Age: 61
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.
Kenneth Allen "Kenny" Johnson (July 13, 1963) is an American actor well known for his portrayal of Detective Curtis Lemansky on the drama series The Shield, Butch "Burner" Barnes on Pensacola: Wings of Gold, Joseph Shaw on Cold Case, Detective Hamilton "Ham" Dewey on Saving Grace, Herman Kozik on Sons of Anarchy, Matt Webb on Prime Suspect, Tyler Gray on Burn Notice, U.S. Marshal Max Clayton on Dexter, and Caleb Calhoun on Bates Motel.
Kenneth Allen Johnson was born in New Haven, Connecticut and was raised on a 30-acre farm in Weathersfield, Vermont. For his college education, he attended Central Connecticut State University, where he played football and basketball. Prior to starting his acting career, he spent approximately four years modelling for agencies including Wilhelmina and Ford Models. This path led to Johnson living for a year in Boston, Massachusetts, before finally settling in Los Angeles, California, where he eventually found acting.
Johnson got his start in television commercials, including one of the very first ads for LA Gear. A former champion arm wrestler, he appeared as bit characters in various television programs, such as Family Matters, Grace Under Fire, Caroline in the City, Pensacola: Wings of Gold, Sliders, 18 Wheels of Justice, Just Shoot Me!, NCIS: Los Angeles, Lie to Me, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and The Protector.
In 1998, he appeared in the first several minutes of the first Blade, as Heatseeking Dennis, who was saved (by Blade) from a vampire played by Traci Lords. In October 2005, he appeared in the Smallville season 5 episode "Mortal" as a metahuman called Tommy Lee. He also appeared in the 2006 Hallmark Channel original movie, Desolation Canyon, with Stacy Keach and Patrick Duffy and starred in the 2005 indie film Zzyzx, a thriller about two friends who take a detour on their way to Las Vegas.
Johnson originally auditioned for the role of ill-fated Terry Crowley, which ultimately went to Reed Diamond. Casting directors were so impressed with the audition that they asked him to come in for the role of Lemansky. Johnson was unsure of how to go about the character, who wasn't very much developed at that point. During the audition, Johnson made some choices for the character that he initially thought ruined his chances of winning the role. However, the audition turned out to be successful and he was cast. Lemansky quickly became a major player in the first season because of the chemistry Johnson shared with his castmates.
After The Shield, Johnson had recurring roles on Cold Case, first as a supposed murder victim, and later as a love interest for Lilly Rush. He was later cast in the TNT series Saving Grace, as Detective Hamilton "Ham" Dewey. Johnson also appeared during the second, third and fourth seasons of Sons of Anarchy as Sgt. At Arms and biker named Herman Kozik from the Tacoma chapter. He also directed and starred in the short film I Heard the Mermaids Singing.
On August 16, 2010, Johnson appeared in Fox's Lie to Me, along with several fellow cast members from The Shield (Benito Martinez, Catherine Dent, David Rees Snell, Cathy Cahlin Ryan, and David Marciano). In 2011, Johnson appeared in Lifetime's series The Protector along with fellow Sons of Anarchy co-star Ally Walker. Johnson also appeared as a regular on NBC's crime drama Prime Suspect, which premiered September 22, 2011, playing the contractor boyfriend of the shows lead character, Detective Jane Timoney (Maria Bello). Also in 2011, Johnson starred as Frank Connor, a convicted drug smuggler who leaves prison after 22 years for one youthful mistake, in Few Options. He then guest starred as Tyler Gray in the sixth season of Burn Notice (2012), and as U.S. Marshal Max Clayton in the eighth and final season of Dexter (2013).
Johnson appeared in the A&E drama-thriller television series Bates Motel. He recurred in the second season, but became a main cast member at the start of its third season. He then recurred on the fifth season of Covert Affairs as a former CIA paramilitary operative James Decker. Johnson co-starred in the 2015 thriller Solace. In August 2015, it was reported that Johnson would be part of the main cast for the second season of ABC's anthology series Secrets and Lies.
Johnson married Cathleen Oveson on December 21, 2005 in Maui, Hawaiian Islands. In October 2008, the couple announced they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Angelica Scarlet Johnson, was born on May 6, 2009 in Los Angeles.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Mirage | Greg | |
1990 | The Forbidden Dance | Dave | |
1995 | Bushwhacked | State Patrolman | |
1996 | Nineball | Nicky | |
1998 | Major League: Back to the Minors | Lance Pare | |
1998 | Blade | Heatseeking Dennis | |
2001 | Under Heavy Fire | Jimmy Joe | |
2006 | Burned | Lou | Video release |
2007 | The Ungodly | Officer Murphy | |
2008 | I Heard the Mermaids Singing | Al | Short film; also director |
2011 | Few Options | Frank Connor | Also co-producer |
2013 | Timmy Muldoon and the Search for the Shadoweyes Bandit | Shotgun Lenny | Video short |
2015 | Solace | David Raymond | |
2015 | Blue | Murphy | Completed |
2015 | Run the Tide | Bo | In post-production |
2016 | Check Point | Roy | In post-production |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Red Shoe Diaries | Tracer | 2 episodes |
1993 | The Webbers | Chuck | Television film |
1993 | Family Matters | Gorgeous Waiter | Episode: "Walk on the Wild Side" |
1994 | Grace Under Fire | Skip | Episode: "June 15, 1997" |
1994 | Something Wilder | Chad | Episode: "Love Native American Style" |
1996 | Pacific Blue | Deke | Episode: "Over the Edge" |
1996 | Caroline in the City | Blair | Episode: "Caroline and the Ex-Wife" |
1996 | The Big Easy | George Stodermayer | Episode: "Stodermayer" |
1996 | Sliders | Slain Skater | Episode: "The Dream Masters" |
1996 | The Burning Zone | Dr. Jake Lietman | Episode: "Blood Covenant" |
1997 | Sins of the Mind | Anders | Pilot episode |
1999 | Just Shoot Me | Brian McDonald | Episode: "The Odd Couple (Part 2)" |
1999 | Ryan Caulfield: Year One | Detective Billy Zabo | Episode: "A Night at the Gashole" |
1998-2000 | Pensacola: Wings of Gold | Butch "Burner" Barnes | 27 episodes |
2001 | The Huntress | Kevin Styles | 2 episodes |
2001 | 18 Wheels of Justice | Sonny | Episode: "Crossing the Line" |
2002-06 | The Shield | Detective Curtis Lemansky | 66 episodes |
2002 | One on One | Brandon | Episode: "The Way You Make Me Feel" |
2003 | Boomtown | Robert "Bobby" Cherry | Episode: "Haystack" |
2005 | Smallville | Tommy Lee | Episode: "Mortal" |
2006 | Desolation Canyon | Press Reynolds | Television film |
2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Randy Bolen | Episode: "Time of Your Death" |
2006 | Aquaman | Sheriff | Unsold pilot |
2006 | Cold Case | Joseph Shaw | 5 episodes |
2007-10 | Saving Grace | Detective Ham Dewey | 46 episodes |
2009-11 | Sons of Anarchy | Herman Kozik | 12 episodes |
2010 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Tommy Boyd | Episode: "Past Lives" |
2010 | Lie to Me | Malcolm Hessler | Episode: "Pied Piper" |
2011-12 | Prime Suspect | Matt Webb | 13 episodes |
2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Detective Sean Riggs | Episode: "Dirty" |
2011 | The Protector | Detective Cummings | Episode: "Help" |
2012 | The Mentalist | Greg Marshall | Episode: "So Long, and Thanks for All the Red Snapper" |
2012 | Burn Notice | Tyler Gray | 3 episodes |
2013 | Dexter | U.S. Marshal Max Clayton | 3 episodes |
2014-present | Bates Motel | Caleb Calhoun | 14 episodes |
2014 | Castle | Mr. Harden | Episode: "In the Belly of the Beast" |
2014 | Motive | Doug Slater | Episode: "For You I Die" |
2014-15 | Chicago Fire | Tommy Welch | 7 episodes |
2014 | Covert Affairs | James Decker | 3 episodes |
2016 | Secrets and Lies | Danny | Upcoming |