Sam Anderson

{{short description|American actor (born 1947)}}

{{About|the American actor|other people|Samuel Anderson (disambiguation){{!}}Samuel Anderson}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Sam Anderson

| image = Sam Anderson cropped2.jpg

| caption = Anderson in 2006

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1946}} or {{birth year and age|1947}}

| birth_place = Clark, South Dakota, U.S.

| alma_mater = University of North Dakota, Antelope Valley College

| occupation = Actor

| yearsactive = 1969–present

| spouse =

| children = 2https://www.inforum.com/lifestyle/arts-and-entertainment/north-dakota-actor-playing-kathy-bates-husband-in-matlock-calls-the-show-a-gift

}}

Sam Anderson (born c. 1946/1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his character roles such as Sam Gorpley on Perfect Strangers, Principal Willis DeWitt on Growing Pains, Holland Manners on Angel, dentist Bernard Nadler on Lost, Doctor Harad in Friends, and in film, as the principal in Forrest Gump.{{cite book |last1=Stafford |first1=Nikki |title=Once Bitten: An Unofficial Guide to the World of Angel |date=2004 |publisher=ECW Press |isbn=978-1-5502-2654-6 |page=148 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b1QYV6ztm7wC&pg=PA148}}{{cite web |title=Sam Anderson |url=https://roadtheatre.org/member/sam-anderson/ |website=roadtheatre.org |publisher=The Road Theatre Company}}

Early life

Anderson was born in Clark, South Dakota and grew up in Wahpeton, North Dakota.{{cite news|url=https://www.inforum.com/lifestyle/arts-and-entertainment/north-dakota-actor-playing-kathy-bates-husband-in-matlock-calls-the-show-a-gift|title=North Dakota actor playing Kathy Bates' husband in 'Matlock' calls the show 'a gift'|access-date=November 10, 2024}} He received a Master of Arts degree in American literature and creative writing at the University of North Dakota and the University of Wisconsin.{{cite news |last1=Arkatov |first1=Janice |title=Sam Anderson Finds ‘Nirvana’ on His Road to Fame and Fortune |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-08-ca-1169-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 8, 1992}} During the 1970s, he taught drama at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California.

Career

Anderson is best known for his roles as mailroom supervisor Mr. Gorpley on Perfect Strangers, Mike Seaver's adversarial Principal DeWitt on Growing Pains, a chief of Cardiology on ER, the lawyer Holland Manners on the first two seasons of Angel{{cite book |last1=Stafford |first1=Nikki |title=Finding Lost: The Unofficial Guide |date=2006 |publisher=ECW Press |isbn=978-1-5549-0276-7 |page=295 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=waVCqzL8b4kC&pg=PA295}} and as Bernard on Lost.{{cite web |last1=Rosenfield |first1=Kat |last2=Boone |first2=Brian |title=The cast of Forrest Gump has changed a lot since 1994 |url=https://www.looper.com/40511/cast-forrest-gump-looks-like-today/ |website=Looper.com |date=May 6, 2017}} In addition, he was one of the recurring actors on various episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati, playing various roles, including an immigration officer in the episode "The Americanization of Ivan". In film, he notably played the school principal in Forrest Gump.{{cite news |title=A century at the Burtness |url=https://www.grandforksherald.com/entertainment/2135574-century-burtness |work=Grand Forks Herald |date=September 8, 2010}}

Anderson is also known as the assistant manager of the Hotel Royale in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Royale", and as Doctor Harad in Friends. His other guest-starring roles include Remington Steele, Hill Street Blues, The Golden Girls, Murder, She Wrote, Picket Fences, The West Wing, Everybody Loves Raymond, and many other shows. Anderson guest-starred in Season 8 of NCIS as Walter Carmichael, a middle school teacher whose classroom becomes a crime scene where one of his students is kidnapped.{{cite web|url= http://www.tvguide.com/News/NCIS-Sam-Anderson-1022731.aspx= |title=Exclusive: Which Lost Castaway Is Crashing onto NCIS?|publisher=TVGuide.com|access-date=September 8, 2010}}

Anderson's most recent (2024) role is being a part of the reboot of the Matlock series on CBS. He plays the husband (Edwin) of Kathy Bates character Matty Matlock.{{Cite web |title=Sam Anderson Role on Matlock |url=https://x.com/TerryDullum/status/1833122159746548183}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

1979

|The Swap

|Paul

|

rowspan=2|1982

|Airplane II: The Sequel

|Man in white

|

The Tragedy of King Lear

|Duke of Albany

|

1985

|Movers & Shakers

|Ray Berg

|

1987

|La Bamba

|Mr. Ludwig

|

1988

|Critters 2: The Main Course

|Mr. Morgan

|

1990

|Dark Angel

|Warren

|

1992

|Memoirs of an Invisible Man

|Chairman of the House Committee

|

rowspan=2|1994

|Forrest Gump

|Principal

|

The Puppet Masters

|Culbertson

|

1997

|After the Game

|Jimmy Walsh

|

1998

|Permanent Midnight

|Dr. Olsen

|

1999

|Sonic Impact

|Alex Holmes

|

rowspan=2|2000

|The Independent

|Ed

|

The Distance

|John Harrison

|

2002

|Slackers

|Charles Patton

|

2003

|The Commission

|Dr. Robert Roeder Shaw

|

2004

|50 Ways to Leave Your Lover

|George

|

2005

|Touched

|Dr. Reynolds

|

2006

|Dirty Habit

|Bishop

|

2011

|Water for Elephants

|Mr. Hyde

|

rowspan=2|2012

|3, 2, 1... Frankie Go Boom

|Dad (Chris)

|

Breaking the Girls

|Professor Nolan

|

2014

|Devil's Due

|Father Thomas

|

rowspan=2|2016

|Do You Take This Man

|Steven

|

Ouija: Origin of Evil

|Mr. Browning

|

2017

|Maybe Someday

|Douglas Donnelly

|

2018

|Song of Back and Neck

|Jarred Foxen

|

2021

|Echoes of Violence

|Conroy

|

2022

|Where the Crawdads Sing

| mid-70s Tate Walker

|

= Television =

class="wikitable sortable"

|+

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

1978

|Police Story

|Jaques

|Episode: "The Broken Badge"

1979–1981

|WKRP in Cincinnati

|Various roles

|4 episodes

1980

|The Stockard Channing Show

|Arnold

|Episode: "Catch a Falling Star"

rowspan=5|1983

|St. Elsewhere

|Mr. McGrath

|Episode: "Dog Day Hospital"

Gloria

|Mr. Copley

|Episode: "An Uncredited Woman"

Murder 1, Dancer 0

|Paul Iberville

|TV movie

Remington Steele

|Store manager

|Episode: "Altared Steele"

Policewoman Centerfold

|Druggist

|TV movie

rowspan=5|1984

|Blue Thunder

|Benjamin Kelty

|Episode: "Arms Race"

T. J. Hooker

|Leo Santee

|Episode: "Death Strip"

Mama Malone

|Stanley, the announcer

|11 episodes

E/R

|Mr. Dobbs

|Episode: "All's Well That Ends"

Hill Street Blues

|Kenny Sterling

|Episode: "Last Chance Salon"

rowspan=8|1985

|Hotel

|Lon Schaeffer

|Episode: "Fallen Idols"

Magnum, P.I.

|Ray Jones / John Doe

|Episode: "Ms. Jones"

Dallas

|Inspector Frank Howard

|2 episodes

Tales from the Darkside

|Dr. Synapsis

|Episode: "Bigalow's Last Smoke"

Hunter

|Vinny Cochran

|Episode: "Case X"

Newhart

|Larry's supporter

|Episode: "Candidate Larry"

Simon & Simon

|Ellis

|Episode: "Down-Home Country Blues"

Eye to Eye

|Walter Briggs

|Episode #1.6

rowspan=5|1986

|Hardcastle and McCormick

|Teddy Peters

|Episode: "McCormick's Bar and Grill"

Valerie

|Customer

|Episode: "This Son for Hire"

Rowdies

|George Modell

|TV movie

You Again?

|Judge

|Episode: "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Traffic Lights"

The Golden Girls

|Meyer

|Episode: "'Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas"

1986–1992

|Growing Pains

|Principal Willis Dewitt

|13 episodes

1986–1992

|Perfect Strangers

|Mr. Sam Gorpley / Harrison Harper

|37 episodes

rowspan=4|1987

|Cagney & Lacey

|Mike

|Episode: "Easy Does It"

What's Happening Now!!

|Ingraham

|Episode: "Raj on the Double"

The Charmings

|Dr. Peters

|Episode: "Pilot"

Buck James

|Elias Turner

|Episode: "Sins of the Father"

1988

|21 Jump Street

|Dan Finger

|Episode: "School's Out"

rowspan=3|1989

|Star Trek: The Next Generation

|Assistant manager

|Episode: "The Royale"

Hooperman

|Dr. Lazlo

|Episode: "Dog Day Afternoon, Morning and Night"

Alien Nation

|Thomas Edison

|Episode: "The Game"

1990 & 1991

|Uncle Buck

|Kroger

|2 episodes

1991

|Married People

|Beiderman

|Episode: "You Were Right and I Was..."

1991–1993

|L.A. Law

|D.D.A. Bill Graphia

|4 episodes

rowspan=2|1992

|The New WKRP in Cincinnati

|Floyd Castro

|Episode: "Mama Was a Rolling Stone"

Jake and the Fatman

|Arnie Crane

|Episode: "Nightmare"

1992–1995

|Picket Fences

|FBI Agent Donald Morrell

|7 episodes

rowspan=3|1993

|A Place to Be Loved

|Judge Thomas S. Kirk

|Television film

Danger Theatre

|Andre the Gourmet

|Episode: "An Old Friend for Dinner"

Melrose Place

|Agent Hill

|2 episodes

1993–1996

|Murder, She Wrote

|Various roles

|4 episodes

rowspan=5|1994

|In the Heat of the Night

|Drew Ward

|Episode: "Maybelle Returns"

Confessions: Two Faces of Evil

|Father Dominic

|TV movie

The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.

|Simon Wolfe

|Episode: "Brooklyn Dodgers"

The Stand

|Whitney Horgan

|Miniseries

Thunder Alley

|Mr. Riley

|Episode: "Speak No Evil"

1994 & 2000

|Diagnosis: Murder

|Dr. Hjortsberg / Ernie Pitt

|3 episodes

1994–2007

|ER

|Dr. Jack Kayson

|20 episodes

rowspan=2|1995

|Pointman

|Phil Lettamar

|Episode: "Trading Up in the Pale Moonlight"

Live Shot

|Marvin Seaborne

|13 episodes

rowspan=8|1996

|The Man Next Door

|Dwight Cooley

|TV movie

Nowhere Man

|The Man

|Episode: "Through a Lens Darkly"

Norma Jean & Marilyn

|Doctor

|TV movie

The Cape

|Kevin Davis, Capcom

|Episode: "Pilot"

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters

|Farrig / Kid #1

|Episode: "Festival of the Festering Moon/Simon's Big Score"

High Incident

|Gulliksen

|Episode: "Who'll Stop the Bombs?"

Boston Common

|President Butterfield / Wesley Butterfield

|7 episodes

Millennium

|Agent Jack Pierson

|Episode: "522666"

rowspan=6|1997

|The Jeff Foxworthy Show

|Mr. Hertford

|Episode: "Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks"

The Sleepwalker Killing

|Roth Lane

|Television film

The Visitor

|Army General

|Episode: "The Devil's Rainbow"

Fame L.A.

|Larry Peters

|Episode: "Seize the Day"

Rugrats

|Salesman / Announcer

|Episode: "Ransom of Cynthia/Turtle Recall"

The Pretender

|Dr. Curtis

|Episode: "Over the Edge"

rowspan=7|1998

|The Pentagon Wars

|Congressman #2

|Television film

Chicago Hope

|Howard Sherwood

|Episode: "Liver, Hold the Mushrooms"

From the Earth to the Moon

|Thomas O. Paine

|2 episodes

The X-Files

|Leamus

|Episode: "The Pine Bluff Variant"

Prey

|Dr. Ian Copeland

|2 episodes

Friends

|Dr. Harad

|Episode: "The One Hundredth"

Fantasy Island

|Mr. Gable

|Episode: "Wishboned"

rowspan=3|1999

|Ally McBeal

|Mark Harrison

|Episode: "In Dreams"

NetForce

|Fox

|TV movie

Profiler

|Ken Harker

|Episode: "Seduction"

rowspan=2|2000

|Two Guys and a Girl

|Dr. Harvey

|Episode: "Love Shack"

The West Wing

|John LaSalle

|Episode: "Shibboleth"

2000–2001

|Angel

|Holland Manners

|8 episodes

rowspan=2|2001

|The Fighting Fitzgeralds

|Judge Flanagan

|Episode: "One Angry Man"

JAG

|Consulate General Raymond Dart

|Episode: "Guilt"

rowspan=9|2002

|First Monday

|Kristen Bremerton's Attorney

|Episode: "Age of Consent"

The Chronicle

|Dr. Emmanuel Fickas

|Episode: "I See Dead Fat People"

Everybody Loves Raymond

|Special Agent Thomas Garfield

|Episode: "Lucky Suit"

The Court

|White House Counsel Reinhart

|Episode: "Life Sentence"

Family Law

|Carlisle Tucker

|Episode: "Admissions"

Wolf Lake

|Arthur Van Halen

|Episode: "If These Wolves Could Talk"

Pasadena

|Dr. Paul Darwell

|3 episodes

CSI: Miami

|Scott Sommer

|Episode: "Golden Parachute"

Presidio Med

|Andy Sloan

|Episode: "Pick Your Battles"

rowspan=5|2003

|Judging Amy

|Gordon Kirby

|Episode: "The Best Interests of the Child"

Without a Trace

|Congressman Whitehurst

|Episode: "Kam Li"

Boomtown

|Scott Dawson

|2 episodes

Miracles

|Cinda's Father

|Episode: "Mother's Daughter"

Secret Santa

|Mr. Gibson

|Television film

2003–2004

|Married to the Kellys

|Bill Kelly

|21 episodes

2004

|CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

|Dr. Mercer

|Episode: "Ch-Ch-Changes"

rowspan=3|2005

|Boston Legal

|Boston Legal

|Episode: "From Whence We Came"

Malcolm in the Middle

|Police Commissioner

|Episode: "Billboard"

Medium

|Dr. Eliot Peterson

|Episode: "Time Out of Mind"

2005–2010

|Lost

|Bernard Nadler

|21 episodes

rowspan=2|2006

|Cold Case

|Ted Robinson

|Episode: "Joseph"

CSI: NY

|Dr. Richards

|Episode: "And Here's to You, Mrs. Azrael"

2007

|K-Ville

|Mr. Dubois

|Episode: "Pilot"

rowspan=3|2009

|Leverage

|Henry Retzing

|Episode: "The Snow Job"

Grey's Anatomy

|Michael Whitman

|Episode: "Before and After"

Criminal Minds

|Dr. Rawlings

|Episode: "House on Fire"

rowspan=3|2010

|The Forgotten

|Train engineer

|Episode: "Train Jane"

Memphis Beat

|Councilman Orland

|Episode: "Don't Be So Cruel"

NCIS

|Walter Carmichael

|Episode: "Worst Nightmare"

rowspan=6|2012

|Hawaii Five-0

|Owen Sutherland

|Episode: "Ka Ho' Oponopono"

Work It

|Dr. Keith Sorenson

|Episode: "Shake Your Moneymaker"

Harry's Law

|Judge William Rothman

|Episode: "Judge William Rothman"

Men at Work

|James Wilson

|Episode: "Inventing Milo"

NCIS: Los Angeles

|Senator Dick Osborne

|Episode: "Dead Body Politic"

Scandal

|Melvin Feen

|Episode: "Spies Like Us"

2013

|Dallas

|Dr. David Gordon

|2 episodes

2013–2014

|Justified

|Lee Paxton

|9 episodes

rowspan=4|2014

|Castle

|Principal Dunnan

|Episode: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Grimm

|Rolek Porter / Old Man

| rowspan="3" |2 episodes

Chasing Life

|Gerald Rayburn

Bones

|Hugo Sanderson

2016

|Damien

|Professor Igor Reneus

|Episode: "The Beast Rises"

rowspan=2|2017

|Doubt

|Judge Jonah Porter

|Episode: "Then and Now"

This Is Us

|Judge Walter Crowder

|Episode: "The Most Disappointed Man"

2018

|American Woman

|Raymond Turner

|Episode: "Changes and the New Normal"

2019

|How to Get Away with Murder

|Thomas Fitzgerald

|Episode: "I'm the Murderer"

2023

|Painkiller

|Raymond Sackler

|6 episodes

2024

|Matlock

|Edwin

|4 episodes

Awards and nominations

Ovation Awards

  • 2019: Nominated for Lead Actor in a Play for the role of Ichabod Banks in the Road Theatre Company production of The Bird and Mr. Banks{{cite news|title=Ovation Nominees|url=http://www.lastagetimes.com/ovation-nominees/|date=October 20, 2009}}

References

{{Reflist}}