John Friedrich

John Friedrich

Born: March 15, 1958
in Los Angeles, California, USA
John Friedrich (b. March 15, 1958, California) is an American film actor. A talented and enigmatic character actor of the 1970s and early 1980s, John Friedrich is probably best known for his portrayal of Joey Capra in The Wanderers (1979), Philip Kaufman's film adaption of Richard Price's novel. A familiar face on television throughout the '70s, Friedrich made guest starring appearances on the police drama series, Baretta, and The Streets of San Francisco. He also had a strong supporting role in the John Travolta telefilm, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble. In 1984 Friedrich played the lead role of Marshall Weatherly in The Paper Chase episode "Not Prince Hamlet". In 1978, he appeared in the much-criticized disco film, Thank God It's Friday. The year later he was cast as Joey in The Wanderers. In 1982, he worked alongside James Woods in the prison drama, Fast-Walking, in which he portrayed a gay convict called "Squeeze." Another of Friedrich's most recognizable roles was as Frank Cleary, the oldest of the Cleary brothers, in the 1983 mini-series, The Thorn Birds; based on the novel by Colleen McCullough. In both The Thorn Birds, and Friedrich's final film release, The Final Terror, he worked with the British actress Rachel Ward. After working in The Thorn Birds, Friedrich ended his film career. The Final Terror, which was filmed in 1980 under the title Three Blind Mice, was released (after Friedrich's retirement) due to the popularity of its female leads: Rachel Ward and Daryl Hannah. At the peak of his career with The Thorn Birds; Friedrich retired to New Mexico, married, started a family, and began a career as a financial consultant.[1] He also became something of a cult icon as his films developed a cult following. Rumors persisted about him, including one recurring myth that he was working as a live-in gardener for his Wanderers co-star, Ken Wahl,[2] who had gone on to success in the television series Wiseguy. There has also been confusion between the film actor, and an Australian criminal and former government official of the same name who committed suicide in 1991. At least one website, listing actors (Answers.com) has claimed that the actor and the criminal, John Friedrich, are one and the same.[3] In 2007, Friedrich resurfaced when he appeared on stage at the University of Hawai'i to discuss his films with UH professor, Marc Moody. During this stage appearance, Friedrich shared anecdotes of his decade-long career and commented that he would like to return to acting, to "complete that chapter" in his life.[4]

Movies for John Friedrich...

The Final Terror
Title: The Final Terror
Character: Zorich
Released: May 1, 1983
Type: Movie
A group of friends head out for what is expected to be a vacation of hiking, camping and a good time, but when a backwoods mama finds them on her turf, it becomes anything but a vacation.
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Title: The Thorn Birds
Character: Frank Cleary
Released: March 27, 1983
Type: TV
The story based on a novel by Colleen McCullough focuses on three generations of the Cleary family living on a sheep station in the Australian outback.
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Fast-Walking
Title: Fast-Walking
Character: Squeeze
Released: May 11, 1982
Type: Movie
A dirty corrections officer gets involved in a murder plot involving one of the inmates.
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Title: A Rumor of War
Character: Cpl. Pascarella
Released: September 24, 1980
Type: TV
Miniseries based on the 1977 autobiography by Philip Caputo about his service in the United States Marine Corps in the early years of American involvement in the Vietnam War.
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A Small Circle of Friends
Title: A Small Circle of Friends
Character: Alex Haddox
Released: March 12, 1980
Type: Movie
In the late 1960s, three Harvard students Jessica, Leo and Nick grow close as they undergo personal changes, but their friendship is jeopardized by romantic feelings both men develop for Jessica.
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The Wanderers
Title: The Wanderers
Character: Joey
Released: July 13, 1979
Type: Movie
The streets of the Bronx are owned by '60s youth gangs where the joy and pain of adolescence is lived. Philip Kaufman tells his take on the novel by Richard Price about the history of the Italian-American gang ‘The Wanderers.’
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Title: Studs Lonigan
Character: Martin Lonigan
Released: March 7, 1979
Type: TV
The story of the Irish-American Lonigan family between 1918 and 1930.
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Thank God It's Friday
Title: Thank God It's Friday
Character: Ken
Released: May 19, 1978
Type: Movie
It's Friday and everyone is going to the hot new disco. The Commodores are scheduled to play if Floyd shows up with the instruments and Nicole dreams of becoming a disco star. Other characters are there to win the dance contest, or to put a little excitement into a fifth anniversary.
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Almost Summer
Title: Almost Summer
Character: Darryl Fitzgerald
Released: April 21, 1978
Type: Movie
A high-school election gets nasty.
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Forever
Title: Forever
Character: Artie Lewin
Released: January 6, 1978
Type: Movie
Romantic drama about a teenage girl's first love and the perennial adolescent dilemma of whether to give herself to him in order to hang on to him. Based on the novel by Judy Blume.
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The Death of Richie
Title: The Death of Richie
Character: Kurt
Released: January 10, 1977
Type: Movie
A sensitive but confused teenager feels pressure from all directions and turns to drugs, which causes problems for him in school and at home.
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The Boy in the Plastic Bubble
Title: The Boy in the Plastic Bubble
Character: Roy Slater
Released: November 12, 1976
Type: Movie
Tod Lubitch is born with a deficient immune system. As such, he must spend the rest of his life in a completely sterile environment. His room is completely hermetically sealed against bacteria and virus, his food is specially prepared, and his only human contact comes in the form of gloved hands. The movie follows his life into a teenager.
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Bittersweet Love
Title: Bittersweet Love
Character: Josh Lewis
Released: October 1, 1976
Type: Movie
A pregnant woman and her husband discover they are half-brother and half-sister, thanks to his father and her mother.
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Title: Baretta
Released: January 17, 1975
Type: TV
Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma. While popular, Toma received intense criticism at the time for its realistic and frequent depiction of police and criminal violence. When Musante left the series after a single season, the concept was retooled as Baretta, with Robert Blake in the title role.
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Title: The Streets of San Francisco
Released: September 23, 1972
Type: TV
Two police officers, the older Lt. Stone and the young upstart Inspector Keller, investigate murders and other serious crimes in San Francisco. Stone would become a second father to Keller as he learned the rigors and procedures of detective work.