Fred McCarren
| Fred McCarren | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Frederick West McCarren April 12, 1951 Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died |
July 2, 2006 (aged 55) Butler, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Colon cancer |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–1991 |
| Spouse(s) | Lisa Hogan (m. 1982–2006) |
| Children | 6 |
Frederick West "Fred" McCarren (April 12, 1951 – July 2, 2006) was an American television and film actor. He gained recognition for his roles on the television series Amanda's (1983) and Hill Street Blues (1984).
Biography
McCarren was born on April 12, 1951 in Butler, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Butler Senior High School where he starred in several plays. After attending the University of Cincinnati and Point Park College, he left for a different kind of campus – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College in Venice, Florida – and instead of joining the circus afterward, he headed for New York City where he immediately found work in TV commercials.[1]
A subsequent career in film and television followed soon thereafter from the late 1970s throughout the 1980s. He starred opposite Bea Arthur on the short-lived 1983 sitcom Amanda's and he later made guest appearances on television shows such as Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Hill Street Blues, Remington Steele and The Golden Girls.
After several years of living in Tarzana, California, McCarren and his wife moved back to his native Pennsylvania in 1989 where he focused on raising his six children. He continued to work in both radio and television commercials and his voice was heard as the crazy Dr. Sanchez in radio spots for the Mad Mex restaurant chain, and he was seen as the coach in a series TV commercials for Dick's Sporting Goods, as well as TV spots for PNC, PPG, Comcast and Builder's Surplus.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Stick Around | Vance Keefer | TV pilot episode |
| The Goodbye Girl | Richard III Cast | Feature film | |
| Tabitha | Jeff Baron | Episode: "What's Wrong with Mister Right?" | |
| 1978 | On Our Own | Episode: "The Bare Truth" | |
| Free Country | Sidney Gewertzman | 5 episodes | |
| How to Pick Up Girls! | Donald Becker | TV film | |
| 1979 | Alice | Sean | Episode: "If the Shoe Fits" |
| The Dukes of Hazzard | Neil Bishop | Episode: "The Big Heist" | |
| The Last Convertible | Paul McCreed | TV miniseries | |
| 1980 | Marriage Is Alice and Well | Chris Dennis | TV film |
| Family | Dan Epstein | Episode: "Hard Times" | |
| Goodtime Girls | George's friend | Episode: "Loose Lips" | |
| Xanadu | Richie | Feature film | |
| 1981 | I'm a Big Girl Now | Episode: "It's Him or Me" | |
| The Boogens | Mark Kinner | Feature film | |
| Red Flag: The Ultimate Game | Frank | TV film | |
| Here's Boomer | David | Episode: "The Prince and the Boomer" | |
| 1982 | National Lampoon's Class Reunion | Gary Nash | Feature film |
| 1983 | Amanda's | Marty Cartwright | 13 episodes |
| At Ease | Jerry Gilmore | Episode: "A Tankful of Dollars" | |
| The Star Chamber | Robert Karras | Feature film | |
| Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Marshall Holt | Episode: "Magic Bus" | |
| Remington Steele | Frank Dannon | Episode: "Altared Steele" | |
| The American Snitch | Jeff Morton | Feature film | |
| 1984 | Hill Street Blues | Stuart Casey | 3 episodes |
| Lottery! | Episode: "Honolulu: 3 - 2 = 1" | ||
| Gimme a Break! | Tim Donovan | Episode: "New Orleans" (Parts 1 & 2) | |
| Brothers | Dennis | Episode: "Standards and Practices" | |
| Too Close for Comfort | Michael McKenna | Episode: "Quick on the Draw" | |
| 1986 | Hardcastle and McCormick | Richard Wall | Episode: "When I Look Back on All the Things" |
| It's a Living | Alan Steckler | Episode: "The Jerks" | |
| 1987 | Shell Game | Vince Vanneman | 5 episodes |
| Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Marshall Holt | Episode: "Suitable for Framing" | |
| Throb | Wally | Episode: "Torn Between Two Lovers" | |
| Mr. President | Fred | 2 episodes | |
| 1988 | The Boost | Tom | Feature film |
| 1991 | The Golden Girls | Detective | Episode: "The Pope's Ring" |
Death
Fred McCarren died on July 2, 2006 at the age of 55 from colon cancer at Butler Memorial Hospital in Butler, Pennsylvania.
References
- ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Obituary: Fred McCarren / Acted in films, TV shows and commercials, retrieved April 22, 2016.