Celebrity Nooz: Howard Hesseman

Howard Hesseman (Actor) - WKRP in Cincinnati

Updated: 1/31/22

Name: Howard Hesseman

Birth Name: Howard Lex Hesseman

Born: February 27, 1940 in Lebanon, Oregon, USA Died: January 29, 2022 (age 81) in Los Angeles, California, USA

Claim To Fame: Howard Hesseman was an American actor known for his television roles as malcontent disc jockey "Dr. Johnny Fever" on WKRP in Cincinnati and as history teacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class.

Family Life: Hesseman was married to Karen Saintsure from 1960 to 1961. He was married to Catherine Maison from 1965 to 1974. In 1989, Hesseman married Caroline Ducrocq and were together until his death.

Info: His parents divorced when he was five, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather, a police officer.

He graduated from Silverton High School in 1958.

Hesseman attended the University of Oregon, and was later a founding member of the San Francisco-based improvisational comedy troupe The Committee with fellow actor David Ogden Stiers.

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

Trivia: Early in his acting career, he used the alias Don Sturdy, the name he also used as a radio DJ on underground FM station KMPX in San Francisco in the late 1960s.

Under the alias of Don Sturdy, Hesseman made his first television appearances, including the episode Public Affairs: DR-07 of the show Dragnet in 1968.

Hesseman made several appearances as Mr. Plager, a member of the group therapy ensemble on The Bob Newhart Show, who was later revealed to be gay.

In 1969, he appeared with the improv comedy group The Committee in several sketches on The Dick Cavett Show, and appeared in one sketch with guest Janis Joplin.

During the appearance Howard called one of his cast members "fellow baby", and nearly a decade later on WKRP in Cincinnati (1978) he would make this phrase one of the most popular sayings of Dr. Johnny Fever.

Hesseman is best known for his role as anti-disco disc jockey John "Dr. Johnny Fever" Caravella on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati from 1978 to 1982.

He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1980 and 1981 for his portrayal of Fever.

He reprised the role of Caravella in nine episodes of The New WKRP in Cincinnati, and also directed several episodes of the 1991-93 series revival.

He also played Sam Royer, the man who married Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) on One Day at a Time from 1982 to 1984.

Hesseman played teacher Charlie Moore on the ABC series Head of the Class for four seasons from 1986 to 1990.

In 1994, Hesseman introduced lost footage of Joplin in a documentary on Woodstock.

He made three appearances on Saturday Night Live: one in which he paid tribute to the recently deceased John Belushi and the other in which NBC showed a picture of U.S. president Ronald Reagan, which Hesseman mooned off-camera; and encouraged the viewing audience to moon the picture and send pictures in to NBC.

In 1995, Hesseman played the role of the Marquis de Sade in Quills at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood, California, which included one scene in which he was fully naked.

Hesseman starred in The Sunshine Boys at the New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park, Kansas, from September to November 2010.

Where Are They Now: Hesseman died at age 81 from complications of colon surgery in Los Angeles on January 29, 2022. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, actress Caroline Ducrocq. He was an incredibly irreverant performer that entertained audiences for decades, and could certainly do it all - from DJ to history teacher, and much more! RIP Howard Hesseman. From one "fellow baby" to another.

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