for Me, Albuquerque") .... Dr. Bronstein
* The Gertrude Stein Mystery or Some Like It Art (2010; episode: "Deep Throat")