The Heartbreaking Death Of Howard Hesseman
Vincent Sandoval/Getty Images By The List Staff/Jan. 30, 2022 12:52 pm EST
After a lengthy career in television and movies, Howard Hesseman has died at the age of 81. His manager of more than three decades, Robbie Kass, confirmed the news to TheWrap. Hesseman was best known for his role as Dr. Johnny Fever, a radio station DJ, in the series “WKRP in Cincinnati,” which earned the comedy actor two Emmy Award nominations, per Starz. After starring in the show from 1978 to 1982, Hesseman signed on to another cult favorite: “Head of the Class.”
Born on February. 27, 1940, in Lebanon, Oregon, to George and Edna Hesseman, Hesseman attended the University of Oregon for two years before leaving the institution to pursue an acting career (via The Washington Post). In San Francisco, Hesseman got his start as a member of The Committee — an improv group formed in the 1960s (via IMDb). Former members of the comedy group include Carl Gottlieb and Larry Hankin (known for his roles as the kooky neighbor in “Friends”), according to The Committee Movie. While refining his comedy chops, he was also landing roles in various shows, including “The Bob Newhart Show,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “Dragnet,” per IMDb. To help pay the bills, Hesseman balanced his acting with disk jockeying for KMPX in San Francisco (via The New York Times), a job that helped him land one of the biggest roles of his career.
The Heartbreaking Death Of Howard Hesseman
Vincent Sandoval/Getty Images
By The List Staff/Jan. 30, 2022 12:52 pm EST
After a lengthy career in television and movies, Howard Hesseman has died at the age of 81. His manager of more than three decades, Robbie Kass, confirmed the news to TheWrap. Hesseman was best known for his role as Dr. Johnny Fever, a radio station DJ, in the series “WKRP in Cincinnati,” which earned the comedy actor two Emmy Award nominations, per Starz. After starring in the show from 1978 to 1982, Hesseman signed on to another cult favorite: “Head of the Class.”
Born on February. 27, 1940, in Lebanon, Oregon, to George and Edna Hesseman, Hesseman attended the University of Oregon for two years before leaving the institution to pursue an acting career (via The Washington Post). In San Francisco, Hesseman got his start as a member of The Committee — an improv group formed in the 1960s (via IMDb). Former members of the comedy group include Carl Gottlieb and Larry Hankin (known for his roles as the kooky neighbor in “Friends”), according to The Committee Movie. While refining his comedy chops, he was also landing roles in various shows, including “The Bob Newhart Show,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “Dragnet,” per IMDb. To help pay the bills, Hesseman balanced his acting with disk jockeying for KMPX in San Francisco (via The New York Times), a job that helped him land one of the biggest roles of his career.
Hesseman was best known for his role as Dr. Johnny Fever, a radio station DJ, in the series “WKRP in Cincinnati,” which earned the comedy actor two Emmy Award nominations, per Starz. After starring in the show from 1978 to 1982, Hesseman signed on to another cult favorite: “Head of the Class.”
Born on February. 27, 1940, in Lebanon, Oregon, to George and Edna Hesseman, Hesseman attended the University of Oregon for two years before leaving the institution to pursue an acting career (via The Washington Post). In San Francisco, Hesseman got his start as a member of The Committee — an improv group formed in the 1960s (via IMDb). Former members of the comedy group include Carl Gottlieb and Larry Hankin (known for his roles as the kooky neighbor in “Friends”), according to The Committee Movie.
While refining his comedy chops, he was also landing roles in various shows, including “The Bob Newhart Show,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” and “Dragnet,” per IMDb. To help pay the bills, Hesseman balanced his acting with disk jockeying for KMPX in San Francisco (via The New York Times), a job that helped him land one of the biggest roles of his career.
Howard Hesseman has hundreds of acting credits
Brandon Williams/Getty Images
When the series wrapped in 1982, Hesseman went on to appear in “One Day At a Time,” “Clue,” and “Murder She Wrote,” along with others. But he was back on the small screen by 1986 in ABC’s “Head of the Class” as Charlie Moore, according to Starz. After that, however, the veteran actor left the series in 1990 in search of other opportunities, per Deseret News.
He officially retired but still appeared in several movies and TV episodes later in life, including “Fresh Off the Boat,” “Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place,” “Chicago Med,” and 2018’s “Dirty Politics,” just to name a few.
While not much is known about the actor’s personal life, per Net Worth Post, Hesseman was married to actress Caroline Ducrocq. Ducrocq, per her faculty bio at the website for New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, is an adjunct instructor at the institution as well as a script consultant, screenwriter, and acting coach.
