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'''David Graf''' {{born|16|April|1950|died|7|April|2001}} was an actor who guest starred in ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''.
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'''David Graf''' {{born|16|April|1950|died|7|April|2001}} was an American actor who guest-starred on both ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''. On ''Voyager'', he played [[Amelia Earhart]]'s navigator, [[Fred Noonan]], in the [[VOY Season 2|second season]] opening episode, "[[The 37's]]". On ''DS9'', he appeared as the [[Klingon]] [[Leskit]] in the episode "[[Soldiers of the Empire]]". His widow, [[Kathryn Graf]], is also a ''DS9'' alum, having guest-starred in "[[A Man Alone]]", the second episode filmed for the series.
   
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In addition to his [[canon]] ''[[Star Trek]]'' appearances, Graf also did voice work on several ''Trek'' [[games|video games]], including ''[[Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: Away Team]]''.
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His widow, [[Kathryn Graf]], is also a DS9 guest star. She starred in "[[A Man Alone]]", the second episode of the series to be filmed.
  
   
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==Biography==
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He is best remembered as Eugene Tackleberry in all seven of the ''Police Academy'' movies. Both he and Kathryn starred in ''[[Wikipedia:Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach|Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach]]''.
  
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[[Star Trek birthdays|Born]] in Lancaster, Ohio, attended Lancaster High School where his love of theater and drama were predominant. Upon graduation in 1968, he attended Otterbein University, where he majored in theater. From there, he went to graduate school at Ohio State University but dropped out in 1975 and moved to [[New York City]] to pursue a professional acting career, ultimately breaking into film and television in 1981.
   
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He is best remembered for his role as Officer (and later Sergeant) Eugene Tackleberry in all seven of the ''Police Academy'' movies from 1984 through 1994. He also played the character on the short-lived 1997-98 series inspired by the films. One of these films, 1988's ''Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach'', also featured his wife, Kathryn, as well as ''DS9'' star [[Rene Auberjonois]]. Graf worked with many other ''[[Star Trek]]'' alumni on these films: [[Kim Cattrall]] and [[Scott Thomson]] in the first film (1984); [[Arthur Batanides]] in ''Police Academy 2: Their First Mission'' (1985); Thomson and [[Brian Tochi]] in ''Police Academy 3: Back in Training'' (1986); Batanides, Thomson and Tochi in ''Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol'' (1987); [[Matt McCoy]] in ''Assignment: Miami Beach''; Batanides, [[Gerrit Graham]], [[Darryl Henriques]], [[Kenneth Mars]], Matt McCoy, [[Beans Morocco]], and [[Angelo Tiffe]] in ''Police Academy 6: City Under Siege''; and [[Ron Perlman]] in ''Police Academy: Mission to Moscow'' (1994).
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He [[Star Trek birthdays|is from]] the city of Lancaster, Ohio and attended Lancaster High School where his love of theater and drama were predominant. He was also categorized as a shy person who kept to himself. He [[Star Trek deaths|died of a heart attack]] at a family wedding just nine days short of his 51st birthday. His father and grandfather both also suffered heart attacks and died at age 51.
  
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Graf was categorized as a shy person who kept to himself. He [[Star Trek deaths|died of a heart attack]] at a family wedding just nine days short of his 51st birthday. His father and grandfather both also suffered heart attacks and died at age 51.
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==Career==
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Graf, struggling to find acting work, made his television debut as a contestant on the game show ''The $20,000 Pyramid'', where he won $10,000 with the help of celebrity guest panelist [[Wikipedia:Patty Duke|Patty Duke]]. Graf himself would become a guest panelist on the show, competing ''against'' Duke.
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After his game show appearance, Graf took on small guest roles on popular TV shows like ''M*A*S*H'' (starring [[David Ogden Stiers]], in an episode with [[Cyril O'Reilly]]), ''The A-Team'' (starring [[Dwight Schultz]], in an episode with [[Javier Grajeda]] and [[Carlos Lacamara]]) and ''Hardcastle and McCormick'' (starring [[Brian Keith]] and [[Daniel Hugh Kelly]]). He also made his feature film debut in the 1981 drama ''Four Friends'', starring [[Craig Wasson]] and [[Jim Metzler]] and also featuring [[Natalia Nogulich]].
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Acquiring some celebrity as Tackleberry in 1984's ''Police Academy'', Graf opted to reprise the role in five sequels, each released one year after the other, from 1985 through 1989. In the meantime, he continued acting on television. He found himself as a regular on the ABC series ''He's the Mayor'' in 1986, although it only ran for ten episodes, with three episodes filmed but never aired. He also guest-starred in an episode of ''Night Court'', working with series star [[John Larroquette]] and fellow guest star [[Keye Luke]]. In addition, he starred in a few TV movies, including 1988's ''Police Story: The Watch Commander'', with [[Gregg Henry]] and Carlos Lacamara.
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When the ''Police Academy'' films seemingly ended after 1989, Graf stuck primarily to television. He appeared in the last two episodes of ''Beauty and the Beast'' in 1990, working alongside series star [[Ron Perlman]] as well as [[Jeff Corey]], [[Fionnula Flanagan]] and [[Ellen Geer]]. In 1991 he worked with future ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' actors [[Scott Bakula]] and [[Dean Stockwell]] on their series, ''Quantum Leap''. That same year, he and [[Jeffrey Combs]] guest-starred in an episode of ''Life Goes On'', starring [[Bill Smitrovich]], and also appeared on ''Doogie Howser, M.D.'', starring [[James B. Sikking]].
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He went on to appear on such shows as ''Seinfeld'' (starring [[Jason Alexander]], in an episode with [[Stephen McHattie]] and [[Heidi Swedberg]]), ''Picket Fences'' (with [[Richard McGonagle]] and [[Ray Walston]]), ''Dream On'' (with ''Police Academy'' co-star Kim Cattrall), ''Lois & Clark'' (starring [[Teri Hatcher]], in an episode with [[Barbara Bosson]]), ''Party of Five'' (with [[Ellen Bry]]) and ''JAG'' (with [[James Parks]]). In his final years, Graf made appearances on shows like ''Becker'' (starring [[Terry Farrell]], in an episode with [[Fran Bennett]] and [[Wade Williams]]), ''The West Wing'' and ''Son of the Beach''.
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He did continue acting in films, however. He had supporting roles in the 1993 thriller ''Suture'' and the 1994 comedy ''Guarding Tess'', with the latter co-starring fellow ''DS9'' guest star [[Edward Laurence Albert]]. Also in 1994, he returned to the role of Sgt. Tackleberry on film one last time for a ''Mission to Moscow''.
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Subsequent film credits include 1995's ''The Brady Bunch Movie'' (with [[James Avery]], [[Michael McKean]] and [[Keone Young]]) and 1996's ''Citizen Ruth'' (with Kenneth Mars and [[Kurtwood Smith]]) and ''Skeletons'' (co-starring [[Dennis Christopher]] and [[Christopher Plummer]]). More recently, he had a small role in the 2000 hit ''Rules of Engagement'', along with [[Gordon Clapp]], [[Thomas Knickerbocker]] and Richard McGonagle, and had a supporting role in the little-known adventure film ''The Cactus Kid'', co-starring [[Mike Starr]]. And in 2002 Graf co-starred with fellow ''Trek'' actors Scott Bakula, Ron Perlman and [[John Schuck]] in the made-for-TV movie ''The Trial of Old Drum''. This latter production would prove to be Graf's final acting work; it was released six months after his death.
   
 
===Appearances===
  
===Appearances===

Revision as of 08:27, 3 March 2007

Template:Realworld

Fred Noonan, a Human. Leskit, a Klingon.
Fred Noonan
Leskit

David Graf (16 April 1950 – 7 April 2001; age 50) was an American actor who guest-starred on both Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. On Voyager, he played Amelia Earhart's navigator, Fred Noonan, in the second season opening episode, "The 37's". On DS9, he appeared as the Klingon Leskit in the episode "Soldiers of the Empire". His widow, Kathryn Graf, is also a DS9 alum, having guest-starred in "A Man Alone", the second episode filmed for the series.

In addition to his canon Star Trek appearances, Graf also did voice work on several Trek video games, including Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force and Star Trek: Away Team.

Biography

Born in Lancaster, Ohio, attended Lancaster High School where his love of theater and drama were predominant. Upon graduation in 1968, he attended Otterbein University, where he majored in theater. From there, he went to graduate school at Ohio State University but dropped out in 1975 and moved to New York City to pursue a professional acting career, ultimately breaking into film and television in 1981.

He is best remembered for his role as Officer (and later Sergeant) Eugene Tackleberry in all seven of the Police Academy movies from 1984 through 1994. He also played the character on the short-lived 1997-98 series inspired by the films. One of these films, 1988's Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach, also featured his wife, Kathryn, as well as DS9 star Rene Auberjonois. Graf worked with many other Star Trek alumni on these films: Kim Cattrall and Scott Thomson in the first film (1984); Arthur Batanides in Police Academy 2: Their First Mission (1985); Thomson and Brian Tochi in Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986); Batanides, Thomson and Tochi in Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987); Matt McCoy in Assignment: Miami Beach; Batanides, Gerrit Graham, Darryl Henriques, Kenneth Mars, Matt McCoy, Beans Morocco, and Angelo Tiffe in Police Academy 6: City Under Siege; and Ron Perlman in Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (1994).

Graf was categorized as a shy person who kept to himself. He died of a heart attack at a family wedding just nine days short of his 51st birthday. His father and grandfather both also suffered heart attacks and died at age 51.

Career

Graf, struggling to find acting work, made his television debut as a contestant on the game show The $20,000 Pyramid, where he won $10,000 with the help of celebrity guest panelist Patty Duke. Graf himself would become a guest panelist on the show, competing against Duke.

After his game show appearance, Graf took on small guest roles on popular TV shows like M*A*S*H (starring David Ogden Stiers, in an episode with Cyril O'Reilly), The A-Team (starring Dwight Schultz, in an episode with Javier Grajeda and Carlos Lacamara) and Hardcastle and McCormick (starring Brian Keith and Daniel Hugh Kelly). He also made his feature film debut in the 1981 drama Four Friends, starring Craig Wasson and Jim Metzler and also featuring Natalia Nogulich.

Acquiring some celebrity as Tackleberry in 1984's Police Academy, Graf opted to reprise the role in five sequels, each released one year after the other, from 1985 through 1989. In the meantime, he continued acting on television. He found himself as a regular on the ABC series He's the Mayor in 1986, although it only ran for ten episodes, with three episodes filmed but never aired. He also guest-starred in an episode of Night Court, working with series star John Larroquette and fellow guest star Keye Luke. In addition, he starred in a few TV movies, including 1988's Police Story: The Watch Commander, with Gregg Henry and Carlos Lacamara.

When the Police Academy films seemingly ended after 1989, Graf stuck primarily to television. He appeared in the last two episodes of Beauty and the Beast in 1990, working alongside series star Ron Perlman as well as Jeff Corey, Fionnula Flanagan and Ellen Geer. In 1991 he worked with future Star Trek: Enterprise actors Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell on their series, Quantum Leap. That same year, he and Jeffrey Combs guest-starred in an episode of Life Goes On, starring Bill Smitrovich, and also appeared on Doogie Howser, M.D., starring James B. Sikking.

He went on to appear on such shows as Seinfeld (starring Jason Alexander, in an episode with Stephen McHattie and Heidi Swedberg), Picket Fences (with Richard McGonagle and Ray Walston), Dream On (with Police Academy co-star Kim Cattrall), Lois & Clark (starring Teri Hatcher, in an episode with Barbara Bosson), Party of Five (with Ellen Bry) and JAG (with James Parks). In his final years, Graf made appearances on shows like Becker (starring Terry Farrell, in an episode with Fran Bennett and Wade Williams), The West Wing and Son of the Beach.

He did continue acting in films, however. He had supporting roles in the 1993 thriller Suture and the 1994 comedy Guarding Tess, with the latter co-starring fellow DS9 guest star Edward Laurence Albert. Also in 1994, he returned to the role of Sgt. Tackleberry on film one last time for a Mission to Moscow.

Subsequent film credits include 1995's The Brady Bunch Movie (with James Avery, Michael McKean and Keone Young) and 1996's Citizen Ruth (with Kenneth Mars and Kurtwood Smith) and Skeletons (co-starring Dennis Christopher and Christopher Plummer). More recently, he had a small role in the 2000 hit Rules of Engagement, along with Gordon Clapp, Thomas Knickerbocker and Richard McGonagle, and had a supporting role in the little-known adventure film The Cactus Kid, co-starring Mike Starr. And in 2002 Graf co-starred with fellow Trek actors Scott Bakula, Ron Perlman and John Schuck in the made-for-TV movie The Trial of Old Drum. This latter production would prove to be Graf's final acting work; it was released six months after his death.

Appearances

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