This sturdy, handsome blond performer first gained wide recognition as the manipulative, often sleazy egomaniacal divorce attorney Arnie Becker in the popular NBC TV series "L.A. Law" (1986-93). The son of soap actress Jeanne Cooper (who has reigned as Kay Chancellor on "The Young and the Restless" since 1973), he flirted with law or playwriting as a career while at UCLA, but his producer father, Harry Bernsen offered him a small role in the 1974 feature film "Three the Hard Way." He also had small roles in "King Kong" (1976) and "Eat My Dust" (1976). Working as a model, he also often appeared in soap opera fan magazines in articles written about his mother. Bernsen decided to move to New York to pursue writing as well as acting, paying for his acting lessons by building sundecks on rooftops and by modeling. He landed a two-year recurring role as Ken Graham on the popular daytime drama "Ryan's Hope" (ABC) and appeared Off-Broadway in "Lone Star". Returning to the West Coast, he found little work, save for a bit part in Blake Edwards' "S.O.B." (1981).
Five years later, he found TV stardom with "L.A. Law" and almost immediately, he was put into feature films. He played Shelley Long's husband who remarries after she dies, and is surprised a year later when she walks into his bedroom and says, "Hello Again" (1987). His work as Roger Dorn in "Major League" (1989) and its sequel (1994), was almost to type -- the pretty boy ladies' man worried about appearances. Bernsen was again cast opposite Long in "Frozen Assets" (1992), as the operator of a sperm bank. He also appeared in the ensemble comedy "Radioland Murders" (1994) before playing a tortured (literally) white man in "Tales From the Hood" (1995).
Despite great hopes for his feature film career, Bernsen found better opportunities on TV. He played Southern Poverty Law Center founder Morris Dees in "Line of Fire" (NBC, 1991) and also starred in the 1992 NBC miniseries "Grass Roots." He returned to series TV in 1995 in the short-lived sitcom "A Whole New Ballgame" (ABC), playing a major leaguer after the crowd leaves the stadium. In 1996, he took the leading role in "The Cape," a space-based action-thriller series syndicated worldwide. Although not known for his work in the theatre, Bernsen helped launch "The Theatre of the Night" in 1991 -- a troupe of established actors bringing stage productions to America. His first tour was with Kim Zimmer and included the Murray Schisgal plays, "The Typist" and "The Tiger."
Family
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Brother: Collin Bernsen. born on March 30, 1958; married to ex-model Cheryl Horton (born in 1963); parents of sons Weston Cooper Bernsen (born on March 24, 1990) and Harrison Charles Cooper (born on Setember 4, 1991)
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Father: Harry Bernsen. Divorced from Jeanne Cooper; died in 2008 at the age of 82
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Mother: Jeanne Cooper. born in 1928; veteran soap opera actor, on The Young and the Restless (has played four-times married, reformed alcoholic Katherine Chancellor since 1973); was nominated for an Emmy as Bernsen s domineering mother in a 1986 episode of L.A. Law ; had a supporting role in feature Frozen Assets (1992) starring Bernsen
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Sister: Caren Bernsen. born on August 17, 1960
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Son: Angus Moore Bernsen. born on March 19, 1992; twin of Henry
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Son: Finley Cooper Bernsen. born on June 9, 1998
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Son: Henry Pays Bernsen. born on March 19, 1992; twin of Angus
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Son: Oliver Miller Bernsen. born in March 14, 1989
Education
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University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, theater arts and playwriting, BA
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University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, theater arts and playwriting, MFA
Milestones
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1974 Made film debut in Three the Hard Way
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1984 Had regular role on the ABC soap opera Ryan s Hope
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1987 Had first starring role in a motion picture, Hello Again
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1989 Was one of the stars of Major League
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1991 Helped launch Theatre of the Night
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1991 Starred as legal rights activitist Morris Dees in Line of Fire (NBC)
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1995 Tried sitcoms with short-lived A Whole New Ballgame (ABC)
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1996 Had leading role in the USA Network movie Bloodhounds and its sequel Bloodhounds II
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1996 Had title role in The Dentist ; aired on HBO
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1997 Signed agreement with British-based Ardent Productions, which optioned Bernstein s first screenplay
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1998 Reprised role in The Dentist II ; also co-produced; aired on HBO
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1999 Acted in the TV-movie Two of Hearts and its sequel Young Hearts Unlimited (Fox Family Channel)
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2000 Signed to play Captain Von Trapp in touring production of The Sound of Music
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2002 Reprised role of Arnie Becker in L.A. Law: The Movie
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2004 Cast in the TV moive Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss starring Jamie-Lynn DiScala
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2005 Starred in the murder mystery Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang opposite Robert Downey Jr.; premiered at the Cannes Film Festival
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Moved to New York City, where he appeared Off-Broadway in Lone Star
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Professional debut as a baby; appeared as a girl in a commercial for Pepsi
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Rose to fame playing the amoral, womanizing but utterly charming attorney Arnold Becker on L.A. Law (NBC)
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Starred in syndicated action series The Cape