Gregory Ralph Evigan (born October 14, 1953) is an American film, stage, and television actor. He began his career in theater, appearing in the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar, followed by a stage production of the musical Grease, in which he portrayed the lead, Danny Zuko. Evigan made his feature film debut in Scorchy (1976), then was cast as the lead in the comedy series B. J. and the Bear, in which he starred between 1979 and 1981.

Greg Evigan
Evigan in 2008
Born
Gregory Ralph Evigan

(1953-10-14) October 14, 1953 (age 71)
EducationSayreville War Memorial High School
Occupations
  • Actor
  • composer
  • producer
Years active1971–present
Known forB. J. and the Bear
My Two Dads
TekWar
Pacific Palisades
General Hospital
Spouse
Pamela C. Serpe
(m. 1979)
Children
Websiteevigan.com

Evigan continued to appear as a guest star on numerous television series throughout the 1980s before being cast as the lead Joey Harris in the comedy series My Two Dads (1987–1990). He later appeared on the science fiction series TekWar (1995–1996), and had guest-starring roles on Melrose Place (1996–1997) and 7th Heaven (1997). He subsequently had starring roles on the soap opera Pacific Palisades (also 1997), and portrayed a record executive in the Canadian series Big Sound from 2001 to 2002.

Evigan's other film credits include the Joey Travolta–directed drama films Mel (1998) and Arizona Summer (2004), the Western film 6 Guns (2010), and the Hallmark Channel film Once Upon a Holiday (2015). In 2018, he guest-starred in a multi-episode arc as Jim Harvey on the soap opera General Hospital.

Early years

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Evigan was born October 14, 1953, in South Amboy, New Jersey,[1] the son of Ralph Milan Evigan, an electrician,[2] and his wife, Barbara Elizabeth Evigan, a homemaker.[3] Beginning at age 8, Evigan was classically trained in piano, and went on to play the organ and saxophone.[2] As a teenager, he played in several rock bands.[2] Evigan grew up in Sayreville, New Jersey, and attended Sayreville War Memorial High School, graduating in 1971.[4] In 2007 he was inducted into the school's Alumni Hall of Fame for his contributions to the arts.[4]

Career

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Evigan began his career after graduating high school, appearing as a replacement in small ensemble roles in the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971,[5] as well as the touring production.[2] Between 1972 and 1973, he starred as Danny Zuko in the Broadway production of Grease, reprising the role for the show's residency in Chicago, alongside Marilu Henner.[2] Evigan moved to Los Angeles and was cast in his feature film debut in the exploitation film Scorchy (1976), starring Connie Stevens.[6]

 
Evigan at the time of B.J. and the Bear TV show, 1979

In 1978, he was cast as Billie Joe "B.J." McKay, a truck driver whose best friend was a chimpanzee named Bear, in the series B.J. and the Bear.[2] Following the series' conclusion in 1981, Evigan continued to work in television, with recurring guest roles on Masquerade (1984) and Murder, She Wrote (1986), then was cast in the comedy series My Two Dads (1987–1990), in which he portrayed a man who co-parents the daughter of his deceased girlfriend alongside her ex-boyfriend.[7]

In 1989, he starred in the sci-fi film DeepStar Six,[6] and later appeared opposite William Shatner in the sci-fi series TekWar, based on a series of books by Shatner. TekWar originated as a series of two-hour television movies in 1994, and then became a series of hour-long episodes that ran in 1995 and 1996.[8] Between 1996 and 1997, Evigan guest-starred as Dr. Dan Hathaway on the soap opera Melrose Place,[9] followed by a main role on Pacific Palisades, in which he portrayed one of several friends who relocate from the Midwest to California.[9] Evigan had a lead role in Joey Travolta's directorial debut, the drama Mel (1998).[10] In 2001, he starred in the psychological thriller film Spirit opposite Elisabeth Moss, playing the father of a teenage girl who believes their home is haunted.[11] He reunited with director Joey Travolta, appearing in his family drama Arizona Summer (2004),[10] followed by a supporting part in River's End (2005).[12] Evigan returned to theater in 2008, appearing as Gar in a stage adaptation of Mask at the Pasadena Playhouse.[13]

In 2015, Evigan had a supporting role in the Hallmark Channel film Once Upon a Holiday, co-starring his daughter Briana.[9] He had a guest-starring role on the network crime series Bones in 2017,[9] followed by a multi-episode character arc as Jim Harvey on General Hospital in 2018.[14]

Personal life

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On June 3, 1979, Evigan married dancer Pamela C. Serpe.[2] The couple has three children. Their daughters, Briana (born 1986) and Vanessa (born 1981) are actresses, while their son Jason (born 1983) is a musician and former frontman of a Los Angeles-based band After Midnight Project.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1976 Scorchy Alan [6]
1987 Stripped to Kill Detective Heineman [6]
1988 Private Road: No Trespassing Brad Carlton [10]
1987 Echoes in Crimson Grant Dunovan [10]
1989 DeepStar Six Kevin McBride [6]
1996 Spectre Will South Alternate titles: House of the Damned; Escape to Nowhere [15]
1998 Mel Peter [10]
1998 The Pawn Ray [10]
2000 Die! Die! Die! Matt Alternate title: Sweet Revenge [10]
2002 Pets Patrick O'Brian [10]
2004 Arizona Summer Rick [10]
2005 River's End Chuck Kramer [10]
2008 100 Million BC LCDR Ellis Dorn [10]
2008 Journey to the Center of the Earth Joseph Harnet [10]
2009 Megaconda Parker
2009 Split Second Christian
2010 6 Guns Sheriff Barr [10]
2011 Cinnamon Kevin Fallon Alternate title: My Dog's Christmas Miracle [10]
2015 Only God Can Pastor Rodney [10]
2015 16 and Missing Monte
2016 Terror Birds Harvey Sullivan
2019 A Thousand Miles Behind Gary
2020 The Christmas Listing Herb Erickson

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1976 Good Heavens Duane Episode: "Funny Fellow"
1976 The Six Million Dollar Man Joe Hamilton Episode: "The Bionic Boy"
1977 A Year at the Top Greg 6 episodes
1978 The Runaways Eddie Couch Episode: "The Lies We Live In"
1978–1981 B.J. and the Bear Billie Joe 'B.J.' McKay 47 episodes [9]
1978 Dallas Willie Guest Episode: "Runaway" [9]
1978 One Day at a Time Doug 2 episodes
1979 Barnaby Jones Blue Simpson Episode: "Target for a Wedding"
1983 Fame Will Gunther Episode: "Relationships" [9]
1983–1984 Masquerade Danny Doyle 13 episodes [9]
1984 The Yellow Rose Trey Champion Episode: "Debt of Honor"
1986 Northstar Jack North TV movie [10]
1986 Murder, She Wrote Brad Kaneally 2 episodes [9]
1986 Hotel Tony Patterson Episode: "Hornet's Nest"
1987 Matlock Eric Gordon / Josh Sinclair 2 episodes [9]
1987 Deadly Nightmares Johnnie Episode: "In the Name of Love"
1987–1990 My Two Dads Joey Harris 60 episodes [7]
1989 The Lady Forgets Tony Clay TV movie [10]
1989 Alfred Hitchcock Presents David Whitmore Episode: "In the Driver's Seat"
1991 P.S. I Luv U Cody Powell / Joey Paciorek 13 episodes [9]
1991 Lies Before Kisses Ross TV movie [10]
1992 Columbo: A Bird in the Hand Harold McCain TV movie
1992 Just Deserts Ted Thorn TV movie
1993 Jack's Place Mitch Adams Episode: "The Seventh Meal"
1994 One of Her Own Charlie Lloyd TV movie [10]
1994–1996 TekWar Jake Cardigan 18 episodes [8]
1995 Deadly Family Secrets Eddie TV movie [10]
1996–1997 Melrose Place Dr. Dan Hathaway 12 episodes [9]
1997 7th Heaven Ron Kramer Episode: "Faith, Hope and the Bottom Line" [9]
1997 Pacific Palisades Robert Russo 13 episodes [9]
1998 Nobody Lives Forever Detective Rick Barrish TV movie
1998 Earthquake in New York John Rykker TV movie [10]
1999 Survivor Adam King TV movie [10]
1999 Family Rules Nate Harrison 6 episodes
1999 Touched by an Angel Bo Beaumont Episode: "Then Sings My Soul"
1999 Veronica's Closet Justin 2 episodes
2000 Oh Baby Billy 2 episodes [9]
2000–2001 Big Sound Bill Sutton 22 episodes [9]
2001 Spirit Jesse TV movie [10]
2001 Reba Bill Haden Episode: "The Man and the Moon" [9]
2002 He Sees You When You're Sleeping Joe TV movie [10]
2003 Straight From the Heart Edward Morgan TV movie [9]
2003 JAG Master Chief Shattuck Episode: "Empty Quiver"
2004 Found Charles Drake TV movie [10]
2005 CSI: Miami Sean Walsh Episode: "Money Plane" [9]
2005 Cerberus Marcus Cutter TV movie [9]
2006 Our House Todd Preston TV movie [9]
2006 Hoboken Hollow Tom Stockwell TV movie [10]
2007 Desperate Housewives Charles McLain Episode: "Into the Woods" [9]
2008 Poison Ivy: The Secret Society Professor Andrew Graves TV movie [10]
2008 Mail Order Bride Tom Rourke TV movie [10]
2008 Phantom Racer JJ Sawyer TV movie [10]
2008 Cold Case Chuck Pierce Episode: "One Small Step" [9]
2009 Heat Wave Ed Dobbs TV movie [10]
2011 Metal Tornado Jonathan Kane TV movie [10]
2012 The Glades Bruce Phillips Episode: "Fountain of Youth" [9]
2012 The Finder Bronski Episode: "Bullets" [9]
2013 Invasion Roswell Patrick TV movie
2013 Shadow on the Mesa Peter Dowdy TV movie [10]
2015 Once Upon a Holiday George TV movie [9]
2015 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Bruce Waters Episode: "Merchants of Menace" [9]
2017 Bones Rick Tobine Episode: "The Final Chapter: The Grief and the Girl" [9]
2018 General Hospital Jim Harvey 26 episodes
2018 9-1-1 Roger 2 episodes

Stage credits

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1971 Jesus Christ Superstar Annas[2] Mark Hellinger Theatre [5]
1972–1973 Grease Danny Zuko Broadway; Chicago tour [2]
2008 Mask Gar Pasadena Playhouse [13]

References

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  1. ^ Monush, Barry; Willis, John (2005). Screen World: 2004 Film Annual. New York: Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 331. ISBN 978-1-557-83639-7.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gritten, David (March 10, 1980). "Greg Evigan and Pam Serpe Have a Hollywood Marriage Where Monkey Business Is Okay". People. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017.
  3. ^ Greg Evigan profile, filmreference.com; accessed August 15, 2017.
  4. ^ a b Acker, Michael (May 24, 2007). "Four alumni inducted into h.s. Hall of Fame Honorees' careers range from actor to funeral director". Suburban. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Greg Evigan Stage Credits". Broadway World. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Greg Evigan". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (2013). Television Introductions: Narrated TV Program Openings since 1949. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-810-89250-7.
  8. ^ a b Garcia, Frank; Phillips, Mark (2013). Science Fiction Television Series, 1990-2004: Histories, Casts and Credits for 58 Shows. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 326–327. ISBN 978-0-786-49183-4.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab "Greg Evigan Credits". TV Guide. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af "Greg Evigan Filmography". AllMovie. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  11. ^ Erickson, Hal. "Spirit". AllMovie. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  12. ^ "River's End". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  13. ^ a b Buckley, Michael (April 7, 2008). "STAGE TO SCREENS: Gallagher, Abraham, Phillips, Phelan, Evigan and Bucchino". Playbill. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019.
  14. ^ Drakeford, Cortney (March 21, 2018). "'General Hospital' Spoilers: Will Sam Realize Drew Remembers Life Before Jason's Memories?". International Business Times. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  15. ^ "Spectre Review". TV Guide. Archived from the original on June 9, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
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