# John David Carson

John David Carson (born John Franklin Carson; March 6, 1952 – October 27, 2009) was an American actor known for his work in film and television. Born in Los Angeles, California, he began his career as a voice actor for Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including Space Ghost (1966–1968). He transitioned to live-action roles, making his film debut in Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971). Carson appeared in a variety of projects, such as Stay Hungry (1976), Empire of the Ants (1977), and TV shows like Hawaii Five-O and Charlie's Angels. He retired after his role in Pretty Woman (1990) and died in 2009 at the age of 57.

## Career

Carson began his career at a young age, acting in television advertisements, and later doing cartoon voice-acting for Hanna-Barbera. His first job was the voice of "Dino Boy/Todd" in 18 episodes of Space Ghost from 1966-1968, billed as Johnny Carson. He attended Los Angeles Valley College where he played a lead role in its 1969 production of The Taming Of The Shrew. Upon beginning his Hollywood career he was immediately engaged in a dispute with Johnny Carson over the use of their shared name - he subsequently went by the name John David Carson.
Carson's first feature film was Pretty Maids All in a Row in 1971. Carson portrayed "Ponce de Leon Harper", a nerdy and sexually inexperienced young man who is tormented with lust at the pretty young women around him at school and suffers from chronic priapism. Ponce is eventually "mentored" by his guidance counselor, played by Rock Hudson, an expert at seducing younger women, who takes him under his wing and persuades an attractive female teacher (played by Angie Dickinson) to sleep with him. Another notable role was in the 1976 film Stay Hungry, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeff Bridges and Sally Field. Carson also appeared in a great deal of television productions, including Hawaii Five-O and Charlie's Angels. He portrayed "Jay Spence" on Falcon Crest, a prime-time soap opera.
He played "Larry Burns", a television repairman who is briefly framed for a woman's murder by a corrupt sheriff on Murder She Wrote and an Irish jockey named "Kevin Ryan" on Charlie's Angels. He appeared in various B-movies such as Empire of the Ants (1977), an adaptation of an H. G. Wells story about gigantic, man-eating ants, Creature from Black Lake (1976), Charge of the Model T's (1977) and The Fifth Floor (1978), and acted alongside George C. Scott in The Day of the Dolphin (1973). He again appeared opposite Scott, playing his character's son, in The Savage is Loose (1974). Carson continued acting in small parts until 1990, appearing in the Julia Roberts hit Pretty Woman, which marked his last appearance on film. He voluntarily retired from acting after this role.

## Personal life

Carson's entry into Hollywood was influenced by his background in theater. Born on March 6, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, at the now-closed Queen of Angels Hospital, he was the son of Western actor Eldridge "Kit" Carson (1909–1978) and fashion model Rosemonde (née James) Carson. He was of Irish and Cherokee descent. Carson grew up in the Christian Science faith, and his parents divorced during his childhood. He spent his early years in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles.
In his youth, Carson was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that left him nearly completely deaf in one ear, an experience he discussed in Interview magazine.

### Family life

Carson married Vicki Morgan on January 10, 1976; the couple divorced the following year. His second marriage, to Colette Trygg, ended in divorce on May 7, 1993. He married his third wife, Diana, on February 5, 2007.
Carson died from lymphoma on October 27, 2009, at the age of 57. He had two stepdaughters, Amber and Alana, from Diana’s previous marriage. Although he never legally changed his birth name, John Franklin Carson, he used the name John David Carson on his marriage applications.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | Pretty Maids All in a Row | Ponce | |
| 1972 | Call Her Mom | Woody | |
| 1972 | Room 222 | Craig Evans | Episode: Where is it Written |
| 1973 | The Day of the Dolphin | Larry | |
| 1974 | The Savage is Loose | David / Son | |
| 1976 | Creature from Black Lake | Rives | |
| 1976 | Stay Hungry | Halsey | |
| 1977 | Empire of the Ants | Joe Morrison | |
| 1977 | Charge of the Model T's | Lt. Matt Jones | |
| 1978 | The Fifth Floor | Ronnie Denton | |
| 1986 | Blacke's Magic | Billy Maddox | Episode: Address Unknown |
| 1990 | Pretty Woman | Mark Roth | (final film role) |