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Frank Bonner
Frank Bonner
	Publicity photo of Bonner
Born	Frank Woodrow Boers Jr.; February 28, 1942; Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	June 16, 2021 (aged 79); Laguna Niguel, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actor, director
Years active	1970–2014
Known for	WKRP in Cincinnati;
Spouses	Sharon Gray (m. 1966; div. 1971); Mary A. Rings (m. 1972; div. 1975); Lillian Garrett-Groag (m. 1977; div. 1980); Catherin M. Sherwood (m. 1981, divorced); Gayle Hardage (m. 2006);

Frank Bonner (born Frank Woodrow Boers Jr.; February 28, 1942 – June 16, 2021) was an American actor and television director widely known for his role as sales manager Herb Tarlek on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.

Early life

Bonner was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Grace Marie "Mamie" (née Dobbins) Boers Delahoussay,^[1] a singer, and Frank Woodrow Boers, a saxophonist.^[2] He grew up in Malvern, Arkansas.^[1]

Career

Bonner began acting in the experimental 1967 independent film The Equinox ... A Journey into the Unknown, which was reshot and re-edited as the 1970 cult classic Equinox (in which he is credited as Frank Boers Jr.).^[2]

He later had several small roles in movies and on television, including Mannix, Emergency!, and Love, American Style. In 1978 he joined the cast of WKRP in Cincinnati, finding his signature role as Herb Tarlek, the crass and ineffectual station advertising sales agent, noted for his garish plaid suits and white shoes.^[3]

Bonner appeared as a guest star in two episodes of the sitcom Night Court in the 1980s. From 1988 to 1990, Bonner played the role of Father Hargis, headmaster of the fictional St. Augustine's Academy, on the TV show Just the Ten of Us, which was a spin-off of Growing Pains. He also appeared in one of the early episodes of the television show Newhart. He reprised the role of Herb Tarlek in the 1991 spinoff The New WKRP in Cincinnati and in a 2004 rock video for Canadian indie rock band Rheostatics (for the song "The Tarleks", from their album 2067).^{[citation needed]}

After directing six episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati, he directed for other television shows in the 1980s and 1990s,^[1] including Who's the Boss?, Head of the Class (starring his WKRP alumni Howard Hesseman), Evening Shade, Newhart, and every episode of the NBC Saturday morning sitcom City Guys. Bonner also appeared in five episodes of Saved by the Bell: The New Class, and directed four episodes.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Bonner was married to Sharon Gray from 1966–1971; actress Mary Alice Rings from 1972–1975; playwright Lillian Garrett-Groag from 1977–1980; Catherine M. Sherwood from 1981 until their divorce (date indeterminate); and Gayle Hardage, his former high school sweetheart in Malvern, Arkansas, from 2006 until his death.^[4]

Frank Bonner had five children (four biological), seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild at his death. He had a daughter, Desiree Boers-Kort, with his first wife, Sharon Gray. He had three sons (Michael, Matthew, and Justin); Michael predeceased his father. Bonner also had a step-daughter, DeAndra Freed.^[1]^[5]

In 1979, Bonner was injured in a parasailing accident at the El Mirage Lake Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, northeast of Los Angeles. He was approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) in the air, suspended under an ascendancy parachute pulled by a tow vehicle — when a sudden, unexpected gust of wind collapsed the chute, causing him to fall to the lake bed and suffer internal injuries and injuries to his back.^[6] Subsequently, he appeared on crutches in episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati (the season 2 episode "A Family Affair") and an All-Star Special episode of Family Feud.^[7]

Death

Bonner died on June 16, 2021, aged 79, in Laguna Niguel, California, of complications from Lewy body dementia.^[8]^[2]^[1]

Filmography

As actor

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1970	Equinox	Jim Hudson	Feature film
1970	The Young Lawyers	Walt	Episode: "Where's Aaron"
1970	Nancy	Hank	Episode: "Boys' Night Out"
1971	Mannix	Hypnotized Man	Episode: "Catspaw"
1972	Nichols	Gruber	Episode: "About Jesse James"
1972	The Hoax	Clete Dempsey	Feature film
1973	Little Cigars	Gene (Hotel Bellman)	Feature film
1973	The F.B.I.	Johnson	Episode: "The Confession"
1973	Hawkins	1st Yankee	Episode: "Blood Feud"
1973	Emergency!	Walt	Episode: "Body Language"
1974	Love, American Style	Jerry	Segment: "Love and the Extra Job"
1974	Cannon	Allecino	Episode: "Kelly' Song"
1974	Fer-de-Lance	Compton	TV movie
1975	Las Vegas Lady	Claude	Feature film
1975	Cannon	Bill	Episode: "The Victim"
1976	Police Woman	Donny's Father	Episode: "The Pawn Shop"
1977	Man from Atlantis	Bartender	Episode: "C.W. Hyde"
1978–1982	WKRP in Cincinnati	Herb Tarlek	Main cast (88 episodes)
1979	Sex and the Single Parent	Peter	TV movie
1981	The Love Boat	Dr. Jonathan Hunt	Episode: "Country Blues/Daddy's Little Girl/Jackpot"
1981	Fantasy Island	Jack Simon	Episode: "Romance Times Three/Night of the Tormented Soul"
1982	The Facts of Life Goes to Paris	Garth Kiley	TV movie
1982	Gimme a Break!	Officer Baxter	Episode: "The Chief's Gay Evening"
1983	The Love Boat	Ben Phillips	Episode: "The Captain's Replacement/Sly as a Fox/Here Comes the Bride-Maybe"
1984	Newhart	Mr. Pack	Episode: "Kirk Pops the Question"
1984	Legmen	Leo Gibson	Episode: "I Shall Be Re-Released"
1984	The Duck Factory	Mel Kemper	Episode: "The Annies"
1984	No Man's Land	Deputy Thad Prouty	TV movie
1984	Simon & Simon	Brad Daniels	Episode: "Deep Cover"
1985	Matt Houston	Fred	Episode: "Death Watch"
1985	Gimme a Break!	Warren	Episode: "Police Mamas"
1985	George Burns Comedy Week	Stu	Episode: "Home for Dinner"
1985	Scarecrow and Mrs. King	Henry 'Buck' McConnell	Episodes: "Tail of the Dancing Weasel" and "Utopia Now"
1985	Crazy Like a Fox	Chick	Episode: "Requiem for a Fox"
1985-6	Night Court	Howie / Preston Cowdrey	Episodes: "Mac and Quon Le: No Reservations" and "Prince of a Guy"
1986	The Longshot	Realtor	Feature film
1986	Punky Brewster	Cheapo Chester	Episode: "Cherie Lifesaver"
1986	Blacke's Magic	Hal Renquist	Episode: "Death Goes to the Movies"
1986	Murder, She Wrote	Earl Fargo	Episode: "Murder in the Electric Cathedral"
1986	Sidekicks	Detective R.T. Mooney	Recurring role (5 episodes)
1986	Night Court	Preston Cowdrey	Episode: "Prince of a Guy"
1988	You Can't Hurry Love	Chuck Hayes	Feature film
1988–1990	Just the Ten of Us	Father Robert Hargis	Main cast (22 episodes)
1991	Going Under	Soviet General	Feature film
1991–1993	The New WKRP in Cincinnati	Herb Tarlek	Main cast (45 episodes)
1993	Evening Shade	Walt Thompson	Episode: "She What?!"
1994–1997	Saved by the Bell: The New Class	Mr. Harrington	Recurring role (5 episodes)
1995	The Mommies	Director	Episode: "Selling Out"
1995	The Colony	Frank Williamson	TV movie
1997	USA High	Mr. Giggles (Dentist)	Episode: "The Odd Couple"
1998	Motel	Gressil	Feature film
2000	City Guys	Jake	Episode: "Meet Mr. History"
2003	A Light in the Forest	Kimmel	Feature film
2004	Shut Up and Kiss Me	Harvey Ballister	Feature film
2004	A Norwegian Lunch	Teacher	Short film
2008	Remembering Phil	Motel Clerk	Feature film
2014	Under the Hollywood Sign	Larry	Feature film

As director

Year	Title	Notes
1980–1982	WKRP in Cincinnati	TV series (6 episodes)
1982	Family Ties	TV series (1 episode)
1986–1990	Head of the Class	TV series (2 episodes)
1988	Frank's Place	TV series (1 episode)
1988	The Van Dyke Show	TV series (1 episode)
1988–1990	Just the Ten of Us	TV series (8 episodes)
1989	Who's the Boss?	TV series (1 episode)
1989–1990	The Famous Teddy Z	TV series (2 episodes)
1990	Evening Shade	TV series (1 episode)
1990	You Take the Kids	TV series (1 episode)
1991–1993	Harry and the Hendersons	TV series (11 episodes)
1991–1993	The New WKRP in Cincinnati	TV series (7 episodes)
1995	Fudge	TV series (1 episode)
1995	The Mommies	TV series (4 episodes)
1995	Campus Cops	TV series (1 episode)
1997	Saved by the Bell: The New Class	TV series (4 episodes)
1997–1998	USA High	TV series (6 episodes)
1997–2001	City Guys	TV series (105 episodes)
2003	Living Straight	TV movie
2010	Desire and Deceit	TV series (1 episode)