Jason Bernard

Jason Bernard
Bernard (right) with Shirley Jo Finney in Wilma in 1977
Born
Ronald Carl Johnson

(1938-05-17)May 17, 1938
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedOctober 16, 1996(1996-10-16) (aged 58)
Burbank, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1969–1996
SpouseDebra Bernard
Children1[1]

Jason Bernard (born Ronald Carl Johnson, May 17, 1938 – October 16, 1996) was an American actor.

Life and career

Bernard was born in Chicago, Illinois. His first starring role was in the pilot episode of the television series The White Shadow as Jim Willis. His other well-known roles are in the television series Cagney & Lacey as Inspector Marquette from 1982 to 1983, Days of Our Lives as Preston Wade in 1982, and a recurring role in the first season of Night Court as Judge Stone's arrogant rival Judge Willard.

His largest role came in the 1983 NBC miniseries V as Caleb Taylor. Bernard reprised his role in the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle. In the 1990s Fox comedy series Herman's Head, he played Herman's boss, Mr. Paul Bracken. He appeared in the video games Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger and Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom as Captain William Eisen.

Bernard's first role in a feature film was a cameo in the Charles Bronson film Death Wish, and his first major role was in the 1974 movie Thomasine & Bushrod. He later appeared in Car Wash, WarGames, No Way Out, While You Were Sleeping, and Blue Thunder.

Bernard made many guest appearances on a variety of television shows, ranging from Starsky & Hutch, Flamingo Road and The Jeffersons to The Flash, Murder, She Wrote, Wiseguy and Partners. He also appeared, as the chief security guard, in The Dukes of Hazzard episode "The Dukes in Hollywood".

He played the blind musician Tyrone Wattell in the film All of Me. Bernard's final appearance was in the 1997 film Liar Liar as Judge Marshall Stevens.

Death

Shortly after the filming of Liar Liar was completed, Bernard suffered a heart attack on October 16, 1996. He had been driving his car in Burbank, California when he was stricken, and was involved in a rear-end accident. Bernard was rushed to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank where he died.[2] He was survived by his wife Debra and son Jason Jr. His body was cremated. Both Suddenly and Liar Liar were dedicated in memory of him.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1974 Thomasine & Bushrod Seldon
1975 Friday Foster Charles Foley
1976 Car Wash Lonnie's Parole Officer
1978 Coma Surgical Residents Uncredited
1978 Uncle Joe Shannon Goose
1982 Fast Times at Ridgemont High Gym Teacher Uncredited
1983 Blue Thunder Mayor
1983 WarGames Captain Knewt
1983 The Star Chamber Judge Bocho
1984 All of Me Tyrone Wattell
1987 No Way Out Major Donovan
1988 Bird Benny Tate
1989 Paint It Black Lt. Wilder
1995 While You Were Sleeping Jerry Wallace
1997 Liar Liar Judge Marshall Stevens Posthumous release

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1965 Days of Our Lives Preston Wade
1969 The Bold Ones: The New Doctors Dr. Griffith Episode: "To Save a Life"
1969 Then Came Bronson Reverend Taylor Episode: "A Long Trip to Yesterday"
1969–1972 Medical Center Resident 2 episodes
1972 The Longest Night FBI Agent Television film; uncredited
1975 Movin' On Cabe Episode: "...To Be in Carolina"
1976 Starsky and Hutch R.C. Turner Episode: "Silence"
1976 The Blue Knight Det. Bosco 2 episodes
1976 Marcus Welby, M.D. Dr. Hal Mendoza Episode: "Vanity Case"
1976 Switch Capt. Dellinger Episode: "Fleece of Snow"
1977 Delvecchio Sgt. Ogden Episode: "Bad Shoot"
1977 Most Wanted Washburn Episode: "The Dutchman"
1977 Wilma Coach Temple Television film
1978 The White Shadow Jim Willis Episode: "Pilot"
1978 A Woman Called Moses Daddy Ben Ross 2 episodes
1980 The Righteous Apples Dr. Wilson Episode: "Apple Juice"
1980 The Night the City Screamed Dale Wrightson Television film
1981 Ramblin' Man Turman Episode: "On the Run"
1981–1982 Flamingo Road Carl Turner 4 episodes
1982 Pray TV Everett Television film
1982 M*A*S*H Major Quentin Rockingham Episode: "The Tooth Shall Set You Free"
1982 Here's Boomer Sergeant Lindsey Andrews Episode: "Flatfoots"
1982 The Greatest American Hero Morgan Episode: "Divorce, Venusian Style"
1982 Tucker's Witch Mr. Stillwell Episode: "Terminal Case"
1982 I Was a Mail Order Bride Judge Television film
1982–1988 Cagney & Lacey Deputy Inspector Marquette 10 episodes
1983 Benson Professor Roger Petrie Episode: "Family Tree"
1983 High Performance Fletch Episode: "Along Came a Spider"
1983 V Caleb Taylor 2 episodes
1983 The Jeffersons Lloyd Tyndall 3 episodes
1984 V: The Final Battle Caleb Taylor 3 episodes
1984 Wolf Rock TV Mr. Morris (voice)
1984 Hunter Chief Kenny Lanark Episode: "The Hot Grounder"
1984 Airwolf Aaron Martin Episode: "Sins of the Past"
1984 City Killer Captain Frank Sydney Television film
1984 The Dukes of Hazzard The Chief Guard Episode: "The Dukes in Hollywood"
1984 Night Court Judge Robert T. Willard 2 episodes
1984 Riptide Mr. Collins Episode: "It's a Vial Sort of Business"
1984 Knots Landing Dr. Garner 4 episodes
1984 This Is the Life Episode: "Dark Journey"
1985 Crazy Like a Fox Episode: "The Geronimo Machine"
1985 The Rape of Richard Beck Sgt. Wally Rydell Television film
1985 Hotel Irwin Smith Episode: "Obsessions"
1985 The Facts of Life Frank Episode: "Teacher, Teacher"
1985 Hardcastle and McCormick Arnie Sandoval Episode: "Conventional Warfare"
1985 Shadow Chasers Burke Episode: "The Many Lives of Jonathan"
1986 The Children of Times Square Lt. Devins Television film
1986 Comedy Factory Finney Morgan Episode: "The Faculty"
1986 Starman Chief Harold Galley Episode: "Peregrine"
1986 The Cosby Show Sgt. Major Boswell Stokes Episode: "War Stories"
1986–1987 It's Garry Shandling's Show Officer Sweeny 2 episodes
1987 Amen Dexter Episode: "Frye for the Defense"
1987 A Year in the Life Richard Episode: "Don't I Know You from Somewhere?"
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Vern Puckett Episode: "Kingpins"
1987 Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam Sergeant Koslow Television film
1987 Beauty and the Beast Jack Davis Episode: "An Impossible Silence"
1988 Police Story: Gladiator School Lt. Crawford Television film
1988 Designing Women Wilson Brickett Episode: "The Candidate"
1988 Empty Nest Mr. Noack Episode: "Tinker to Evers to Tucson"
1989 Original Sin Det. Mitchell Television film
1989 Unsub Bishop Grace 2 episodes
1989 Heart and Soul Cecil Kincaid Television film
1989 American Playhouse Martin Luther King, Jr. Episode: "The Meeting"
1989 Hardball Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part"
1989 Wiseguy Attorney General 2 episodes
1990 Equal Justice Judge Thaddeus Jones Episode: "Separate Live"
1990–1991 The Flash Dr. Desmond Powell 2 episodes
1991–1994 Herman's Head Mr. Paul Bracken 72 episodes
1992 Dinosaurs Edward R. Hero (voice) Episode: "And the Winner Is..."
1994 Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego? Additional Voices (voice)
1994 Cosmic Slop Bernard Shields Television film
1995 The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Prof. Miles Quigley Television film
1995 Down, Out & Dangerous Detective Danner Television film
1996 Murder, She Wrote Wilson Sloane Episode: "Death Goes Double Platinum"
1996 Sophie & the Moonhanger Holt Television film
1996 Partners Leavitt Episode: "You Quit?"
1996 The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play Leon Martin Television film
1996 Suddenly Louie Television film; posthumous release

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
1994 Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger Capt. William Eisen
1995 Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom Capt. William Elsen

References

  1. ^ "Actor Jason Bernard, 58, Succumbs After He Suffered Heart Attack In California". Jet. 4 November 1996. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  2. ^ Eric Pace (21 October 1996). "Jason Bernard, 58, an Actor In Television Films and Series". The New York Times. p. B 9. Retrieved 2 October 2021.