Frank Bonner- Biography
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Frank Bonner is an American actor and director with a nearly 40-year career. He was born in Arkansas to musical parents and went by the stage name “Frank Bonner.” For the majority of his career, he was known only by his screen name. Following high school, he served in the ‘US Navy’ for four years before relocating to Los Angeles and launching his acting career with stage productions.
His first professional break came with the play ‘The Only Bathtub in Cassis,’ but his major break came when he was cast as the flamboyant ‘Herb Tarlek’ in the 1978 television series WKRP in Cincinnati.’ He has a long list of acting and directing credits, including ‘Sidekicks,’ ‘Head of the Class,’ ‘Just the Ten of Us,’ and ‘City Guys.’ His portrayal of ‘Herb,’ on the other hand, would remain his best-loved and most-known part for decades. It was so popular that the Canadian band ‘Rheostatics’ wrote a song about it and made a music video for it.
Frank Bonner- Birth, Age, Ethnicity, Siblings, Education
- Frank Bonner was born on February 28, 1942, in Little Rock (Pulaski County), Arkansas, to Frank Woodrow Boers and Mamie Grace (née Dobbins).
- His parents were both musicians. His father was a saxophonist, and his mother was a well-known singer in the 1930s and 1940s. He is the youngest of three siblings: a sister, a brother, and a stepbrother.
- Growing up in a Catholic family, he attended ‘St. Edward’s School’ and ‘Our Lady of Good Counsel School,’ before graduating from ‘Malvern High School’ in 1960, after his family relocated to Malvern (Hot Spring County).
- Following graduation, he joined the ‘US Navy,’ where he served for four years (1961–1965). He was assigned to the San Diego Naval Base in California. He subsequently relocated to Los Angeles and began playing in neighborhood and regional theaters while also working for an engine rebuilding firm to support himself.
- His first break came in 1969, when he was cast in ‘The Only Bathtub in Cassis,’ a play created for Bill Bixby, a well-known actor, director, and producer.
- In 1970, he made his cinematic debut as ‘Jim Hudson’ in the eventual cult masterpiece ‘Equinox.’ He was given the name “Frank Boers Jr.” This was a remake of ‘The Equinox…A Journey into the Unknown,’ a 1967 student-made experimental horror film. Following that, he began to acquire a slew of minor film and television jobs.
Frank Bonner- Relationship, Married Life
Bonner got married to his high-school sweetheart, Gayle Hardage, on July 28, 2006. He is a father of four and has been a foster parent to abused and neglected children.
Bonner was previously married to Sharon Gray (from 1966 to 1971), with whom he has a daughter, Desiree. He has also been married to Mary A Rings (from 1972 to1975), actor Lillian Garrett-Groag (from 1977 to 1980), and Catherine Sherwood (married in 1981).
Bonner lives in Los Angeles, California, in a home rebuilt at the same spot where the Northridge earthquake had previously flattened his original home in 1994.
Frank Bonner- Professional Career
- Bonner has worked consistently as an actor and director and has had a career spanning nearly 40 years, covering theater, films, and TV.
- He is a member of the ‘Screen Actors Guild,’ the ‘American Federation of Television and Radio Artists,’ the ‘Actors’ Equity Association,’ and the ‘Directors Guild of America.’
- Bonner’s earned his first big TV role when he was cast as sales manager ‘Herb Tarlek in the American sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati’ in 1978. Received well by both audiences and critics, the show continued till 1982. It was about a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio.
- Created by Hugh Wilson, the show and many of the characters and plots were based on his real-life experiences of working in ad sales at ‘WQXI,’ a top radio station in Atlanta.
- ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ was important for Bonner because of the recognition it brought him as an actor and also because this was where he launched himself as a director. He directed six episodes of the series, between 1980 and 1982. Since then, he has juggled his acting and directorial careers.
- In 1982, he directed an episode of the popular ‘NBC’ series ‘Family Ties,’ titled ‘No Nukes is Good Nukes.’
- The years 1985 and 1986 were busy for Bonner, with roles in the TV series ‘Scarecrow and Mrs. King’ (1985), ‘Night Court’ (1985–1986), and ‘Sidekicks’ (1986). The last series featured him in a recurring role. He also directed the series Head of the Class (1986 and 1990).
- In 1988, he directed an episode of the well-received ‘CBS’ series ‘Frank’s Place.’ Around the same time, he directed and acted in several episodes of the ‘ABC sitcom ‘Just the Ten of Us (1988–1990). It was a spin-off of the show ‘Growing Pains’ and featured him in the recurring role of ‘Father Hargis,’ the headmaster of a Catholic school.
- Bonner has directed an episode of the series ‘Who’s the Boss?’ (1989). He has directed the TV series ‘Evening Shade,’ between 1990 and 1993, also appearing in one of its episodes.
- The reprisal of his role ‘Herb’ in ‘The New WKRP in Cincinnati,’ between 1991 and 1993, did not go too well, as the show failed to connect with fans the way the original had. It was consequently canceled in 1993.
- From 1994 to 1997, he acted in and directed several episodes of the ‘NBC’ sitcom ‘Saved by the Bell: The New Class.’ Following this, Bonner directed all the episodes of ‘City Guys,’ a teen-friendly Saturday morning sitcom aired on ‘NBC,’ which ran from 1997 to 2001. He also appeared in one of its episodes.
- One of his more recent acting projects was the film ‘Under the Hollywood Sign’ (2014), which featured him as ‘Larry.’ He has also directed the TV series ‘Desire and Deceit’ (2010).
- Bonner has also done some voice-over work on radio and TV.
Major Works
- Bonner is best known for his portrayal of ‘Herb Tarlek’ in the 1978 ‘CBS’ TV hit ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ which ran till 1982. He was cast as ‘Herb’ when he was still mostly unknown. The series had him sharing screen space with stars Loni Anderson and Howard Hesseman. Soon, he became such a crowd favorite. His character, ‘Herb,’ began appearing in pop culture references.
- The show ran for four seasons, spanning 90 episodes. After going into syndication, it became even more successful. It became one of the most popular sitcoms in syndication in the next decade, beating programs that had enjoyed more success on primetime TV.
- ‘Herb’s character was an amalgamation of outrageous faults and flaws, which the writers of the show exploited to its full comedic potential. ‘Herb’ was not good at his job and had very little common, moral, and sartorial sense. ‘Herb’ was basically a sordid, unsavory, double-dealing ad salesman caricature.
- Bonner stated of his character, “Herb is the kind of guy who gets so drunk at a business dinner that he forgets to make the deal. He is tasteless. Look at the clothes he wears and the pink ring. He’s a redneck, a bigot, and a hypocrite.”
- The show’s writers apparently loved writing scripts for ‘Herb,’ who could be put through hellish trials and still emerge with his inflated sense of self-worth intact. A layer of humanity occasionally emerged in his relationship with his wife and with his “frenemy” Les Nessman, the station newsreader.
- Bonner reprised his role in the 1991 spin-off, ‘The New WKRP in Cincinnati,’ co-starring with Gordon Jump. However, the series did not recapture the popularity of the original and was canceled in 1993.
- Reruns of the original ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ have been aired on ‘Me TV,’ ‘WXIX-TV,’ ‘WKRC-TV,’ ‘Nickelodeon,’ ‘Antenna TV,’ and ‘WGN.’
- Bonner also contributed to the soundtrack of ‘WKRP in Cincinnati.’
Awards & Achievements
Bonner received the ‘Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award’ for his work in the play ‘The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.’ Written by Lorraine Hansberry, the play dealt with themes of race, suicide, homosexuality, and the manner in which individuals navigate through life.
Trivia
Bonner’s ex-wife Lillian Garrett-Groag has guest-starred in his hit TV series WKRP in Cincinnati’ (1978).
The character ‘Herb Tarlek’ became immensely popular and even began to make its presence felt in pop culture. A band from Michigan named itself after ‘Herb,’ and most notably, Canadian indie rock band ‘Rheostatics’ wrote a song about him titled ‘The Tarleks.’ Bonner enjoyed the song so much that he featured in their music video, playing ‘Herb.’
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