John Lehne

With roles in some of the defining movies and TV shows of his time, actor John Lehne left a gentle footprint on American culture. He first came to attention with a small role as the dutiful apartment manager in the talky drama "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds," directed by Paul Newman and starring Joanne Woodward. Soon after came a turn as Inspector Gilbert, a sympathetic police officer, in "Serpico," the story of a New York City cop who blows the whistle on corruption in his department. He continued with diverse guest appearances on everything from the classic sitcom "Mary Tyler Moore" to the high-concept drama "Charlie's Angels." In "Bound for Glory ," the wonderfully evocative film about Woody Guthrie, Lehne got to further stretch his acting muscles with the role of Locke, the radio station manager who accuses Guthrie of writing songs that are too controversial. In another socially relevant part, Lehne played Mr. Gant in "F.I.S.T.," the Sylvester Stallone epic about the formation of the Teamsters union. He returned to television with the recurring role of the flashy Kyle Bennett on the iconic primetime soap "Dallas" and as Andrew Parkhurst in another popular nighttime soap, "Knots Landing." He went on to play Judge Newman in the high-rated primetime legal series "Matlock" before dying at age 81 in Los Angeles.