Frank Bonner

## Appearances

### Appears in

Roles as Father Robert Hargis on the ABC-TV series Just the Ten of Us and Herb Tarlek on WKRP In Cincinnati

**Frank Bonner** (born **Frank Woodrow Boers Jr.**; February 28, 1942 – June 16, 2021) was an American actor and television director, widely known for his role as sales manager Herb Tarlek on the television sitcom *WKRP in Cincinnati*.

## Personal life

Bonner was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Mamie Grace (née Delahoussay) Boers, a singer, and Frank Woodrow Boers, a saxophonist. He grew up in Malvern, Arkansas.

In 1978, Bonner was injured in a parasailing accident at the El Mirage Lake Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, northeast of Los Angeles. He was approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) in the air, suspended under an ascendancy parachute, being pulled by a tow vehicle, when a sudden unexpected gust of wind collapsed the chute, causing him to fall to the lake bed and suffer internal injuries to his back. Subsequently, he appeared on crutches in episodes of *WKRP in Cincinnati* (the season 2 episode 'A Family Affair') and an All-Star Special episode of *Family Feud*.

Bonner was married to Sharon Gray from 1966–1971, actress Mary Alice Rings from 1972–1975, playwright Lillian Garrett-Groag from 1977–1980, Catherin M. Sherwood from 1981 until their divorce (date indeterminate), and Gayle Hardage, his former high school sweetheart, from 2006 until his death. He died on June 16, 2021 in Laguna Niguel, California of complications from Lewy body dementia.

Frank Bonner had five children (four biological), seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild at the time of his death. He had his daughter, Desiree Boers-Kort, with his first wife, Sharon Gray. He also had a step-daughter, DeAndra Freed, and three sons, Michael; Matthew; and Justin. His son, Michael, preceded him in death.

## Career

Bonner began acting in the experimental 1967 independent film *The Equinox...A Journey into the Unknown*, which was re-shot and re-edited as the 1970 cult classic *Equinox*, in which he is credited as Frank Boers Jr.

He later had several small roles in both film and television, including *Mannix* and *Love, American Style*. In 1978, he joined the cast of sitcom *WKRP in Cincinnati*, which became his signature role, as Herb Tarlek, the crass and ineffectual station advertising sales agent, also known for his garish plaid suits and white shoes.

Bonner appeared as a guest star in one episode of the sitcom *Night Court* in the 1980's. From 1988 to 1990, Bonner played the role of Father Hargis, headmaster of the fictional St. Augustine's Academy, on the TV show *Just the Ten of Us*, which was a spin-off of *Growing Pains*. He also appeared in one of the early episodes of the television show *Newhart*. He also reprised the role of Herb Tarlek in the 1991 spin-off *The New WKRP in Cincinnati* and in a 2004 rock video for Canadian indie rock band Rheostatics for the song *The Tarleks*, from their album *2067*.Template:Citation needed

After directing six episodes of *WKRP in Cincinnati*, he directed episodes of other television shows in the 1980's and 1990's, including *Who's the Boss?*, *Head of the Class*, *Evening Shade*, *Newhart*, and every episode of the NBC Saturday morning sitcom *City Guys*. Bonner also appeared in five episodes of *Saved by the Bell: The New Class*, while also directing four episodes.Template:Citation needed

### As director

8. ↑ Crowther, Linnea (June 17, 2021). Frank Bonner (1942–2021), “WKRP in Cincinnati” star. Retrieved on June 17, 2021.