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Lance Guest

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lance Guest
Guest in 2024
Born (1960-07-21) July 21, 1960 (age 66)
Saratoga, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles
OccupationActor
Years active1981–present
Children1

Lance R. Guest (born July 21, 1960)[1][2] is an American actor. Known for his film work throughout the 1980s and various television roles thereafter, he made his screen debut with a supporting role in Halloween II (1981). This was followed by headline parts in The Last Starfighter (1984) and Jaws: The Revenge (1987). Between 2010 and 2012, Guest appeared both on and off-Broadway in the musical Million Dollar Quartet, playing Johnny Cash.

Biography

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Guest was born and raised in Saratoga, California.[3] Guest developed a serious interest in acting as a freshman while attending Saratoga High School,[4] and also played guitar in a local band called Stillwater.[3] Guest majored in theater at the UCLA.[2]

Career

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Guest made his feature film debut as Jimmy, a paramedic attempting to save Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) in Halloween II (1981).[5] He also starred in [1980] The Roommate {John Updike} and Neil Simon's I Ought to Be in Pictures.[6] His most notable role was in the science fiction film The Last Starfighter (1984) as Alex Rogan, and as Beta, a robot sent to replace Alex while he was in space.[7][8] Guest also starred in Jaws: The Revenge (1987) as Michael Brody.[9]

Guest played Cosmo Cola in Stepsister from Planet Weird (2000).[10] In 2001, he played Hugo Archibald in The Jennie Project (2001).[11] Also that year, he appeared in Mach 2 (2001).[12]

Guest's starring television roles included Lou Grant (1981–1982)[13] and Knots Landing (1991).[14] Additionally, he has made guest appearances on St. Elsewhere,[15] The Wonder Years, Party of Five, JAG, NYPD Blue, The X-Files, Becker, Life Goes On, House, and Jericho.[12]

Guest starred as Johnny Cash in the Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet, a fictionalized depiction of the only time that Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley recorded music together.[16]

Personal life

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Guest has one son.[2]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1981 Halloween II Jimmy
1982 I Ought to Be in Pictures Gordon
1984 The Last Starfighter Alex Rogan / Beta Alex
Just the Way You Are Jack the Answering Service Guy
1985 Waiting to Act Body Snatcher Guy
1987 Jaws: The Revenge Michael Brody
1988 The Wizard of Loneliness John T.
1997 Plan B Jack Sadler
2001 Mach 2 Keith Dorman
2007 Shadowbox Morell - Shadow Man Short
2008 The Least of These Mark Roberts
2009 21 and a Wake-Up Dr. Oscar Kimber
2014 Late Phases James Griffin
2017 Traces Nelson
2022 In Search of Tomorrow Himself Documentary

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1981 Dallas Student 1 episode: "The Mark of Cain"
Why Us? Hugh Whitaker TV short
Please Don't Hit Me, Mom Michael Reynolds TV film
1981–1982 Lou Grant Lance Reinecke / Mark 7 episodes
1982 Cassie & Co. David Cooper 1 episode
1982–1983 St. Elsewhere Orderly Sean Rooney 4 episodes: "Down's Syndrome", "Legionnaires: Part 1 & 2", "Hearts"
1982–1985 ABC Afterschool Special Tim / Doug Henshaw 2 episodes: "One Too Many", "Between Two Loves"
1983 Confessions of a Married Man Arthur TV film
1984 American Playhouse Orson Ziegler 1 episode: "The Roommate"
1985 My Father, My Rival Scott TV film
1988 Favorite Son David Ross 1 episode: "Part One"
1991 Knots Landing Steve Brewer 13 episodes
1992 The Wonder Years Mike Detweiller 1 episode: "Politics as Usual"
Life Goes On Michael Romanov 6 episodes
1993 Hart to Hart Returns Peter McDowell TV film
1995 All-American Girl Leon 1 episode: "Venus de Margaret"
The X-Files Kyle Lang 1 episode: "Fearful Symmetry"
1995–1996 Party of Five Mr. Allen Peck 2 episodes: "Dearly Beloved", "Unfair Advantage"
1997 The Burning Zone Russ Johnson 1 episode: "Critical Mass"
1999 Becker Dr. Harvey Cohen 1 episode: "Saving Harvey Cohen"
Thanks John the Blacksmith 1 episode: "Marriage"
2000 Then Came You Tom 1 episode: "Then Came a Wedding"
Stepsister from Planet Weird Cosmo Cola TV film
2001 The Jennie Project Hugo Archibald TV film
JAG Cmdr. Stacy Loftness 2 episodes: "Adrift: Part 1 & 2"
Bitter Winter TV film
2004 NYPD Blue Mercy Hawks 1 episode: "Traylor Trash"
2006 House Lewis Bardach 1 episode: "Safe"
2007 Alibi Peterson TV film
2008 Jericho Alex Utley 1 episode: "Condor"
Flu Bird Horror Garrett TV film
2010 Late Show with David Letterman Johnny Cash 1 episode: "Evangeline Lilly/Sam Rockwell/Million Dollar Quartet/Aaron Kelly"
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Johnny Cash 1 episode: "No. 2.104"
2012 All-American New Year's Eve 2013 Johnny Cash TV film
2014 Christmas Eve, 1914 John Gilliam TV film
2022 The Patient Paul 1 episode: "The Cantor's Husband"

Stage credits

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2010 Million Dollar Quartet Johnny Cash Nederlander Theatre [17]
2011 New World Stages [18]

References

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  1. ↑ "Lance Guest". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lance Guest - Questions and Answers -Interview". New York Theatre Guide. October 19, 2017. Archived from the original on June 28, 2025. I was in the theatre Dept at UCLA. It wasn't a training program per se, but there were a lot of good people to learn from, students, grad students as well as teachers.
  3. 1 2 "Lance Guest Biography". TV Guide. Archived from the original on October 3, 2026.
  4. ↑ Sarwari, Khalida (September 2, 2015). "Saratoga Historical Museum exhibit showcases the history of local theater". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018.
  5. ↑ Smith, Jeremy (2023-10-20). "Halloween 2 Completely Changed One Character's Fate For The TV Edit". /Film. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  6. ↑ Canby, Vincent (1982-03-26). "Matthau Back in Simon's Hollywood". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  7. ↑ "The Last Starfighter, pictures, Lance Guest, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston". www.movieprop.com. Archived from the original on 2002-10-22. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  8. ↑ Shelley, Garry (1985-01-26). "Lance lands in outer space" (PDF). TV Week. Internet Archive. p. 78. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  9. ↑ Weiss, Josh (May 19, 2023). "New Book Reveals How Michael Caine Saved Lance Guest's Life on Set of Jaws 4 (Exclusive)". Syfy. Archived from the original on January 18, 2025.
  10. ↑ Speier, Michael (June 16, 2000). "Stepsister From Planet Weird". Variety. Archived from the original on 2020-10-25. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  11. ↑ Smith, Craig (January 20, 2024). "The Jennie Project". Disney News. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  12. 1 2 Anderson, Lauren (October 25, 2022). "Why Lance Guest, Who Plays Sam's Dad in 'The Patient' Finale, Looks so Familiar". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Archived from the original on June 28, 2025.
  13. ↑ Brown, James (2017-10-23). "Lou Grant". Television Academy Interviews. Academy of Television Arts & Science. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  14. ↑ DeFillipo, Michael (2014-10-04). "Where Are They Now? : Halloween's Lance Guest". Horror Society. Archived from the original on 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  15. ↑ "St. Elsewhere series regulars and episode guide". www.ultimate70s.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-14. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  16. ↑ Fick, David. "Million Dollar Quartet Opens Tonight". Musical Cyberspace, April 11, 2010
  17. ↑ "Lance Guest (Performer)". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 13, 2026.
  18. ↑ "MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET to Close at New World Stages, June 24". BroadwayWorld. May 24, 2012. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014.
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