Charles Napier
Described by filmmaker and collaborator Russ Meyer as appearing to smile on one side of his mouth while scowling on the other, lantern-jawed character actor Charles Napier essayed a gallery of mad, bad and dangerous detectives, soldiers and cowboys in a wide variety of films, ranging from Meyer's "Supervixens" (1973) to "Rambo: First Blood Part II" (1985), "The Grifters" (1991), "Miami Blues" (1991) and "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991). The latter was one of numerous small roles he played for director Jonathan Demme, who frequently cast him against type in "Handle with Care" (1977) and "Something Wild" (1986), and the off-kilter humor he showed in those films led to a second career as a wild card comic player in "The Blues Brothers" (1980) "The Cable Guy" (1997) and "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" (1998). Though he won no significant awards for his work, and struggled to come to grips with his status as a cult favorite, Napier was well loved by generations of movie and TV fans who literally grew up watching him, from his earliest appearances on "Star Trek" (NBC, 1966-69) to his outrageous work with Meyer and dozens upon dozens of low-budget action and horror films, in which he was unquestionably the high point, for over four decades. His death in 2011 was widely memorialized in the media and on the Internet, where fans paid tribute to one of Hollywood's hardest working character players.
Photos
Charles Napier
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
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No Score Yet |
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Life Blood | Sherrif Tillman (Character) | - | 2009 |
27% |
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The Goods: Live Hard. Sell Hard. | Dick Lewiston (Character) | $15.1M | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
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Shadowheart | Sheriff Sanders (Character) | - | 2009 |
No Score Yet |
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One-Eyed Monster | Mohtz (Character) | - | 2008 |
No Score Yet |
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Black Crescent Moon | Father Woods (Character) | - | 2008 |
No Score Yet |
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Suits on the Loose | Gen. Wilkins (Character) | $79.4K | 2006 |
79% |
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The Manchurian Candidate | General Sloan (Character) | $65.9M | 2004 |
No Score Yet |
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Dinocroc | Sheriff Harper (Character) | - | 2004 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Forgive Me Father | Frank Ransom (Character) | $580.5K | 2002 |
69% |
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Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | Roy (Voice) | $73.2M | 2002 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Down 'n Dirty | Capt. Jerry Teller (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Very Mean Men | Detective Bailey (Character) | - | 2000 |
No Score Yet |
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Pirates of the Plain | Grandpa (Character) | - | 1999 |
53% |
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Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | General Hawk (Character) | $206.0M | 1999 |
56% |
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The Big Tease | Warren Crockett (Character) | $185.6K | 1999 |
No Score Yet |
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The Hunter's Moon | J.T. Conover (Character) | - | 1999 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Lima: Breaking the Silence | Padre (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
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Armstrong | Robert Zorkin (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Centurion Force | Unknown (Character) | - | 1998 |
8% |
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Steel | Col. David (Character) | $1.7M | 1997 |
73% |
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Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery | Commander Gilmour (Character) | $53.9M | 1997 |
No Score Yet |
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No Small Ways | Unknown (Character) | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Macon County Jail | Sheriff Dempsey (Character) | - | 1997 |
53% |
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Original Gangstas | Mayor (Character) | $3.3M | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
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Riot | Agent Devaney (Character) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
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Alien Species | Sheriff Nate Culver (Character) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet |
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Max Is Missing | Becker (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
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Felony | Detective Duke (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
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Hard Justice | Warden Pike (Character) | - | 1995 |
0% |
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Jury Duty | Jed (Character) | $14.8M | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
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3 Ninjas Knuckle Up | Jack (Character) | $67.8K | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ripper Man | Harry (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fatal Choice | Nolan Gobal (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
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Raw Justice | Mayor David Stiles (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet |
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Fatal Pursuit | Herbert (Character) | - | 1994 |
20% |
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Skeeter | Ernie Buckle (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Savage Land | Cole (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Jailbreakers | Horse Connection (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Silk Degrees | Schultz (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet |
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Fist of Justice | Underwood (Character) | - | 1994 |
81% |
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Philadelphia | Judge Garnett (Character) | $76.0M | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Center of the Web | Agent Williams (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mean Tricks | Brian Hornsby (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | To Die, to Sleep | Father (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Killer Instinct | John Doogan (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Treacherous Crossing | Unknown (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet |
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Eyes of the Beholder | Det. Wilson (Character) | - | 1992 |
95% |
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The Silence of the Lambs | Lt. Boyle (Character) | $130.7M | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Soldier's Fortune | Col. Blair (Character) | - | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Indio 2: The Revolt | IMC President (Character) | - | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | After the Condor | Denis (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet |
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Future Zone | Cindi (Character) | - | 1990 |
85% |
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Miami Blues | Sgt. Bill Henderson (Character) | $8.8M | 1990 |
91% |
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The Grifters | Gloucester Hebbing (Character) | $10.1M | 1990 |
11% |
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Ernest Goes to Jail | Warden (Character) | $25.0M | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Last Match | Unknown (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dragonfight | Moochow (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cop Target | John Granger (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet |
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Hit List | Tom Mitchum (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Paradise: A Gathering of Guns | Sheriff Cochran (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet |
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One Man Force | Dante (Character) | - | 1989 |
50% |
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The Incredible Hulk Returns | Mike Fouche (Character) | - | 1988 |
88% |
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Married to the Mob | Ray (Angela's hairdresser) (Character) | $19.7M | 1988 |
No Score Yet |
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Instant Justice | Maj. Davis (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet |
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Deep Space | Ian McLemore (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Kidnapped | Lt. O'Bryan (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet |
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The Night Stalker | Sgt. J.J. Striker (Character) | - | 1987 |
91% |
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Something Wild | Irate chef (Character) | $6.4M | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Outlaws | Wolfson Lucas (Character) | - | 1986 |
33% |
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Rambo: First Blood Part II | Marshall Murdock (Character) | $150.2M | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | In Search of a Golden Sky | T.J. Rivers (Character) | - | 1985 |
91% |
|
Melvin and Howard | Ventura (Character) | - | 1980 |
71% |
|
The Blues Brothers | Tucker McElroy (Character) | - | 1980 |
61% |
|
Last Embrace | Dave Quittle (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Big Bob Johnson and His Fantastic Speed Circus | Big Bob Johnson (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet |
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Thunder and Lightning | Jim Bob (Character) | - | 1977 |
100% |
|
Citizens Band | Chrome Angel (Character) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ransom for Alice | Pete Phelan (Character) | - | 1977 |
100% |
|
Supervixens | Harry Sledge (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Moonfire | Robert W. Morgan (Character) | - | 1970 |
76% |
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Beyond the Valley of the Dolls | Baxter Wolfe (Character) | - | 1970 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Hanging of Jake Ellis | Jake Ellis (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet |
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Cherry, Harry & Raquel | Harry (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alien From The Abyss | Unknown (Character) | - |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | 95% | Cold Case | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2008 |
92% | 90% | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Bert's Dad (Guest Star) | 2007 |
89% | 88% | Monk | Sheriff Bates (Guest Star) | 2006 |
No Score Yet | 80% | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2005 |
85% | 76% | The Simpsons | Grant Conner (Guest Voice) | 2001 2003-2005 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Practice | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2001 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Diagnosis Murder | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2001 |
No Score Yet | 88% | Roswell | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
55% | No Score Yet | God, the Devil and Bob | Unknown (Guest Voice) | 2000 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Walker, Texas Ranger | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999 |
No Score Yet | 93% | Rugrats | Captain (Guest Voice) | 1998 |
70% | No Score Yet | George & Leo | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
91% | 89% | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Gen. Rex Denning (Guest Star) | 1995 |
54% | No Score Yet | Hudson Street | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
85% | 83% | The Critic | Duke Phillips (Voice) | 1994-1995 |
86% | 88% | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Murder, She Wrote | Denver Martin (Guest Star) | 1986 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Guns of Paradise | Unknown (Character) | 1989 |
No Score Yet | 89% | Street Hawk | John Slade (Guest Star) | 1985 |
No Score Yet | 71% | The A-Team | Burt Cross (Guest Star) | 1983-1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | CHiPs | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Simon & Simon | Gibson (Guest Star) | 1982 |
No Score Yet | 74% | Incredible Hulk | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1979 1981 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Dukes of Hazzard | Digger (Guest Star) | 1981 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | B.J. and the Bear | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1979-1980 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Starsky and Hutch | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1975 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Rockford Files | Sheriff Billy Webster (Guest Star) | 1975 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Streets of San Francisco | Norderman (Guest Star) | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Kojak | Marty Vaughan (Guest Star) | 1975 |
80% | 89% | Star Trek | Adam (Guest Star) | 1969 |