Biography
John Shearin was an American actor born on 27 September 1944 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He appeared in the 1982 film Eating Raoul as Mr. Baker and had recurring or guest roles in numerous television series, including Hunter (as Lt. Ambrose Finn), Bret Maverick (as Sheriff Mitchel Dowd), MASH, Matlock, Dawson's Creek and American Gothic*.
Shearin was a Vietnam War veteran who later pursued a career in theatre and academia. He earned a BA in Theatre and Speech from the College of William & Mary and an MFA from Penn State University. From 1990 he served as chair of the Department of Theatre Arts (later the College of Theatre and Dance) at East Carolina University, where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. He was married to Jennifer Wilson until his death on 9 April 2017 in Greenville, North Carolina.
