James Karen is an American actor. He played character roles. James not only acted in films, but also played on Broadway. He played his most famous role in The Return of the Living Dead.
Biography
The real name of the actor is Jacob Karnofsky. He was born on November 28, 1923 in Wilkes-Barr, USA and died on October 23, 2018 in Los Angeles. James was born into the family of a merchant. His parents were Jewish immigrants of Russian origin. Karen was educated at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater in New York.
James was married to Susan Reed. A former actress and folk singer became his wife. In 1967, there was a break. In 1986, Karen remarried to Abla Francesca. She and James played Hardbodies 2. Karen has one child and two grandchildren. The actor was nominated for Saturn for his role in the 1958 film Return of the Living Dead. Karen has an honorary award for his contribution to the cinema.
Career
Early in her acting career, Karen starred in the series How the World Turns. The plot focuses on the relationship between the inhabitants of a small town. The main roles in the melodrama were played by Colleen Zenk-Pinter, Kelly Menigan Hensley, Don Hutings, John Hensley and Eileen Fulton. He then landed the role of Paul in The Defenders. In 1965 he starred in the short drama Film. Throughout the whole picture, the back and arms of the protagonist are shown. He is afraid to see himself reflected in the mirror. The short film was presented at the London International Film Festival and the Athens Film Festival.
He then played Dr. Adam Steele in the fantasy horror film Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster. The main roles in the film were played by Marilyn Hanold, James Karen, Lou Catell and Nancy Marshall. Karen was invited to the detective series "Division 5-O", consisting of 12 seasons. Later he played in the melodramatic series All My Children. In the center of the plot is the main character and many of her husbands. Then he got the role of professor in the family fantasy adventure "Hercules in New York". James played one of the central characters. Other leading roles were played by Arnold Stang, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Deborah Loomis. The film tells the story of Hercules, the illegitimate son of Zeus, who travels to Olympus in New York.
Filmography
Among the most rated films and TV series with Karen's participation is "Fucking Service at Mesh Hospital." The military series has repeatedly won Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Then he played in the crime detective "Streets of San Francisco". The main roles in the series were played by Karl Malden, Michael Douglas, Ruben Collins and Richard Hatch. The film was nominated for an Emmy and Golden Globe.
Then Karen was invited to the detective series Starsky and Hutch. The main characters are plainclothes police officers who fight crime. In 1976, James played in the historical biographical thriller All the President's Men. The film was directed by Alan J. Pakula. The film tells how journalists influenced the attitude of Americans towards the government.
The following year, Karen landed a role in the US-UK co-produced thriller Capricorn One. This action-packed film stars Elliott Gould, James Brolin, Brenda Vaccaro and Sam Waterston. The plot tells about a staged flight to Mars. The film was nominated for Saturn. He later worked on the drama Premiere. This film tells the story of a Broadway star who fell into depression when she witnessed the death of one of her fans. The actress is haunted by the girl's ghost. The drama was nominated for a Golden Globe and won a prize at the Berlin Film Festival.
A year later, he could be seen in the crime drama "Fist". The picture describes the events of the 30s of the 20th century. The film was shown not only in the United States, but also in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Japan, France, Finland, Colombia, Argentina, Turkey and Greece. In 1979, James played Mac in the thriller Chinese Syndrome. The main roles in the drama were played by Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon and Michael Douglas. The plot revolves around a nuclear power plant, where an accident occurs during the reporting.
Later, Karen starred in the crime detective "Magnum Private Detective", which ran from 1980 to 1988. The protagonist is a Vietnam veteran who served in naval intelligence. After the war, he began to provide security for the wealthy. The series received an Emmy and a Golden Globe. The next rated film with James' participation was the 1982 thriller Poltergeist. The film was nominated for an Oscar, won the British Academy Prize and Saturn.
In the TV series Cheers, he played Ludlow. There were 11 seasons of this melodrama in total. Among the creators of the series are James Burroughs, Glen Charles, Les Charles. The action often takes place in a bar owned by one of the central characters. He then starred in the biographical drama Frances with Jessica Lange. The film covers the life and tragic fate of the American film actress of the 40s - Farmer. The film was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe.
Karen is later seen as Bobby in Who's the Boss? Tony Danza, Judith Light, Alyssa Milano and Danny Pintauro got the main roles. Then James played Miller in the series "Charles in Charge." This serial comedy follows a college student looking after neighborhood children. The actor played Frank in the horror film Return of the Living Dead. In this thriller he got one of the main roles. In the story, there were dangerous containers with zombies in the old medical warehouse. After one of the boxes opened, the poisonous gas began to revive the dead from the nearby cemetery. This fantastic horror film with comedy elements was nominated for a Saturn nomination. One of the last works of the actor is Martin from the drama "The Pursuit of Happyness". The film has been shown in many countries in Europe, Asia and America. He was also presented at the Pan African Film and Television Festival in Ouagadougou.
