Les Lannom

{{Infobox person

| name = Les Lannom

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|11|04}}

| birth_place = Johnston City, Illinois, U.S.

| birth_name = Leslie Thomas Lannom

| occupation = Actor, musician

| years_active = 1972–present

| alma mater = Southern Illinois University{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40328154/southern-illinoisan/|title=Police story roles: Lannom on TV|work=Southern Illinoisan|location=Carbondale, Illinois|date=December 7, 1973|access-date=February 27, 2022|page=17|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

| children = 1

}}

Leslie Thomas "Les" Lannom (born November 4, 1946, Johnston City, Illinois){{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/les_lannom|title=Les Lannom|work=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=February 27, 2022}} is an American voice artist and musician, and retired film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Lester Hodges in the American private detective television series Harry O from 1974 to 1976, and his role as Sergeant Casper in the 1981 film Southern Comfort.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/25/movies/southern-comfort.html|title=Southern Comfort|work=The New York Times|date=September 25, 1981|access-date=June 8, 2013|first=Vincent|last=Canby}}

Family

Les Lannom was born in Johnston City, Illinois in 1946, the only child of Dora ({{nee}} Stout; 1922{{endash}}2005) and Leslie Deneen Lannom (1922{{endash}}1949)[https://www.newspapers.com/article/southern-illinoisan-obituary-for-dora-ro/40334907/ Obituary: Dora Rosan Roach], newspapers.com. Accessed June 16, 2024. After his father's death, his mother married Edgar H. Roach on December 31, 1950. Edgar Roach died on November 3, 1989.

Les Lannom has one son, Leslie D. "Honcho" Lannom, and a granddaughter, Riley Lannom.

Career

Lannom played Larry Penzoss in the 1985 television miniseries Space and played Bufe Coker in the 1978 television miniseries Centennial. Both miniseries were based on James A. Michener novels. He appeared in part V of the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations as Jake, a gas station operator. He also appeared in the film Silkwood (1983). Lannom portrayed Sergeant Casper in Walter Hills Southern Comfort.

He made guest appearances on such series as Columbo, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, CHiPs, Benson, Knots Landing, The Waltons, The Streets of San Francisco, The Six Million Dollar Man, Cannon,The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Judging Amy, The X Files, ER, NYPD Blue, and The Larry Sanders Show, among

others.

From 2002 to 2006, he appeared onstage as Det. Brent Randall in Dark Legends in Blood. In 2007, he lent his considerable talent to the students of the Speech & Acting Team at his hometown high school in Johnston City, Illinois, acting as a volunteer assistant coach. In April 2008, he returned to the high school stage as "Vince Fontaine" in Grease.

An accomplished musician, Lannom plays bagpipes, guitar, trumpet, harmonica, and is a singer. He is currently enjoying semi-retirement in Johnston City, playing the pipes and teaming up with music partner, Holly Kee, to create the unique sound of ROISIN DUBH. Les and Holly teamed up as Narrator and Executive Producer of audiobooks for the Benjamin Tucker Mystery Series by author Harry James Krebs. The duo began a similar relationship with author Michael Phelps to produce audio versions for Phelps' two books about Lannom's friendship with Harry O co-star David Janssen for television director and producer, Jerry Thorpe.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/343969554/|title=More Fun For Les Lannom|first=Dick|last=Klener|work=The Times and Democrat|location=Orangeburg, South Carolina|date=March 11, 1976|access-date=February 27, 2022|page=18|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Closed access}} Most recently, he has been a voice actor to a website avatar, "Sport", on Pinnacle Sports.

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ Film
Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes
1972 \| Prime Cut \| O'Brien \|
1975 \| Framed \| Gary \|
1975 \| Stingray \| Elmo \| Alternative title: Abigail Wanted
1981 \| Southern Comfort \| Sgt. Casper \|it is Lannom's 'Casper' on the film's British DVD box cover; see IMDb*
1983 \| Silkwood \| Jimmy \|
1987 \| Like Father Like Son \| Coach Ellis \|
1988 \| Shoot to Kill \| Sheriff Dave Arnett \| Alternative title: Deadly Pursuit
1997 \| {{sortname\|The\|Pest\|dab=1997 film}} \| Bagpipe player \|

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Film

Year

! Film

! Role

! Notes

1972

| Prime Cut

| O'Brien

1975

| Framed

| Gary

1975

| Stingray

| Elmo

| Alternative title: Abigail Wanted

1981

| Southern Comfort

| Sgt. Casper

|*it is Lannom's 'Casper' on the film's British DVD box cover; see IMDb

1983

| Silkwood

| Jimmy

1987

| Like Father Like Son

| Coach Ellis

1988

| Shoot to Kill

| Sheriff Dave Arnett

| Alternative title: Deadly Pursuit

1997

| {{sortname|The|Pest|dab=1997 film}}

| Bagpipe player

class="wikitable sortable" \|+ Television
Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes
1972–74 \| Cannon \| \| 2 episodes
1973 \| Kung Fu \| \| 1 episode
1973 \| {{sortname\|The\|Rookies}} \| Gifford \| 1 episode
1973–76 \| Harry O \| Lester Hodges \| 6 episodes
1974 \| Chase \| Ron Whitsett \| 1 episode
1974 \| Hitchhike! \| Tim Moore \| Television film
1975 \| {{sortname\|The\|Streets of San Francisco}} \| Off. Kevin Bryce \| 1 episode
1975 \| Someone I Touched \| Frank \| Television film
1975 \| Death Scream \| Mr. Daniels \| Television film
1976 \| Jeremiah of Jacob's Neck \| Max \| Television film
1976 \| Most Wanted \| \| 1 episode
1977 \| Baa Baa Black Sheep \| \| 1 episode
1977 \| {{sortname\|The\|Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries}} \| George Tompkins \| 1 episode
1977 \| The Six Million Dollar Man \| \| 1 episode
1978 \| Lacy and the Mississippi Queen \| Webber \| Television film
1978 \| Zuma Beach \| Stan \| Television film
1978 \| Centennial \| Bufe Coker \| Miniseries
1978 \| Pearl \| Chief Looper \| Miniseries
1979 \| Elvis \| Sonny West \| Television film
1979 \| Roots: The Next Generations \| Jake \| Miniseries
1979 \| {{sortname\|The\|Waltons}} \| Sweet Billy \| 2 episodes
1980 \| Knots Landing \| Music \| 1 episode
1980 \| {{sortname\|The\|Chisholms\|nolink=yes}} \| Jerry O'Neal \| 1 episode
1980 \| Benson \| Bulldog \| 1 episode
1980 \| Gideon's Trumpet \| Bobby Earle \| Television film
1981 \| CHiPs \| Janos \| 1 episode
1984 \| {{sortname\|The\|Yellow Rose}} \| Earl Yates \| 1 episode
1985 \| Space \| Larry Penzos \| Miniseries
1985 \| Scarecrow and Mrs. King \| Russell Towne \| 1 episode
1987 \| Houston Knights \| \| 2 episodes
1988 \| Tour of Duty \| SSG Exley \| 1 episode
1988 \| Police Story: Gladiator School \| Mullins \| Television film
1990 \| Columbo: Columbo Goes to College \| Malloy \| Television film
1991 \| Sons and Daughters \| Bill Sanders \| 1 episode
1993 \| Johnny Bago \| Donovan Brother #1 \| 1 episode
1993 \| {{sortname\|The\|Larry Sanders Show}} \| Tech Guy, Stage hand \| 2 episodes
1996 \| Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman \| Rod Clemons \| 1 episode
1997 \| JAG \| Dart Thrower \| 1 episode
1997 \| Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction \| \| 1 episode
1997 \| NYPD Blue \| \| 1 episode
1999 \| Purgatory \| Bartender \| Television film
1999 \| ER \| Neslen \| 1 episode
1999 \| Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman: The Movie \| Ed Gordon \| Television film
1999 \| {{sortname\|The\|X-Files}} \| Deputy Foster \| episode: "Rush"
2000 \| Judging Amy \| David Chaskin \| 1 episode

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Television

Year

! Title

! Role

! Notes

1972–74

| Cannon

| 2 episodes

1973

| Kung Fu

| 1 episode