Richard Lineback

Richard D. Lineback (born February 4, 1952) is an American actor. He has performed in character roles in such blockbuster films as Speed, Twister and Varsity Blues. He played Deputy Dodd in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning.^[1]

Lineback has appeared in many roles on the stage, with leads that include Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, C.C. Showers in The Diviners, for which he won the Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Actor, and the title role in Mister Roberts.^[2]

He has also appeared in numerous guest appearance roles for television, including Romas in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Selin Peers in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Kessick in Star Trek: Enterprise. He also appeared in the role as Rev. Vernon Canty in two episodes of JAG.^[3]

Early life

He was born in Frankfurt, Germany, the son of American parents, Carl Mayo Lineback (1922–2004) and Dorothy Anne Darnall (1923–2008). His siblings are Robert B. Lineback (born 1953) and Carol A. Lineback (born 1955). His father was a physician and an officer in the U.S. Army assigned to the 97th General Hospital in Frankfurt. When he retired from active military service, in 1965, Dr. Lineback relocated with his family to Austin, Texas, where he established a private practice.^[4]

Richard Lineback graduated from John H. Reagan High School in Austin, Texas, in 1970. While in high school, he appeared in several student theatrical productions. After high school, he attended the University of Texas at Austin.^[5] He moved to Los Angeles, California, where he pursued an acting career.

Career

In 1975, Lineback joined the Colony Theatre Company, in Burbank, and was in the cast of the play The Grass Harp. Among the many productions he has appeared in, his roles include Eugene Gant in Look Homeward, Angel, Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, C.C. Showers in The Diviners, for which he won the Drama-Logue Award for Outstanding Actor, Dan White in Execution of Justice, and the title role in Mister Roberts.

His film debut was in the role as Steve Estes in the biopic/drama Joni (1980), the story of Joni Eareckson. He played Larry in the western/drama Hard Country (1981) with Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger. Lineback then played Deputy Dodd in the slasher/horror film Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985).

His numerous television guest appearances include roles in episodes of The Love Boat, M*A*S*H, The Waltons, Crazy Like a Fox, T. J. Hooker, Knight Rider, Matlock, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Hunter, China Beach, Dallas, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, NYPD Blue, Touched by an Angel, Star Trek: Enterprise and JAG. He also played the role as Billy in the Incident In a Small Jail segment of the television film Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985). He also played scheming businessman Wally Butler in the 1986 TV film Return to Mayberry.

Lineback played the role as Al LeFauve in the world premiere stage production of Baby Dance, co-starring Linda Purl and Stephanie Zimbalist, at the Pasadena Playhouse, for which he was nominated for the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Actor. He later reprised the role at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, in Massachusetts, and the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven.

In the film Natural Born Killers (1994), Lineback's character, Sonny, was the first redneck to be shot to death by the murderous couple, Mickey Knox (played by Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Knox (played by Juliette Lewis). In Twister (1996), his character Mr. Thornton (Jo Harding's father) was the victim of a raging tornado. He played an FBI special agent, McMurphy, in the crime/thriller The Jackal (1997), with Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, and Sidney Poitier.^[6]

Lineback recreated his role as Al LeFauve for the Showtime film The Baby Dance (1998) co-starring Stockard Channing and Laura Dern. In the horror film The Ring (2002) with Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson, Lineback played the innkeeper.

He resides in Los Angeles.

Filmography

TV Roles

References

External links

• Richard Lineback at the Internet Movie Database
• Richard Lineback at the Colony Theatre Website