Life and career

Karlen was born May 28, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Helen-Agnes (née Balondowicz) and Adam Marion Karlewicz. He is of Polish descent. He enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on a scholarship. His first acting experiences were on early television productions such as From These Roots and Kraft Television Theatre. His stage career began in 1959 in Sweet Bird of Youth.

He accumulated roles on both stage and television before winning one of his signature roles in 1967 in the daytime serial Dark Shadows. It was Karlen's pivotal character of Willie Loomis who released vampire Barnabas Collins from his coffin, setting off the events of the series. Karlen would stay with the television series for 182 episodes, playing various characters through 1971. He departed the show on two different occasions. While not appearing on Dark Shadows during those times, he appeared on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing as Jock Porter and Hidden Faces as Sharkey Primrose. He reunited with his Dark Shadows co-stars for the 1970 House of Dark Shadows as Willie Loomis, and in 1971 with Night of Dark Shadows as Alex Jenkins.

Karlen moved to a series of guest appearances on television productions, establishing himself in 1982 as Harvey Lacey, husband of Tyne Daly's character Mary Beth Lacey on Cagney & Lacey . He appeared in 110 episodes over six years. Karlen won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Harvey Lacey. His career included numerous movie roles, during which he reprised his Harvey Lacey character in four Cagney and Lacey television movies: Cagney & Lacey: The Return in 1994, Cagney & Lacey: Together Again and Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling in 1995, and Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions in 1996.

Personal life

In 1963, Karlen married acting teacher Betty Karlen but divorced in 1998; they have one child, Adam (b. 1966).

Theatre

Theatre

Opening date	Closing date	Performances	Title	Role	Theatre
Mar 10, 1959	Jan 30, 1960	375	Sweet Bird of Youth	Tom Junior - Replacement	Martin Beck Theatre
Oct 29, 1960	Feb 4, 1961	113	Invitation to a March	Aaron Jablonski Schuyler Grogan	Music Box Theatre
Nov 11, 1963	Nov 16, 1963	8	Arturo Ui	Shorty Ensemble	Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Jan 1, 1964	Jan 4, 1964	5	Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore, TheThe Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore	Stage Manager	Brooks Atkinson Theatre
Feb 18, 1965	Mar 27, 1965	44	All in Good Time	Geoffrey Fitton	Royale Theatre
Nov 1, 1965	Nov 6, 1965	8	Postmark Zero	Unknown	Brooks Atkinson Theatre
March 05, 1966	April 17, 1966	49	Monopoly	Joe (Monopoly) Mr. Stein (Suburban Tragedy)	Stage 73

Films

Films

Year	Title	Role
1970	House of Dark Shadows	Willie Loomis
1971	Daughters of Darkness	Stefan
1971	Night of Dark Shadows	Alex Jenkins
1976	Small Town in Texas, AA Small Town in Texas	Deputy Lenny Lutz
1978	Killer's Delight	Danny
1981	Pennies from Heaven	The Detective
1984	Racing with the Moon	Mr. Nash
1984	Impulse	Bob Russell
1984	Gimme an 'F'	Bucky Berkshire
1986	Native Son	Max
1991	Dark Wind (film), TheThe Dark Wind (film)	Jake West
1993	Surf Ninjas	Mac

Television

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
Unknown	Big Story, TheThe Big Story	Andy Franks	"Theory and Practice"
1957	Kraft Television Theatre	Young man
1958	From These Roots
1959	Naked City	Chuck	"The Manhole"
1959	Armstrong Circle Theatre	Pfc. James Cook	"Thunder Over Berlin"
1962	Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, TheThe Detectives Starring Robert Taylor	Frankie	"Strangers in the House"
1962	Gallant Men, TheThe Gallant Men	Lieutenant Tyrell	"Signals for an End Run"
1963	Stoney Burke	Mickey	"Job"
1963	Hallmark Hall of Fame	Ned	"The Patriots"
1964	East Side/West Side	Billy	"One Drink at a Time"
1964	Brenner	Ben Laney	"Laney's Boy"
1966	Hawk	John Polanski	"The Longleat Chronicles"
1967	N.Y.P.D.	Gary Doyle	"Murder for Infinity"
1967	Love Is a Many Splendored Thing	Jock Porter
1968	Hidden Faces	Sharkey Primrose
1967-1971	Dark Shadows	Willie Loomis Carl Collins William H Loomis Desmond Collins Kendrick Young	182 episodes
1970	Another World	Casey
1972	Night of Terror	Pete Manning	TV movie
1972	Sixth Sense, TheThe Sixth Sense	Ed	"Through a Flame Darkly"
1972	Mod Squad, TheThe Mod Squad	Johnny Wexford	"Belinda, End of Little Miss Bubble Gum"
1973	Invasion of Carol Enders, TheThe Invasion of Carol Enders	David Hastings	TV movie
1973	Shirts and Skins	Herbie Bush	TV movie
1973	Magician, TheThe Magician	Jim Russel	"The Vanishing Lady"
1973	Egan	Jack/Ida Deveaux	TV movie
1973	Wide World Mystery	Otto Roget	"Frankenstein: Part 1"
1973	Medical Center	Frank Crane	"Judgment"
1973	Police Story		"Slow Boy"
1973	Kojak	Pinky	"Web of Death"
1974	Wide World Mystery	Frank Linwood	"Nightmare at 43 Hillcrest"
1974	Shazam!	Nick Roberts	"Thou Shalt Not Kill"
1974	Doc Elliot	Vincent Parker	"The Pharmacist"
1974	Melvin Purvis G-MAN	Tony Anthony Redecci	TV movie
1975	Medical Center	Danny Taggert	"No Hiding Place"
1975	Mannix	Hood #1	"Quartet for a Blunt Instrument"
1975	Delancey Street: The Crisis Within	Richard Copell	TV movie
1975	Trilogy of Terror	Thomas Amman	TV movie
1975	The Kansas City Massacre	Sam Cowley
1975	Joe Forrester		"The Witness"
1975	Mobile One		"Episode #1.9"
1975	Streets of San Francisco, TheThe Streets of San Francisco	Vernon	"Poisoned Snow"
1976	Picture of Dorian Gray, TheThe Picture of Dorian Gray	Alan Campbell	TV movie
1976	Streets of San Francisco, TheThe Streets of San Francisco	Nat Reeves	"No Minor Vices"
1976	Serpico	Eddie Hibbard	"Rapid Fire"
1976	Waltons, TheThe Waltons	Rev. Ezekiel L. Henshaw	"The Baptism"
1976	Hawaii Five-O	Harris	"Anatomy of a Bribe"
1977	Police Story	Shep	"Prime Rib"
1977	Charlie's Angels	Leonard Chaffey	"Angel Baby"
1977	Feather and Father Gang, TheThe Feather and Father Gang		"Welcome Home, Vince"
1977	ABC Weekend Special	Bill Leggett	My Dear Uncle Sherlock
1977	Hunter	Power plant worker	"Bluebird Is Back"
1977	All in the Family	Leo	"Mike Goes Skiing"
1977	Most Wanted	Red Murphy	"The White Collar Killer"
1978	Kojak	Hicks	"The Captain's Brother's Wife"
1978	Barnaby Jones	Johnny Alban	"A Frame for Murder"
1978	Barnaby Jones	Easy Eddie	"The Scapegoat"
1978	Rockford Files, TheThe Rockford Files	Leo	"Rosendahl and Gilda Stern Are Dead"
1978	Colorado C.I.	Kessler	TV movie
1978	Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, TheThe Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries	Rocky	"The Lady on Thursday at Ten"
1979	Last Ride of the Dalton Gang, TheThe Last Ride of the Dalton Gang	Charlie Powers	TV movie
1979	Lou Grant	Ken Navaretti	"Gambling"
1979	Sword of Justice	Jerry Lombardi	"Blackjack"
1979	Return of Mod Squad, TheThe Return of Mod Squad	Marty	TV movie
1979	Kaz		"The Battered Bride"
1979	Supertrain	Quinn	"Express to Terror"
1979	Starsky and Hutch	Deputy D.A. Stanton	"Ballad for a Blue Lady"
1979	Quincy, M.E.	Marine Gunnery Sgt. Alistair Adams	"Semper-Fidelis"
1979	Quincy, M.E.	Customs Agent Bric	"Hot Ice"
1979	Vega$	Eddie Stolvak	"The Day the Gambling Stopped"
1980	Long Days of Summer, TheThe Long Days of Summer	Duane Haley	TV movie
1981	Vega$	Geddes	"Out of Sight"
1981	Quincy M.E.	Customs Agent Brice	"Dear Mummy"
1981	American Dream	Coach Ritter
1981	Trapper John, M.D.	Marty	"A Case of the Crazies"
1982	Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story	Uncle George	TV movie
1982	King's Crossing	Sheriff	"The Home Front"
1982	Hill Street Blues	Loomis, Corrupt South Ferry Cop	"Freedom's Last Stand"
1982	Hill Street Blues	Loomis, Corrupt South Ferry Cop	"The Spy Who Came in from Delgado"
1982	Fame	Detective Kessler	"Tomorrow's Farewell"
1982-1988	Cagney & Lacey	Harvey Lacey	110 episodes
1983	Bay City Blues	Clancy	Pilot
1983	Bay City Blues		"I Never Swung with My Father"
1983	Winds of War, TheThe Winds of War	Ed PBY Pilot	"Into the Maelstrom"
1983	Miss Lonelyhearts	Reverend Walker	TV movie
1985	Finder of Lost Loves	Doctor Arthur Barwell	"Final Analysis"
1985	Hostage Flight	DiSalvo	TV movie
1985	37th Annual Emmy Awards, TheThe 37th Annual Emmy Awards	Himself	Nominee: Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
1986	Welcome Home, Bobby	Geffin	TV movie
1986	Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, TheThe Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer	Chapel	TV movie
1986	38th Annual Emmy Awards, TheThe 38th Annual Emmy Awards	Himself	Nominee: Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
1987	Downpayment on Murder	Albert	TV movie
1987	New Mike Hammer, TheThe New Mike Hammer		"Green Lipstick/Mike's Daughter"
1987	Daddy	Mike Burnette	TV movie
1987	39th Annual Emmy Awards, TheThe 39th Annual Emmy Awards	Himself	Nominee: Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
1988	Police Story: Burnout	Capt. Harrison	TV movie
1988	ABC Afterschool Special	Joe Farrell	Date Rape
1989	Snoops	Lieutenant Sam Akers	"Mr. Dennis' Neighborhood"
1989	Snoops	Lieutenant Sam Akers	"Big Brass Cookie Jar"
1989	Snoops	Lieutenant Sam Akers	"Hot Shot"'
1989	Snoops	Lieutenant Sam Akers	Episode 1.2
1989	227	Nathan Pollack	"Jackée"
1989	Jackée	Nathan Pollack	Spin-off series of 227
1989	Babycakes	Al
1989	Cover Girl and the Cop, TheThe Cover Girl and the Cop	Lieutenant Wingo	TV movie
1989	Murder, She Wrote	Lt. Martin McGinn	"The Grand Old Lady"'
1990	Nightmare on the 13th Floor	Sgt Madden	TV movie
1991	In a Child's Name	Joe Silvano	TV movie
1991	Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin	Jake Morrison	TV movie
1992	Murder, She Wrote	Patrick MacNair	"To the Last Will I Grapple with Thee"
1992	Calendar Girl, Cop, Killer? The Bambi Bembenek Story	John Garner	TV movie
1993	Without Warning: Terror in the Towers	Jack McAllister	TV movie
1994	Roseanne: An Unauthorized Biography	Jerry Barr	TV movie
1994	MacShayne: Winner Takes All	Waldo Church	TV movie
1994	Cagney & Lacey: The Return	Harvey Lacey	TV movie
1994	Mad About You	Gus Stemple	"Giblets for Murray"
1995	Mad About You	Gus Stemple	"Mad About You, Parts 1 and 2"
1995	Murder, She Wrote	Superintendent Arthur Joyce	"Nan's Ghost: Parts 1 and 2"
1995	Cagney & Lacey: Together Again	Harvey Lacey	TV movie
1995	Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling	Harvey Lacey	TV movie
1996	Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions	Harvey Lacey	TV movie
2002	SoapTalk	Self	Episode dated 15 July 2002

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[ Source: Wikipedia ]