---
name: "John Mahon"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-mahon"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "2 February 1938"
died: "3 May 2020"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 84
updated: "2026-09-16T21:18:15.142769+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."
---

# John Mahon

Actor. Born 2 February 1938 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. Died 3 May 2020.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 2 February 1938, Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA
- **Died:** 3 May 2020
- **Active:** 1973–2007

## Biography

John Mahon was an American actor who appeared in film, television and on stage. He played the Police Chief in *L.A. Confidential* (1997).

Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mahon graduated from the University of Scranton with a degree in classical languages. After working in New York, he began screen acting in the 1970s with a small role in *The Exorcist* (1973). His other film credits include *Armageddon* (1998), in which he played Karl, and *Zodiac* (2007), as the Riverside Captain. He also appeared in numerous television series.

Mahon had a background in theatre, including a Broadway role in the 1979 revival of *Richard III*. He wrote a memoir, *A Life of Make Believe: From Paralysis to Hollywood*, published in 2014. He died in Los Angeles in 2020.

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

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Zodiac* (2007), Fi1m 91, as Riverside Captain — [page](https://film.one/film/zodiac.md)
- *Armageddon* (1998), Fi1m 64, as Karl — [page](https://film.one/film/armageddon.md)
- *L.A. Confidential* (1997), Fi1m 88, as Police Chief — [page](https://film.one/film/l-a-confidential.md)
- *One False Move* (1992), Fi1m 86, as Chief Jenkins — [page](https://film.one/film/one-false-move.md)
- *The Exorcist* (1973), Fi1m 89, as Language Lab Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-exorcist.md)

## Also known for

- *Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me* (1999), NATO Colonel
- *Knight Rider* (1982), Alfie Girdler
- *Zoey 101* (2005), Mr. Bradford
- *Angel* (1999), Trevor Lockley
- *Star Trek: Enterprise* (2001), Admiral Gardner
- *MacGyver* (1985), Vendor
- *The American President* (1995), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
- *The People Under the Stairs* (1991), Police Sergeant

---
© 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/john-mahon