---
name: "J.A. Preston"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/j-a-preston"
fi1m_id: "j-a-preston"
imdb_id: "nm0696430"
tmdb_id: 1352413
wikidata_id: "Q2452779"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "13 November 1932"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-07T04:24:11.416515+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."
---

# J.A. Preston

## Identity

J.A. Preston

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/j-a-preston
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** j-a-preston
- **IMDb ID:** nm0696430
- **TMDB ID:** 1352413
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2452779
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._A._Preston, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2452779, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0696430/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1352413

Actor. Born 13 November 1932 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 13 November 1932, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- **Active:** 1979–1992
- **Also known as:** J. A. Preston 
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 4: 3 acting, 1 other
- **Average Fi1m score:** 80, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 70 (2), 1980s 83 (1), 1990s 79 (1)
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 1, Crime 1, Drama 1, Thriller 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $268m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._A._Preston, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2452779, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0696430/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1352413

## Biography

J. A. Preston is an American actor, also credited as J.A. Preston. Born in Washington, D.C., he attended North Carolina College on a track scholarship before beginning his acting career in the late 1960s.

He is best known for portraying Ozzie Cleveland on the NBC series *Hill Street Blues* (1981–1987) and Judge Colonel Julius Alexander Randolph in the film *A Few Good Men* (1992). Other film roles include appearances in *Body Heat* (1981), *Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins* (1985), *Contact* (1997) and *Air Force One* (1997). On television he had recurring parts in *Dallas*, *Santa Barbara* and *Martin*, and guest roles in series including *The A-Team* and *Law & Order*.

Preston often played authority figures such as judges and military officers. His screen career extended from the early 1970s until the mid-2000s.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

### Performed in (3) — the average rests on these

- *A Few Good Men* (1992), Fi1m 79, as Judge Randolph — [page](https://film.one/film/a-few-good-men.md)
- *Body Heat* (1981), Fi1m 83, as Oscar Grace — [page](https://film.one/film/body-heat.md)
- *Real Life* (1979), Fi1m 77, as Dr. Ted Cleary — [page](https://film.one/film/real-life.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Silver Streak* (1976), Fi1m 63, as Waiter (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/silver-streak.md)

## Complete filmography (59)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door* (2011), Actor
- *House of Frankenstein* (1997), series, Actor
- *Contact* (1997), as Senator (uncredited) — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/contact.md)
- *Harvest of Fire* (1996), as Sheriff Garrison
- *The Sentinel* (1996), series, as Mel Wilkenson
- *Touched by an Angel* (1994), series, as Waters
- *Chicago Hope* (1994), series, as Rodney Helpurn
- *Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle* (1994), as Man
- *MacShayne: Winner Takes All* (1994), as Pete Webb
- *Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman* (1993), series, as General Zeitlin
- *seaQuest DSV* (1993), series, as Charles
- *The Gifted* (1993), as Jacob (Adult)
- *A Few Good Men* (1992), as Judge Randolph — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/a-few-good-men.md)
- *Steel Justice* (1992), as Jeremiah J. Jones
- *Captain Ron* (1992), as Magistrate
- *Martin* (1992), series, as Dr. Cliff Waters
- *Aftermath: A Test of Love* (1991), as Det. Boland
- *The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson* (1990), as Wendell Smith
- *Narrow Margin* (1990), as Martin Larner
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Congressman Ronald Eaton — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Fire Birds* (1990), as General Olcott
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, as Harry
- *The George McKenna Story* (1988), as Mr. McKenna
- *Jake and the Fatman* (1987), series, Actor
- *Desperate* (1987), as Wiggee
- *21 Jump Street* (1987), series, as George Messiah
- *Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins* (1985), as Conn MacCleary
- *Amazing Stories* (1985), series, as Prof. Bertram Carver
- *Hollywood Beat* (1985), series, as Walker
- *Moonlighting* (1985), series, as Dr. Nealy — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/moonlighting.md)
- *Punky Brewster* (1984), series, Actor
- *Hardcastle and McCormick* (1983), series, as Vic Dutton
- *The A-Team* (1983), series, as Judge
- *The New Odd Couple* (1982), series, as Charles Walker
- *T. J. Hooker* (1982), series, as Dr. Ross
- *The White Lions* (1981), as Aniel
- *Simon & Simon* (1981), series, as Police Lt. 'Mule' Muldower - Internal Affairs
- *Gimme a Break!* (1981), series, Actor
- *Body Heat* (1981), as Oscar Grace — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/body-heat.md)
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), series, as Ozzie Cleveland (archive footage) (uncredited), Ozzie Cleveland — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)
- *High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane* (1980), as Alonzo
- *The Plutonium Incident* (1980), as Dr. Samuels
- *Hart to Hart* (1979), series, as Mr. Pruitt
- *Americathon* (1979), as Morty
- *Real Life* (1979), as Dr. Ted Cleary — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/real-life.md)
- *Roots: The Next Generations* (1979), series, as President Harper
- *Dallas* (1978), series, as Leo Daltry
- *Carter Country* (1977), series, Actor
- *James at 16* (1977), series, as Hazeltine
- *Silver Streak* (1976), as Waiter (uncredited) — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/silver-streak.md)
- *Two-Minute Warning* (1976), as Policeman
- *Quincy, M.E.* (1976), series, as Judge Saunder MacMillan
- *Wonder Woman* (1975), series, as Jazreel
- *The Jeffersons* (1975), series, Actor
- *Good Times* (1974), series, Actor
- *The Spook Who Sat by the Door* (1973), as Dawson
- *Mississippi Summer* (1971), Actor
- *All in the Family* (1971), series, as Elmo 'Black Elmo' Bridgewater — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/all-in-the-family.md)
- *Black Cop*, as Narrator

## Gallery

- ![J.A. Preston](https://film.one/media/person/80265/gallery-977134a518e8.jpg) J.A. Preston — CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/J._A._Preston%2C_Good_Times_1976.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![J.A. Preston](https://film.one/media/person/80265/gallery-3eccde09e483.jpg) J.A. Preston — 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/j-a-preston