---
name: "John Pleshette"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-pleshette"
roles: []
born: "27 July 1942"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-19T13:00:07.936741+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 Pleshette

Actor. Born 27 July 1942 in New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Born:** 27 July 1942, New York City, New York, USA
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 1 acting, 2 other
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 76 (2), 1990s 88 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 75 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Action 1, Comedy 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $582m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pleshette, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6253044, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0687187/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/16542

## Streaming the US now

- **AMC+:** [*Rocky II*](https://film.one/film/rocky-ii.md) (66)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

John Pleshette is an American actor and screenwriter. Born on 27 July 1942 in New York City, he graduated from Brown University in 1964 and began acting in the 1960s with guest roles on television series such as *The Patty Duke Show*.

He is best known for playing Richard Avery on the CBS series *Knots Landing* from 1979 to 1987, a role he originated; he also wrote several episodes of the series. Pleshette portrayed Lee Harvey Oswald in the 1977 television film *The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald* and appeared in films including *Rocky II* (1979, uncredited), *Micki & Maude* (1984) and *The Truman Show* (1998). He is a cousin of the actress Suzanne Pleshette.

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

## On Fi1m (3)

### Performed in (1)

- *The Truman Show* (1998), Fi1m 88, as Network Executive — [page](https://film.one/film/the-truman-show.md)

### Also credited (2) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Rocky II* (1979), Fi1m 66, as Director (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/rocky-ii.md)
- *Rocky* (1976), Fi1m 85, as Aftershave Commercial Director (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/rocky.md)

## Complete filmography (75)

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

- *Law & Order: LA* (2010), series, as Judge
- *Kosher Pig* (2010), as Paul Cohen
- *Gentlemen Broncos* (2009), as Merve
- *Eli Stone* (2008), series, as Judge Nettles
- *The Failures* (2004), as Principal Holbrock
- *Helter Skelter* (2004), as Mr. Krenwinkle
- *NCIS* (2003), series, as Tom Crawley
- *Detonator* (2003), as Stuart Newman
- *For the People* (2002), series, as Dr. Goodwin
- *James Dean* (2001), as Billy Rose
- *Curb Your Enthusiasm* (2000), series, as Therapist — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/curb-your-enthusiasm.md)
- *The Sopranos* (1999), series, as Dr. Ira Fried — Fi1m 94, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md)
- *The Truman Show* (1998), as Network Executive — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-truman-show.md)
- *The Day Lincoln Was Shot* (1998), as William Henry Seward
- *Mike Hammer, Private Eye* (1997), series, Actor
- *Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer* (1997), as Gary Blondo
- *The Practice* (1997), series, as Attorney Nick Jamison
- *The Curse of Inferno* (1996), as Mr. Wizzard
- *The Pretender* (1996), series, as Sean Flanagan
- *Arli$$* (1996), series, as Orson
- *The Sentinel* (1996), series, as Brother Christopher
- *Murder One* (1995), series, as Gary Blondo
- *Born to Be Wild* (1995), as Donald Carr
- *ER* (1994), series, as Stuart (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *Party of Five* (1994), series, as Professor Conklin — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/tv/party-of-five.md)
- *Diagnosis: Murder* (1993), series, as Dr. John Foster
- *Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman* (1993), series, as Dr. Emil Hamilton
- *Percy & Thunder* (1993), as Bill Slocum
- *Eye of the Stranger* (1993), as Joe
- *Bloodlines: Murder in the Family* (1993), as Neil Woodman
- *Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman* (1993), series, as Detective Simpson
- *The Larry Sanders Show* (1992), series, as Leo — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-larry-sanders-show.md)
- *Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story* (1992), Actor
- *Civil Wars* (1991), series, as Al Noonan
- *Deadly Game* (1991), as Charley Sloan
- *Vietnam Texas* (1990), Actor
- *Murder in Paradise* (1990), as Wagner Thorne
- *Paramedics* (1988), as Doctor Lido
- *Shattered Innocence* (1988), as Mel Erman
- *The Wonder Years* (1988), series, as Charlie Barrett — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-wonder-years.md)
- *Beauty and the Beast* (1987), series, as Jimmy Faber
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Mark Kumpel
- *Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry* (1986), as David Eilas
- *Welcome Home, Bobby* (1986), as John Hammill
- *MacGyver* (1985), series, as Lancer / Benson
- *Stormin' Home* (1985), as Al Singer
- *Malice in Wonderland* (1985), as Tommy Gallep
- *Micki & Maude* (1984), as Hap Ludlow
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Nicky Saperstein
- *Burning Rage* (1984), as Frank Vandenberg
- *Highway to Heaven* (1984), series, as Stanley
- *Hunter* (1984), series, as Ron Nieman
- *The Kid with the Broken Halo* (1982), as Jeff McNulty
- *Simon & Simon* (1981), series, Actor
- *S.O.B.* (1981), as Capitol Studios Vice-President
- *Magnum, P.I.* (1980), series, as Steve Elliott
- *Tenspeed and Brown Shoe* (1980), series, Actor
- *Once Upon a Family* (1980), as Willie Hedges
- *Knots Landing* (1979), series, as Richard Avery · Director
- *Rocky II* (1979), as Director (uncredited) — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/rocky-ii.md)
- *The Users* (1978), as Kip Nathan
- *House Calls* (1978), as Theatrical Agent
- *The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald* (1977), series, as Lee Harvey Oswald
- *The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries* (1977), series, Actor
- *Rocky* (1976), as Aftershave Commercial Director (uncredited) — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/rocky.md)
- *The Million Dollar Rip-Off* (1976), Writer
- *Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood* (1976), as Reporter On Beach (uncredited)
- *Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman* (1976), series, as Hugh Boswell
- *Doctors' Hospital* (1975), series, as Dr. Danvers
- *The Rockford Files* (1974), series, as Danny Green, Danny Green / Jackie Tetuska, Julius 'Jay' Rockfelt — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-rockford-files.md)
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Resident — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *Parades* (1972), as Murray
- *End of the Road* (1970), as Finkle
- *Her Name Was Ellie, His Name Was Lyle* (1967), as Bruce
- *The Patty Duke Show* (1963), series, Actor

---
© 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-pleshette