J.A. Preston

J.A. Preston

Born: November 13, 1932
in Washington, District of Columbia, USA
James Allen Preston Sr. (born November 13, 1932) is an American actor. Preston is best known for his role as Ozzie Cleveland on the NBC primetime television series Hill Street Blues which originally aired from 1981 until 1987. Preston was born November 13 (1932) in Washington, D.C. In addition to his role on Hill Street Blues, Preston is also known for his roles as Leo Daltry in Dallas, Richard Matthews in Santa Barbara, court-martial judge Col. J. A. Randolph, USMC in the 1992 film A Few Good Men, and the minor but important role of a USAF Major General in Air Force One (1997). He was a series regular in the short-lived CBS sitcom All's Fair which ran just one season (1976-77). In it he played an assistant to conservative newspaper columnist Richard Barrington (played by Richard Crenna). Preston also appeared on the NBC television series The A-Team as a judge (Col. Thomas Milo) presiding over a military tribunal convened to try the A-Team. He also appeared in 3 episodes of Martin as Gina’s (Tisha Campbell-Martin) father Dr. Cliff Waters.

Movies for J.A. Preston...

Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door
Title: Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door
Released: January 1, 2011
Type: Movie
A documentary looking at the making and legacy of The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973).
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Title: House of Frankenstein
Released: November 2, 1997
Type: TV
Detective Coyle is trying to solve several bizarre murders and is having no luck finding a suspect. But when his girlfriend turns into a werewolf and gets kidnapped by a vampire, things start to fall into place...
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Contact
Title: Contact
Character: Senator (uncredited)
Released: July 11, 1997
Type: Movie
A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.
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Harvest of Fire
Title: Harvest of Fire
Character: Sheriff Garrison
Released: April 21, 1996
Type: Movie
In a small Amish community, three barns are burnt down almost simultaneously. FBI agent Sally Russwell is sent in to investigate this possible hate crime. What she finds however is a community that little trust for outsiders or "The English" as they call them. However, in her investigations, Agent Russell makes friends with one entrepreneurial widow, Annie Beiler who has her own curiosity about this stranger. Together, Annie introduces Russell in-depth to this close knit community bearing many appealing attributes. However, as Sally's investigations continue, she discovers secrets that reveal uncomfortable truths about the religious community that are linked to the arson attacks.
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Title: The Sentinel
Character: Mel Wilkenson
Released: March 20, 1996
Type: TV
The Sentinel is a Canadian-produced television series. In the jungles of peru, the fight for survival heightened his senses. Now, Detective Jim Ellison is a sentinel in the fight for justice. Anthropologist Blair Sandburg works side by side with Jim, helping him develop these senses.
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Title: Chicago Hope
Released: September 18, 1994
Type: TV
Chicago Hope is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It ran on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charity hospital in Chicago, Illinois. The show is set to return in the fall of 2013 on TVGN in reruns.
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Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle
Title: Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle
Character: Man
Released: May 10, 1994
Type: Movie
A former associate of Perry Mason returns to handle the defense of a world-class chess player accused of murdering a prominent TV personality.
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MacShayne: Winner Takes All
Title: MacShayne: Winner Takes All
Character: Pete Webb
Released: January 1, 1994
Type: Movie
MacShayne is a gambler and small time con-man. After serving a short stretch in jail, he goes to Las Vegas to see his son, but when he gets there, his ex-wife is no longer where she use to live and work and left no forwarding address. Leggett, a recently retired cop, approaches him and tells him that he will help him find his son, if he does something for him. It seems that he is planning to rob a hotel casino and he needs three guys to pull it off. Now two of the guys he recruited has agreed to it but the third is uncertain, so he sets up a poker game wherein MacShayne is suppose to clean him out thus giving Leggett some leverage on him. After doing that he discovers that Leggett is duplicitous and is going stab everybody in the back. So he decides to turn the tables on him.
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Title: seaQuest DSV
Character: Charles
Released: September 12, 1993
Type: TV
In the early 21st century, mankind has colonized the oceans. The United Earth Oceans Organization enlists Captain Nathan Bridger and the submarine seaQuest DSV to keep the peace and explore the last frontier on Earth.
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Title: Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Released: September 12, 1993
Type: TV
A much more lavish version of the popular Superman television series which had first aired forty years earlier, Lois & Clark focused more on the Man of Steel's early adult years in Metropolis. With the unknowing help of Lois Lane, Clark Kent created Superman there in Metropolis after finding work at the world-famous Daily Planet newspaper, where he meets fellow reporter Lois Lane.
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The Gifted
Title: The Gifted
Character: Jacob (Adult)
Released: January 21, 1993
Type: Movie
Psychic descendents of an African tribe reunite to save Earth. 5000 years ago certain members of the Dogon tribe in West Africa were granted psychic powers by good aliens to counterbalance the effects of Ogo, a bad alien intent on taking over Earth and killing all life to remake the planet for his own purposes. Descendents of the tribe who inherit the psychic powers are given an ancient book to read and pass on. Every 32 years, in connection with the orbiting of the star Sirius B, Ogo returns to kill a few more of the psychics in his ongoing bid for power.
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A Few Good Men
Title: A Few Good Men
Character: Judge Randolph
Released: December 11, 1992
Type: Movie
When cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep.
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Steel Justice
Title: Steel Justice
Character: Jeremiah J. Jones
Released: November 11, 1992
Type: Movie
David Nash has lost his son and his will to live. But the boy appears in his dreams, as well as his Robosaurus toy ! A mythical figure will help Nash to turn the Robosaurus into a real creature in order to avenge his son's death.
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Captain Ron
Title: Captain Ron
Character: Magistrate
Released: September 18, 1992
Type: Movie
When mild-mannered Martin Harvey finds out that he has inherited a vintage yacht, he decides to take his family on a Caribbean vacation to retrieve the vessel. Upon arriving on a small island and realizing that the ship is in rough shape, Martin and his family end up with more than they bargained for as the roguish Captain Ron signs on to sail the boat to Miami. It doesn't take long before Ron's anything-goes antics get the Harveys into plenty of trouble.
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Title: Martin
Released: August 27, 1992
Type: TV
Sassy sitcom centering on radio and television personality Martin Payne. Series focuses on his romantic relationship with girlfriend Gina, her best friend Pam and escapades with best friends Tommy and Cole.
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Aftermath: A Test of Love
Title: Aftermath: A Test of Love
Character: Det. Boland
Released: March 10, 1991
Type: Movie
Based on a true story, an adoring wife and mother is taken hostage during a robbery and brutally murdered.
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The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
Title: The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson
Character: Wendell Smith
Released: October 15, 1990
Type: Movie
A film about the early life of the baseball star in the army, particulary his court-martial for insubordination regarding segragation.
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Narrow Margin
Title: Narrow Margin
Character: Martin Larner
Released: September 21, 1990
Type: Movie
An L.A. District Attorney attempts to take an unwilling murder witness back to the United States to testify against a top-level mob boss. Frantically attempting to escape two deadly hitmen sent to silence her, they board a Vancouver-bound train only to discover that the killers are onboard with them. For the next 20 hours, as the train hurls through the beautiful but isolated Canadian wilderness, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues in which their ability to tell friend from foe is a matter of life and death.
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Title: Law & Order
Character: Congressman Ronald Eaton
Released: September 13, 1990
Type: TV
In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place.
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Fire Birds
Title: Fire Birds
Character: General Olcott
Released: May 25, 1990
Type: Movie
A joint task force operation between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Army has been formed to dismantle one of the largest drug cartels operating in South America. Multiple attempts to assault the cartel's mountainous compound have been thwarted by a Scorpion-attack helicopter piloted by a cartel leader, Eric Stoller (Bert Rhine). After having several aircraft shot down, most notably a pair of UH–60 Black Hawks and their AH–1 Cobra escorts, the army turns to the new AH–64 Apache attack helicopter, which can match its enemies' maneuverability and firepower.
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Title: Tales from the Crypt
Character: Harry
Released: June 10, 1989
Type: TV
Cadaverous scream legend the Crypt Keeper is your macabre host for these forays of fright and fun based on the classic E.C. Comics tales from back in the day. So shamble up to the bar and pick your poison. Will it be an insane Santa on a personal slay ride? Honeymooners out to fulfill the "til death do we part" vow ASAP?
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The George McKenna Story
Title: The George McKenna Story
Character: Mr. McKenna
Released: August 1, 1988
Type: Movie
Washington plays a school principal in a tough inner city Los Angeles high school out to rid it of drugs, gangs, low moral of teachers, and restore educational values.
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Desperate
Title: Desperate
Character: Wiggee
Released: September 19, 1987
Type: Movie
In this thinly-veiled, though uncredited, new version of Hemingway's "To Have and Have Not," here a prospective series pilot, an ex-sailor living in Key West, chartering out boats and struggling to forget his past, is lured into a dangerous rendezvous with Cuban gunrunners.
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Title: 21 Jump Street
Character: Principal George Messiah
Released: April 12, 1987
Type: TV
21 Jump Street revolves around a group of young cops who would use their youthful appearance to go undercover and solve crimes involving teenagers and young adults.
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Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
Title: Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
Character: Conn MacCleary
Released: October 11, 1985
Type: Movie
An officially "dead" cop is trained to become an extraordinary unique assassin in service of the U.S. President.
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Title: Amazing Stories
Character: Prof. Bertram Carver
Released: September 29, 1985
Type: TV
A truly amazing, fantastical, science fiction, funny and odd, and sometimes scary, sad and endearing anthology series presented by Steven Spielberg with guest appearances by many famous actors, actresses, and directors.
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Title: Moonlighting
Character: Dr. Nealy
Released: March 3, 1985
Type: TV
After being duped and going bankrupt, model Maddie is convinced by David to become a partner in a detective agency. Together they solve various cases, while getting comfortable with each other.
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Title: Punky Brewster
Released: September 16, 1984
Type: TV
An abandoned waif and her dog are taken in by a cranky apartment manager who becomes her guardian in this family-friendly sitcom.
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Title: The A-Team
Character: Judge
Released: January 23, 1983
Type: TV
A fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel work as soldiers of fortune while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit."
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The White Lions
Title: The White Lions
Character: Aniel
Released: December 31, 1981
Type: Movie
A college professor, his wife, and daughter go the the wilds of Africa to live, and study the rare white lions of the region.
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Title: Gimme a Break!
Released: October 29, 1981
Type: TV
Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom which aired on NBC for six seasons, October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters.
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Body Heat
Title: Body Heat
Character: Oscar Grace
Released: August 28, 1981
Type: Movie
In the midst of a searing Florida heat wave, a woman convinces her lover, a small-town lawyer, to murder her rich husband.
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High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane
Title: High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane
Character: Alonzo
Released: November 15, 1980
Type: Movie
Former Marshal Will Kane and his Amish bride, Amy, return to Hadleyville a year after he resigned and find the town in the grip of a bounty-hunting marshal and his two trigger-happy deputies.
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The Plutonium Incident
Title: The Plutonium Incident
Character: Dr. Samuels
Released: March 11, 1980
Type: Movie
A plutonium plant employee becomes the target of management, as well as union harassment, when she tries to blow the whistle on the company for negligent safety procedures, and she soon finds her life in peril.
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Title: Hart to Hart
Character: Mr. Pruitt
Released: September 22, 1979
Type: TV
Wealthy couple Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, a self-made millionaire and his journalist wife, moonlight as amateur detectives.
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Real Life
Title: Real Life
Character: Dr. Ted Cleary
Released: March 2, 1979
Type: Movie
A pushy, narcissistic filmmaker persuades a Phoenix family to let him and his crew film their everyday lives, in the manner of the ground-breaking PBS series "An American Family".
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Title: Dallas
Character: Leo Daltry
Released: April 2, 1978
Type: TV
The world's first mega-soap, and one of the most popular ever produced, Dallas had it all. Beautiful women, expensive cars, and men playing Monopoly with real buildings. Famous for one of the best cliffhangers in TV history, as the world asked "Who shot J.R.?" A slow-burner to begin with, Dallas hit its stride in the 2nd season, with long storylines and expert character development. Dallas ruled the airwaves in the 1980's.
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Title: Carter Country
Released: September 15, 1977
Type: TV
Carter Country is an American television sitcom that ran from 1977 to 1979 on ABC.
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Silver Streak
Title: Silver Streak
Character: Waiter (uncredited)
Released: December 3, 1976
Type: Movie
A somewhat daffy book editor on a rail trip from Los Angeles to Chicago thinks that he sees a murdered man thrown from the train. When he can find no one who will believe him, he starts doing some investigating of his own. But all that accomplishes is to get the killer after him.
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Two-Minute Warning
Title: Two-Minute Warning
Character: Policeman
Released: November 12, 1976
Type: Movie
A psychotic sniper plans a massive killing spree in a Los Angeles football stadium during a major championship game. The police, led by Captain Peter Holly and the SWAT commander, learn of the plot and rush to the scene.
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Title: Wonder Woman
Character: Jazreel
Released: November 7, 1975
Type: TV
With the strength of Hercules, the wisdom of Athena, the speed of Mercury and the beauty of Aphrodite, she’s Wonder Woman. Beautiful Amazon princess Wonder Woman travels to 1940s America disguised as Diana Prince, assistant to handsome but trouble-prone Major Steve Trevor. Using her golden belt, which imbues her with astonishing strength, her bullet-deflecting bracelets, a golden lasso that dispels dishonesty and an invisible supersonic plane, Wonder Woman combats evil.
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Title: The Jeffersons
Released: January 18, 1975
Type: TV
Sitcom following a successful African-American couple, George and Louise “Weezyö Jefferson as they “move on up” from working-class Queens to a ritzy Manhattan apartment. A spin-off of All in the Family.
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Title: Good Times
Released: February 8, 1974
Type: TV
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer. Good Times is a spin-off of Maude, which is itself a spin-off of All in the Family along with The Jeffersons. The series is set in Chicago. The first two seasons were taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood. In the fall of 1975, the show moved to Metromedia Square, where Norman Lear's own production company was housed.
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The Spook Who Sat by the Door
Title: The Spook Who Sat by the Door
Character: Dawson
Released: September 21, 1973
Type: Movie
A black man plays Uncle Tom in order to gain access to CIA training, then uses that knowledge to plot a new American Revolution.
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Title: All in the Family
Character: Elmo 'Black Elmo' Bridgewater
Released: January 12, 1971
Type: TV
Archie Bunker, a working class bigot, constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.
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Black Cop
Title: Black Cop
Character: Narrator
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
Black Cop is a film documentary that shows the lives of individuals who are caught inexorably in intense community pressures that arise because they are policemen, and become magnified because they are black.