Biography
John Karlen (born John Adam Karlewicz) was an American actor. He trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and made his Broadway debut in the 1959 production of Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth.
Karlen was best known for playing multiple roles, including Willie Loomis, on the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows from 1967 to 1971, and as Harvey Lacey, husband of Tyne Daly's Mary Beth Lacey, on the CBS series Cagney & Lacey (1982–88). He appeared in over 100 episodes of the latter and won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1986, with further nominations in 1985 and 1987. He reprised the role in four made-for-television movies between 1994 and 1996.
His other credits include the film Daughters of Darkness (1971) as Stefan Chilton, guest appearances on series such as Murder, She Wrote, Mad About You and Charlie's Angels, and later audio dramas reprising his Dark Shadows character. Karlen died on 22 January 2020 in Burbank, California.
