A former child actor with the National Shakespeare Festival Ontkean first came to prominence in the TV series "The Rookies" (ABC, 1972-74). He has appeared in several films, notably opposite Paul Newman in "Slap Shot" (1977) and in the tame homosexual love story "Making Love" (1982), which reunited him with his TV wife Kate Jackson. He is best known to contemporary audiences as straight-arrow police chief Harry S. Truman in David Lynch's TV soap-opera-with-a-twist, "Twin Peaks" (1990). He reprised the role in Lynch's 1992 feature "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me". Ontkean also has appeared in many TV movies including opposite Jodie Foster in the WWII thriller "The Blood of Others" (HBO, 1984) and memorably as an accused murderer in "In a Child's Name" (CBS, 1991).
Family
Education
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University of New Hampshire, theater arts, 1970
Milestones
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1971 Brought to Hollywood by director and fellow Canadian Norman Jewison to test (unsuccessfully) for "Fiddler on the Roof"
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1971 Moved to California; feature acting debut, "The Peace Killers"
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1972 TV acting debut in series, "The Rookies"
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1990 Starred as Sheriff Harry S. Truman in TV series, "Twin Peaks"
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1994 Starred opposite Jaclyn Smith in Danielle Steel's "Family Album"
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2004 Starred in the Fox drama "North Shore"
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First appeared on stage at age three with father's repertory company in British Columbia
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Moved to Maine on hiatus from acting; re-entered acting with "Slap Shot" (1977)
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Moved with family to Toronto at age nine; worked regularly for the CBC, the National Film Board and the Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Festival
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Played for St Michael's (Toronto Maple Leafs farm club) and for semi-pro teams in Quebec and Vancouver (NY Rangers farm clubs)