Changes: Gerry Parkes

Revision as of 01:03, 15 November 2015

Gerry Parkes (October 15, 1924 - October 19, 2014)^[1] was a character actor who originated the role of Doc for the North American version of Fraggle Rock. He reprised the role in the 1987 special A Muppet Family Christmas. Apart from his Fraggle stint (and concurrent outside appearances), he was usually credited by his full name, Gerard Parkes.

In an interview following the end of the Fraggle Rock series, Parkes remarked, "I miss my Sprocket." When the series ended, as with other cast members, he was presented a piece of the set mounted with a tiny plaque as a gift.^[2]

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Parkes moved to Canada in 1956. His acting career spanned film, radio, television, and the stage. Parkes worked often on CBC radio, beginning in 1959, and shifted into television and film. In 1968, Parkes won the first Canadian film award (then called the Etrog and now known as the Gemini) for his role in the movie Isabel (as Uncle Matthew; a naming coincidence in light of his later work).

On the small screen, he appeared on many Canadian TV staples, including the 1960s children's series The Forest Rangers (recurring as pilot Charlie Appleby), The Littlest Hobo and sitcom The King of Kensington. For US audiences, he had a key supporting role in the 1979 TV movie An American Christmas Carol (starring Henry Winkler and directed by future Fraggle Rock helmer Eric Till) and played the police captain in the 1981 pilot for detective show Cagney and Lacey. Parkes also received the Andrew Allan Award in 1983 for best radio actor.

When he was cast in Fraggle Rock, Parkes was just finishing a regular role as another type of "doc," playing Dr. Edmund Lowe on the Canadian TV series Home Fires. After Fraggle Rock, in addition to returning as Doc in A Muppet Family Christmas, Parkes continued to work in children's television, guest starring on the TVOntario puppet series Today's Special (1986) as a visiting photographer named Phil (who at first appears friendly but is revealed to be an alcoholic. He later recurred on PBS's Shining Time Station as store owner Barton Winslow.

Other post-Fraggle credits, often playing grandfather figures or clergymen, included the films Short Circuit 2, Mother Night, the Olsen twins vehicle It Takes Two, and Trapped in Paradise (all as priests).

In 1999, Parkes appeared with Willem Dafoe and Billy Connolly in The Boondock Saints, coincidentally as a character also named "Doc," although markedly different in personality (in this case, an Irish bartender suffering from Tourette's syndrome). He reprised the role in the 2009 sequel The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day for his final on-screen appearance.

Other roles

Sources

↑ CBC. "Gerard Parkes, Fraggle Rock actor, dead at 90." October 20, 2014 ... "four days after his 90th birthday"
↑ Greer, Sandy. "Small Screen." The Toronto Star, August 2, 1986

External links

IMDb

[1] CBC. "Gerard Parkes, Fraggle Rock actor, dead at 90." October 20, 2014 ... "four days after his 90th birthday"

[2] Greer, Sandy. "Small Screen." The Toronto Star, August 2, 1986

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@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 Gerryparkes-thefirsttime.jpg|{{GNH|''The First Time''|Charles<br>1969 film}}
 Gerardparkes-apprentice.jpg|{{GNH|''The Apprentice''|The Professor<br>1971 film}}
+Gerardparkes-whohasseen.jpg|{{GNH|''Who Has Seen the Wind''|Uncle Sean<br>1977 film}}
 Gerardparkes-americancarol.jpg|{{GNH|''[[A Christmas Carol|An American Christmas Carol]]''|Jessup<br>1979 TV movie}}
 Gerardparkes-littlesthobo.jpg|{{GNH|''The Littlest Hobo''|Dr. Cobourne<br>"The Day of the Fugitive" (1981)}}
 Gerardparkes-cagney.jpg|{{GNH|''Cagney & Lacey''|Captain Wells<br>TV movie/pilot (1981)}}
 Gerardparkes-draw.jpg|{{GNH|''Draw!''|Judge Fawcett<br>1984 film}}
+Gerardparkes-suicidemurders.jpg|{{GNH|''The Suicide Murders''|<br>Frank Bushmill<br>1985 TV movie}}
 Gerardparkes-fightforlife.jpg|{{GNH|''Fight for Life''|Father Robert Hunt<br>1987 TV movie}}
 Gerryparkes-shortcircuit2.jpg|{{GNH|''[[Johnny 5|Short Circuit 2]]''|Priest<br>1988 film}}
@@ Line 37: / Line 39: @@
 Gerardparkes-commonground.jpg|{{GNH|''Common Ground''|Father Foley<br>1990 TV movie}}
 Gerardparkes-trappedinparadise.jpg|{{GNH|''Trapped in Paradise''|Father Gorenzal<br>1994 film}}
+Gerardparkes-handels.jpg|{{GNH|''The Composers' Specials''|Jonathan Swift<br>"Handel's Last Chance"<br>1996 TV special}}
+Gerardparkes-nothingsacred.jpg|{{GNH|''Nothing Sacred''|Monsignor<br>"Proofs for the Existence of God" (pilot)<br>(1997)}}
+Gerardparkes-rescuers.jpg|{{GNH|''Rescuers: Stories of Courage''<br>''Two Women''|Father Daniel<br>"Mamusha" story<br>1997 TV anthology miniseries}}
 Gerardparkes-thunderpoint.jpg|{{GNH|''Thunder Point''|Prime Minister of [[England]]<br>1998 TV movie}}
 Gerardparkes-stormofthecentury.jpg|{{GNH|''[[Stephen King|Storm of the Century]]''|Orville Boucher<br>1999 TV miniseries}}