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Jack Blessing

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Jack Blessing
Born(1951-07-29)July 29, 1951
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
DiedNovember 14, 2017(2017-11-14) (aged 66)
Chatsworth, California, U.S.
EducationCalvert Hall High School, Frostburg State University[1]
OccupationActor
Years active1977–2017
SpouseLora Blessing
Children2

Jack Blessing (July 29, 1951 – November 14, 2017) was an American film and television actor. He was notable for his roles as MacGillicuddy on Moonlighting and as Jack Powers in the sitcom George Lopez. He also had a recurring role as Mr. Donner in the television series The Naked Truth.

Early life

Blessing was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Calvert Hall High School in 1969, and from Frostburg State University, before serving in the United States Army from 1972 to 1975.[1] At Frostburg, Blessing played the male lead in a fall 1969 college production of Romeo and Juliet.[2] In the Army, he was assigned to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and to Augsburg, Germany.[1] He later moved to Boston, Massachusetts to begin his acting career.[3] He began his professional career as a member of Boston's seminal improvisational company The Proposition.[4]

Career

In his last year at The Proposition, Blessing was discovered by a Paramount casting director. Afterwards, he had a role in the Emmy Award-winning television film The Defection of Simas Kudirka (1978).[5]

Blessing would soon guest star in The X-Files, Judging Amy, NYPD Blue, Murder One, Home Improvement, and in Everybody Loves Raymond. Blessing had a role in the Will Ferrell comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby as Jarvis.

Blessing gained national prominence on the hit series Moonlighting in 1986. Later, he recurred as Jack Powers in George Lopez, playing the character in 25 episodes spanning from 2002 through the series' finale in 2007.[6]

In the years following George Lopez, Blessing appeared in smaller roles in Shrek the Third, Megamind, ParaNorman and in Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return.[7]

Death

Blessing died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Chatsworth, California on November 14, 2017, at the age of 66.[8] He is survived by two sons and his wife.[8]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1980 Heaven's Gate Emigrant Boy
1981 Galaxy of Terror Cos
1986 Hamburger: The Motion Picture Nacio Herb Zipser
1986 Children of a Lesser God Announcer (voice)
1987 Summer School Student
1989 Uncle Buck Additional Voices (voice)
1990 The Spirit of '76 Voice Talent (voice)
1991 Samantha Herman Hathaway
1991 An American Tail: Fievel Goes West Various (voice) Uncredited
1994 The New Age (voice)
1995 A Goofy Movie Various (voice) Uncredited
2000 Ground Zero Sportscaster
2000 Above Suspicion Nick
2000 Thirteen Days John Scali
2006 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Jarvis
2006 Open Season (voice)
2010 Megamind Newscaster (voice)
2012 ParaNorman Slob Guy/Civil War Ghost (voice)
2013 Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Additional Voices (voice)
2017 Shock and Awe Man on Phone (voice)
2019 Missing Link McVitie/Conductor (voice) (Posthumous Release) (final film role)

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1978 The Defection of Simas Kudirka Kabek TV movie
1979 Women at West Point Tom Fenton TV movie
1980 Goodtime Girls Uncredited
1981 Miracle on Ice Mark Pavelich TV movie
1981 Quincy M.E. Alex Grauman 2 episodes
1981 M*A*S*H Lt. Rollins Episode: "Snappier Judgement"
1983 Small & Frye Chip Frye 6 episodes
1983 Remington Steele George Plummer Episodes: "Steele Away with Me", parts 1 and 2
1985 Amos Scott Lasher TV movie
1985 Family Ties Leonard Episodes: "Cold Storage", "Oh, Donna"
1985 George Burns Comedy Week Episode: "Disaster at Buzz Creek"
1987 Stingray Episode: "Playback"
1987 Mr. President Brian Episodes: "The Magnetic Presidency", "Love Labor's Last"
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Jerry Episode: "In the Lion's Den"
1987 Thirtysomething Jeff Hagis Episode: "We Gather Together"
1988 Amen Lawrence Osborne Episode: "Get 'Em Up, Scout"
1988–1989 Day by Day Kevin Farrell Episodes: "How to Succeed in Day Care", "Out for a Stretch"
1989 China Beach Sgt. Masters Episode: "Afterburner"
1986–1989 Moonlighting MacGillicudy 17 episodes
1989 Mancuso, FBI Sweson Episode: "Conflict of Interest"
1989 Living Dolls Gibson Episode: "The Not So Sweet Smell of Success"
1990 Empty Nest Evan Phillips Episode: "Complainin' in the Rain"
1990 Babes Crellin Episode: "Marlene's Problem"
1991 The Golden Girls Father Monroe Episode: "There Goes the Bride pt. 2"
1991 Roseanne Cyrano/Phil Episode: "Communicable Theater"
1992 The Last of His Tribe Tom Waterman
1992 Civil Wars Mark Hayes Episode: "Till Debt Do Us Part"
1992 Dream On Dr. Raines Episode: "For Richard or for Poorer"
1994 SeaQuest 2032 Gaye Episode: "The Stinger"
1994 The Larry Sanders Show Dennis Markle Episode: "The Mr. Sharon Stone Show"
1994 Diagnosis Murder Special Agt. Matthew Dickerson Episode: "The Last Laugh Pt. 2"
1995 Cybill Stan Episode: "How Can I Call You My Ex-Husbands If You Won't Go Away?"
1995 Northern Exposure Professor Aaron Martin Episode: "The Graduate"
1995 Life with Louie Episode: "A Fish Called Pepper"
1995–1996 The Naked Truth Mr. Donner 20 episodes
1996 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Dulmur Episode: "Trials and Tribble-ations"
1996 Dangerous Minds Mr. Overton Episodes: "Family Ties", "Evolution"
1997 Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer Detective Seybolt 6 episodes
1997 Everybody Loves Raymond Dr. Hammond Episode: "Debra's Sick"
1997 ER Roger Drummond Episode: "Post Modem"
1996–1997 Murder One Detective Seybolt 4 episodes
1997 Home Improvement Dr. Breen Episode: "Room at the Top"
1997 Cracker: Mind Over Murder Detective Bobby Leary Episode: "'Tis Pity She's a Whore"
1997 C-16: FBI Episode: "Orange Kid"
1997 Smart Guy Mr. Delk Episode: "Book Smart"
1997 The Practice D.A. Horowitz Episode: "Hide and Seek"
1997 Profiler Burton Episodes: "It Cuts Both Ways", "Old Acquaintance"
1997–1998 Brooklyn South Officer Anthony Fiano Episodes: "Love Hurts", "Gay Avec"
1998 Maximum Bob Agent Neff Episode: "Bay of Big's"
1998 NYPD Blue Dr. Swan 2 episodes
1999 Touched by an Angel Howard Heller Episode: "My Brother's Keeper"
1999 It's Like, You Know... Mr. Lynch 2 episodes
2000–2001 Any Day Now Mr. Schillings 2 episodes
2000–2002 Judging Amy Russell Lynchburg 2 episodes
2000 City of Angels Deputy Chief Shaw Episode: "SWAT's Happening"
2001 That's Life Leo Kelley Episode: "Bad Chemistry"
2002 The X-Files Dr. Jack Preijers Episode: "Audrey Pauley"
2002–2007 George Lopez Jack Powers 20 episodes
2009 The Closer Dr. Dennis Blair Episode: "Walking Back the Cat"
2009 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Officer Danny Finn Episode: "Coupe de Grace"
2012 Mike & Molly Pilot Episode: "The Honeymoon Is Over"

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Shrek the Third Additional Voices (voice) Uncredited

References

  1. ^ a b c Kelly, Jacques (January 3, 2018). "Jack Blessing, Baltimore-born actor, dies". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  2. ^ Hazen, George Alfred (October 24, 1969). "Frostburg Show Offers Shakespeare". Cumberland Evening Times. Cumberland, Maryland. p. 12. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via NewspaperArchive.com. Jack Blessing improved his performance during the course of the play and was particularly effective in the scene in which he kills Tybalt and in the closing scenes.
  3. ^ Herbert, Geoff (December 27, 2017). "'Mad About You' revival; 'Roseanne' return; 'Moonlighting' actor dies; more: Buzz". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, New York. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  4. ^ Quarrinton, Norman (December 27, 2017). "Actor Jack Blessing of 'Moonlighting' and 'George Lopez' Fame Dies at 66". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  5. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (December 26, 2017). "Jack Blessing Dies: The 'Moonlighting', 'The Naked Truth' Actor Was 66". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  6. ^ Maheshwari, Preeti (December 27, 2017). "Jack Blessing Dies at 66". International Business Times. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  7. ^ Quarrinton, Norman (December 27, 2017). "Actor Jack Blessing, of 'Moonlighting' Fame, Dies at 66". WSB-TV. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  8. ^ a b DeSantis, Rachel (December 27, 2017). "Jack Blessing, 'Moonlights' and 'George Lopez' Actor, Dead at 66". The New York Daily News. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
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