Wesley Eure
Wesley Eure | |
---|---|
Born | Wesley Eure Loper August 17, 1951 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1968–present |
Partner | Richard Chamberlain (1975–1976) |
Website | www.wesleyeure.com |
Wesley Eure (born Wesley Eure Loper; August 17, 1951) is an American actor, singer, author, producer, director and educator. He is best known for appearing as
Early life and education
Eure was born Wesley Eure Loper in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on August 17, 1951.[1] His father left the family when he was two years old,[2] so his mother, Mary Jane Loper (February 6, 1927 - January 25, 2011), moved him and his elder sister, Gai (born September 10, 1950), to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where Eure's grandmother lived. While Eure grew up in Mississippi, his mother obtained a bachelor's degree in psychology and began teaching. She subsequently took positions in Texas and Illinois, and became a drug abuse counselor with the state of Nevada. The Lopers moved to Las Vegas, where his mother ran a methadone clinic and hosted a radio talk show about drug abuse.[3] He spent his senior year of high school in Las Vegas.[3]
Career
This section of a poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. )Find sources: "Wesley Eure" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2023) |
Eure wanted to be an actor since the age of five,[3] his love of performing stemming from a need for attention.[2] While the family lived in Illinois, he enrolled in a summer program at Northwestern University, where he took acting lessons and won an award.[3] His first break came when he was 17 years old and working part-time at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas selling artwork. He was hired as a driver for Robert Goulet and Carol Lawrence during their summer tour.[2][3] He spent most of 1968 and 1969 as their driver.[2]
After the Goulet-Lawrence tour ended in New York City, Eure decided he would not return to high school and stayed.[2] After a few short months of auditions and odd jobs, in 1970 Eure became a cast member at the
Television
Eure moved to
When that series was not picked up due to the 1973 writers' strike,[2] Eure answered an ad in an industry trade publication to audition for a television show. He learned that David Cassidy was threatening to leave The Partridge Family, and that the audition was for a role as a "neighbor boy" who would take over the lead in the family band from Cassidy. Eure won the audition, but never joined The Partridge Family after Cassidy agreed to stay on.[6] The show was canceled before the next season started.[5]
In 1974, Eure auditioned for and won a role on
From 1974 to 1981, Eure starred on
In 1987, Eure became host of the Nickelodeon children's game show Finders Keepers, and continued in this role through 1988. When the show was sold to Fox for its 1989 (and final) season, Fox declined to hire Eure as host and replaced him with Larry Toffler.[9]
Eure co-produced, wrote and acted in
Eure also hosted an educational DVD called Power Over Poison to teach kids how to avoid poisons, produced by WQED, the PBS station in
Film
Eure appeared in 1978 as a murderer in The Toolbox Murders[10] and as an evil man who is eaten by snakes in Jennifer.[11] While filming Jennifer, Eure claims he had a difficult time working with the various snakes on the set, including the large boa constrictor that features in the climax.[2] He later appeared in Hanna-Barbera's 1979 comedy C.H.O.M.P.S., which also starred Valerie Bertinelli, Red Buttons, Jim Backus, Hermione Baddeley, and Conrad Bain.[12]
Eure and Land of the Lost co-star Kathy Coleman filmed cameo appearances for the 2009 film Land of the Lost starring Will Ferrell, but were edited out of the final cut.[13]
He appeared in the 2014 independent thriller film,
Music
Whenever his acting career seemed stalled, Eure continued to sing. He became friends with
Books
Eure lived briefly in
Eure's fifth book, A Fish Out of Water, is his first pre-schooler book. The story of a bird and a fish that fall in love and make it work, it is used by schools to teach racial tolerance. The graduate art students at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina illustrated it. He also wrote The Whale That Ate the Storm.
Knightsbridge Publishing released two of his humor books, Fun with Fax and On-the-Wall Off-the-Wall Office Humor.
Teaching
For many years, Eure has given interactive lectures in elementary and secondary schools about reading and writing.[6]
Theatre
Eure has starred on the stage in shows like Bus Stop, Butterflies Are Free, Love Sex and the IRS, as well as the musicals I Love My Wife and
Philanthropy
For many years, he was a fundraiser for the
Honors
In 2007, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.[16]
Personal life
While working on Days of our Lives, Eure supported his mother as she attended law school in her 50s. After graduating at the top of her class, she became his personal manager and attorney.[17]
Eure was the travel editor for Palm Springs Life magazine, writing a bi-monthly travel column.
In the 1970s, Eure met and had a relationship with actor Richard Chamberlain.[18][9]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1974–1976 | Land of the Lost | Will Marshall | 43 episodes |
1974–1981 | Days of Our Lives | Mike Horton | Unknown episodes |
1978 | The Toolbox Murders | Kent Kingsley | |
1978 | Insight | Steve | Episode - "Second Chorus" |
1978 | Jennifer | Pit Lassiter | |
1979 | CHiPs | Himself | Episode - "Roller Disco: Part 2" |
1979 | C.H.O.M.P.S. | Brian Foster | |
1979–1981 | Password Plus | Himself - Contestant | 21 episodes |
1980 | Match Game | Himself - Panelist | 5 episodes |
1980 | CHiPs | Himself - Uncredited | Episode - "The Great 5K Star Race and Boulder Wrap Party: Part 2" |
1987–1988 | Finders Keepers | Himself - Host | 130 episodes |
1989 | Spy TV | ||
1989–1992 | Totally Hidden Video | Writer, Various Characters | 14 episodes |
1992 | Payback | Co-producer | |
1999–2005 | Dragon Tales | Writer, Developer & Creative producer (94 episodes) | |
2001 | Totally Hidden Video | Co-producer | |
2001 | Spy TV | Head writer | |
2013 | Geography Club | Mr. Kaplan | |
2015 | Sidewalks Entertainment | Himself - Guest | Episode - "Wesley Eure" |
2016 | Sins of Our Youth | Chief Kaplan |
References
- ^ Denis, Paul; Beck, Amy Louise (October 1976). Daytime TV's Star Directory. New York: Popular Library. p. 85.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Nail Guns, Snakes and Sleestaks: An Interview with Wesley Eure". TheTerrorTrap.com. January 2010. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
- ^ a b c d e f Newcomb, Roger (November 12, 2009). "The Wesley Eure Interview, Part One". WeLoveSoaps.com. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
- ^ a b "Michelle Will Tell". The Dispatch. Lexington, Ky. July 3, 1975. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
- ^ a b c Jensen, Michael (June 4, 2009). "EXCLUSIVE! Wesley Eure of TV's Land of the Lost Comes Out". Backlot.com. pp. 1-7. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
- ^ a b c d e f Newcomb, Roger (November 12, 2009). "The Wesley Eure Interview, Part Three". WeLoveSoaps.com. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
- ISBN 978-0-7862-8459-7.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-3305-6.
- ^ a b Jensen, Michael (June 4, 2009). "EXCLUSIVE! Wesley Eure of TV's Land of the Lost Comes Out". Backlot.com. p. 3. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-1292-1.
- ISBN 978-0-3453-9027-1.
- ^ Martin, Mick and Porter, Marsha. Video Movie Guide, 1995. New York: Ballantine Books, 1994, p. 155.
- ^ Jensen, Michael (June 4, 2009). "EXCLUSIVE! Wesley Eure of TV's Land of the Lost Comes Out". Backlot.com. p. 4. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
- ^ LalaPOOLooza Wesleyeure.com. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
- ^ Roe, Michelle (September 29, 2014). "Desert AIDS Project Benefit Hits Home for Wesley Eure". Palm Springs Life. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ "Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated" (PDF). Palm Springs Walk of Stars. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-13.
- ISBN 978-0-8065-0940-2.
- ^ Newcomb, Roger (November 12, 2009)."The Wesley Eure Interview, Part Two". WeLoveSoaps.com. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
External links
- Wesley Eure at IMDb
- Wesley Eure at the TCM Movie Database