Richard Lineback

Richard Lineback
Born (1952-02-04) February 4, 1952 (age 72)
Other namesRichard D. Lineback
OccupationActor
Years active1975–present

Richard D. Lineback (born February 4, 1952) is an American actor who appeared in the films 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 made numerous guest appearances 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 as the Rev. Vernon Canty in two episodes of JAG.[3] He also appeared in two episodes of M*A*S*H, playing different characters.

Early life

Lineback was born in Frankfurt as 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 in 1970, where he appeared in several student theatrical productions. After attending the University of Texas at Austin.,[5] he moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue 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. He appeared in many stage roles, including those of 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 the role of 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; then played Deputy Dodd in the slasher/horror film Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985).

His many television guest appearances include 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 Billy in the Incident In a Small Jail segment of the television film Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985), and played scheming businessman Wally Butler in the 1986 TV film Return to Mayberry.

Lineback appeared as Al LeFauve in the world premiere stage production of Baby Dance, co-starring Linda Purl and Stephanie Zimbalist, at the Pasadena Playhouse, and was nominated for the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for his performance. 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 performance as Al LeFauve for the Showtime film The Baby Dance (1998) co-starring Stockard Channing and Laura Dern. He played the innkeeper in the horror film The Ring (2002) featuring Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson.

Lineback resides in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Film

Title Release Genre Role Notes
Joni 1980 Biopic / Drama Steve Estes
Hard Country 1981 Western / Drama Larry
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning 1985 Slasher / Horror Deputy Dodd
Stewardess School 1986 Action / Comedy Sergeant Striker
Beyond the Next Mountain 1987 Adventure / Drama Mr. Young Man
Sommersby 1993 Mystery / Romance Timothy Fry
Speed 1994 Action / Thriller Sergeant Norwood
Natural Born Killers 1994 Crime Sonny
The Stars Fell on Henrietta 1995 Drama Les Furrows, Banker
Twister 1996 Action / Adventure Mr. Thornton
Tin Cup 1996 Comedy / Romance Curt
The Jackal 1997 Crime / Thriller FBI Special Agent McMurphy
After the Game 1997 Drama / Mystery "Slim", The Bartender
Hush 1998 Drama / Thriller Hal Bentall
Meet the Deedles 1998 Comedy Mr. Crabbe
Varsity Blues 1999 Comedy / Sport Joe Harbor
Ready to Rumble 2000 Comedy / Sport Mr. Boggs
The Ring 2002 Horror / Thriller Innkeeper

Television

Title Aired Genre Role Notes
M*A*S*H’' 12-03-1979 Comedy Eddie "Dear Uncle Abdul"
Riding for the Pony Express 1980 Western Willy Gomes
Gideon's Trumpet 1980 Drama Lester Wade
Death Ray 2000 1981 Action / Fantasy U.S. Army Enlisted Man
Johnny Belinda 1982 Drama Dan
M*A*S*H 1982 Comedy Private Scala "Trick or Treatment"
Ghost Dancing 1983 Drama Brian
Fatal Vision 1984 Drama MP Captain
Return to Mayberry 1986 Comedy Wally Butler
Matlock 1986 Legal Drama/Mystery Banning Pilot
Inherit the Wind 1988 Drama Sillers
Blind Vengeance 1990 Drama Edwin "Ed" Rentzell
Woman with a Past 1992 Drama Wayne
Somebody's Daughter 1992 Crime / Drama Fielder
The Stand 1994 Horror / Fantasy Poke
The Baby Dance 1998 Drama Al LeFauve
The King of Texas 2002 Western / Drama Warnell
Star Trek: Enterprise 2003 Sci-Fi Kessick "The Xindi"
McBride: Dogged 2007 Mystery Frank Sinclair
NCIS 2008; Episode: Heartland Crime/Drama Chuck Winslow

References

  1. ^ "Richard Lineback". IMDb. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  2. ^ "Colony Theatre Member Richard Lineback". colonytheatre.org. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  3. ^ TV.com. "Richard Lineback". TV.com. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  4. ^ Austin American-Statesman, Feb. 11, 2004, Obituary of Carl Mayo Lineback.
  5. ^ "Richard Lineback – Deputy Dodd". Friday the 13th Films. Archived from the original on 2003-07-23. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
  6. ^ "Richard Lineback". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2016-03-26.