Bruce Alan Campbell (born April 22, 1957) is an American actor.[1] He is best known for his roles as Derek Mitchell in the 1987–1992 CBS series Jake and the Fatman and as E.Z. Taylor on the short-lived 1984–1985 Three's Company spin-off Three's a Crowd.[2]

Alan Campbell
Born
Bruce Alan Campbell

(1957-04-22) April 22, 1957 (age 67)
OccupationActor
Years active1979–present
Spouses
  • (m. 1999; div. 2013)
  • Nova Ball
    (m. 1987; div. 1990)
Children1 (Riley Rose Campbell)

Early life and education

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Campbell was born Bruce Alan Campbell on April 22, 1957, in Homestead, Florida, the son of Edward John Campbell, a farmer, and Audrey Carolyn Griner (1930–2015), a homemaker.[citation needed] Campbell attended Tulane University and graduated with a BA in business from the University of Miami.[citation needed]

Career

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On television, Campbell became known to viewers when he co-starred with John Ritter on the short-lived Three's Company spin-off Three's a Crowd (1984–1985) in which he played the comedic role of E.Z. Taylor, Jack Tripper's "surfer dude" assistant chef at his bistro. He also co-starred for five seasons with William Conrad and Joe Penny as Assistant District Attorney Derek Mitchell on the CBS crime drama Jake and the Fatman (1987–1992). Campbell has guest starred on numerous television shows including The Facts of Life, Matlock, All My Children, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Homicide: Life on the Street, as well as the web series, Submissions Only and Then We Got Help!.

Campbell was also an established stage actor having appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theater. In 1994, he made his Broadway debut in the New York premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Sunset Boulevard starring opposite Glenn Close and Alice Ripley, and received a Best Actor in a Musical Tony Award nomination for his performance as Joe Gillis, a role he reprised from the musical's 1993 US premiere in Los Angeles starring opposite Close, again, and Judy Kuhn. He also starred in Susan Stroman's 2000 Tony Award-winning musical Contact at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, Lincoln Center, and its final performance was broadcast by PBS as part of its Live from Lincoln Center series on September 1, 2002. His most current Broadway role was playing Sam Carmichael in the hit musical Mamma Mia! from 2014 until production ceased in September 2015.

His Off-Broadway credits include Adrift In Macao, Book of Days, Avow and Hello Again. He has appeared in several regional theatrical productions of Race, Death and the Maiden, 12 Angry Men, Hay Fever, Of Thee I Sing, Oleanna, Beauty and the Beast, Johnny Guitar, Bells Are Ringing, On Shiloh Hill, Boogie Woogie Rumble of a Dream Deferred and Breakfast at Tiffany's, and productions of I Love My Wife and The Nerd.

Personal life

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Campbell was married to actress Nova Ball from 1987 to 1990. On October 10, 1999, he married actress Lauren Kennedy, with whom he appeared in Sunset Boulevard on Broadway. They are divorced and have one child, Riley Rose Campbell.

On April 24, 2008, Campbell and Kennedy opened the Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theater, which establishes a home for a burgeoning theater program at Barton College, a small liberal arts school in Wilson, North Carolina.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1983 The Final Terror Kevin a.k.a. Bump in the Night
1986 Weekend Warriors Duckworth a.k.a. Hollywood Air Force
1989 Tom, Dick and Harry Tom Short film
1997 A Simple Wish Tony Sable a.k.a. The Fairy Godmother
2020 Uncle Frank Bernard

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1979 B.J. and the Bear Young Officer Episode: "Run for the Money: Part 1"
1979 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo Young Officer Episode: "Run for the Money: Part 2"
1981 Red Flag: The Ultimate Game Lt. Tommy Heinz CBS TV film
1983 Another World Evan Grant
1984–1985 Three's a Crowd E.Z. Taylor 18 episodes
1985 The Facts of Life Chuck Episode: "Ballroom Dance"
1986 Matlock Palmer Episode: "The Don: Parts 1 & 2"
1987–1992 Jake and the Fatman Derek Mitchell 103 episodes
1998 Homicide: Life on the Street Dr. Sanford Episode: "Lies and Other Truths"
1998 Encore! Encore! Alan Bloom 1 episode
2002 Live from Lincoln Center Michael Wiley Contact
2004 All My Children Dr. Ellis Marshall Recurring role
2006 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Mitchell Hissam Episode: "Informed"
2008 Law & Order Nolan Steele Episode: "Driven"
2009–2011 Then We Got Help! Thom 20 episodes
2011 Submissions Only Sam Moriarty Episode: "Intersections"
2021 Dopesick Dr. Paul Goldenheim 4 episodes
2022 Servant John-Michele 2 episodes

Theatre

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Broadway

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Year Title Role Theatre
1994–1997 Sunset Boulevard Joe Gillis Minskoff Theater
2002 Contact Michael Wiley (replacement) Vivian Beaumont Theater
2014–2015 Mamma Mia! Sam Carmichael (replacement) Broadhurst Theater

Off-Broadway

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Year Title Role Theatre
2000 Avow Father Raymond Century Center for the Performing Arts
2002 Book of Days James Bates Signature Theater
2007 Adrift in Macao Mitch 59E59 Theater A
2011 Hello Again The Senator Transport Group, 52 Mercer Street

Regional

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Year Title Role Theater
1982 Boogie Woggie Rumble of a Dream Deferred P.J. Urban Arts Theater, New York City
1982 On Shiloh Hill Johnny Reb Westbeth Theater, New York City, New York
1984 Many Thousand Gone Tom Ford's Theater, Washington, D.C.
1985 Almos' a Man Jimmy Soho Repertory Theater, New York City, New York
1993 Sunset Boulevard Joe Gillis Shubert Theater, Los Angeles, California
1998 Bells Are Ringing Jeff Moss Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
1999 Book of Days James Bates The Repertory Theater of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
2004 Breakfast at Tiffany's Chip The Muny, St. Louis, Missouri
2005 Beauty and the Beast The Beast North Carolina Theatre, Raleigh, North Carolina
2006 Johnny Guitar The Dancin' Kid La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts, La Mirada, California
2007 Hay Fever Richard Greatham Old Globe, San Diego, California
2008 Oleanna John Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples, Florida
2008 Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas Russ, Pa Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, Connecticut
2009 Doubt Father Flynn Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples, Florida
2010 12 Angry Men Juror 8 Pioneer Theater, Salt Lake City, Utah
2010 Death and the Maiden Gerardo Escobar Kennedy Theater, Raleigh, North Carolina
2010 Dracula Dr. Seward Carolina Ballet, Raleigh, North Carolina
2012 Race Jack Lawson Kennedy Theater, Raleigh, North Carolina
2015 Parade Governor John Slaton Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, New York
2015 Seminar Leonard Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Wellfleet, Massachusetts
2016 Alabama Story Garth Williams Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, Wellfleet, Massachusetts
2017 The Christians Pastor Paul Gulfshore Playhouse, Naples, Florida
2017 Rock and Roll Man Alan Freed Bucks County Playhouse, New Hope, Pennsylvania
2019 Rock and Roll Man Alan Freed Berkshire Theater Group/Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, Massachusetts
2019 Witness for the Prosecution Sir Wilfred Robarts Judson Theater, Pinehurst, North Carolina

References

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  1. ^ Tranberg, Charles (June 13, 2018). William Conrad: A Life & Career. BearManor Media. p. 163 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2013. p. 599. ISBN 978-0-345-45542-0.
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