Bob Harks (20 September 1927 – 8 December 2010; age 83) was an actor who worked as background actor on episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. With a career spanning four decades, Harks worked as a background actor, photo double, and stand-in on around six hundred television and film productions.
One of his earliest recorded acting work was a minor background role in Bullitt (1968, with Victor Tayback, Ed Peck, Barbara Bosson, Joanna Cassidy, Walker Edmiston, Dick Geary, Vic Perrin, and Charlene Polite).
In the 1970s, Harks worked as stand-in for Monte Markham on The Astronaut (1972, with James B. Sikking, Robert Lansing, and John S. Ragin), for Bill Bixby on The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1972), for Burt Reynolds on Fuzz (1972) and The Longest Yard (1974), for James Brolin on Westworld (1973), for Robert Wagner on The Affair (1973), for Robert Reed on The Brady Bunch (1973), for Robert Forster on The Death Squad (1974), for Richard Long on The Girl Who Came Gift-Wrapped (1974), for Sid Gould in the comedy series Here's Lucy (1973-1974), for Chad Everett on the drama series Medical Center (1974), and for Fernando Lamas on The Cheap Detective (1978).
He doubled Arthur Hill in Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (1972, with Joseph Campanella), John Forsythe in Cry Panic (1974, with Jason Wingreen and Harry Basch), and worked as stand-in and stunt double for William Shatner on The Magician (1974, with Julian Christopher, Keene Curtis, Brooke Bundy, and Byron Morrow).
Between 1978 and 1982, Harks worked as stand-in for lead actor Bill Bixby on The Incredible Hulk. He also performed stunts in two episodes and appeared as background actor in over forty episodes of the series.
As a background actor and member of SEG he worked on the above listed projects and also appeared in episodes of Barefoot in the Park (1970, with Arthur Batanides), The Immortal (1970, with Jerry Ayres), The Bill Cosby Show (1971), Adam-12 (1971, with William Boyett), Storefront Lawyers (1970-1971), The New Andy Griffith Show (1971), Green Acres (1971), Dan August (1970-1971), Bewitched (1971, with Arlene Martel), Arnie (1971, with Booth Colman), The Man and the City (1971, with William Schallert), Night Gallery (1971-1972), Room 222 (1972), Longstreet (1971-1972), The Jimmy Stewart Show (1971-1972), Nichols (1972), The Smith Family (1971-1972, with Darleen Carr), M*A*S*H (1972, with Robert Ito), The Doris Day Show (1971-1972), The Waltons (1972), Mission: Impossible (1971-1972), Bonanza (1971-1973), Banacek (1972-1973), The Mod Squad (1971-1973, with Clarence Williams III), Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law (1971-1973), Love, American Style (1971-1973), The New Perry Mason (1973, with Monte Markham and Sharon Acker), Shaft (1973, with Percy Rodriguez), Here's Lucy (1971-1974, starring Lucille Ball), The F.B.I. (1971-1974), The Magician (1973-1974), Gunsmoke (1971-1974), McMillan & Wife (1971-1974), Emergency! (1972-1975, starring Kevin Tighe), Happy Days (1975), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975), Mannix (1970-1975), The Invisible Man (1975), Barbary Coast (1975, starring William Shatner), Medical Center (1972-1975), The Rookies (1972-1975), Ironside (1971-1975), The Six Million Dollar Man (1975-1976, with Tim O'Connor, Nick Dimitri, and Richard Geary), Ellery Queen (1975-1976, with Joan Collins), Cannon (1971-1976), The Streets of San Francisco (1972 and 1976, with John Rubinstein, Lawrence Dobkin, Kim Darby, Bill Quinn, and Robert Mandan), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1971-1976), Laverne & Shirley (1976, with David L. Lander and Michael McKean), Columbo (1971-1976), The Blue Knight (1975-1976), Charlie's Angels (1976-1977, starring Kate Jackson), McCloud (1972-1977), Most Wanted (1976-1977), The Amazing Spider-Man (1977, with Michael Pataki), The Bionic Woman (1976-1977, starring Lindsay Wagner), Barnaby Jones (1973-1977, with Lee Meriwether), Kojak (1973-1977), The Betty White Show (1978), The Rockford Files (1974-1978), Wonder Woman (1976-1978), Police Woman (1974-1978), Baretta (1975-1978), Police Story (1973-1978), Switch (1975-1978), and Starsky & Hutch (1975-1979, starring David Soul).
Among his film work in the 1970s were Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971, written by Gene Roddenberry), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Bless the Beasts and Children (1971), Fools' Parade (1971), Skin Game (1971), Diamonds Are Forever (1971, with Sid Haig), Slaughterhouse-Five (1972, with Eugene Roche), Skyjacked (1972), The War Between Men and Women (1972), Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972, with Ricardo Montalban), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The World's Greatest Athlete (1973), The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973), Genesis II (1973, written by Gene Roddenberry and with Mariette Hartley, Ted Cassidy, Percy Rodriguez, and Majel Barrett), Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), Cleopatra Jones (1973, with Bernie Casey), Westworld (1973), The Outfit (1973), The Sting (1973), How to Seduce a Woman (1974), Herbie Rides Again (1974), Chinatown (1974), Earthquake (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), Shampoo (1975), Funny Lady (1975), The Day of the Locust (1975, with Grainger Hines, Robert Pine, and Benjie Bancroft), Let's Do It Again (1975), The Killer Elite (1975), The Hindenburg (1975), No Deposit, No Return (1976), Gable and Lombard (1976, with Joanne Linville), The Bad News Bears (1976), Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), Silent Movie (1976), The Big Bus (1976, with John Beck), St. Ives (1976), The Last Tycoon (1976), Silver Streak (1976), The Shaggy D.A. (1976), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), Airport '77 (1977), The Other Side of Midnight (1977), Rollercoaster (1977), MacArthur (1977), A Piece of the Action (1977), Capricorn One (1977), Gray Lady Down (1978).
In the 1980s, Harks worked as a stand-in for Cliff DeYoung on Independence Day (1983, with Bert Remsen, Noble Willingham, and Anne Haney), for Tom Selleck on High Road to China (1983), for Victor Garber on I Had Three Wives (1985), and for Bill Bixby on Goodnight, Beantown (1983-1984, with Mariette Hartley) and The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988, with Charles Napier and Carl Ciarfalio). Other projects on which he worked as a stand-in include Trapper John, M.D. (1982), The Best of Times (1983), V: The Final Battle (1984), V (1984-1985), Lime Street (1986), The Last Precinct (1986), L.A. Law (1986), Sidekicks (1987, with Keye Luke), and Falcon Crest (1983-1989), and Kung Fu: The Movie (1986) and Harlem Nights (1989, with Eddie Murphy).
He had background roles in Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story (1980, with Ronny Cox and Richard Lynch), Raging Bull (1980, with Gene LeBell, Shay Duffin, Chuck Hicks, David LeBell, and McKenzie Westmore), Neil Simon's I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), 48 Hrs. (1982, with Eddie Murphy, Jonathan Banks, Margot Rose, and Denise Crosby), Kiss Me Goodbye (1982), Blue Thunder (1983), The Sting II (1983), Flashdance (1983), Doctor Detroit (1983), WarGames (1983), The Man with Two Brains (1983), The Star Chamber (1983, with Yaphet Kotto), Going Berserk (1983), Scarface (1983), The Man Who Loved Women (1983), The Lonely Guy (1984), Splash (1984, with Tom Hanks), Gremlins (1984, with Zach Galligan and Dick Miller), City Heat (1984), Big Trouble (1986), Running Scared (1986), Lethal Weapon (1987), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), No Way Out (1987), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Die Hard (1988), and the drama Dad (1989).
Harks also appeared in episodes of Flamingo Road (1981, starring John Beck and Stella Stevens), Mr. Merlin (1981), The Greatest American Hero (1982, with Warren Munson), The Fall Guy (1982, with Tracey Walter), Lou Grant (1977-1982), Fantasy Island (1982, with Ricardo Montalban), Alice (1982), Quincy, M.E. (1976-1982), Knight Rider (1982, starring William Daniels and Patricia McPherson, with Lance LeGault, Lawrence Dobkin, and Jim Boeke), Little House on the Prairie (1982, with Stan Ivar), CHiPs (1982, with Robert Pine and Lou Wagner), Remington Steele (1982-1983, starring Pierce Brosnan), Voyagers! (1982-1983), Matt Houston (1982-1983), Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982-1983, with Stephen Collins), Dynasty (1983, with Lee Bergere and Joan Collins), The Love Boat (1983), Trapper John, M.D. (1982-1983), Automan (1983, with Robert Lansing, Sid Haig, and Gene LeBell), Hart to Hart (1982-1983), AfterMASH (1983-1984), Mike Hammer (1984, with Claudia Christian), Hotel (1984, with Michael Spound, Phil Morris, and Renée Jones), V: The Final Battle (1984), T. J. Hooker (1984, with William Shatner, James Darren, Richard Herd, and Mike Genovese), V (1984-1985), Hardcastle and McCormick (1985, with Brian Keith and Daniel Hugh Kelly), The Last Precinct (1986), Newhart (1987), Starman (1987, with Michael Cavanaugh and Castulo Guerra), Fame (1982 and 1987), Hill Street Blues (1981-1987), The Bronx Zoo (1987), Highwayman (1987, with Tim Russ, Claudia Christian, Michael Berryman, Branscombe Richmond, and Clyde Kusatsu), The Oldest Rookie (1987), Hooperman (1987, with Barbara Bosson), Ohara (1987-1988, with Madge Sinclair, Ed Lauter, Mark Moses, and Scott Burkholder), Highway to Heaven (1988, with Fran Bennett), Who's the Boss? (1987-1988), St. Elsewhere (1982-1988), Matlock (1989, with Mark Rolston, Glenn Morshower, and Conrad Hurtt), Dallas (1982-1990), L.A. Law (1986-1992, with Corbin Bernsen and Larry Drake), and Murder She Wrote (1985-1994).
Between 1989 and 1990, Harks was a regular background actor, portraying a detective, in Alien Nation. He also worked as stand-in on this series and worked with Gary Graham, Eric Pierpoint, Michele Scarabelli, and Ron Fassler. He reprised his role for the television movies Alien Nation: Body and Soul (1995), Alien Nation: Millennium (1996), and Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy (1997) on which he also worked as a stand-in. Harks was also a regular background actor and stand-in on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1992-1994).
Other television and film work as a stand-in in the 1990s include Joe Versus the Volcano (1990, with Sidney S. Liufau, Amanda Plummer, Carol Kane, and Branscombe Richmond) and episodes of Sons and Daughters (1991, with Brooke Bundy and Marj Dusay) and Civil Wars (1992-1993, with Martha Hackett, Jeff McCarthy, Matthew Faison, Wallace Shawn, Jennifer Hetrick, Robert Costanzo, Christopher Collins, Dion Anderson, Natalija Nogulich, and Richard McGonagle).
As an actor, Harks appeared in episodes of Grand (1990, with Michael McKean, John Neville, and Armin Shimerman), Nasty Boys (1990, with Craig Hurley), Knots Landing (1990, with Michelle Phillips), The Flash (1991, with Biff Manard and Carolyn Seymour), Sisters (1992, with Ashley Judd), Civil Wars (1992), Picket Fences (1993, with Justin Shenkarow, Kelly Connell, Don Keefer, Natalija Nogulich, Ray Walston, Roy Brocksmith, Michael Keenan, and John Harnagel), Reasonable Doubts (1992-1993, with Leslie Jordan, J.P. Hubbell, Michael McGrady, Susan Diol, and Tucker Smallwood), Life Goes On (1993, with Bill Smitrovich, Scott Jaeck, and Tina Lifford), Quantum Leap (1991-1993, with Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell, Mimi Kuzyk, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, and Gregory Itzin), and Danger Theatre (1993, with Diedrich Bader, Amy Benedict, and Albie Selznick).
His 1990s film work include Downtown (1990, with David Clennon, Roger Aaron Brown, Ron Canada, Catherine MacNeal, Wren T. Brown, and Ron Taylor), Sibling Rivalry (1990, with Kirstie Alley, Scott Bakula, Patrick Cronin, and Dan Sachoff), the television drama Daughter of the Streets (1990, with Harris Yulin, Peter White, Richard Gilbert-Hill, and Conrad Hurtt), Postcards from the Edge (1990, with Marcelo Tubert, Natalija Nogulich, Conrad Hurtt, and Beau Lotterman), Jack the Bear (1993, with Stefan Gierasch, Bert Remsen, Kevin McDermott, Kelly Connell, Scott Thomson, and Bryan Sapphire), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993, with Patrick Stewart, Brian George, Clive Revill, Clement von Franckenstein, Tim Storms, and Chase Masterson), I Love Trouble (1994, with Saul Rubinek, Dan Butler, Cindy Katz, Andy Milder, Kurt V. Hulett, and Lena Banks), Forrest Gump (1994, starring Tom Hanks, with Sam Anderson, Don Fischer, Michael McFall, Steve DeRelian, Michael Jace, Geoffrey Blake, and Shawn Michael Perry), Roswell (1994, with Bob Gunton, Charles Hallahan, Eugene Roche, Doug Wert, Matthew Faison, John Hostetter, Michael Bofshever, Gary Bullock, Mark Phelan, Don Fischer, John Mahon, Warren Munson, Richard Fancy, Larry Dobkin, Parley Baer, Bruce Gray, Brian Cousins, and James G. MacDonald), and Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy (1996, with Eric Pierpoint, Gary Graham, Michele Scarabelli, Ron Fassler, Tim de Zarn, Jeff Allin, Josh Cruze, Juan Garcia, Kevin Grevioux, Dan Rose, Stuart Nixon, Cullen Chambers, Scott Barry, Ivy Borg, Gene Cross, Steve Diamond, Scott L. Schwartz, Gary Morgan, Denney Pierce, and Maria Kelly).
Star Trek appearances[]
External link[]
- Bob Harks at the Internet Movie Database