John Karlen facts for kids

John Karlen (born John Adam Karlewicz; May 28, 1933 – January 22, 2020) was an American character actor. A character actor is someone who often plays unusual or interesting supporting roles instead of the main hero. He was well-known for playing many different characters in the TV show Dark Shadows from 1967 to 1971.

In 1971, Karlen was the main male actor in the movie Daughters of Darkness. He also played Harvey Lacey, the husband of Mary Beth Lacey (played by Tyne Daly), in the CBS crime TV series Cagney & Lacey from 1982 to 1988. Later, Karlen returned to play "Willie Loomis" in new Dark Shadows audio stories.

John Karlen's Early Life and Acting Start

John Karlen was born on May 28, 1933, in Brooklyn, a part of New York City. His parents were Helen Agnes and Adam Marion Karlewicz. His family had Polish roots.

He earned a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, which is a school for actors. He started acting in early television shows like From These Roots and Kraft Television Theatre. His first stage play was Sweet Bird of Youth in 1959.

Becoming a Star on Dark Shadows

John Karlen acted in many plays and TV shows before he got one of his most famous roles in 1967. This was in the daytime TV show Dark Shadows. His character, Willie Loomis, was very important. Willie was the one who opened the coffin and let the vampire Barnabas Collins out. This event started many of the exciting stories in the series.

Karlen stayed with Dark Shadows for 182 episodes until 1971. He played several different characters on the show. Besides Willie, he also played Carl Collins, William H. Loomis, Desmond Collins, and Kendrick Young. In the 1971 movie Night of Dark Shadows, he played Alex Jenkins. Other actors from the Dark Shadows TV show were also in this movie.

While he was not on Dark Shadows in the late 1960s, he appeared in other shows. These included Love Is a Many Splendored Thing as Jock Porter and Hidden Faces as Sharkey Primrose. He also reunited with his Dark Shadows co-stars for the 1970 movie House of Dark Shadows, where he played Willie Loomis again.

Success in Cagney & Lacey

After Dark Shadows, Karlen made many guest appearances on different TV shows. In 1982, he got another big role as Harvey Lacey. Harvey was the husband of Mary Beth Lacey, played by Tyne Daly, in the show Cagney & Lacey.

He appeared in 110 episodes of this show over six years. John Karlen even won an Emmy Award in 1986 for his great acting as Harvey Lacey. He was also nominated for this award two other times, in 1985 and 1987.

Karlen also acted in many movies. He played Harvey Lacey again in four Cagney & Lacey TV movies. These included Cagney & Lacey: The Return in 1994, Cagney & Lacey: Together Again and Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling in 1995, and Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions in 1996.

John Karlen's Family and Later Life

In 1963, John Karlen married Betty Karlen, who was an acting teacher. They had one child, a son named Adam, who was born in 1966. They later divorced in 1998.

John Karlen passed away from heart failure on January 22, 2020. He was 86 years old and died in Burbank, California.

Selected Film and Television Roles

John Karlen had a long career in both movies and television. Here are some of his notable roles:

Movies

Television Shows