This biographyneeds additional citations forverification.(October 2024) |
Nicholas David Pryor(bornProbst;January 28, 1935 – October 7, 2024) was an American character actor. He appeared in various television series, films, and stage productions.
Nicholas Pryor | |
|---|---|
 Pryor in 1964 | |
| Born | Nicholas David Probst January 28, 1935 Baltimore, Maryland,U.S. |
| Died | October 7, 2024(aged 89) |
| Other names | Nick Pryor |
| Education | Gilman School Yale University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1955–2021 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Early life and career
editPryor was born Nicholas David Probst inBaltimore,Maryland, the son of Dorothy (née Driskill) and J. Stanley Probst, a pharmaceutical manufacturer.
His early film credits include appearances inThe Happy Hooker(1975),Smile(1975), and as nervous college professor Samuel Graves in the 1976 filmThe Gumball Rally.Notable film credits included appearing alongsideWilliam HoldenandLee GrantinDamien - Omen II(1978), as one of the sick passengers inAirplane!(1980), the role of Joel Goodson (Tom Cruise)'s father in the hit movieRisky Business(1983), and as Julian Wells (Robert Downey Jr.)'s estranged father inLess than Zero(1987). His other film credits includeThe Falcon and the Snowman(1985),Pacific Heights(1990),Executive Decision(1996),The Chamber(1996) andCollateral Damage(2002).[1]
Pryor's most notable television role was that of A. Milton Arnold, the Chancellor of California University, in the television seriesBeverly Hills, 90210.Pryor's character, who appeared on the show from 1994 to 1997, was a widower and the father of one daughter, Claire (portrayed byKathleen Robertson). His other television appearances includedThe Adams Chronicles(1976),Washington: Behind Closed Doors(1977) andGideon's Trumpet(1980).
In 1964, Pryor was an original cast member of the new soap operaAnother World,playing Tom Baxter until the character was killed off after six months. In 1973 Pryor was the second actor to play the role of P.I. Joel Gantry onThe Edge of Night.For several years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he played the role ofVictor CollinsonGeneral Hospitaland its spin-off,Port Charles.
Personal life and death
editPryor's fourth wife was actressChristine Belford,whom he married in July 1993. He had a daughter from an earlier marriage. Belford announced Pryor's death by sharing a note written from the actor. The humble message, Pryor said, was to be delivered toThe Hollywood Reporterafter his death. The note was shared by the widow, in which he wrote "Nicholas Pryor was enormously grateful to have been, for nearly 70 years, a working actor."[2]Pryor is survived by his daughter, Stacey Pryor, and his grandchildren Auguste and Avril Bas.[3]
Pryor died of cancer at his home inWilmington, North Carolina,on October 7, 2024, at the age of 89.[2][4]
Partial filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Dane Rosse | Season 6 Episode 14: "The Changing Heart" |
| 1970 | The Way We Live Now | Lionel Aldridge | |
| 1974 | Man on a Swing | Paul Kearney | |
| 1975 | The Happy Hooker | Carl Gordon | |
| Smile | Andy | ||
| 1976 | The Gumball Rally | Professor Samuel Graves, Cobra Team | |
| 1977 | Washington: Behind Closed Doors | Hank Ferris | |
| Night Terror | Man in Sports Car | Television film | |
| 1978 | Damien - Omen II | Charles Warren | |
| Rainbow | Bill Gilmore | TV movie | |
| 1979 | The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh | George Brockington | |
| 1980 | Airplane! | Mr. Jim Hammen | |
| 1981 | Splendor in the Grass | Dr. Judd | TV movie |
| 1982 | Little House: A New Beginning | Royal Wilder | |
| 1983 | Risky Business | Mr. Goodson | |
| 1984 | Second Sight: A Love Story | Mitchell McKay | TV movie |
| 1985 | The Falcon and the Snowman | Eddie | |
| Knight Rider | Vince | Season 4 Episode 8: "Many Happy Returns" | |
| 1986 | On Dangerous Ground | John Pilgrim | |
| Murder in Three Acts | Freddie Dayton | TV movie | |
| 1987 | Morgan Stewart's Coming Home | Tom Stewart | |
| Less than Zero | Benjamin Wells | ||
| 1988 | A Stoning in Fulham County | Baxter | TV movie |
| 1990 | Brain Dead | Man in Bloody White Suit / Ramsen / Ed Conklin | |
| Pacific Heights | Hotel Front Office Manager Neil Spisak | ||
| 1992 | Hoffa | Hoffa's Attorney | |
| 1993 | Sliver | Peter Farrell | |
| 1994 | Murder Between Friends | Judge Lamartine | [5] |
| Hail Caesar | Bidwell | ||
| 1996 | Executive Decision | Secretary of State Jack Douglas | |
| The Chamber | Judge Flynn F. Slattery | ||
| 1997 | Murder at 1600 | Paul Moran | |
| 1999 | Molly | Dr. Prentice | |
| The Bachelor | Dale Arden | ||
| 2002 | Collateral Damage | Senator Delich | |
| 2007 | The List | Harold Smithfield | |
| 2008 | The Four Children of Tander Welch | Tander Welch | |
| 2014 | A Short History of Decay | The Man in White | |
| The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 | D8 Male Patient | ||
| 2015 | 90 Minutes in Heaven | J.V. Thomas | |
| 2016 | Buster's Mal Heart | Mr. Bowery | |
| 2019 | Doctor Sleep | Elderly Patient | |
| 2020 | The Outsider | Peter Maitland | |
| 2021 | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | Oeznik | 2 episodes |
| Halloween Kills | Coroner |
References
edit- ^"Nicholas Pryor Filmography and Movies".Fandango.
- ^abBarnes, Mike (October 8, 2024)."Nicholas Pryor, Actor in 'Risky Business' and 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' Dies at 89".The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^"Nicholas Pryor, veteran actor who starred in 'Risky Business' and 'Port Charles,' dies at 89".Texarkana Gazette.October 11, 2024.
- ^"Nicholas Pryor, of Port Charles, 90210 and Risky Business, Dead at 89: 'He Was an Actor's Actor'".TV Line.October 8, 2024.
- ^Roberta Bernstein, "Murder Between Friends", inVariety and Daily Variety Television Reviews, 1993–1994,January 11, 1994,p. 12