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Kevin Dobson

Acting 77 (deceased) years old New York City, New York, USA ★ 1.2
Born: March 18, 1943
Died: September 6, 2020

Biography

Kevin Patrick Dobson is an American film and television actor, best known for his roles as Detective Bobby Crocker, the trusted protege of Lt. Theo Kojak (played by Telly Savalas) in the CBS crime drama Kojak, and as M. Patrick "Mack" MacKenzie in the soap opera Knots Landing.

After a brief appearance in the 1971 film Klute, and small acting roles on TV series such as The Mod Squad, Emergency! and Cannon, Dobson signed a contract with Universal Studios in 1972. This led to his role of Det. Bobby Crocker, Lt. Theo Kojak's young partner, in the TV series Kojak, opposite Telly Savalas. For the role, he had to borrow a suit. He had twice auditioned and failed, then called his agent, telling him, "'Do what you have to do,' so he called in a favor and I read for them [again]. I was a military policeman in the Army, so I knew how to hold a gun and throw somebody against a wall. I got a call [the next night] asking if I'd sign a contract." Dobson auditioned for a third time and finally won. He remained with Kojak for its entire five-season run from 1973 to 1978, and later reunited with Savalas for the 1990 TV movie, Kojak: It's Always Something, his character having become an assistant district attorney. They remained friends until Savalas' death from bladder cancer in 1994.

In 1978, Dobson played Pete Lomas in the two-part TV movie The Immigrants, based on the novel by Howard Fast.

In 1981, Dobson starred as Det. Jack Shannon, a San Francisco police officer who is a single father, in the CBS series Shannon. However, the show failed to gain substantial ratings and was canceled after nine episodes. A more successful TV role for Dobson followed in 1982: M. Patrick "Mack" MacKenzie in the soap opera Knots Landing, opposite Michele Lee. He joined the show at the beginning of its fourth season in September 1982 and remained in the role until its cancellation in 1993. Dobson won five Soap Opera Digest Awards for his work on the series. He later reunited with his Knots Landing co-stars for a miniseries, Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac in 1997, and again in the 2005 non-fiction special Knots Landing Reunion: Together Again.

Dobson has also appeared in a number of feature films, most notably the World War II movie, Midway, alongside Henry Fonda and Charlton Heston, as Ensign George Gay — a pilot and the sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron Eight from the Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet's ill-fated opening attack against the Japanese fleet on June 4, 1942. Another prominent role was as the husband of Barbra Streisand in the 1981 romantic comedy All Night Long. He also had a small role as a priest in the well-received 2007 psychological horror film 1408.

Dobson continued to appear in a number of TV roles, including the syndicated F/X: The Series for one season, the drama series The Bold and the Beautiful, and as the fourth actor to play Mickey Horton on Days of Our Lives.

Filmography

Acting Credits (54)

Beast of the Bering Sea
Beast of the Bering Sea Glenn Hunter 2013
Dark Power
Dark Power Mayor Stan Wood 2013
Anger Management
Anger Management Dr. Cameron 2012
Hawaii Five-0
Hawaii Five-0 Al Shepard 2010
Portal
Portal Benedict 2009
Christmas at Cadillac Jack's
Christmas at Cadillac Jack's Cop 2007
1408
1408 Priest 2007
Crash Landing
Crash Landing Henderson Davis 2006
Cold Case
Cold Case Mickey Thompson (2008) 2003
She's No Angel
She's No Angel Donald Shawnessy 2002
The Making of Midway
The Making of Midway Self 2001
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Malcolm Turner 2000
Restraining Order
Restraining Order Police Captain 1999
Mom, Can I Keep Her?
Mom, Can I Keep Her? Dr. Joel Blair 1998
Nobody Lives Forever
Nobody Lives Forever Lt. Jim Ransom 1998
Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac
Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac M. Patrick McKenzie 1997
Early Edition
Early Edition Darrel Foster 1996
FX: The Series
FX: The Series Detective Leo McCarthy 1996
FX - Final Illusion
FX - Final Illusion Leo McCarthy (archive footage) 1996
Nash Bridges
Nash Bridges Raymond Porter 1996
Voice from the Grave
Voice from the Grave Detective Joe Sraccula 1996
If Someone Had Known
If Someone Had Known Jack Liner 1995
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel Coach Earl Rowley 1994
Burke's Law
Burke's Law Sheriff Greene 1994
The Conviction of Kitty Dodds
The Conviction of Kitty Dodds Chuck Hayes 1993
A House of Secrets and Lies
A House of Secrets and Lies Jack Evans 1992
Dirty Work
Dirty Work Tommy Miller 1992
Fatal Friendship
Fatal Friendship Michael Bradley 1991
The Commish
The Commish 1991
Casey's Gift: For Love of a Child
Casey's Gift: For Love of a Child Hank Bolen 1990
Kojak: It's Always Something
Kojak: It's Always Something Assistant D.A. Bobby Crocker 1990
Money, Power, Murder.
Money, Power, Murder. Peter Finley 1989
Sweet Revenge
Sweet Revenge Col. Joseph Cheever 1984
Margin for Murder
Margin for Murder Mike Hammer 1981
Shannon
Shannon Det. Jack Shannon 1981
All Night Long
All Night Long Bobby Gibbons 1981
Mark, I Love You
Mark, I Love You Hal Painter 1980
Reunion
Reunion Don Hollander 1980
Hardhat & Legs
Hardhat & Legs Sal Pacheco 1980
Knots Landing
Knots Landing M. Patrick MacKenzie 1979
Transplant
Transplant John Hurley 1979
Tales of the Unexpected
Tales of the Unexpected Fred Pearson 1979
The Immigrants
The Immigrants Pete Lomas 1978
Battle of the Network Stars
Battle of the Network Stars 1976
Midway
Midway Ensign George Gay 1976
Dinah!
Dinah! Self 1974
Kojak
Kojak Bobby Crocker 1973
Emergency!
Emergency! 1st Deputy 1972
Cannon
Cannon 1971
Klute
Klute Man at Bar (uncredited) 1971
The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad Howie 1968
Ironside
Ironside Young Marine 1967
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show Self 1961
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show Self - Co-Host 1961

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