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Kevin Dobson

Highest Rated: 33% All Night Long (1981)

Lowest Rated: 33% All Night Long (1981)

Birthday: Mar 18, 1943

Birthplace: New York, New York, USA

A leading man with appeal to both women and blue collars, who still has traces of his Queens, NY, accent, and who has sustained 25 years of TV stardom, Kevin Dobson is best recalled as the right hand to "Kojak," Lt. Bobby Crocker (CBS, 1973-1978), and as Mack MacKenzie on the long-running "Knots Landing" (CBS, 1982-1993). Dobson was attending NYU and working on the Long Island Railroad to support himself when his girlfriend -- whom he later married -- suggested he try to do TV commercials for make money instead of railroad work while trying to study. He won a few commercials and toured with a production of "The Impossible Years" by Walter Kerr. When he returned to New York, he was hooked, and began studying at the Neighborhood Playhouse. He won bit parts in three films made in the east -- "Love Story" (1970), "Klute" (1971), and "The French Connection" (1971) -- before heading to Los Angeles, where his first TV gig was in an episode of "The Mod Squad," but he found himself working as a fireman on the Santa Fe Railroad to make ends meet. The break came when he was cast as Lt. Crocker in "Kojak" (CBS, 1973-1978). Telly Savalas bossed Dobson around for 100 episodes, but Dobson won the hearts of the younger women watching the show. Under contract to Universal, which made the series, he was put into a co-starring role in the feature film "The Battle of Midway" (1976) and in his first TV movie, "The Immigrants" (syndication, 1978). He holds the distinction of having been one of Barbra Streisand's screen husbands, but, alas for Dobson, it was in one of La Streisand's few box office turkeys, "All Night Long" (1981). In 1981, Dobson had his first TV series as a lead, "Shannon" (CBS), playing a New York police detective who relocates to San Francisco with his son. The show lasted only a season, but he then joined "Knots Landing" as tough federal prosecutor MacKenzie, who eventually married Michele Lee. Starting in 1988, Dobson also frequently directed episodes of the series. "Knots Landing" also gave Dobson the profile to star in TV movies, many produced through his own company -- and for which his wife, Susan, was executive producer. Among the more recent were "Dirty Work" (USA, 1992), in which he was an ex-cop turned bailbondsman, and "If Someone Had Known" (CBS, 1995), in which he must arrest his own daughter. In 1996, he was the older and wiser Leo McCarthy on "FX: The Series" for syndication, and he returned to "Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac" (CBS, 1997). As for Lt. Crocker, according to his appearance in "Kojak: It's Always Something" (ABC, 1990), which reprised the 1970s characters, Crocker had become an attorney and Assistant DA. Kevin Dobson died September 6, 2020 at his home in Coalinga, California. He was 77.

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Highest rated movies

33% 22% All Night Long
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0% Restraining Order
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Dirty Work
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Reunion
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Kojak: It's Always Something
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28% Crash Landing
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Transplant
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Crimes of Passion: Nobody Lives Forever
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The Chinatown Murders
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Money, Power, Murder
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet April Moon Jeffrey (Character) - 2008
No Score Yet 28% Crash Landing Henderson Davis (Character) - 2005
No Score Yet 60% She's No Angel Donald Shawnessy (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet 0% Restraining Order Police Captain (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mom, Can I Keep Her? Unknown (Character) - 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Crimes of Passion: Nobody Lives Forever Lt. Jim Ransom (Character) - 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac Unknown (Character) - 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet From the Files of Unsolved Mysteries: Voice From the Grave Detective Joe Sraccula (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet F/X: The Illusion Detective Leo McCarthy (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet 69% If Someone Had Known Jack Liner (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Conviction of Kitty Dodds Chuck Hayes (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dirty Work Tom (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet A House of Secrets and Lies Jack Evans (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fatal Friendship Michael (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet 57% Casey's Gift: For Love of a Child Hank Bolen (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Kojak: It's Always Something Assistant D.A. Bobby Crocker (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Money, Power, Murder Peter Finley (Character) - 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sweet Revenge Col. Joseph Cheever (Character) - 1984
33% 22% All Night Long Bobby Gibbons (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mickey Spillane's Margin for Murder Mike Hammer (Character) - 1981
No Score Yet No Score Yet Reunion Don Hollander (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Hardhat and Legs Sal Pacheco (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mark, I Love You Hal Painter (Character) - 1980
No Score Yet No Score Yet Transplant John Hurley (Character) - 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet Orphan Train Frank Carlin (Character) - 1979
No Score Yet No Score Yet Stranded Rafe Harder (Character) - 1976
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Chinatown Murders Det. Bobby Crocker (Character) - 1974

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Guest 2020
23% 55% Anger Management Dr. Cameron (Guest Star) 2014
No Score Yet 69% Hawaii Five-0 Unknown (Guest Star) 2012
No Score Yet 80% CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Unknown (Guest Star) 2012
No Score Yet 95% Cold Case Unknown (Guest Star) 2008
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Bold And The Beautiful, The Beginning Unknown (Guest Star) 2006-2007
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nash Bridges Unknown (Character) 2000
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Commish Frank Botrell (Guest Star) 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Touched by an Angel Unknown (Guest Star) 1994
43% No Score Yet Burke's Law Unknown (Guest Star) 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Knots Landing M. "Mack" Patrick MacKenzie (Character),
Director
1982-1987 1990-1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tales of the Unexpected Fred Pearson (Character) 1984
No Score Yet No Score Yet Kojak Lt. Bobby Crocker (Character),
Unknown (Guest Star)
1973-1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tattletales Guest 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cannon Hotel Security Guard (Guest Star) 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mod Squad Howie (Guest Star) 1971