Michael Parks
Encyclopedia
Michael Parks is an American actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

 and singer. He has appeared in almost fifty films and has made frequent TV appearances, but is probably best known for his work in recent years with Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...

, Robert Rodriguez
Robert Rodriguez
Robert Anthony Rodríguez is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician. He shoots and produces many of his films in his native Texas and Mexico. He has directed such films as Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn, The Faculty, Spy Kids, Sin City, Planet...

, and Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...

 as well as the 1969 television series Then Came Bronson
Then Came Bronson
Then Came Bronson is a short-lived adventure/drama television series that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1970, and was produced by MGM Television. The series, created by Denne Bart Petitclerc, began with a movie pilot on Monday, March 24, 1969. The series was greenlit for one year and began its first...

.

Personal life

Parks was born Harry Samuel Parks in Corona, California
Corona, California
Corona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census...

 to a truck driver father. He drifted from job to job during his teenage years. He was married at the age of 15.

Career

Parks first gained recognition in the role of Adam
Adam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...

 in John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...

's The Bible: In the Beginning
The Bible: In The Beginning
The Bible: In the Beginning is a 1966 Biblical epic film recounting the first 22 chapters of the Book of Genesis. It was a joint American/Italian production conceived by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Huston. The music score is by Toshirô Mayuzumi. The production was photographed by...

(1966) and as the star of the television series Then Came Bronson
Then Came Bronson
Then Came Bronson is a short-lived adventure/drama television series that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1970, and was produced by MGM Television. The series, created by Denne Bart Petitclerc, began with a movie pilot on Monday, March 24, 1969. The series was greenlit for one year and began its first...

from 1969 to 1970. He also sang the theme song for the show, "Long Lonesome Highway," which became a #20 Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 and #41 Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

 hit. Albums he recorded under MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...

 (the label of the studio which produced the series) include Closing The Gap (1969), Long Lonesome Highway (1970), and Blue. He also had various 45 rpm records of songs included on these albums. Other early roles included an appearance in two NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

 series, the legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...

 Sam Benedict
Sam Benedict
Sam Benedict is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from September 1962 to March 1963. The series was created and executive produced by E. Jack Neuman....

in the role of Larry Wilcox in the 1962 episode entitled "Too Many Strangers" and the medical drama
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...

 The Eleventh Hour
The Eleventh Hour (1962 TV series)
The Eleventh Hour is an American medical drama about psychiatry starring Wendell Corey, Jack Ging, and Ralph Bellamy, which aired sixty-two new episodes plus selected rebroadcasts on NBC from October 3, 1962, to September 9, 1964.-Series premise:...

, in the role of Mark Reynolds in the 1963 segment "Pressure Breakdown." He also appeared in The China Lake Murders
The China Lake Murders
The China Lake Murders is a television movie starring Tom Skerritt. This 1990 film is about a small desert town that experiences a series of murders. The film was rated PG-13.-Synopsis:...

and Stranger by Night, having portrayed a police officer in both.

He subsequently played Philip Colby during the second season (1986–1987) of Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...

spin-off series The Colbys
The Colbys
The Colbys is an American prime time soap opera, which originally aired on ABC from November 20, 1985 to March 26, 1987. The Aaron Spelling-produced series was a spin-off of Dynasty, which had been the highest rated series for the 1984-1985 U.S. television season...

.

He appeared as Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 mob boss Tommy O'Shea in Death Wish V: The Face of Death
Death Wish V: The Face of Death
Death Wish V: The Face of Death is a 1994 action thriller, and the fourth and final sequel to the 1974 film Death Wish.Star Charles Bronson returned to reprise the role of Paul Kersey one final time for this, his final theatrical starring role in the industry.The film is produced by 21st Century...

(1994), French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

-Canadian drug runner Jean Renault in the television series Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...

, Doctor Banyard in Deceiver
Deceiver (film)
Deceiver, also known as Liar, or Reisser, or even BSer , is a 1997 murder mystery film. It won Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay at the 1997 Stockholm Film Festival, and the Special Jury Prize at the 1998 Cognac Police Film Festival.-Plot:Textile company heir James Wayland is accused of...

(1997), Texas Ranger Earl McGraw
Earl McGraw
Earl McGraw is a fictional character played by Michael Parks. He appears in several feature films by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.-Overview:...

 in From Dusk Till Dawn
From Dusk Till Dawn
From Dusk till Dawn is a 1996 horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino. The movie stars Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino and Juliette Lewis.-Plot:...

(1996), which was written by Tarantino and directed by Rodriguez, and then took a leading role as Ambrose Bierce in its straight-to-video prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...

 From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter is a 2000 American horror film, a prequel to the 1996 film From Dusk till Dawn. It was released straight to video and nominated for the Best Home Video Release Saturn Award.-Plot:...

(2000). He also played two roles in Tarantino's Kill Bill
Kill Bill
Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....

, reprising Earl McGraw
Earl McGraw
Earl McGraw is a fictional character played by Michael Parks. He appears in several feature films by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.-Overview:...

 in Vol. 1, and playing Esteban Vihaio in Vol. 2. He has most recently reprised the role of Earl McGraw in both segments of the Tarantino/Rodriguez film Grindhouse.

His son, James Parks
James Jean Parks
-Biography:His roles include Texas Ranger Edgar McGraw in From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, Kill Bill and Death Proof. Earl McGraw, the father of Edgar McGraw, is played by James' real life father, Michael Parks. He portrayed Deputy Gilber in the French horror film Rubber...

, is also an actor. He has played the son of his father's character, Earl McGraw, four times: Kill Bill, From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money
From Dusk till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money is a 1999 American horror film and the sequel to From Dusk till Dawn. It was co-written and directed by Scott Spiegel, co-writer of Evil Dead 2 and director of Intruder....

, Death Proof
Death Proof
Death Proof is a 2007 American action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film centers on a psychopathic stunt man who stalks young women before murdering them in staged car accidents using his "death-proof" stunt car...

and Planet Terror
Planet Terror
Planet Terror is a 2007 American action horror film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, about a group of people attempting to survive an onslaught of zombie-like creatures as they feud with a military unit, including a go-go dancer searching for a way to use her "useless talents." The film, a...

.

In July 2010, at the San Diego Comic Con, filmmaker Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...

 announced that Parks had been cast as the villain (Pastor Abin Cooper), in his upcoming horror film Red State
Red State (2011 film)
Red State is a 2011 American independent horror film written and directed by Kevin Smith, starring Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo and Stephen Root...

. Smith later announced on his podcast "Plus One" that Parks had recorded an album during Red State's production, after Smith and producer Jon Gordon noticed his singing talent during filming. The album, titled The Red State Sessions, was released August 15th, 2011, as a download from the film's website.

Filmography

  • Red State
    Red State (2011 film)
    Red State is a 2011 American independent horror film written and directed by Kevin Smith, starring Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo and Stephen Root...

    (2011) as Pastor Abin Cooper
  • Noble Things (2007) as Pete Collins
  • The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
    The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
    The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a 2007 American Western drama film. The film is directed by Andrew Dominik, with Brad Pitt portraying Jesse James and Casey Affleck as his killer, Robert Ford.Filming took place in rural Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba...

    (2007) as Henry Craig
  • El Muerto
    El Muerto (film)
    El Muerto is a live-action independent film adaptation of the comic book series, El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie created by Javier Hernandez...

    (2007) as Sheriff Stone
  • Grindhouse (segments Planet Terror
    Planet Terror
    Planet Terror is a 2007 American action horror film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, about a group of people attempting to survive an onslaught of zombie-like creatures as they feud with a military unit, including a go-go dancer searching for a way to use her "useless talents." The film, a...

    /Death Proof
    Death Proof
    Death Proof is a 2007 American action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film centers on a psychopathic stunt man who stalks young women before murdering them in staged car accidents using his "death-proof" stunt car...

    ) (2007) as Earl McGraw
    Earl McGraw
    Earl McGraw is a fictional character played by Michael Parks. He appears in several feature films by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.-Overview:...

  • The Listening (film) (2006)
  • Kill Bill: Vol. 2
    Kill Bill
    Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....

    (2004) as Esteban Vihaio
  • Kill Bill: Vol. 1
    Kill Bill
    Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....

    (2003) as Earl McGraw
  • From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
    From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
    From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter is a 2000 American horror film, a prequel to the 1996 film From Dusk till Dawn. It was released straight to video and nominated for the Best Home Video Release Saturn Award.-Plot:...

    (2000) as Ambrose Bierce
    Ambrose Bierce
    Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist and satirist...

  • Wicked (1998) as Detective Boland
  • Deceiver
    Deceiver (film)
    Deceiver, also known as Liar, or Reisser, or even BSer , is a 1997 murder mystery film. It won Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay at the 1997 Stockholm Film Festival, and the Special Jury Prize at the 1998 Cognac Police Film Festival.-Plot:Textile company heir James Wayland is accused of...

    (1997) as Doctor Banyard
  • Niagara, Niagara
    Niagara, Niagara
    Niagara, Niagara is a 1997 film directed by Bob Gosse, and starring Henry Thomas , Robin Tunney as well as Michael Parks , John Ventimiglia and Stephen Lang ....

    (1997) as Walter
  • From Dusk Till Dawn
    From Dusk Till Dawn
    From Dusk till Dawn is a 1996 horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Quentin Tarantino. The movie stars Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino and Juliette Lewis.-Plot:...

    (1996) as Texas Ranger Earl McGraw
  • Death Wish V: The Face of Death
    Death Wish V: The Face of Death
    Death Wish V: The Face of Death is a 1994 action thriller, and the fourth and final sequel to the 1974 film Death Wish.Star Charles Bronson returned to reprise the role of Paul Kersey one final time for this, his final theatrical starring role in the industry.The film is produced by 21st Century...

    (1994) as Tommy O'Shea
  • The Hitman (1991) as Ronny "Del" Delany
  • Twin Peaks
    Twin Peaks
    Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...

    , as Jean Renault in 5 episodes (1990–1991)
  • The China Lake Murders
    The China Lake Murders
    The China Lake Murders is a television movie starring Tom Skerritt. This 1990 film is about a small desert town that experiences a series of murders. The film was rated PG-13.-Synopsis:...

    , played Officer Donnelly (1990)
  • The Equalizer
    The Equalizer
    The Equalizer is an American television series that ran for four seasons, initially on CBS, between 1985 and 1989. It starred Edward Woodward as an aging New York vigilante with a mysterious past...

    , episode "Target Of Choice," 1988
  • The Equalizer
    The Equalizer
    The Equalizer is an American television series that ran for four seasons, initially on CBS, between 1985 and 1989. It starred Edward Woodward as an aging New York vigilante with a mysterious past...

    , episode "Nocturne," 1986
  • The Return of Josey Wales, (1986) as Josey Wales
    Josey Wales (gunfighter)
    Josey Wales is a fictional character created by author Forrest Carter, for his novel The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales . Wales is portrayed in the 1976 western film The Outlaw Josey Wales by actor and director Clint Eastwood...

  • Hard Country
    Hard Country (1981 film)
    Hard Country is a 1981 dramatic movie starring Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger, and co-starring country music star Tanya Tucker. It was directed by David Greene and is rated PG in the USA.-Main cast:*Jan-Michael Vincent ... Kyle...

    (1981) as Royce
  • Savannah Smiles (1982) as Lt Savage
  • Rainbow
    Rainbow
    A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicoloured arc...

    , the movie with Andrea McCardle & Rue McClanahan, (1978)
  • Love and the Midnight Auto Supply (1978) as Duke
  • The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover
    The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover
    The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover is a 1977 film directed by Larry Cohen. It stars Broderick Crawford and James Wainwright. The all star cast includes Jose Ferrer, Michael Parks, Celeste Holm, Ronee Blakely, Tanya Roberts in a cameo role, and in final screen appearances, Jack Cassidy and Dan...

    (1977) as Robert F. Kennedy
    Robert F. Kennedy
    Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...

  • Escape from Bogen County (1977)
  • Last Hard Men (1976)
  • Between Friends
    Between Friends (1973 film)
    Between Friends is a 1973 Canadian crime film directed by Donald Shebib. It was entered into the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Michael Parks - Tony* Bonnie Bedelia - Ellie* Chuck Shamata - Chino* Henry Beckman - Will...

    (1973)
  • Then Came Bronson
    Then Came Bronson
    Then Came Bronson is a short-lived adventure/drama television series that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1970, and was produced by MGM Television. The series, created by Denne Bart Petitclerc, began with a movie pilot on Monday, March 24, 1969. The series was greenlit for one year and began its first...

     played Jim Bronson 1969-70 TV Series 26 episodes
  • The Idol
    The Idol
    The Idol is a 1966 British drama film directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Jennifer Jones, Michael Parks, Jennifer Hilary and Guy Doleman. A rebellious student embarks on an affair with the mother of his best friend, leading to disastrous consequences....

     (1966) as Marco, with Jennifer Jones and John Leyton
  • The Bible: In the Beginning
    The Bible: In The Beginning
    The Bible: In the Beginning is a 1966 Biblical epic film recounting the first 22 chapters of the Book of Genesis. It was a joint American/Italian production conceived by Dino De Laurentiis and directed by John Huston. The music score is by Toshirô Mayuzumi. The production was photographed by...

    (1966) as Adam
    Adam
    Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...

  • Bus Riley's Back in Town
    Bus Riley's Back in Town
    Bus Riley's Back in Town is a movie written by William Inge, directed by Harvey Hart, and starring Ann-Margret and Michael Parks.The intense drama depicts a man returning home from three years in the Navy only to find that his girlfriend has married an older man...

    (1965) as Bus Riley with Ann Margret, Kim Darby, Jocelyn Brando, Larry Storch, David Carradine
  • Wild Seed
    Wild Seed
    Wild Seed is a 1995 album by Norwegian singer Morten Harket. It is his first solo album to be sung in English.It was produced by Chris Neil .-Track listing:...

    (1965) starring Michael Parks and Celia Kaye
    Celia Kaye
    Celia Kaye is an American former actress who appeared in a recurring role as Marnie Massey, daughter of the character Christine Massey played by Loretta Young, on the comedy-drama series, The New Loretta Young Show. The program aired for twenty-six weeks on CBS from 1962 to 1963...

  • Channing
    Channing (TV series)
    Channing is an American drama series that aired on American Broadcasting Company from September 18, 1963 to April 8, 1964...

    (1963–1964) with Jason Evers
    Jason Evers
    Jason Evers was an American actor.Evers was born Herb Evers in New York City, New York. After quitting high school to join the United States Army, Evers was so inspired by stars like John Wayne that he decided to try acting...

    ; two episodes as Dante Donati on ABC
  • Perry Mason
    Perry Mason
    Perry Mason is a fictional character, a defense attorney who was the main character in works of detective fiction authored by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason was featured in more than 80 novels and short stories, most of which had a plot involving his client's murder trial...

    (1963) as Cal Leonard starring Bette Davis and Raymond Burr. season 6, episode 16, List of Perry Mason episodes called The Case of Constant Doyle
  • The Greatest Show on Earth
    The Greatest Show on Earth (TV series)
    The Greatest Show on Earth is an American drama series starring Jack Palance about the American circus, which aired on ABC from September 17, 1963, to April 28, 1964...

    (1963) with Jack Palance
    Jack Palance
    Jack Palance , was an American actor. During half a century of film and television appearances, Palance was nominated for three Academy Awards, all as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991 for his role in City Slickers.-Early life:Palance, one of five children, was born Volodymyr...

     on ABC
    American Broadcasting Company
    The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

  • The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (TV Series) Episodes: The Cadaver, 1958, Diagnosis: Danger, 1963
  • Target: The Corruptors!
    Target: The Corruptors!
    Target: The Corruptors! is a 35-episode crime drama starring Stephen McNally as newspaper reporter Paul Marino, which aired on ABC from September 29, 1961 to June 8, 1962. The character Jack Flood, Marino's undercover agent, was portrayed by Robert Harland...

    , episode "Nobody Gets Hurt," June 1, 1962
  • The Law and Mr. Jones
    The Law and Mr. Jones
    The Law and Mr. Jones is a 45-episode half-hour television crime drama starring James Whitmore. The series aired on ABC in two nonconsecutive seasons from October 7, 1960, to September 22, 1961, and again from April 19 to July 5, 1962...

    , episode "One by One" (1961)

Album discography

  • 1969 - Closing The Gap (MGM)
  • 1970 - Long Lonesome Highway (MGM)
  • 1970 - Blue (MGM)
  • 1970 - Lost & Found (Verve)
  • 1971 - Best Of Michael Parks (MGM)
  • 1981 - You Don't Know Me (First American)
  • 1998 - Coolin' Soup (Listen)
  • 2011 - The Red State Sessions (SModcast)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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