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Britt Leach

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Britt Leach
Born (1938-07-18) July 18, 1938 (age 86)
OccupationActor
Years active1971–1991

Britt Leach (born July 18, 1938 in Gadsden, Alabama) is an American character actor.

Biography and acting career

Leach was born on July 18, 1938 in Gadsden, Alabama. He graduated from McCallie School, a boys college-preparatory school in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1956. He graduated from Birmingham Southern College, where he was active in college theater, in the mid 1960s. He attended Northwestern University and briefly worked in Army intelligence.

Leach's film and television career started in the early 1970s. His most memorable movie roles include boorish hick bartender Dan Oldum in Jackson County Jail, hard-nosed detective Sergeant Cook in Night Warning, cranky toy store manager Mr. Sims in Silent Night, Deadly Night, trailer park resident Mr. Potter in The Last Starfighter, Anthony Michael Hall's plumber father in Weird Science and redneck hunter Reg in The Great Outdoors.

During the fall of 1976, Leach was cast in the role of Mickey "Wig" Wiggins, an airplane mechanic, in the six-episode CBS adventure series Spencer's Pilots, starring Gene Evans, Christopher Stone and Todd Susman. Among the many television shows on which he's appeared are The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Insight, Bonanza, Three's Company, Tales from the Crypt and Newhart. He is probably most recognized for his reoccurring role as Easy Jackson on The Waltons.

Leach left acting in the early 1990s. His final film role was an uncredited appearance in the 1991 film Father of the Bride, in which his character, a supermarket assistant manager, confronts Steve Martin's character for making a scene in the supermarket and has him imprisoned for it.

From 1992-99, Leach was co-editor and publisher of "Country Connections," an award-winning bi-monthly magazine which covered environmental and progressive social issues. He has also written poems.

In 2007, Leach did not renew his membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and wrote of his frustration with DVD screeners in a satirical piece on his website.[1][clarification needed]

Leach resides in Sherman Oaks, California with his wife, Catherine Roberts Leach.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Fuzz Detective #1
1973 Interval Leonard
1974 The California Kid Johnny TV movie
1974 Happy Days Reverend Harlan A Star is Bored
1976 Jackson County Jail Dan Oldum (Bartender)
1978 Loose Shoes Billy-Joe
1978 Goin' South Parson Weems
1978 The New Adventures of Wonder Woman Billy The Deadly Dolphin
1980 Hardly Working Gas Station Manager
1980 High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane Virgil
1980 PSI Factor Biker
1981 Night Warning Sergeant Cook
1981 Three's Company Angry Husband, Bartender (2 episodes)
1984 The Last Starfighter Mr. Potter
1984 Silent Night, Deadly Night Mr. Sims
1985 Weird Science Al Wallace
1987 Baby Boom Verne Boone
1988 The Great Outdoors Reg
1991 Father of the Bride Assistant Manager of Supermarket Uncredited, (final film role)

References

  1. ^ Leach, Britt (2007-11-30). "Screeners: For my consideration". Veritas: Any Day Now.