Oliver Clark (born Richard Mardirosian; January 4, 1939) is an American character actor.[1]

Oliver Clark
Clark with Beverly Archer in We've Got Each Other, 1977
Born
Richard Mardirosian

(1939-01-04) January 4, 1939 (age 85)
OccupationActor
Years active1964–2003
RelativesTom Mardirosian (brother)

Early life

edit

Clark was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Afro (née Karahos) and Matthew Mardirosian.[citation needed] He is of Armenian heritage.[citation needed] His brother, Tom Mardirosian, is also an actor.

Career

edit

Clark made numerous appearances in film and television, particularly in the 1970s (notably as Mr. Farcus in the 1970 movie The Landlord, as Mr. Small in the 1971 film They Might Be Giants, and in the 1976 remake of A Star Is Born). Two of his best-known TV characters were John Doe #6 on the NBC drama St. Elsewhere, a likeable and humorous psychiatric patient, and Mr. Herd, a patient of psychologist Bob Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show, a long running CBS situation comedy. He played Mr. Belding in the original pilot of the series Good Morning, Miss Bliss but was subsequently replaced by Dennis Haskins.

Clark also played Roger Barton on an episode of The Golden Girls, and played Joe Carruthers, the man who later becomes Santa Claus, in the holiday comedy film Ernest Saves Christmas. He portrayed his Santa role again in the 1996 animated Christmas in Cartoontown.

Clark also appeared on two episodes of M*A*S*H, once as Hawkeye's college buddy, a Navy doctor on board an aircraft carrier off the Korean coast. Later Clark played another Benjamin Pierce who came to the 4077th to retrieve mail that Hawkeye had received in an Army mixup.

Clark also played roles on Barney Miller, appearing in six episodes. He was a regular on the 1975 situation comedy Karen. In 1977, he appeared in an episode of the ABC crime drama The Feather and Father Gang.

In 1995, he had a guest appearance on the sitcom Full House as DJ Tanner's (Candace Cameron-Bure) high school principal, Mr. Robolard, in the eighth-season episode "Up on the Roof".

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1970 End of the Road Dog Man
1970 The Landlord Mr. Farcus
1971 They Might Be Giants Mr. Small
1972 Deadhead Miles Durazno
1976 The Great Texas Dynamite Chase Officer Andy
1976 A Star Is Born Gary Danziger
1977 Billy Jack Goes to Washington Man with Students
1977 Fire Sale Mr. Blossom
1977 Another Man, Another Chance Evans
1980 The Last Married Couple in America Max Dryden
1983 Doctor Detroit Shaky Alcoholic Lawyer
1988 Ernest Saves Christmas Joe Carruthers
1996 Christmas in Cartoontown Santa Claus Voice
1999 Mystery Men Reverse Psychologist
1999 Crazy in Alabama Endora's Stand-in
2000 Lost Souls Mr. Silberman

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1968 N.Y.P.D. Novik Episode: "Naked in the Streets"
1972 Emergency! Homer Breedlove Episode: "Musical Mania"
1973 The Delphi Bureau Roly Poly Episode: "The Face That Never Was Project"
1973 Ghost Story Marks Episode: "Earth, Air, Fire and Water"
1973 Tenafly Sam Episode: "Joyride to Nowhere"
1973 Love, American Style Josef Episode: "Love and the Generation Gasp"
1974–1977 The Bob Newhart Show Mr. Ed Herd 9 episodes
1975 The Court Martial of Lieutenant William Calley Mr. Stover Television film
1975 The ABC Afternoon Playbreak Judd Moore Episode: "The Girl Who Couldn't Lose"
1975 Khan! Lincoln Episode: "A Game of Terror"
1975 The Rockford Files K. Julian Krubm Episode: "Just by Accident"
1975 Tony Orlando and Dawn Mate-O-Matic Date #1 Episode: "Ted Knight/Georgia Engel/Henry Aaron"
1975 Karen Jerry Siegel 2 episodes
1975 The Orphan and the Dude Oliver 'The Orphan' Smith Television film
1975 Cannon Various roles 2 episodes
1975–1982 Barney Miller Various roles 6 episodes
1976 The Blue Knight Charlie Episode: "The Creeper"
1976 Family T-Shirt Salesman Episode: "Monday Is Forever"
1976 Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers Salesman Episode: "Part IV"
1976–1977 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Dr. Fermin 30 episodes
1977–1978 We've Got Each Other Stuart Hibbard 13 episodes
1977, 1978 M*A*S*H Ben Pierce / Tippy Brooks 2 episodes
1978 Operating Room Dr Charles Webner Television film
1978 Fame Billy Dorfman
1979 Hanging by a Thread Eddie Minton
1981–1982 The Two of Us Cubby Royce 20 episodes
1982 Hart to Hart Dr. Oliver Jackson Episode: "Harts on Campus"
1982, 1989 Knots Landing Dr. McGee / Carl Berman 2 episodes
1983 I Take These Men Dr. Norman Krevoy Television film
1983 Voyagers! Sam Winthrop Episode: "Destiny's Choice"
1983 It Takes Two Ethan Episode: "Instinct"
1983 Small & Frye Oliver Episode: "The Case of the Concerned Husband"
1983 One Cooks, the Other Doesn't Danny Television film
1983 Happy Endings Murray Cramer
1983 Sawyer and Finn Railroad man
1983, 1984 Trapper John, M.D. Various roles 2 episodes
1984 Legmen Louis Dantley Episode: "Still Alive at Five"
1984 The Master Kendal Episode: "The Good, the Bad, and the Priceless"
1985 Night Court Nick Wilson Episode: "The Birthday Visitor"
1985 The Jeffersons Whitney Emmett Episode: "The Truth Hurts"
1985 Rockhopper Carl Seldon Television film
1985 Growing Pains Mr. Ellis Episode: "Standardized Test"
1985–1987 St. Elsewhere John Doe #6 8 episodes
1986 Shadow Chasers Oliver Wendell Holmes Episode: "Let's Make a Deal"
1986 The Twilight Zone Dr. Walter Pinkham Episode: "Tooth and Consequences"
1987 Good Morning, Miss Bliss Mr. Gerald Belding Episode: "Pilot"
1987, 1988 Mr. Belvedere Lloyd / Burt Bilinski 2 episodes
1988–1989 Santa Barbara Mario Tagliatti 7 episodes
1989 Nightlife Bill Television film
1989 Dear John Arthur Prescott Episode: "The Secret of Success"
1989 The Golden Girls Roger Episode: "Comedy of Errors"
1989–1990 Life Goes On Mr. Leighton 3 episodes
1993 Civil Wars Gerald Snyder Episode: "A Liver Runs Through It"
1995 Full House Principal Robolard Episode: "Up on the Roof"
1995 Land's End Mr. Green Episode: "The Curse of Willis"
1995–1997 Murder One Judge Douglas Harrigan 3 episodes
1997 George and Leo Oliver Episode: "The Cameo Episode"
1997 Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer Judge Douglas Harrigan 6 episodes
2000 Walker, Texas Ranger Dr. Lamarr Episode: "Thunderhawk"
2003 Ed Mr. Walsh Episode: "Business as Usual"

References

edit
  1. ^ Rooney, Jim. "Oliver Clark: Behind Closed Doors in NYC". Throomers. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
edit