Friday, October 24, 2014

Meet John Pappas: The Renaissance Actor

By Dominique Martin


He is not a household name, but this actor has been in numerous television shows and movies over the span of his forty-five plus year career. Chances are you have witnessed John Pappas acting on at least one occasion. Regardless of the familiarity of his face, walking past him on the street would likely go unnoticed. Passers-by may look at him and think they know him. They just do not know how or where they have seen him before.

He hails for Northern California, spending his youth in Oakland and attending college at San Francisco State University. Since 1974 he has spent most of his time in the greater Hollywood area. Seems that he went where he could find work in his chosen fields. That was not going to happen in Oakland.

He is a multi talented individual. Not many people can act, write, direct and do stand up comedy. Name a detective show of the 1980s and he had a guest role. He also appeared in numerous sitcoms. He also made many appearances on the popular daytime talk shows of the 1970s as a standup comic.

Adept in almost every aspect of the performing arts, he has written and directed plays. On occasion he directed himself in plays he wrote. His work in the theater is distinguished. He had the good fortune and talent to originate roles in the Los Angeles theater and continue the same role to New York productions.

Part of his acting talent is the ability to change face, to somehow morph into the face of his character. This how he has been able to play bad guys, good guys and just ordinary guys and be equally believable playing all three types of characters.

One of his most memorable roles was a twenty-two year run as a regular character on perhaps the most popular soap opera of all time. He started out taking several guest roles in the soap opera. In his roles he really became the character, making each character a new and different individual.

During the years he was performing as a comic he had a partner. One part of their act was a hysterical send off on a hit rock song of the day. They called it, Short Little White Guy. Audiences loved it. His was light hearted humor absent obscenities. It shows that a person can be funny without being mean spirited.

Surprisingly, in addition to acting, writing, directing and comedy, Pappas is also a talented artist. He has had many showings in art galleries. Many of his paintings have been purchased privately and hang in private homes across the continent.

There are many character actors like him who are ubiquitous but somehow under appreciated. It really does not matter that he has not achieved the status of a major film or TV star. He has made a living at the craft he loves, and he has had only one wife. Today he makes his home in Long Beach, California, with his wife and their two dogs, beloved Golden Retrievers. He has followed his own creative path, with acting, writing, directing, comedy and art. These facts seem to indicate a balanced, generally happy life. Bravo, sir. See you at the movies or on TV.




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