John Billingsley Explained

John Billingsley
Birth Date:20 May 1960
Alma Mater:Bennington College
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1991–present
Spouse:Bonita Friedericy

John Billingsley (born May 20, 1960)[1] is an American actor best known for his role as Doctor Phlox on the television series .

Early life and education

Billingsley subsequently lived in Huntsville, Alabama, and Slidell, Louisiana, before his family settled in Weston, Connecticut.[2]

He graduated from Bennington College in 1982.[3] [4]

Career

Early work

Billingsley's first on-screen role was in 1991 as a difficult customer making a return in a customer service training video produced by Nintendo of America. He made an appearance in "It Happened in Juneau", a third-season episode of the TV comedy-drama Northern Exposure, playing a patient treated by Marilyn.

Billingsley subsequently appeared in The X-Files episode "Three of a Kind", as a friend of the Lone Gunmen who turns out to be a government spy. He played Bill Gates in a sketch on Seattle comedy show Almost Live!. One of Billingsley's earliest film roles was in the 2001 made-for-television historical drama Just Ask My Children, in which he played corrupt lawyer Andrew Gines.

2000s

Billingsley played Dr. John Fallow in a West Wing episode that featured the Gall–Peters projection map (season 2, episode 16). He was cast as Professor Miles Ballard in the short-lived television series The Others; then as the Denobulan Doctor Phlox in the fifth live-action Star Trek series, , which ran for four seasons. He also played himself in an episode of Roswell that used the Enterprise set. He also starred in the independent film Breathing Hard (2000) in the same year. In 2002, he was a guest star in an episode of Stargate SG-1, playing a scientist who is also a Trekkie, "worshipping at the altar of Roddenberry". He played a supporting role in the 2003 thriller Out of Time as medical examiner and best friend to the chief of police, played by Denzel Washington.

Billingsley is well known to fans of the series Cold Case for his guest appearance in the show's second season, playing serial killer George Marks, the only killer on the show to get away with murder. He reprised the role in the season finale, in which Marks was killed. He also appeared as a blunt-force victim in the first season of Six Feet Under, in the episode "The New Person".

Billingsley appeared in the first season of the series Prison Break as the mysterious Terrence Steadman, brother of the Vice President, whose death is faked to frame Lincoln Burrows for murder. Soon after, he was cast as a regular on the series The Nine. This left him unable to continue his role as Steadman, and he was replaced in the role by Jeff Perry. In 2005, he played the voice of Trask in Ultimate Spider-Man. In November 2006, Billingsley portrayed William Bradford on two episodes of the podcast The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd. In May 2007 he appeared on NCIS as a blind photographer in the episode, "In The Dark". He appeared in the seventh season of 24 as a recurring character. On October 8, 2007, he also made a guest appearance on Journeyman as Alan Platt. Billingsley played Prof. Harry, a biologist, in the 2007 independent science fiction film The Man from Earth, as well as the 2017 sequel ‘’’’. He also made a guest appearance in an October 2007 episode of , and in 2006 on the spinoff series .

Billingsley appeared as Jacob Nolston in "Crash Into Me", a two-part, fourth-season episode of the TV drama Grey's Anatomy.

Billingsley and his wife have also appeared as themselves on the HGTV series My House Is Worth What?, in which a real estate expert toured their home and provided commentary for viewers before providing an appraisal.

In 2008, Billingsley had a supporting role in several episodes of the HBO series True Blood as coroner Mike Spencer. In May of that year, he guest starred as John Harris, the father of the Kiss-Me-Not Killer, in "Never Tell", an episode of Women's Murder Club.

He appeared in the disaster film 2012, which was released on November 13, 2009, as Professor Frederic West, an American scientist. He subsequently appeared on the ABC series Scrubs in December 2009.

2010s

In August 2010, Billingsley guest starred in an episode of the TNT series Leverage as Coswell, the head of security at the Boston Museum of Art and Antiquities. In November that year he guest starred as amateur psychic Ellis Mars in "Red Moon", an episode of The Mentalist.

In February 2011 Billingsley played Gidger in the Richard Greenberg's play The Violet Hour in Los Angeles.[5] In August 2011, Billingsley starred in an episode of the USA Network drama Suits as the company accountant who is being released for never finishing university.

In October 2012 Billingsley starred in the film Trade of Innocents alongside Dermot Mulroney and Mira Sorvino.[6]

On February 12, 2013, a web comedy video was released on Yahoo! Screens under the title "Forwarders" that featured Billingsley as an Dr. Alan Cooper, a psychologist and expert on compulsive e-mail forwarding.[7] That same year he completed filming of the independent film Red Line.[8]

On January 7, 2014, CBS television premiered the science fiction drama Intelligence, on which Billingsley played Dr. Shenandoah Cassidy, the inventor of an implantable microchip that acts as an interface between a human mind and electronic devices.[9]

In November 2014, Billingsley guest-starred in the CBS crime drama series, Hawaii Five-0, playing lawyer Eugene Goodman in the Season 5 episode, "Ka Hana Malu".

In May 2015, Billingsley appeared in the second season of the AMC period drama, , playing Samuel Townsend, father of American Revolutionary spy, Robert Townsend. He later returned to the role for the third season.

In July 2017, he appeared as Doctor Ben in the Showtime revival of Twin Peaks.

Personal life

Billingsley is married to fellow actor Bonita Friedericy.[2] [10] [11] She first became interested in him after seeing him perform in a stage production of Great Expectations.[12] Friedericy appeared with Billingsley in "Regeneration", a 2003 episode of in which she played Rooney.[13] The couple has subsequently appeared in other productions together.[14]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1989Shredder OrpheusLinus
2001Crocodile Dundee in Los AngelesBarry
2001Just Ask My ChildrenAndrew Gines
2001The Glass HouseDriving Instructor
2002High CrimesLie Detector Coach
2003Out of TimeChae
2004A Cinderella StoryMr. Rothman
2005The 12 Dogs of Christmas Dogcatcher Doyle
2006Room 6Harrison McKendrick
2007The Man from EarthHarry
2008The Last WordBrady
2008The Least of TheseFather Alfred McKavee
20092012Professor Frederick West
2011Losing ControlProfessor Straub
2011SironiaDoug
2012Trade of InnocentsMalcolm Eddery
2013Red LineSam
2016MadtownLloyd Zane Miller
2017Harry
2022Emily the CriminalOffice manager
2023The ShiftRusso

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1992Northern ExposurePatientS3 20 Episode: “It Happened in Juneau”
1996Almost Live!Bill Gates1 episode
1997NYPD BlueGlenn FarleyEpisode: "It Takes a Village"
1998The PracticeRevenue Officer Robert SchmittEpisode: "The Trial"
1999The X-FilesTimothy "Timmy the Geek" LandauEpisode: "Three of a Kind"
2000G vs EBill KaplanEpisode: "Cougar Pines"
2000Gilmore GirlsMr. RemmyEpisode: "The Lorelais' First Day At Chilton"[15]
2000The OthersProfessor Miles Ballard13 episodes
2000Touched by an AngelPeter GarfieldEpisode: "Reasonable Doubt"[16]
2001The West WingDr. John FallowEpisode: "Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail"
2001RoswellHimselfEpisode: "Secrets and Lies"
2001–2005Dr. Phlox91 episodes
2002NYPD BlueRyan LipeEpisodes: "Oh, Mama" and "Gypsy Woe’s Me"
2002Stargate SG-1Dr. Simon CoombsEpisode: "The Other Guys"
2003AngelDr. Evan RoyceEpisode: "Unleashed"
2004Duck DodgersDr. Psy-Q HiVoice, 2 episodes
2004 & 2005Cold CaseGeorge Marks2 episodes: "Mind Hunters", "The Woods"
2006Prison BreakTerrence Steadman3 episodes
2006The CloserTom NewmanEpisode: "Aftertaste"
2006–2007; 2009The NineEgan Foote13 episodes
2006Dead and DeaderLangdonTelevision film
2007NCISJackson ScottEpisode: "In the Dark"
2007Grey's AnatomyJacob Nolston2 episodes
2007CSIPaul CydonEpisode: "The Case of the Cross-Dressing Carp"
2008–2012True BloodCoroner Mike Spencer17 episodes
2008Eli StoneDaniel FooteEpisode: "Waiting for That Day"
2008Without a TraceHarryEpisode: "Rewind"
2008Fear ItselfPhilEpisode: "Community"
2009Criminal MindsHugh RollinsEpisode: "A Shade of Gray"
200924Michael Latham3 episodes
2010LeverageHead of SecurityEpisode: "The Rashamon Job"
2010The MentalistEllis MarsEpisode: "Red Moon"
2011–2014SuitsStan Jacobson2 episodes: "Shelf Life" & "We're Done"
2012Scooby-Doo! Mystery IncorporatedDr. HenklefustVoice, episode: "The Night the Clown Cried II: Tears of Doom!"
2013 SouthlanduncreditedEpisode: "Under the Big Top"[17]
2013 NikitaHeideckerEpisode: "Brave New World"
2014BonesDr. Edward HarknessEpisode: "The Corpse at the Convention"
2014IntelligenceDr. Shenendoah Cassidy11 episodes
2015–2016Samuel Townsend6 episodes
2016–2017StitchersMitchell Blair5 episodes
2017Twin PeaksDr. Ben1 episode
2017LuciferAlvinEpisode: "Off the Record"
2018This is UsBill WestonEpisode "Katie Girls"
2019The OrvilleCambis BorrinEpisode: "Home"
2019The RookieKevin ScottEpisode: "Heartbreak"
2019The ResidentDr. StewartEpisode: "If Not Now, When?"
2020HomecomingBuddyEpisode: "People"
2021Station 19LloydEpisode: "Here It Comes Again"
2022Pam & TommyBruce HendricksEpisode: "Pamela in Wonderland"
2022Professor StaggsEpisode: "Prisoners' Dilemma"
2023The Good DoctorKurtEpisode: "A Beautiful Day S6E21"
2024ManhuntEdward BatesEpisode: "Let The Sheep Flee"

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005Ultimate Spider-ManBolivar Trask
2006Superman ReturnsMetallo, additional voices

Notes and References

  1. News: This leading-man wannabe is happy to have a TV role in reserve . . Mark . Olsen . September 7, 2003 . John Billingsley, 43.
  2. Web site: Theater: Guest Artist Bios: John Billingsley. https://web.archive.org/web/20131113155629/http://www.oxy.edu/theater/guest-artists/guest-artist-bios/john-billingsley . oxy.edu . November 13, 2013 . Occidental College. October 4, 2012.
  3. Web site: Intelligence Cast: John Billingsley. CBS . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140110030615/http://www.cbs.com/shows/intelligence/cast/214779/. January 10, 2014. August 23, 2014.
  4. Web site: John Billingsley: Bio. Trademark Talent. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141019012923/http://www.trademarktalent.com/johnbillingsley/. October 19, 2014. August 23, 2014.
  5. Anthony, Darin (February 9, 2011). "Now Is the Hour for All Good Artists". LA Stage Times.
  6. Savage, Sohpia (August 23, 2012). "'Trade of Innocents' Chosen for Creative Coalition's Spotlight Initiative". IndieWire.
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20130213184340/http://screen.yahoo.com/sketchy-forwarders-050000283.html "Forwarders"
  8. http://www.startrek.com/article/john-billingsley-remembers-dear-doctor "John Billingsley Remembers Dear Doctor"
  9. https://web.archive.org/web/20131206124623/http://www.cbs.com/shows/intelligence/cast/ "Intelligence Cast"
  10. http://www.startrek.com/watch_video/john-billingsley-and-bonita-friedericy-interview-part-2 "John Billingsley and Bonita Friedericy Interview Part 2"
  11. https://web.archive.org/web/20120527160732/http://www.startrekcruise.com/star-trek-celebrities/2012-star-trek-cruise-celebrities/john-billingsley "John Billingsley"
  12. Winert, Laura (July 28, 2004). "ACTORS' DIALOGUE - Bonita Friedericy & John Billingsley". Backstage.
  13. Regeneration. . UPN. 2. 23. May 7, 2003.
  14. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kevin-sorbo-john-billingsley-and-bonita-friedericy-star-in-new-audio-drama-to-benefit-a-world-fit-for-kids-108931509.html "Kevin Sorbo, John Billingsley and Bonita Friedericy Star in New Audio Drama to Benefit 'A World Fit For Kids'"
  15. Web site: "Gilmore Girls" The Lorelais' First Day at Chilton (TV Episode 2000) -IMDb . April 12, 2021.
  16. Web site: "Touched By An Angel" Reasonable Doubt (TV Episode 2000) - IMDb.
  17. Web site: Southland – Under the Big Top (TV Episode 2013) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb . imdb.com . April 1, 2023.