John Beck (actor)

John Beck (born January 28, 1943 ) is an American retired actor, known best for his role as Mark Graison in the television series Dallas during the mid-1980s.

Beck was born in Chicago, Illinois but he grew up in Evanston and Joliet on his father's ranch, with the goal of becoming a veterinarian.

His goals changed at the age of sixteen after performing in a play in high school to overcome shyness.

Three years later, Beck relocated to California and had jobs in television commercials.

In 1963–4, Beck attended Joliet Junior College but quit to begin acting in plays in other cities.

Beck's television debut was as a Sergeant in the 1965 episode "Russian Roulette" of the television series I Dream of Jeannie.

His first regular role was for the television western series Nichols (1971-1972) alongside James Garner, playing the role of Orv Ketcham.

One of Beck's earliest movie roles was as Skinny in Cyborg 2087 (1966).

On April 23, 1971, in Los Angeles, Beck married Valerie Shellibeer (also known by her stage name, Tina Carter).

The couple had a son and three daughters.

A partial filmography follows.

Beck played Erno who commands a revolt against a totalitarian government in Woody Allen's science fiction comedy Sleeper (1973).

That same year, he appeared as John W. Poe in the Sam Peckinpah western Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.

In 1975, he appeared opposite James Caan as Moonpie in the science-fiction film Rollerball.

The following year he played Shoulders in the disaster movie spoof The Big Bus (1976).

He had a leading role in The Other Side of Midnight (1977), which the critics condemned, but the movie was a financial success.

Other movie credits include Audrey Rose (1977), Deadly Illusion (1987), In the Cold of the Night (1990), A Climate for Killing (1991), Last Time Out (1994), Black Day Blue Night (1995), Dark Planet (1997), A Place to Grow (1998), Chain of Command (2000), Crash Point Zero (2001), Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision (2003), and Crash Landing (2005).

Beck also had guest roles for television series and movies, one of the most popular being his 67-episode stint as Mark Graison on Dallas.

Guest appearances include those for Baywatch, Bonanza, Death Valley Days, Diagnosis: Murder, Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, Magnum, P.I., Mannix, Matlock, Mission: Impossible, The Mod Squad, Murder, She Wrote, Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Touched by an Angel, The Twilight Zone (1989), and Walker, Texas Ranger, among others.

Recurring soap opera roles include Dorian Blake in Peyton Place: The Next Generation, Sam Curtis in Flamingo Road, David Raymond in Santa Barbara, and Bruce in Passions.

As a voice actor, Beck played the role of the Punisher, Frank Castle in Spider-Man: The Animated Series.