Michael Shea (actor)
Michael Shea | |
---|---|
Glendale, New York, USA | |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1963–1973 |
Michael Shea (born November 4, 1952) is an American former
Early life
Michael Shea was born on November 4, 1952 (some sources mistakenly reporting his year of birth as 1951) in
Career
Early career
At the age of ten, Shea reconsidered the possibilities of a professional acting career. In 1968, he recounted his reasoning saying, "I thought I'd like to try acting, but I wasn't sure I'd want to stay in it, so I asked my neighbor if I could get out if I didn't like it. He said 'sure.'" Shea's neighbor was Aliam Dunn, casting director of
After learning the show business ropes as a working actor in commercials, Shea made his theatrical debut, appearing in two "experimental" off-Broadway productions by Edward Albee, and made his television debut in The Bell Telephone Hour Christmas special.[1][3][5] In 1965, Shea was signed to play the title role in a proposed western television series titled Joshua, which prompted the Shea family to relocate from its New York home to California.[1][2][4] However the series never made it to television.[1]
Breakthrough
After Shea was released from his obligations for Joshua, the family remained in California where he was soon landing guest-starring roles on such popular television shows of the time as
After Namu, Shea returned to television roles, guest-starring on episodes of Mission: Impossible, Bewitched and The Virginian.[1][2][4] In 1967, Shea landed a co-starring role in the western film Welcome to Hard Times as Jimmy, an orphan boy who is taken in by Will Blue (Henry Fonda) after his father is murdered by a vicious stranger terrorizing their small town.[1][2][7] In the months that followed, Shea continued to appear on television, guest-starring on episodes of The Wild Wild West and The Danny Thomas Hour, before taking the role that would make him a star.[1][2]
Huck Finn
In 1968, Shea landed the lead role in the
Premiering on
In a departure from the network's usual
Later career
After Huck Finn ended in 1969, Shea appeared in the
In 1970, Shea made two appearances on the television series Headmaster and in 1971, began a recurring role as Dick Van Dyke's son Lucas Preston for two seasons on The New Dick Van Dyke Show.[18][19][20] During this time, Shea also continued to guest-star on other popular series of the time, appearing on two episodes of the high school drama series Room 222, as well as appearing in two episodes of the religious anthology series Insight, the second of which would be his final television appearance in the July 1973 episode entitled "Celebration in Fresh Powder".
Personal life
After Huck Finn ended, Shea attended classes at Van Nuys High School in the San Fernando Valley where he lived with his family.[3][11] Shea graduated from Van Nuys High School in 1971 and, after leaving show business in 1973, began working in a patio furniture shop in Studio City, Los Angeles.[4] In 1979, Shea became a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department.[4]
In 1993, the Los Angeles Times reported that one of Shea's duties with the LAPD included serving as the head of security for celebrities riding in the Hollywood Christmas Parade, exactly 25 years after he'd ridden in the same parade himself as the celebrity guest of honor during the height of his Huck Finn fame. In the same article, the L.A. Times also reported that Shea was married and resided in Castaic, California with his wife and children.[4]
In September 2010, the
Michael is the father of Mike Shea, Paralympic Snowboarder & winner of the silver medal in snowboard-cross at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Winter Games.[22]
Filmography
Film | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
1966 | Namu, the Killer Whale | Nick | — |
1967 | Welcome to Hard Times | Jimmy Fee | — |
1969 | Ride a Northbound Horse | Cav Rand | European release |
Television | |||
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
1964 | The Bell Telephone Hour | Himself | Christmas Special |
1965 | The Defenders[5] | (Unknown) | (Unknown episode) |
1966 | Blue Light | Klaus | "How to Kill a Soldier" |
1966 | Camp Runamuck | Hefflefinger | "Commander for a Day" |
1966 | The Fugitive | Rick | "In a Plain Paper Wrapper" |
1966 | Mission: Impossible | Pieter Stakovar | "A Spool There Was" |
1966 | Bewitched | Johnny Mills | "Soapbox Derby" |
1967 | The Virginian | Jamie Adams | "Bitter Harvest" |
1967 | The Wild Wild West | Boy | "The Night of the Falcon" |
1968 | The Danny Thomas Hour | David Rubin | "The Last Hunters" |
1968–1969 | The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn | Huck Finn | Starring |
1969 | Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color |
Cav Rand | "Ride a Northbound Horse" - Parts 1 & 2 |
1969 | Me and Benjy [1][2] | Teenage Boyfriend | Possibly unaired episodes |
1970 | Headmaster | Fred / Wayne | 2 episodes |
1972 | Room 222 | Scott | 2 episodes |
1971–1973 | The New Dick Van Dyke Show | Lucas Preston | Recurring |
1971–1973 | Insight | Jack | 2 episodes |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "'Huck Finn' Star At Six-Gun Territory". Oscala Star-Banner. December 29, 1968.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "'Huck Finn' TV Star At Six-Gun". Oscala Star-Banner. December 19, 1968.
- ^ a b c d "Scene Action - Michael Shea and Kevin Schultz?". The Evening Independent. January 2, 1969.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Former Actor Gets New Role for Hollywood Parade". Los Angeles Times. November 27, 1993.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Right Out of Pages of Mark Twain Book". The Deseret News. September 18, 1968.
- ^ "Namu - Tamed". The Sumter Daily Item. January 9, 1971.
- ^ "Janice Rule, Henry Fonda Star in Early Settler Drama". The Hartford Courant. December 10, 1967.
- ^ a b "TV Sunday". The Milwaukee Sentinel. September 14, 1968.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d e "New Huck Finn Freshly Bathed". The Calgary Herald. November 22, 1968.
- ^ a b c "TV Previews - Sunday". The Free Lance-Star. September 13, 1968.
- ^ a b c "TV Mailbag - Michael Shea?". The Hartford Courant. March 16, 1969.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Huck Finn Featured in Series". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. September 10, 1968.
- ^ a b "Beyond Becky Thatcher: The Life and Times of LuAnn Haslam". KiddieMatinee.com. May 30, 2005. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012.
- ^ "The Bedford Files". Centre Daily Times. April 5, 2002.
- ^ a b "Boy Steals Own Horse". Schenectady Gazette. March 15, 1969.
- ^ a b "Weekend Television Highlights - Sunday". The Evening News. March 15, 1969.
- ^ a b "Television Previews - Sunday". The Evening Independent. March 21, 1969.
- ^ "Amusements - The New Dick Van Dyke Show". The News and Courier. October 2, 1971.
- ^ "TV Week - Today". The Boston Globe. January 28, 1973.
- ^ "Guests Chosen for Personality - The New Dick Van Dyke Show". The Palm Beach Post. May 26, 1984.
- ^ "Michael Shea Honored at 7th Hollywood PAL Benefit". Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. September 21, 2010.
- ^ "Mike Shea". 19 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-03-19. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
External links
- Michael Shea at IMDb
- Michael Shea at AllMovie
- Michael Shea at TV Guide