John Karlen
| John Karlen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
John Adam Karlewicz May 28, 1933 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1957–2010 |
| Spouse(s) | Betty Karlen (1963-1998; divorced); 1 son |
John Karlen (born John Adam Karlewicz; May 28, 1933) is an American character actor who played multiple roles (Willie Loomis, Carl Collins, William H. Loomis, Desmond Collins, Alex Jenkins and Kendrick Young) on the ABC serial Dark Shadows, in various episodes between 206 and 1245, which aired from 1966-1971.
In 1971 Karlen starred as the male lead in Daughters of Darkness. He played Harvey Lacey, husband of Mary Beth Lacey (played by Tyne Daly), on the CBS crime series Cagney & Lacey (1982-88). Karlen recently reprised the role of "Willie Loomis" for a new series of Dark Shadows audio dramas, produced by Big Finish Productions.
Karlen was born May 28, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Helen-Agnes (née Balondowicz) and Adam Marion Karlewicz. He is of Polish descent. He enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on a scholarship. His first acting experiences were on early television productions such as From These Roots and Kraft Television Theatre. His stage career began in 1959 in Sweet Bird of Youth.
He accumulated roles on both stage and television before winning one of his signature roles in 1967 in the daytime serial Dark Shadows. It was Karlen's pivotal character of Willie Loomis who released vampire Barnabas Collins from his coffin, setting off the events of the series. Karlen would stay with the television series for 182 episodes, playing various characters through 1971. He departed the show on two different occasions. While not appearing on Dark Shadows during those times, he appeared on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing as Jock Porter and Hidden Faces as Sharkey Primrose. He reunited with his Dark Shadows co-stars for the 1970 House of Dark Shadows as Willie Loomis, and in 1971 with Night of Dark Shadows as Alex Jenkins.
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