Tom Bower

Born: 1938-01-03 in Denver, Colorado, USA

Died: 2024-05-30

Known For: Acting

Biography

Ralph Thomas Bower (January 3, 1938 – May 30, 2024) was an American actor who appeared in a wide variety of television and film roles from 1973 to 2023. On television, he played physician Curtis Willard (husband of Mary-Ellen) on The Waltons (1975 - 1978). Bower also appeared in numerous series in guest roles, including Hill Street Blues, The X-Files, The West Wing, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In film, he had prominent supporting roles in notable films such as River's Edge (1986), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Die Hard 2 (1990), Nixon (1995), Pollock (2000), The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Appaloosa (2008), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), The Killer Inside Me (2010), and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019). Bower was also an award-winning stage actor.

Filmography

2025

Hurricanna as Dentist

2024

Double Down South as Old Nick

2023

We Have a Ghost as Ernest Scheller

2016

Goliath as Jim
Ice as Jonah Kreshman

2015

Bosch as John Caffrey
Digging for Fire as Tom the Neighbor
The Ever After as Father O'Meara
Runoff as Scratch
Lamb as Foster

2014

13 Sins as Father

2013

Ray Donovan as Judge Roger Wettick
Out of the Furnace as Dan Dugan
Dark Around the Stars as Silky

2011

I Melt with You as Captain Bob
Session as Dr. Albert Solomon
Vegas Baby! ... (Production Design)

2010

Rizzoli & Isles as Redmond Jones
The Killer Inside Me as Sheriff Bob Maples
The Land of the Astronauts as Mr. Esteridge
After the Denim as James Packer

2009

Crazy Heart as Bill Wilson
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans as Pat McDonagh

2008

Appaloosa as Abner Raines
Gospel Hill as Jack Herrod
Familiar Strangers as Frank Worthington

2007

Private Practice as Dennis Hoffman
Undoing as Don
Pain Within as Joseph

2006

The Hills Have Eyes as Gas Station Attendant
The Amateurs as Floyd
Feel as Buck
Flannel Pajamas as Bill
Brothers of the Head as Eddie Pasqua

2005

Grey's Anatomy as Mr. Schultz
Criminal Minds as Damon Miller
The Office as Heinrich
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as Pop-Pop
North Country as Gray Suchett
Fathers and Sons as Vito (uncredited)

2004

Battlestar Galactica as Joe
In the Land of Milk and Money as Lenny Cochran

2003

NCIS as Miller Thompson
The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story as Sheriff Fender

2002

Monk as Bennie Wentworth
High Crimes as FBI Agent Mullins
The Badge as Bull Hardwick
The Laramie Project as Father Roger Schmit

2001

The Guardian as Ray 'Rufus' Schmiel
The Division as Bishop
Hearts in Atlantis as Len Files
Going Greek as Bill

2000

The Million Dollar Hotel as Hector
Pollock as Dan Miller

1999

The West Wing as General Barrie
Roswell as Everett Hubble
A Slipping Down Life as Mr. Decker
Malevolence as Jim Bradley

1998

The Negotiator as Omar (uncredited)
Poodle Springs as Arnie Burns
Monday After the Miracle as Uncle Ed

1997

The Practice as John Pierce
Follow Me Home as Larry
Buffalo Soldiers as Gen. Pike
The Killing Jar as Det. Jake Pestone

1996

Riders of the Purple Sage as Judkins (uncredited)
Shaughnessy: The Iron Marshal as Marshall

1995

Nixon as Frank Nixon
White Man's Burden as Stanley
Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog as John Gale
Georgia as Erwin Flood
The Avenging Angel as Bill Hickman

1994

Clear and Present Danger as Clark's Pilot (uncredited)
Against the Wall as Ed

1993

The X-Files as Sheriff Harden
NYPD Blue as Victor Ugo
Shimmer as Mr. Speck
The Ballad of Little Jo as Lyle Hogg (uncredited)
Relentless 3 as Captain Phelan
Teenage Bonnie and Klepto Clyde as Peter Baker

1992

Raising Cain as Sgt, Cully
Love Can Be Murder as Mike Riordan
Revenge on the Highway as Officer Russell Yates

1991

Love, Lies and Murder as Leverette
Talent for the Game as Rev. Bodeen
Dillinger as Captain Matt Leach

1990

Law & Order as Whitten
Die Hard 2 as Marvin

1989

True Believer as Cecil Skell
Nightbreaker as Dan Cutter
Wired as Detective
Desperado: The Outlaw Wars as Billy Dobbs
The Road to Terror as Himself - Reporter

1988

China Beach as Archie Winslow
Distant Thunder as Louis
Lady in White as Sheriff Saunders
Split Decisions as Detective Walsh
Promised a Miracle as Michael Elliot
What Price Victory as Eldon Ray

1987

Beverly Hills Cop II as Russ Fielding
Family Sins as Sheriff

1986

River's Edge as Bennett

1985

Misfits of Science as Jeffries
The Lightship as "Coop" Cooper

1984

Murder, She Wrote as Jonathan Bailey
Miami Vice as C.I.A. Agent Carter
Crazy like a Fox as Trumble
Massive Retaliation as Kirk Fredericks
Wildrose as Rick

1983

Hardcastle and McCormick as Marty Torrance
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez as Boone Chate

1982

American Playhouse as Boone Choate
Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice as Tom
Tales of the Apple Dumpling Gang as Eli Nugent

1981

Hill Street Blues as De Petrus

1979

When Hell Was in Session as Lt. Jim Norton

1978

Dallas as Mancuso
The Dain Curse as Sgt. O'Gar
The Winds of Kitty Hawk as William Tate

1977

Lou Grant as Lind
Kingston: Confidential as Vincent Ross
The 3,000 Mile Chase as Richette

1976

Quincy, M.E. as Mr. Royce
The Commitment as Abe

1975

Baretta as Eddie Ryan
A Woman for All Men as Construction Worker

1974

The Rockford Files as Officer Hensley

1973

Kojak as Brenner
Barnaby Jones as Baxter
Incident at Vichy as Police Guard

1972

The Waltons as Dr. Curtis Willard

1954

The Wonderful World of Disney as Eli Nugent