Harry Groener

Harry Groener
Groener, September 2006
Born (1951-09-10) September 10, 1951 (age 73)
Augsburg, Bavaria, West Germany
Occupation(s)Actor, dancer
AwardsTheatre World Award winner
3 time Tony Award nominee

Harry Groener (born September 10, 1951) is a German-born American actor and dancer, perhaps best known for playing Mayor Wilkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (seasons 3, 4 and 7).

Early life

Groener was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, West Germany, to an opera singer mother and a father who worked as a concert pianist, office clerk, and composer.[1] He immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of two. As a teenager, Groener was apprenticed at the San Francisco Ballet; he went on to study drama at the University of Washington.[citation needed]

Career

Groener's reputation in New York City rests almost entirely on his work in musical theater. However, the bulk of his roles outside New York have been in classical drama or contemporary plays like Eastern Standard. His Broadway credits include Is There Life After High School?, Will Parker in Oklahoma! (Tony Award nomination, Theatre World Award), Munkustrap in Cats (Tony Award nomination), Georges/George in Sunday in the Park with George, and Bobby Child in Crazy for You (Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations).

In 1999, he performed off-Broadway with Twiggy at the Lucille Lortel Theater in If Love Were All, a musical revue based on the friendship of Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence. He has performed in regional theatres across the country, including the San Diego Old Globe Theatre (where he is an associate artist), Mark Taper Forum, Westwood Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, Pasadena Playhouse, Long Wharf Theater, A.C.T., and the Williamstown Theater Festival.

Groener has performed regularly on TV, including guest appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1990), Star Trek: Voyager (1996), Star Trek: Enterprise (2005) and several dozen other series; he was also a series regular on the sitcom Dear John. In 1998-99, he portrayed Richard Wilkins, the evil mayor of Sunnydale on the third season of cult TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and reprised the role in cameo appearances in Buffy's 4th and 7th seasons.

From 2003 to 2006, he appeared as the chef Gunther on the TV series Las Vegas. Notable film work includes Road to Perdition and About Schmidt. He also appeared in two episodes of The West Wing as the Secretary of Agriculture and the Bones episode "The Woman at the Airport" as a plastic surgeon, Henry Atlas. In 2009, Groener appeared in the second season episode of Breaking Bad, "Bit by a Dead Bee", as protagonist Walter White's psychiatrist. He also portrayed Clint, Ted's stepdad, in How I Met Your Mother. In January 2018, Groener appeared in an episode of Young Sheldon.

He was a regular vocalist for the Varèse Sarabande label, performing on such recordings as Shakespeare on Broadway, Cole Porter: A Musical Toast, and various installments of the Unsung Broadway and Lost in Boston series. He played King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot during 2006. In 2010, he appeared as the title role in the Antaeus Company's production of King Lear.[2] He won the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for this performance. In 2012, he starred in the debut of Christopher Hampton's play Appomattox at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, playing a dual role as both U.S. presidents Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.[3] As of 2023, he serves as an honorary board member at the Alpine Theater Project in Whitefish, MT.[4]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1980 Brubaker Dr. Campbell
1997 Amistad Tecora Captain
1998 Dance with Me Michael
1998 Patch Adams Dr. Prack
1999 Buddy Boy Father Gillespie
2002 Road to Perdition Mr. McDougal
2002 About Schmidt John Rusk
2002 Manna from Heaven Tony
2006 The Last Time Customer at Conference
2008 Beautiful Loser Ronald Riley
2015 The Atticus Institute Lawrence Henault
2016 A Cure for Wellness Pembroke
2018 A Futile and Stupid Gesture Harry Kenney
2018 Delirium Psychiatrist
2023 Oppenheimer Gale W. McGee

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1982 The Country Girl Paul Unger TV movie
1984 George Washington Patrick Henry Episode #1.1
1985 Kane & Abel Lowell Kane Episode #1.2
1985 Remington Steele Preston Hayes Episode: "Corn Fed Steele"
1987 St. Elsewhere Klaus Brinkmann Episode: "Schwarzwald"
1987 Jack and Mike Johnson Episode: "Dreamland"
1987 Leg Work Steve Amati Episode: "Life Itself"
1988 Spenser: For Hire George Lynnwood Episode: "Substantial Justice"
1988 Matlock Rod Greenwood Episode: "The Magician"
1988–1991 Dear John Ralph Drang 68 episodes
1989 Studio 5-B Unknown Episode: "Pilot"
1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation Tam Elbrun Episode: "Tin Man"
1991 Quantum Leap Detective Ward Episode: "Permanent Wave - June 2, 1983"
1995 Law & Order Terrence Dwyer Episode: "Wannabe"
1996 Star Trek: Voyager The Magistrate Episode: "Sacred Ground"
1996 Caroline in the City Henry Episode: "Caroline and the Freight King"
1996–1997 Mad About You Lance Brockwell 4 episodes
1997 Home Improvement Fred Episode: "Totally Tool Time"
1997 George and Leo Unknown Episode: "The Cameo Episode"
1997 Just Shoot Me! Headmaster Reilly Episode: "Twice Burned"
1997 Murphy Brown Concert Master Episode: "I Hear a Symphony"
1997–1998 Sleepwalkers The Smiling Man 2 episodes
1998–2003 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Mayor Richard Wilkins III 14 episodes
1998 Working Alan Norman Episode: "The Breakfast"
1998 Buddy Faro Miles Marengo Episode: "The Curse of the Faro"
1998 Cupid Michael Bennett Episode: "Heaven... He's in Heaven"
1999 Mercy Point Stenneth Lock 2 episodes
1999 Family Law Unknown Episode: "Decisions"
2000 Profiler Vincent Capobianco Episode: "The Long Way Home"
2000 Time of Your Life Alan Episode: "The Time They Got E-Rotic"
2000 Charmed Father Thomas Episode: "Primrose Empath"
2000 Judging Amy Mike Holcombe Episode: "Dog Days"
2000 City of Angels Unknown Episode: "Saving Faces"
2000–2003 The West Wing Secretary of Agriculture Roger Tribbey 2 episodes
2001 3rd Rock from the Sun Dr. Breen Episode: "Dick Digs"
2001 18 Wheels of Justice Travis Jordan Episode: "Slight of Mind"
2001 Boston Public Mr. Jacobs Episode: "Chapter Seventeen"
2001 King of the Hill Dr. Tate / Larry (voice) Episode: "Hank's Back Story"
2001 The Drew Carey Show Dr. Hershlag 2 episodes
2001 The Day the World Ended Sheriff Ken TV movie
2001 The Guardian Fulton Trout Episode: "The Funnies"
2001 Dead Last Dr. Casey Henderson Episode: "To Live and Amulet Die"
2002 Malcolm in the Middle Rudy Episode: "Poker"
2002 Watching Ellie Robert Episode: "Tango"
2002 Roswell Dr. Burton Weiss Episode: "Who Died and Made You King?"
2002 Philly Dabney Cooper Episode: "Tall Tales"
2003 The Mayor Dick Winterhalter TV movie
2003–2006 Las Vegas Chef Gunther 6 episodes
2004 I'm with Her Principal Marvin Talbot Episode: "Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Celebrity"
2004 Dr. Vegas Hank Harold 2 episodes
2004 Less than Perfect Dr. Lars Skaarsgard Episode: "From the Chair to the Couch"
2004 Huff Mr. Wayne Episode: "Assault & Pepper"
2005 Monk John Ricca Episode: "Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra"
2005 Jack & Bobby Adult Warren Feide Episode: "Stand by Me"
2005 Star Trek: Enterprise Nathan Samuels 2 episodes
2005 Medium Joe's Boss 2 episodes
2006 The Bernie Mac Show Dr. Lyons Episode: "Exercise in Fertility: Part 2"
2006 Bones Dr. Henry Atlas Episode: "The Woman at the Airport"
2006–2013 How I Met Your Mother Clint 3 episodes
2007 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Peyton Tallman Episode: "Monster in the Box"
2009 Breaking Bad Dr. Chavez Episode: "Bit by a Dead Bee"
2010 Nolan Knows Best Frenchy TV movie
2011 Law & Order: LA Attorney Spicer Episode: "El Sereno"
2011 The Middle Gene Episode: "The Play"
2011 Once Upon a Time Martin Episode: "That Still Small Voice"
2012 Supernatural Professor Morrison Episode: "The Slice Girls"
2013 The Mentalist Francisco Navarro Episode: "Red Letter Day"
2014 Major Crimes Mr. Kleiner Episode: "Frozen Assets"
2015 Kittens in a Cage Judge Dodd Episode: "Ain't Even Got a Mustache"
2017 Ghosted Stafford Yates Episode: "The Machine"
2018 Young Sheldon Elliot Douglas Episode: "An Eagle Feather, a String Bean, and an Eskimo"
2018 Disjointed Judge Nelson 2 episodes
2018 Criminal Minds Leonard Hagland Episode: "Ex Parte"
2018 Modern Family Joel L.L. Logan Episode: "Clash of Swords"
2018 The Rookie Mr. Walker Episode: "The Roundup"
2018 The Resident Bartholomew McGainn Episode: "The Dance"
2022 9-1-1: Lone Star Joe 2 episodes
2023 White House Plumbers Senator Philip Hart Episode: "Please Destroy This, Huh?"

Stage

Year Title Role(s) Notes Ref.
1976 The Best Man Reporter [5]
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Nick [6]
1978 Much Ado About Nothing Benedick [7]
Journey's End Raleigh [5][8]
1979 Oklahoma! Will Parker Broadway debut [5][9]
1981 Oh, Brother! Western Mousada Broadway [9]
1982 Is There Life After High School? Performer [9]
Cats Munkustrap [9]
1985 Harrigan 'N Hart Edward Harrigan [9]
1985 Sunday in the Park with George Georges Seurat / George [9]
1987 Sleight of Hand Paul [9]
1988 Eastern Standard Stephen Wheeler [10]
1989 Sunday in the Park with George Georges Seurat / George [11]
1991 You Never Know Baron Rommer [12]
1992 Crazy for You Bobby Child Broadway [9]
1995 Twelve Dreams Charles Hatrick [13]
Picasso at the Lapin Agile Freddy [14]
1996 Arms and the Man Captain Bluntschli [15]
1999 If Love Were All Noël Coward [16]
2001 Twelfth Night Feste [17]
2002 Imaginary Friends The Man Broadway [9]
2004 The Bear Grigory Stepanovitch Smirnov [18]
2005 Pera Palas Adalet / Bedia Older / Orhan Older [19]
2006 Spamalot King Arthur Broadway [9]
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Governor [20]
2007 Regrets Only Hank [21]
2009 The Fantasticks Bellomy [22]
Putting It Together Performer [23]
Equivocation Richard [24]
2010 King Lear Lear [25]
The Train Driver Roelf Visagie [26]
2011 The Madness of George III King George III [27]
2012 March William Tecumseh Sherman [28]
The Exorcist Burke Dennings [24]
Appomattox Lincoln / Johnson [29]
2013 Cyrano de Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac [30]
2014 Love, Noël: The Letters and Songs of Noël Coward Noël Coward [31]
2015 The Second Mrs. Wilson Col. Edward House [32]
Uncle Vanya Serebryakov [33]
2016 Vicuña Kurt Seaman [34]
2017 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Daddy [35]
2018 Henry IV Northumberland [6][36]
Three Days in the Country Shpigelsky [37]
2019 Indecent Actor [38]
Skintight Elliot Isaac [24]
2022 Everybody Somebody [39]
2023 Water for Elephants Mr. Jankowski [40]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
1980 Theatre World Award Outstanding Stage Debut Oklahoma! Won
Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Musical Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in A Musical Nominated
1983 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Musical Cats Nominated
1985 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in A Musical Harrigan 'N Hart Nominated
1992 Tony Award Best Actor in a Musical Crazy for You Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical Nominated
2010 Ovation Awards Featured Actor in a Play Equivocation[41] Won
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award Lead Performance King Lear Won
2011 Joseph Jefferson Award Actor in a Principal Role - Play The Madness of George III[42][43] Won
2012 Actor in a Supporting Role - Play The March Nominated
2014 Actor in a Principal Role - Play Cyrano de Bergerac Nominated
2018 Ovation Awards Lead Actor in a Play[44] Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Won
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award Featured Performance Won

References

  1. ^ "Harry Groener Biography (1951-)". Film Reference. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  2. ^ Boehm, Mike (27 June 2010). "Antaeus Company doubles up 'King Lear'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  3. ^ "Harry Groener". Guthrie Theater. Archived from the original on 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2012-10-22.
  4. ^ "About". Alpine Theatre Project. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  5. ^ a b c Robertson, Nan (1979-12-21). "New Face: Harry Groener 'Oklahoma!'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  6. ^ a b Kaan, Gil. "BWW Interview: HENRY IV's Versatile Harry Groener Muses on the Mechanics and Love of Theatre". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  7. ^ Frey, Charles (1979). "Shakespeare in Seattle". Shakespeare Quarterly. 30 (2): 262–264. doi:10.2307/2869320. ISSN 0037-3222. JSTOR 2869320.
  8. ^ "1975 - 1980". Long Wharf Theatre. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Harry Groener – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  10. ^ Rich, Frank; Times, Special To the New York (1988-05-10). "Review/Music; Seattle Grabs Spotlight: New Play, Renewed Musical". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  11. ^ Herman, Jan (1989-06-09). "'George' Star Wears Flops as Lightly as His Successes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  12. ^ Drake, Sylvie (1991-05-28). "STAGE REVIEW : Pleasantly Porter : Pasadena Turns 'You Never Know' Into a Delight". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  13. ^ Gerard, Jeremy (1995-06-09). "Twelve Dreams". Variety. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  14. ^ Canby, Vincent (1995-10-23). "THEATER REVIEW;A Fantasy Meeting of Minds". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  15. ^ Winer, Laurie (1996-06-03). "SCR Takes Up 'Arms' to Great Effect". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  16. ^ Isherwood, Charles (1999-06-14). "If Love Were All". Variety. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  17. ^ "O'Brien's Twelfth Night w/ Groener and Whitehead Opens at San Diego's Globe July 7-Aug. 11". Playbill. 2001-07-07. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  18. ^ Morris, Steven Leigh (2004-03-11). "Russian Around". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  19. ^ Hitchcock, Laura. "Pera Palas, a CurtainUp Los Angeles review". www.curtainup.com. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  20. ^ Gans, Andrew (2006-10-16). "Actors' Fund's The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Benefit Concert Presented Oct. 16". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  21. ^ Becker, Jules. "Rudnick fans should RSVP to 'Regrets Only'". The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  22. ^ Gans, Andrew (2009-05-05). "Reprise Presents The Fantasticks, with McCormack and Groener, Starting May 5". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  23. ^ "Harry Groener puts it together at SCR". Orange County Register. 2009-09-15. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  24. ^ a b c "Harry Groener". Geffen Playhouse. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  25. ^ "Antaeus Company's King Lear, with Harry Groener and Dakin Matthews, Extends Through August 15 | TheaterMania". www.theatermania.com. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  26. ^ Hetrick, Adam (2010-10-27). "Fugard's The Train Driver, With Harry Groener and Anthony Chisholm, Arrives at Long Wharf". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  27. ^ "The Madness of George III at Chicago Shakespeare Theater | Theater review". Time Out Chicago. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  28. ^ Jones, Kenneth (2012-04-05). "March, E.L. Doctorow's Civil War Tale, Begins April 5 at Steppenwolf; Harry Groener, Ian Barford Star". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  29. ^ "'Appomattox' serves up history, but little drama". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  30. ^ "Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Cyrano de Bergerac". www.chicagoshakes.com. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  31. ^ Gans, Andrew (2014-12-05). "Harry Groener and Sharon Lawrence Star in Limited Run of Love, Noel". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  32. ^ "A League of Their Own". New Haven Review. 17 May 2015. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  33. ^ "Uncle Vanya". Antaeus Theatre Company. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  34. ^ "Vicuña". Center Theatre Group. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  35. ^ "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". Antaeus Theatre Company. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  36. ^ "HENRY IV". THE SHAKESPEARE CENTER OF LA. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  37. ^ "Three Days in the Country". Antaeus Theatre Company. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  38. ^ "Indecent". Center Theatre Group. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  39. ^ McNulty, Charles (2022-09-28). "Commentary: Four veteran stage actors discuss taking on risky roles later in life". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  40. ^ "Water for Elephants // Jun 7–Jul 9, 2023 // Coca-Cola Stage // Alliance Theatre". www.alliancetheatre.org. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  41. ^ "2009/2010 Ovation Award Winners". LA Stage Alliance. 17 January 2011. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  42. ^ "Jeff Awards". Archived from the original on 2018-01-02. Retrieved 2013-10-29.
  43. ^ Jones, Chris (11 November 2011). "'Madness' and 'Candide' are top Jeff Award winners". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  44. ^ Zednick, Jason (30 January 2018). "Winners of 2018 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards Announced". Theatre Mania. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harry Groener.
Preceded by
Simon Russell Beale
December 21, 2005 -
April 26, 2006
 Actor playing King Arthur in Spamalot on Broadway
April 27, 2006 -
October 31, 2006 		Succeeded by
Jonathan Hadary
October 31, 2006 - June 5, 2008