American actor
Jack Blessing (July 29, 1951 – November 14, 2017) was an American film and television actor. He was notable for his roles as MacGillicuddy on Moonlighting and as Jack Powers in the sitcom George Lopez . He also had a recurring role as Mr. Donner in the television series The Naked Truth .
Early life
Blessing was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland . He graduated from Calvert Hall High School in 1969, and from Frostburg State University , before serving in the United States Army from 1972 to 1975.[ 1] At Frostburg, Blessing played the male lead in a fall 1969 college production of Romeo and Juliet .[ 2] In the Army, he was assigned to the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and to Augsburg, Germany.[ 1] He later moved to Boston , Massachusetts to begin his acting career.[ 3] He began his professional career as a member of Boston's seminal improvisational company The Proposition.[ 4]
Career
In his last year at The Proposition, Blessing was discovered by a Paramount casting director. Afterwards, he had a role in the Emmy Award -winning television film The Defection of Simas Kudirka (1978).[ 5]
Blessing would soon guest star in The X-Files , Judging Amy , NYPD Blue , Murder One , Home Improvement , and in Everybody Loves Raymond . Blessing had a role in the Will Ferrell comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby as Jarvis.
Blessing gained national prominence on the hit series Moonlighting in 1986. Later, he recurred as Jack Powers in George Lopez , playing the character in 25 episodes spanning from 2002 through the series' finale in 2007.[ 6]
In the years following George Lopez , Blessing appeared in smaller roles in Shrek the Third , Megamind , ParaNorman and in Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return .[ 7]
Death
Blessing died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Chatsworth, California on November 14, 2017, at the age of 66.[ 8] He is survived by two sons and his wife.[ 8]
Filmography
Film
Television
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1978
The Defection of Simas Kudirka
Kabek
TV movie
1979
Women at West Point
Tom Fenton
TV movie
1980
Goodtime Girls
Uncredited
1981
Miracle on Ice
Mark Pavelich
TV movie
1981
Quincy M.E.
Alex Grauman
2 episodes
1981
M*A*S*H
Lt. Rollins
Episode: "Snappier Judgement"
1983
Small & Frye
Chip Frye
6 episodes
1983
Remington Steele
George Plummer
Episodes: "Steele Away with Me", parts 1 and 2
1985
Amos
Scott Lasher
TV movie
1985
Family Ties
Leonard
Episodes: "Cold Storage", "Oh, Donna"
1985
George Burns Comedy Week
Episode: "Disaster at Buzz Creek"
1987
Stingray
Episode: "Playback"
1987
Mr. President
Brian
Episodes: "The Magnetic Presidency", "Love Labor's Last"
1987
CBS Summer Playhouse
Jerry
Episode: "In the Lion's Den"
1987
Thirtysomething
Jeff Hagis
Episode: "We Gather Together"
1988
Amen
Lawrence Osborne
Episode: "Get 'Em Up, Scout"
1988–1989
Day by Day
Kevin Farrell
Episodes: "How to Succeed in Day Care", "Out for a Stretch"
1989
China Beach
Sgt. Masters
Episode: "Afterburner"
1986–1989
Moonlighting
MacGillicudy
17 episodes
1989
Mancuso, FBI
Barry Swenson
Episode: "Conflict of Interest"
1989
Living Dolls
Gibson
Episode: "The Not So Sweet Smell of Success"
1990
Empty Nest
Evan Phillips
Episode: "Complainin' in the Rain"
1990
Babes
Crellin
Episode: "Marlene's Problem"
1991
The Golden Girls
Father Monroe
Episode: "There Goes the Bride pt. 2"
1991
Roseanne
Cyrano/Phil
Episode: "Communicable Theater"
1992
The Last of His Tribe
Tom Waterman
1992
Civil Wars
Mark Hayes
Episode: "Till Debt Do Us Part"
1992
Dream On
Dr. Raines
Episode: "For Richard or for Poorer"
1994
SeaQuest 2032
Gaye
Episode: "The Stinger"
1994
The Larry Sanders Show
Dennis Markle
Episode: "The Mr. Sharon Stone Show"
1994
Diagnosis Murder
Special Agt. Matthew Dickerson
Episode: "The Last Laugh Pt. 2"
1995
Cybill
Stan
Episode: "How Can I Call You My Ex-Husbands If You Won't Go Away?"
1995
Northern Exposure
Professor Aaron Martin
Episode: "The Graduate"
1995
Life with Louie
Episode: "A Fish Called Pepper"
1995–1996
The Naked Truth
Mr. Donner
20 episodes
1996
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Dulmur
Episode: "Trials and Tribble-ations"
1996
Dangerous Minds
Mr. Overton
Episodes: "Family Ties", "Evolution"
1997
Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer
Detective Seybolt
6 episodes
1997
Everybody Loves Raymond
Dr. Hammond
Episode: "Debra's Sick"
1997
ER
Roger Drummond
Episode: "Post Modem"
1996–1997
Murder One
Detective Seybolt
4 episodes
1997
Home Improvement
Dr. Breen
Episode: "Room at the Top"
1997
Cracker: Mind Over Murder
Detective Bobby Leary
Episode: "'Tis Pity She's a Whore"
1997
C-16: FBI
Episode: "Orange Kid"
1997
Smart Guy
Mr. Delk
Episode: "Book Smart"
1997
The Practice
D.A. Horowitz
Episode: "Hide and Seek"
1997
Profiler
Burton
Episodes: "It Cuts Both Ways", "Old Acquaintance"
1997–1998
Brooklyn South
Officer Anthony Fiano
Episodes: "Love Hurts", "Gay Avec"
1998
Maximum Bob
Agent Neff
Episode: "Bay of Big's"
1998
NYPD Blue
Dr. Swan
2 episodes
1999
Touched by an Angel
Howard Heller
Episode: "My Brother's Keeper"
1999
It's Like, You Know...
Mr. Lynch
2 episodes
2000–2001
Any Day Now
Mr. Schillings
2 episodes
2000–2002
Judging Amy
Russell Lynchburg
2 episodes
2000
City of Angels
Deputy Chief Shaw
Episode: "SWAT's Happening"
2001
That's Life
Leo Kelley
Episode: "Bad Chemistry"
2002
The X-Files
Dr. Jack Preijers
Episode: "Audrey Pauley "
2002–2007
George Lopez
Jack Powers
20 episodes
2009
The Closer
Dr. Dennis Blair
Episode: "Walking Back the Cat"
2009
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Officer Danny Finn
Episode: "Coupe de Grace"
2012
Mike & Molly
Pilot
Episode: "The Honeymoon Is Over"
Video games
Year
Title
Role
Notes
2007
Shrek the Third
Additional Voices (voice)
Uncredited
References
^ a b c Kelly, Jacques (January 3, 2018). "Jack Blessing, Baltimore-born actor, dies" . The Baltimore Sun . Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2018 .
^ Hazen, George Alfred (October 24, 1969). "Frostburg Show Offers Shakespeare" . Cumberland Evening Times . Cumberland, Maryland . p. 12. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via NewspaperArchive.com . Jack Blessing improved his performance during the course of the play and was particularly effective in the scene in which he kills Tybalt and in the closing scenes.
^ Herbert, Geoff (December 27, 2017). " 'Mad About You' revival; 'Roseanne' return; 'Moonlighting' actor dies; more: Buzz" . The Post-Standard . Syracuse, New York . Retrieved December 27, 2017 .
^ Quarrinton, Norman (December 27, 2017). "Actor Jack Blessing of 'Moonlighting' and 'George Lopez' Fame Dies at 66" . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved December 27, 2017 .
^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (December 26, 2017). "Jack Blessing Dies: The 'Moonlighting', 'The Naked Truth' Actor Was 66" . Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 27, 2017 .
^ Maheshwari, Preeti (December 27, 2017). "Jack Blessing Dies at 66" . International Business Times . Retrieved December 27, 2017 .
^ Quarrinton, Norman (December 27, 2017). "Actor Jack Blessing, of 'Moonlighting' Fame, Dies at 66" . WSB-TV . Retrieved December 27, 2017 .
^ a b DeSantis, Rachel (December 27, 2017). "Jack Blessing, 'Moonlights' and 'George Lopez' Actor, Dead at 66" . The New York Daily News . Retrieved December 27, 2017 .
External links