John Beck

In his heyday during the 1970s and 1980s, brawny actor John Beck was an in-demand actor in the Burt Reynolds mold. Although he never quite attained movie superstardom like the better-known mustachioed charmer, he was popular, and he typically stood out in whatever film or television show he was in. He is best known for his portrayal of Mark Graison, Victoria Principal's lover, on the primetime soap "Dallas," a role that proved controversial when his entire run on the show was revealed to be only a dream. He got his start working in television, doing minor bit parts in shows like "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Mod Squad" before landing two significant supporting parts in Sam Peckinpah's laconic retelling of the Billy the Kid legend, "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid," and in Woody Allen's science fiction spoof, "Sleeper." His role in the 1975 science fiction film "Rollerball" as James Caan's buddy and teammate Moonpie, plus his dramatic turn in the horror film "Audrey Rose," showed that he could handle meatier parts if given the chance. In 1977 he landed the lead romantic role in the torrid "The Other Side of Midnight" opposite Susan Sarandon. The film was expected to be a huge hit for 20th Century Fox, but it flopped, and Beck's feature-film career was grounded. Television, on the other hand, was a more congenial place for him, and he found great success not only on "Dallas" but "Flamingo Road" and other programs.