Kene Holliday Explained

Kene Holliday
Birth Name:Kenneth Earl Holliday
Birth Date:25 June 1949
Birth Place:Copiague, Suffolk County, New York, U.S.
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1971–present
Children:2 sons, Kendall Holliday, Collinns Holliday
Other Names:Kene Holiday

Kenneth Earl Holliday (born June 25, 1949) is an American actor of stage, film, and television. He is known for his role as Ben Matlock's original private investigator, Tyler Hudson, on Matlock, and as Sgt. Curtis Baker on Carter Country from 1977 until 1979. He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the film Great World of Sound.

Biography

Holliday, a product of the Copiague area of Long Island, New York, was raised in a Christian home, born into a Baptist family. At age 12, he lost his father. With the encouragement of his mother, he participated in track at Copiague High School where he was part of the Fantastic Four Relay Team and was the star of his football team. He was nicknamed as Mr. Hotshot and was known as a "scoring machine" on and off the football field. He graduated in 1967 and attended University of Maryland on a full scholarship. As he recalled, times were turbulent, and the football team was preparing to go on strike against the NCAA over a change in coaches.

He was "jazzed" by a class he took related to the history of theater and acting became his new passion. In 1969, as an undergraduate he played Yank in The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill. He was the first black person to perform in a leading role on the college's "main stage."

After graduation from college his first work was with the Inaugural Theater Group at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. There, he conducted workshops as a founding member of the D.C. Black Repertory Company. In 1975, he was fired from his job because of his continued problems with drugs and alcohol. His chemical abuse continued for the next 14 years. However, despite those problems he starred in the role of Carlyle in David Rabe's Vietnam War–era play Streamers at the Lincoln Theatre.[1]

That play led him to Los Angeles in 1976 where he guest-starred on several shows such as Kojak; What's Happening!!; The Incredible Hulk; Quincy, M.E.; Lou Grant; Soap and its spin-off series, Benson; The Jeffersons; The Fall Guy; Hart to Hart and Doogie Howser, M.D. He guest starred on many other shows. His first "featuring" television series was Carter Country where he co-starred with Victor French as Sgt. Curtis Baker from 1977 until 1979. He also was featured in and starred in a series of pilots which failed to make it to the air as regular series. Kene provided the voice of the character Roadblock in the 1980s cartoon series, G.I. Joe and 1987's . In 1985, he appeared in the TV film Badge of the Assassin.

In early 1986, while providing the voice of Roadblock, he received a phone call from producers Fred Silverman and Dean Hargrove. He was their first choice to play Matlock's private investigator Tyler Hudson on the Matlock series opposite TV veteran Andy Griffith. Holliday said in a 2012 interview with Blake Radio that when he was 11 years old he occasionally watched The Andy Griffith Show; he had recognized all the characters from his mentor's show and won the Matlock role.[2] He was eventually fired from the series due to ongoing concerns around his substance abuse.[3]

Other TV work and personal life

He has numerous television and movie appearances to his credit, including roles in (1987), CBS’s made-for-television movie Miracle on the Mountain (2000), Hope & Faith (2004), and (2005).

He published a book of poetry in 1998 entitled The Book of K-III: The Contemporary Poetics of Kene Holliday.

Holliday became a traveling evangelist, and he and his wife spent the next decade preaching in gospel musicals.

In 2002, Holliday became the round-the-clock caregiver for his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and subsequently became a member of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.[3]

While taking care of his mother, he accepted the lead role in the movie Great World of Sound in 2007.[4]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1976Kojak Assistant D.A. DunnEpisode: "A Shield For Murder" (parts 1 and 2)
1977–79Carter CountrySergeant Curtis Baker44 episodes
1978Incredible HulkPaulEpisode: "Earthquakes Happen"
1978Battle of the Network StarsHimselfEpisode: "Battle of the Network Stars IV"
1978What's Happening!!'The Gong Show Judge HimselfEpisode: "Going, Going, Gong"
1979Quincy M.E.Father Tony HamiltonEpisode: "Never a Child"
1979DetroitMiniseries
Part III
1980SoapEddie DawsonEpisode 60
1980BensonJakeEpisode: "Takin' It to the Streets"
1981See China and DieSgt. Alvin SykesTelevision film
1982 Hart to HartWilliam DeanEpisode: "Hart and Sole" as William Dean
1982Chicago StoryDr. Jeff House
1984BensonEarl (Benson's brother)Episode: "The Reunion"
1984The Philadelphia ExperimentMajor Clark
1984No Small AffairWalt Cronin
1985Badge of the AssassinAlbert WashingtonTelevision film
1985–86G.I. Joe: A Real American HeroRoadblock (voice)36 episodes
1986Diary of a Perfect MurderTyler HudsonTelevision film
1986The Fall GuyLt. Joe BuddEpisode: "In His Shadow"
1986–90MatlockTyler Hudsonseasons 1–3; appeared in episode 4 & 14 in season 4
1987Roadblock (voice)Direct-to-video
1987If It's Tuesday, It Still Must Be BelgiumBon SperlingTelevision film
1990Perry Mason: Case of the Silenced SingerJoe Dillon
1991The Josephine Baker StorySidney BechetTelevision film
1991Doogie Howser, M.D.Raymond's Old MentorEpisode: "Truth and Consequences"
1992Jake and the FatmanMontgomery DuboisEpisode: "Ain't Misbehavin'"
1996: Diagnosis MurderBurke's ProducerEpisode: "FMurder"
2005Coach VenezianoEpisode: "Ripped"
2007Great World of SoundClarence
2008Cold Case DetectiveEpisode: "Last Rites"
2009 Theodore the Saxophone PlayerVideogame

Accolades

References

  1. Web site: Kene Holliday AKA Tyler Hudson in 'Matlock' Lived a Dark Life in Conjunction with Filming. Oyin. Balogun. October 17, 2021. Amo Mama. March 2, 2022.
  2. Web site: Topically Yours - Actor Kene Holliday. BlogTalkRadio.com. August 4, 2012. March 15, 2018.
  3. News: An Actor's Seesaw Life Jolts Upward Again. The New York Times. 2 September 2007. Fischler. Marcelle S.. subscription.
  4. News: American Idle. Roger. Ebert. Roger Ebert. October 5, 2007. Chicago Sun-Times. RogerEbert.com. March 2, 2022.