Where Are They Now

Updated: 2/2/12

Name: Howard Hesseman

Born: February 27, 1940, Lebanon, Oregon, U.S.

Claim To Fame: He is best known for playing disc jockey Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati.

Family Life: He was married to Catherine Maison from 1964 to 1974 (divorced). He has been married to Caroline Ducrocq since 1989.

Info: Hesseman has been in the acting business since the late 1960s. He started out in the improv group "the Committee" for ten years and then appeared on several television shows including The Andy Griffith Show, Dragnet 1967, Soap, and Sanford and Son. He appeared as Howard Johnson in the cult classic Billy Jack (1971) and frequently appeared on The Bob Newhart Show.

It was his role on the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati as DJ Dr. Johnny Fever for which he is still remembered. He appeared on the show until it was cancelled in 1978, and went on to star in cult classics like One Day at a Time, This Is Spinal Tap, Doctor Detroit, Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, Clue, and Flight of the Navigator.

His next big role was playing teacher Mr. Moore in the high school sitcom Head of the Class from 1986-1990. Since then, he has appeared in a bunch of television guest roles and films.

Trivia: Attended the University of Oregon.

His parents divorced when he was five, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, a policeman.

Was a founding member of the San Francisco-based improvisational comedy troupe The Committee with fellow actor David Ogden Stiers.

Used the alias Don Sturdy, the name he also used as a radio DJ.

Arrested for selling 1 ounce of marijuana in San Francisco in 1966.

Was a close friend and sometime lover of Janis Joplin in the late 1960s.

Where Is He Now: His recent films include The Rocker (2008), Dirty Politics (2009), Halloween II (2009), and All About Steve (2009). He has made recent television appearances on Lie to Me, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Drop Dead Diva. He is currently filming the TV movie Bigfoot.