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Severn Darden

Acting 65 (deceased) years old ★ 0.6
Born: November 9, 1929
Died: May 27, 1995

Biography

Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, 1929 – May 27, 1995) was an American comedian and actor, and a founding member of The Second City Chicago-based comedy troupe as well as its predecessor, the Compass Players. He is known from his film appearances for playing the human leader Kolp in the fourth and fifth Planet of the Apes films. His live comedy improv skit under the character of "Walther von der Vogelweide" was influential with two generations of comic performers.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he attended the University of Chicago, where he was a "campus legend" according to poet Paul Carroll. Darden’s offbeat and intellectual sense of humor was a major element in the style of The Second City at that time, and is evident throughout his work. Carroll described him as a combination of surrealistic New Orleans and tough, caustic "Chicago Style" comedy. An example of his offbeat humor is the way he squeezed the phrase "Know thyself" into the seven-character limitation of a New Mexico license plate: NOYOSEF.

Darden was a core comedian in Paul Sills' Compass Players, the first improvisation theater in the US; it performed around the Chicago area during the mid-1950s. Sills went on to found The Second City in 1959 and brought in many of the comedians from Compass Players, including Darden.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man Apploy 1974
Starsky & Hutch
Starsky & Hutch Mr. Wheeler 1975
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie Milton 1965
The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy 1981
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone Sir Hubert Spencer 1964

Filmography

Acting Credits (90)

The Telephone
The Telephone 1988
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast 1987
Take Five
Take Five 1987
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed Farmer Silas 1986
Back to School
Back to School Dr. Barazini 1986
Real Genius
Real Genius Dr. Meredith 1985
Half Nelson
Half Nelson Morgue Attendant 1985
Quarterback Princess
Quarterback Princess Mr. Hobart 1983
Cheers
Cheers Professor DeWitt 1982
Faerie Tale Theatre
Faerie Tale Theatre Farmer Silas 1982
Rooster
Rooster Conway 1982
The Fall Guy
The Fall Guy 1981
Saturday the 14th
Saturday the 14th Van Helsing 1981
Evita Peron
Evita Peron Alfredo Suero 1981
A Cry for Love
A Cry for Love Paul 1980
Hopscotch
Hopscotch Maddox 1980
In God We Tru$t
In God We Tru$t Priest 1980
Why Would I Lie?
Why Would I Lie? Dr. Barbour 1980
A Small Circle of Friends
A Small Circle of Friends Art Professor 1980
Beyond Westworld
Beyond Westworld Foley 1980
Orphan Train
Orphan Train Mr. Barrington 1979
Love for Rent
Love for Rent Fred Hallem 1979
Once Upon a Midnight Scary
Once Upon a Midnight Scary Jonathan Barnavelt 1979
Rendezvous Hotel
Rendezvous Hotel Albert Church 1979
Wanda Nevada
Wanda Nevada Merlin Bitterstix 1979
Outside Chance
Outside Chance Sheriff Dempsey 1978
Flying High
Flying High 1978
Never Con a Killer
Never Con a Killer Cap 1977
Victory at Entebbe
Victory at Entebbe Moshe Meyer 1976
The Disappearance of Aimee
The Disappearance of Aimee S.I. Gilbert 1976
Mother, Jugs & Speed
Mother, Jugs & Speed Moran 1976
Jackson County Jail
Jackson County Jail Sheriff Dempsey 1976
City of Angels
City of Angels Winnie 1976
The Practice
The Practice 1976
Laverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley 1976
The Bionic Woman
The Bionic Woman 1976
I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?
I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? Mr. Fletch / Dr. DeHart 1975
Starsky & Hutch
Starsky & Hutch Mr. Wheeler 1975
Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast 1975
Barney Miller
Barney Miller Randolph Cook 1975
Baretta
Baretta 1975
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Kolchak: The Night Stalker Dr. Aaron Pollack 1974
Harry O
Harry O 1974
Lincoln
Lincoln Gideon Welles 1974
The Legend of Hillbilly John
The Legend of Hillbilly John Mr. Marduke 1974
Skyway to Death
Skyway to Death Steve Kramer 1974
The Six Million Dollar Man
The Six Million Dollar Man Apploy 1974
The Day of the Dolphin
The Day of the Dolphin Schwinn 1973
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Battle for the Planet of the Apes Kolp 1973
The Man Who Died Twice
The Man Who Died Twice Harry 1973
Dirty Little Billy
Dirty Little Billy Big Jim McDaniel 1972
Play It as It Lays
Play It as It Lays Hypnotist 1972
Playmates
Playmates Roger, Man in Gallery 1972
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Kolp 1972
The War Between Men and Women
The War Between Men and Women Dr. Harris 1972
Cisco Pike
Cisco Pike Lawyer 1971
The Last Movie
The Last Movie Mayor 1971
Getting Together
Getting Together 1971
The Man and the City
The Man and the City 1971
The Hired Hand
The Hired Hand McVey 1971
Werewolves on Wheels
Werewolves on Wheels One 1971
Vanishing Point
Vanishing Point J. Hovah 1971
Alias Smith and Jones
Alias Smith and Jones 1971
Barefoot in the Park
Barefoot in the Park 1970
Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You
Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You Dr. Fahrquardt 1970
The Movie Murderer
The Movie Murderer Jimmy Apache 1970
Bongo Wolf’s Revenge
Bongo Wolf’s Revenge 1970
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Cecil 1969
Fearless Frank
Fearless Frank The Good Doctor / Claude 1969
To See or Not to See
To See or Not to See 1969
Justine
Justine Bathazar 1969
The Mad Room
The Mad Room Nate 1969
Model Shop
Model Shop Camera Shop Owner 1969
The Virgin President
The Virgin President U.S. President / Fillmard Millmore 1968
The Name of the Game
The Name of the Game Cameron 1968
P.J.
P.J. Shelton Quell 1968
The President's Analyst
The President's Analyst Kropotkin 1967
Luv
Luv Vandergist 1967
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round Miles Fisher 1966
Point of View
Point of View 1966
Occasional Wife
Occasional Wife 1966
The Monkees
The Monkees Guggins 1966
The Monkees
The Monkees Mental Problem Specialist (uncredited) 1966
The Double-Barrelled Detective Story
The Double-Barrelled Detective Story H.S. Stevens 1965
I Dream of Jeannie
I Dream of Jeannie Milton 1965
Honey West
Honey West Dr. Gregory Ames 1965
Goldstein
Goldstein Doctor 1965
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone Sir Hubert Spencer 1964
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Franklin 1955
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame S.I. Gilbert, Aimee's lawyer 1951

Writing Credits (2)

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