# John Karlen

John Karlen (born John Adam Karlewicz; May 28, 1933 – January 22, 2020) was an American character actor who played multiple roles on the ABC serial Dark Shadows on and off from 1967 to 1971.
In 1971, Karlen starred as the male lead in Daughters of Darkness. He played Harvey Lacey, husband of Mary Beth Lacey (played by Tyne Daly), on the CBS crime series Cagney & Lacey (1982–88). Karlen reprised the role of "Willie Loomis" for a series of Dark Shadows audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions.

## Life and career

Karlen was born May 28, 1933, in Brooklyn, the son of Helen Agnes (née Balondowicz) and Adam Marion Karlewicz. He was of Polish descent. Karlen served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
He enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on a scholarship. His first acting experiences were on early television productions such as From These Roots and Kraft Television Theatre. His stage career began in 1959 in Sweet Bird of Youth.
He accumulated roles on both stage and television before winning one of his signature roles in 1967 in the daytime serial Dark Shadows. It was Karlen's pivotal character of Willie Loomis who released vampire Barnabas Collins from his coffin, setting off the events of the series. Karlen would stay with the television series for 182 episodes, playing various characters through 1971. In addition to Willie, he played Carl Collins, a parallel-universe William H. Loomis, Desmond Collins and Kendrick Young. In the 1971 film Night of Dark Shadows, he played Alex Jenkins along with other cast members from the Dark Shadows TV show.
While not appearing on Dark Shadows in the late sixties, he appeared on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing as Jock Porter and Hidden Faces as Sharkey Primrose. He reunited with his Dark Shadows co-stars for the 1970 House of Dark Shadows as Willie Loomis, and, in 1971, with Night of Dark Shadows as Alex Jenkins.
Karlen moved to a series of guest appearances on television productions, establishing himself in 1982 as Harvey Lacey, husband of Tyne Daly's character Mary Beth Lacey on Cagney & Lacey. He appeared in 110 episodes over six years. Karlen won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Harvey Lacey in 1986; he received 2 further nominations, in 1985 and 1987.
His career included numerous movie roles, during which he reprised the "Harvey Lacey" character in four Cagney and Lacey television movies: Cagney & Lacey: The Return in 1994, Cagney & Lacey: Together Again and Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling in 1995, and Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions in 1996.

## Personal life and death

In 1963, Karlen married acting teacher Betty Karlen but divorced in 1998.
Karlen died from heart failure in Burbank, California on January 22, 2020, at age 86.

## Theatre

Theatre :
| Opening date | Closing date | Performances | Title | Role | Theatre |
| Mar 10, 1959 | Jan 30, 1960 | 375 | Sweet Bird of Youth | Tom Junior - Replacement | Martin Beck Theatre |
| Oct 29, 1960 | Feb 4, 1961 | 113 | Invitation to a March | Aaron Jablonski Schuyler Grogan | Music Box Theatre |
| Nov 11, 1963 | Nov 16, 1963 | 8 | Arturo Ui | Shorty Ensemble | Lunt-Fontanne Theatre |
| Jan 1, 1964 | Jan 4, 1964 | 5 | The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore | Stage Manager | Brooks Atkinson Theatre |
| Feb 18, 1965 | Mar 27, 1965 | 44 | All in Good Time | Geoffrey Fitton | Royale Theatre |
| Nov 1, 1965 | Nov 6, 1965 | 8 | Postmark Zero | Unknown | Brooks Atkinson Theatre |
| March 5, 1966 | April 17, 1966 | 49 | Monopoly | Joe (Monopoly) Mr. Stein (Suburban Tragedy) | Stage 73 |

## Filmography

Film :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1970 | House of Dark Shadows | Willie Loomis | |
| 1971 | Daughters of Darkness | Stefan | |
| 1971 | Night of Dark Shadows | Alex Jenkins | |
| 1976 | A Small Town in Texas | Deputy Lenny Lutz | |
| 1978 | Killer's Delight | Danny | |
| 1981 | Pennies from Heaven | Detective | |
| 1984 | Racing with the Moon | Mr. Nash | |
| 1984 | Impulse | Bob Russell | |
| 1984 | Gimme an 'F' | "Bucky" Berkshire | |
| 1986 | Native Son | Max | |
| 1991 | The Dark Wind | Jake West | |
| 1993 | Surf Ninjas | Mac | |
| 2016 | The Job Interview | The Applicant | Short film |
Television :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1949 | The Big Story | Andy Franks | "Theory and Practice" |
| 1957 | Kraft Television Theatre | Young Man | "Heroes Walk on Sand" |
| 1959 | Naked City | Chuck | "The Manhole" |
| 1959 | Armstrong Circle Theatre | Private First Class James Cook | "Thunder Over Berlin" |
| 1962 | The Detectives | Frankie | "Strangers in the House" |
| 1962 | The Gallant Men | Lieutenant Tyrell | "Signals for an End Run" |
| 1963 | Stoney Burke | Mickey | "Job" |
| 1963 | The Doctors | Danny "Danny Boy" Delaney | 6 episodes |
| 1963 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Ned | "The Patriots" |
| 1964 | East Side/West Side | Billy | "One Drink at a Time" |
| 1964 | Brenner | Ben Laney | "Laney's Boy" |
| 1966 | Hawk | John Polanski | "The Longleat Chronicles" |
| 1967 | N.Y.P.D. | Gary Doyle | "Murder for Infinity" |
| 1967 | Love Is a Many Splendored Thing | Jock Porter | "Episode #1.55" |
| 1968 | Hidden Faces | "Sharkey" Primrose | Unknown episodes |
| 1967–1971 | Dark Shadows | Willie Loomis Carl Collins William H. Loomis (PT) Desmond Collins Kendrick Young | 182 episodes |
| 1971 | Another World | Casey | 18 episodes |
| 1972 | Night of Terror | Pete Manning | TV movie |
| 1972 | The Sixth Sense | Ed | "Through a Flame Darkly" |
| 1972 | The Mod Squad | Johnny Wexford | "Belinda, End of Little Miss Bubble Gum" |
| 1973 | Shirts and Skins | Herbie Bush | TV movie |
| 1973 | The Magician | Jim Russel | "The Vanishing Lady" |
| 1973 | Egan | Jack / Ida Deveaux | TV movie |
| 1973 | Wide World Mystery | Otto Roget | "Frankenstein: Part 1" |
| 1973 | Medical Center | Frank Crane | "Judgment" |
| 1973 | Police Story | Detective #1 | "Slow Boy" |
| 1973 | Kojak | "Pinky" | "Web of Death" |
| 1974 | The Invasion of Carol Enders | David Hastings | TV movie |
| 1974 | Wide World Mystery | Frank Linwood | "Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest" |
| 1974 | Shazam! | Nick Roberts | "Thou Shalt Not Kill" |
| 1974 | Doc Elliot | Vincent Parker | "The Pharmacist" |
| 1974 | Melvin Purvis: G-Man | Tony Anthony Redecci | TV movie |
| 1975 | Medical Center | Danny Taggert | "No Hiding Place" |
| 1975 | Mannix | Hood #1 | "Quartet for a Blunt Instrument" |
| 1975 | Delancey Street: The Crisis Within | Richard Copell | TV movie |
| 1975 | Trilogy of Terror | Mr. Anmar | TV movie |
| 1975 | The Kansas City Massacre | Sam Cowley | TV movie |
| 1975 | Police Story | "Rush" | "Incident in the Kill Zone" |
| 1975 | Joe Forrester | Mason | "The Witness" |
| 1975 | Mobile One | Mickey Scanlon | "The Boxer" |
| 1975 | The Streets of San Francisco | Vernon | "Poisoned Snow" |
| 1976 | The Picture of Dorian Gray | Alan Campbell | TV movie |
| 1976 | The Streets of San Francisco | Nat Reeves | "No Minor Vices" |
| 1976 | Serpico | Eddie Hibbard | "Rapid Fire" |
| 1976 | The Waltons | Reverend Ezekiel L. Henshaw | "The Baptism" |
| 1976 | Hawaii Five-O | Harris | "Anatomy of a Bribe" |
| 1977 | Police Story | Shep | "Prime Rib" |
| 1977 | Charlie's Angels | Leonard Chaffey | "Angel Baby" |
| 1977 | The Feather and Father Gang | Benton | "Welcome Home, Vince" |
| 1977 | ABC Weekend Special | Bill Leggett | "My Dear Uncle Sherlock" |
| 1977 | Hunter | Power Plant Worker | "Bluebird Is Back" |
| 1977 | All in the Family | Leo | "Mike Goes Skiing" |
| 1977 | Most Wanted | "Red" Murphy | "The White Collar Killer" |
| 1978 | Kojak | Hicks | "The Captain's Brother's Wife" |
| 1978 | Barnaby Jones | Johnny Alban | "A Frame for Murder" |
| 1978 | Barnaby Jones | Eddie "Easy Eddie" | "The Scapegoat" |
| 1978 | The Rockford Files | Leo | "Rosendahl and Gilda Stern Are Dead" |
| 1978 | Colorado C.I. | Kessler | TV movie |
| 1978 | The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries | Rocky | "The Lady on Thursday at Ten" |
| 1979 | The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang | Charlie Powers | TV movie |
| 1979 | Lou Grant | Ken Navaretti | "Gambling" |
| 1979 | Sword of Justice | Jerry Lombardi | "Blackjack" |
| 1979 | The Return of Mod Squad | Marty | TV movie |
| 1979 | Kaz | Fred | "The Battered Bride" |
| 1979 | Supertrain | Quinn | "Express to Terror" |
| 1979 | Starsky & Hutch | Deputy District Attorney Stanton | "Ballad for a Blue Lady" |
| 1979 | Quincy, M.E. | Marine Gunnery Sergeant Alistair Adams | "Semper-Fidelis" |
| 1979 | Quincy, M.E. | Customs Agent Brice | "Hot Ice" |
| 1979 | Vega$ | Eddie Stolvak | "The Day the Gambling Stopped" |
| 1980 | The Long Days of Summer | Duane Haley | TV movie |
| 1981 | Vega$ | Geddes | "Out of Sight" |
| 1981 | Quincy, M.E. | Customs Agent Brice | "Dear Mummy" |
| 1981 | American Dream | Coach Ritter | "American Dream" |
| 1981 | Trapper John, M.D. | Marty | "A Case of the Crazies" |
| 1982 | Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story | Uncle George | TV movie |
| 1982 | King's Crossing | Sheriff | "The Home Front" |
| 1982 | Hill Street Blues | Corrupt South Ferry Cop Loomis | 2 episodes |
| 1982 | Fame | Detective Kessler | "Tomorrow's Farewell" |
| 1982–1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Harvey Lacey | 110 episodes |
| 1983 | Bay City Blues | Clancy | 2 episodes |
| 1983 | The Winds of War | Ed, PBY Pilot | "Into the Maelstrom" |
| 1983 | Miss Lonelyhearts | Reverend Walker | TV movie |
| 1985 | Finder of Lost Loves | Dr. Arthur Barwell | "Final Analysis" |
| 1985 | Hostage Flight | DiSalvo | TV movie |
| 1986 | Welcome Home, Bobby | Geffin | TV movie |
| 1986 | The Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer | Chapel | TV movie |
| 1987 | Downpayment on Murder | Albert | TV movie |
| 1987 | The New Mike Hammer | Adam Simon | "Green Lipstick" |
| 1987 | Daddy | Mike Burnette | TV movie |
| 1988 | Police Story: Burnout | Captain Harrison | TV movie |
| 1988 | ABC Afterschool Special | Joe Farrell | "Date Rape" |
| 1989 | Snoops | Lieutenant Sam Akers | 4 episodes |
| 1989 | 227 | Nathan Pollack | "Jackée" |
| 1989 | Baby Cakes | Al | TV movie |
| 1989 | The Cover Girl and the Cop | Lieutenant Wingo | TV movie |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Lieutenant Martin McGinn | "The Grand Old Lady"' |
| 1990 | Nightmare on the 13th Floor | Sergeant Madden | TV movie |
| 1991 | In a Child's Name | Joe Silvano | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin | Jake Morrison | TV movie |
| 1992 | Murder, She Wrote | Patrick MacNair | "To the Last Will I Grapple with Thee" |
| 1992 | Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story | John Garner | TV movie |
| 1993 | Without Warning: Terror in the Towers | Jack McAllister | TV movie |
| 1994 | Roseanne: An Unauthorized Biography | Jerry Barr | TV movie |
| 1994 | MacShayne: Winner Takes All | Waldo Church | TV movie |
| 1994 | Cagney & Lacey: The Return | Harvey Lacey | TV movie |
| 1994–1995 | Mad About You | Gus Stemple | 3 episodes |
| 1995 | Murder, She Wrote | Superintendent Arthur Joyce | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Cagney & Lacey: Together Again | Harvey Lacey | TV movie |
| 1995 | Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling | Harvey Lacey | TV movie |
| 1996 | Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions | Harvey Lacey | TV movie |