| Charles Napier | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 12 1936 Scottsville, Kentucky |
Charles Napier (born April 12, 1936) is an American character actor, known for his portrayals of square-jawed tough guys and military types.
Contents |
Biography
Personal life
Napier was born in Scottsville, Kentucky to Liones Napier.[1] He served in the military with the 11th Airborne Division before becoming an actor. Napier is currently divorced and has two children Hunter and Meghan Napier. Napier and his family have, for many generations, enjoyed raising chinchillas. They are acclaimed worldwide for their knowledge and showmanship.
Career
Charles gave up a lucrative career as a professional squaredancer to move to Hollywood. Napier made his film debut in Russ Meyer's Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1970). Napier went on to play roles in several Meyer movies, including the homicidal Harry Sledge in Supervixens (1975). Napier is also a regular in Jonathan Demme-directed movies, including The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia. Some of Napier's memorable roles include Murdoch, the intelligence officer commanding Rambo in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Tucker McElroy, lead singer and driver of the Winnebago for "The Good Old Boys" in The Blues Brothers. He also provided some of The Hulk's growls on 1970s television series The Incredible Hulk. (The others were done by Ted Cassidy.) He also guest starred on the series and in the 1989 telefilm The Incredible Hulk Returns. He is well known among Star Trek fans for appearing on both Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Way to Eden", considered by most fans and critics the worst Star Trek episode ever made, and the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Little Green Men". Napier also provided the voice for Duke Phillips, the Ted Turner-inspired network owner in the 1990s animated series, The Critic. From 1997 through 2001, he provided the voice for Zed on Men in Black: The Series. He also has also provided several guest voices for episodes of The Simpsons. He provided the voice for the Sheriff on Squidbillies for season one and episodes 201 - 203, though uncredited. He was replaced by like-sounding Bobby Ellerbee. Recently, Napier has appeared in anti-smoking public service announcements in California. Despite having worked steadily for 35 years, he stated during an appearance as a guest on Dr. Phil that his career had not gone as well as he would have liked.[2] Napier will appear in the upcoming 2008 horror film Pearblossom along side Scout Taylor-Compton.
Filmography
- Pearblossom (2008)
- Annapolis (2006)
- Lords of Dogtown (2005)
- The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
- Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
- Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)
- Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
- The Big Tease (1999)
- Beloved (1998)
- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
- Steel (1997)
- The Cable Guy (1996)
- 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up (1995)
- Jury Duty (1995)
- Body Bags (1993) (TV)
- Philadelphia (1993)
- Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
- The Grifters (1990)
- Maniac Cop 2 (1990)
- Miami Blues (1990)
- Ernest Goes to Jail (1990)
- Married to the Mob (1988)
- Something Wild (1986)
- Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
- Swing Shift (1984)
- Knight Rider (1982) (TV)
- The Blue and the Gray (1982) (Miniseries)
- Melvin and Howard (1980)
- The Blues Brothers (1980)
- Supervixens (1975)
- Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
References
External links
- Charles Napier at the Internet Movie Database
- Charles Napier at the Voice Chasers Database
- Charles Napier article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki
- Charles Napier official site
Bibliography
- Paul, Louis (2008). "Charles Napier", Tales From the Cult Film Trenches; Interviews with 36 Actors from Horror, Science Fiction and Exploitation Cinema. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, p.180-185. ISBN 978-0-7864-2994-3.
