Michael Leonard Ontkean (born January 24, 1946) is a Canadian retired actor. Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Ontkean relocated to the United States to attend the University of New Hampshire on a hockey scholarship before pursuing a career in acting in the early 1970s. He initially came to prominence portraying Officer Willie Gillis on the crime drama series The Rookies from 1972 to 1974, followed by lead roles in the hockey sports comedy film Slap Shot (1977) and the romantic comedy Willie & Phil (1980). In 1982, he had a starring role opposite Harry Hamlin and Kate Jackson in the drama Making Love, in which he portrayed a married man who comes to terms with his homosexuality. Ontkean continued to appear in films, such as Clara's Heart (1988) and Postcards from the Edge (1990) before being cast as Sheriff Harry S. Truman on David Lynch's Twin Peaks (1990–1991), the role for which he is best known.
Michael Ontkean has 48 screen credits in a career dating back to 1967. Their work spans 2 cinematic universes — most prominently Joanne Kilbourn Mysteries Collection with 1 titles. Signature works include Twin Peaks, Willie & Phil, Summer of the Monkeys. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.
Universe traveler — spans 2 universes
Related entry on Wikidata (Q1343162), public domain (CC0).
