--- name: "Harve Presnell" canonical: "https://film.one/person/harve-presnell" fi1m_id: "harve-presnell" imdb_id: "nm0696193" tmdb_id: 3907 wikidata_id: "Q1395333" roles: ["Actor"] born: "14 September 1933" died: "30 June 2009" reviewed_on_fi1m: 4 average_fi1m_score: 70 average_as: "actor" average_over: 4 updated: "2026-10-05T01:18:51.271738+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Harve Presnell ## Identity Harve Presnell - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/harve-presnell - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** harve-presnell - **IMDb ID:** nm0696193 - **TMDB ID:** 3907 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1395333 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harve_Presnell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1395333, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0696193/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3907 Actor. Born 14 September 1933 in Modesto, California, USA. Died 30 June 2009. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 14 September 1933, Modesto, California, USA - **Died:** 30 June 2009 - **Active:** 1996–2003 - **Also known as:** George Harvey Presnell - **Average Fi1m score:** 70, as actor, over 4 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 74 (3), 2000s 60 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 64 across 4 titles - **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Comedy 2, Crime 2, Drama 2, Action 1, Science Fiction 1, Thriller 1 - **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $596m across 4 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harve_Presnell, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1395333, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0696193/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3907 ## Streaming the US now - **Disney+:** [*Fargo*](https://film.one/film/fargo.md) (91) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Harve Presnell > Harve Presnell's deep voice and imposing presence made authority seem natural, particularly in *Fargo*. We rate his later supporting work for the confidence he brings to small parts, though the casting does not always ask much beyond that. In *Fargo* (1996), Harve Presnell's Wade Gustafson has the height and the voice to make authority seem a matter of course. We found him intimidating because his size and deep voice make Wade seem accustomed to being obeyed. Joel and Ethan Coen make good use of an actor who brings that much with him. We recommend the film chiefly for Frances McDormand, but Presnell is one reason to pay attention to the smaller parts. That was a substantial change of use for a performer whose early work depended on singing. Presnell's operatic baritone suited the musical lead, and *The Unsinkable Molly Brown* (1964) put him opposite Debbie Reynolds as Johnny Brown, repeating his Broadway role. A long stretch in stage and touring musicals followed before *Fargo* brought him back to feature films. The later casting kept the strong voice and imposing presence, but gave them to fathers and men in charge. Qualities that had suited a leading man could now make a supporting character seem overbearing. His Victor Lazarro in *Face/Off* (1997) is a less revealing place to look for him. John Woo gives John Travolta and Nicolas Cage the pleasure of playing each other, and their acting makes the identity swap convincing. Presnell supplies the familiar authority of his later work, but the film offers less reason to concentrate on him. We recommend it readily, provided the protracted gunfire is not a deal-breaker. Steven Spielberg cast him as General George C. Marshall in *Saving Private Ryan* (1998), another use for that authority. He later played Dave Severance for Clint Eastwood in *Flags of Our Fathers* (2006). There is a limitation to this sort of casting: the imposing man can be all a part needs, leaving less room for surprise. For Presnell, start with *Fargo*, then try *The Unsinkable Molly Brown* for the singing. ## Biography Harve Presnell, also credited as George Harvey Presnell, was an American actor and singer. Born in Modesto, California, he trained as a classical baritone and performed with orchestras and opera companies in the United States from the mid-1950s. In 1960, composer Meredith Willson cast him as Johnny "Leadville" Brown in the Broadway musical *The Unsinkable Molly Brown*. Presnell reprised the role in the 1964 film adaptation and received a Golden Globe Award. He subsequently worked mainly in musical theatre on Broadway and in touring productions until the mid-1990s. Presnell returned to film in the mid-1990s with supporting roles, including Wade Gustafson in *Fargo* (1996). He appeared in films such as *Saving Private Ryan* (1998), *Face/Off* (1997) and *Evan Almighty* (2007), and had television roles in series including *The Pretender* and *Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman*. He died in 2009. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, theguardian.com, nytimes.com.* ## On Fi1m (4) - *Old School* (2003), Fi1m 60, as Mr. Springbrook — [page](https://film.one/film/old-school.md) - *Patch Adams* (1998), Fi1m 47, as Dean Anderson — [page](https://film.one/film/patch-adams.md) - *Face/Off* (1997), Fi1m 84, as Victor Lazarro — [page](https://film.one/film/face-off.md) - *Fargo* (1996), Fi1m 91, as Wade Gustafson — [page](https://film.one/film/fargo.md) ## Complete filmography (59) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Love Ranch* (2010), as Dr. Smathers - *Bait Shop* (2008), as Jack - *Evan Almighty* (2007), as Congressman Burrows - *Andy Barker, P.I.* (2007), series, as Lew Staziak - *Flags of Our Fathers* (2006), as Dave Severance - *American Dad!* (2005), series, as Frank, the Judge (voice) - *Cold Case* (2003), series, as Harry Kemp Jr. (2009) - *The Lyon's Den* (2003), series, Actor - *Old School* (2003), as Mr. Springbrook — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/old-school.md) - *Legally Blonde* (2003), as Henry Whitehouse - *Monk* (2002), series, as Zach Ellinghouse - *Mr. Deeds* (2002), as Preston Blake - *Super Sucker* (2002), as Winslow Schnaebelt - *The Pretender: Island of the Haunted* (2001), as Mr. Parker - *Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Camelot* (2001), series, as Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. - *Escanaba in da Moonlight* (2001), as Albert Soady - *The Pretender 2001* (2001), as Mr. Parker - *The Family Man* (2000), as Big Ed - *The Legend of Bagger Vance* (2000), as John Invergordon - *Strong Medicine* (2000), series, as Andrew 'Andy' March - *Walking Across Egypt* (1999), as Finner - *Patch Adams* (1998), as Dean Anderson — Fi1m 47, [page](https://film.one/film/patch-adams.md) - *Charmed* (1998), series, as Captain Black Jack Cutting - *The Lionhearts* (1998), series, as (voice) - *Saving Private Ryan* (1998), as General Marshall — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/saving-private-ryan.md) - *Everything That Rises* (1998), as Garth - *A Bright Shining Lie* (1998), as MACV General - *From the Earth to the Moon* (1998), series, as Harve - *Two Guys and a Girl* (1998), series, as Edgar J. Hagerty - *Dawson's Creek* (1998), series, as Arthur Brooks - *George & Leo* (1997), series, Actor - *Julian Po* (1997), as Mayor Henry Leech - *Face/Off* (1997), as Victor Lazarro — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/face-off.md) - *Tidal Wave: No Escape* (1997), as Stanley Schiff - *The Practice* (1997), series, as Judge Dickem - *EZ Streets* (1996), series, Actor - *The Chamber* (1996), as Attorney General Roxburgh - *The Pretender* (1996), series, as Mr. Parker - *The Whole Wide World* (1996), as Dr. Howard - *The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest* (1996), series, as Doug (voice) - *Larger Than Life* (1996), as Trowbridge Bowers - *Nash Bridges* (1996), series, as Corick McMillan - *Fargo* (1996), as Wade Gustafson — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/fargo.md) - *The Client* (1995), series, as Buddy Hutchinson - *The Outer Limits* (1995), series, as Greg Matheson - *Star Trek: Voyager* (1995), series, as Colonel Q - *ER* (1994), series, as Mr. Venema — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md) - *Duckman* (1994), series, as Sir Declan McManus (voice) - *Frasier* (1993), series, as Mike Shaw — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md) - *Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman* (1993), series, as Dr. Sam Lane - *That's Dancing!* (1985), as From 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown' (archive footage) - *Blood Bath* (1975), as Peter Brown - *The Great Man's Whiskers* (1972), as Ballad Singer - *Paint Your Wagon* (1969), as "Rotten Luck Willie" - *When the Boys Meet the Girls* (1965), as Danny Churchill - *The Glory Guys* (1965), as Sol Rogers - *The Unsinkable Molly Brown* (1964), as Johnny Brown - *Alfred Hitchcock Presents* (1955), series, as Mitch (uncredited) - *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, as Dismas ## Gallery - ![Harve Presnell](https://film.one/media/person/86515/gallery-4d3d94c02a8b.jpg) Harve Presnell — Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/Harve_Presnell%2C_1964.jpg/1280px-Harve_Presnell%2C_1964.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Harve Presnell](https://film.one/media/person/86515/gallery-da674053ae77.jpg) Harve Presnell — Image via TMDB - ![Harve Presnell](https://film.one/media/person/86515/gallery-a052c432e58e.jpg) Harve Presnell — Image via TMDB - ![Harve Presnell](https://film.one/media/person/86515/gallery-3a1a8bf51a44.jpg) Harve Presnell — Image via TMDB - ![Harve Presnell](https://film.one/media/person/86515/gallery-1d54eca7a948.jpg) Harve Presnell — Image via TMDB - ![Harve Presnell](https://film.one/media/person/86515/gallery-8cd5d8374f90.jpg) Harve Presnell — Image via TMDB --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/harve-presnell