J. A. Preston Explained
| Birth Name: | James Allen Preston |
| Birth Date: | 13 November 1932 |
| Birth Place: | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Children: | 3 |
| Education: | North Carolina College |
| Known For: | Ozzie Cleveland – Hill Street Blues |
| Yearsactive: | 1968 - 2006 |
James Allen Preston (born November 13, 1932) is a retired American actor. Preston is best known for portraying Colonel Randolph in the movie A Few Good Men and for his role as Ozzie Cleveland on the NBC prime-time television series Hill Street Blues. He played Conn MacCleary in the movie .
Biography
Life and career
Preston was born November 13, 1932, in Washington, D.C.[1] In addition to his role on Hill Street Blues, Preston is also known for his roles as Leo Daltry in Dallas, Richard Matthews in Santa Barbara, court-martial judge Col. J. A. Randolph, USMC in the 1992 film A Few Good Men, and the minor but important role of a USAF major general in Air Force One (1997). He was a series regular in the short-lived CBS sitcom All's Fair which ran just one season (1976–77). In it he played an assistant to conservative newspaper columnist Richard Barrington (played by Richard Crenna). Preston also appeared on the NBC television series The A-Team as a judge (Col. Thomas Milo) presiding over a military tribunal convened to try the A-Team. He appeared in the series Good Times in the late 1975 episode, "Willona's Dilemma". He also appeared in three episodes of Martin as Gina's (Tisha Campbell-Martin) father Dr. Cliff Waters. He was also on the Season 1, Episode 11 of Law & Order, "Out of the Half-Light" as Congressman Ronald Eaton.
Personal life
Preston was married to Merilyn Alsop from 1957 until divorcing in 1972. Together, Preston and Alsop had three children before their divorce: Scott, Dominique, and James Preston.[2]
Selected filmography
Television
- 1975 All in the Family as "Black Elmo" Bridgewater (Season 6, Episode 3 Archie, the Donor)
- 1975 Good Times as Walter Ingles (Season 3, Episode 10)
- 1978 Wonder Woman as Jazreel (Season 2/Episode 15)
- 1979 Hart to Hart as Lab Director (Season 1)
- 1982 Little House on the Prairie as Sam Terhune (Season 8/Episode 16)
- 1984 Punky Brewster as Judge William J. Murphy (Season 1/Episode 3)
- 1986 Moonlighting as Dr. Nealy (Season 2/Episode 13)
- 1986 The A-Team as the judge - Col. Thomas Mylowe (season 5/episode 2)
- 1988 Hunter as Rhodes (Season 5)
- 1990 Law & Order as Congressman Ronald Eaton (Season 1/Episode 11)
- 1991 Father Dowling Mysteries as Lt. Peter Johnson (Season 3/Episode 22)
- 1992 Jake and the Fatman as Mickey Daytona
- 1992 Martin – played the recurring part of Dr. Cliff Waters in three episodes: "The Parents Are Coming" in Season 1 (#7), "Thanks for Nothing" in Season 2 (#13) and also "Wedding Bell Blues" in Season 3 (#26)
- 1992 Tales from the Crypt as Harry (Season 4/Episode 14)
- 1993 The Jackie Thomas Show as Mr. Watson (Season 1/Episode 11)
- 1994 as General Zeitlin (Season 1/Episode 12)
- 1994 Empty Nest as Roland (Season 6/Episode 23)
- 1995 SeaQuest 2032 as Charles Ford (Season 2/Episode 11)
- 1996 Chicago Hope as Judge Rodney Helpurn
- 1997 The Sentinel as Mel Wilkenson (Season 2/Episode 16)
- 1997 Clueless as Benjamin Davenport (Season 3/Episode 62)
Theatre
Notes and References
- Web site: J. A. Preston Biography ((?)-). FilmReference.com. November 5, 2017.
- Web site: Merilyn Alsop Preston Taylor: Obituary. May 1, 2010. The Capital. Annapolis, Maryland. November 5, 2017. November 5, 2017. https://archive.today/20171105190626/http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/capitalgazette/obituary.aspx?n=merilyn-alsop-preston-taylor&pid=142369903. live.
- Web site: Search for J.A. Preston . Lortel Archives.
