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Jason Bernard (May 17, 1938 – October 16, 1996) was an American actor who starred in movies and on television.

Career

Bernard was born in Chicago, Illinois. His first starring role was in the television series The White Shadow as Jim Willis in the pilot episode, his other well known TV role was in the 1980s TV series Cagney & Lacey as Inspector Marquette from 1982-1983, Days of our Lives as Preston Wade in 1982. His big role came in the 1983 hit NBC miniseries V as Caleb Taylor, Jason reprised his role in the 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle. His other big TV role was in the 1990s FOX comedy series Herman's Head as Herman's boss, Mr. Paul Bracken. He was a very popular addition to the Wing Commander franchise in 1994's Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger as Captain William Eisen.

Bernard's first role in a feature film was a cameo in the Charles Bronson film Death Wish, and his first major role was in the 1974 movie Thomasine & Bushrod. He later appeared in Car Wash, WarGames and Blue Thunder.

Bernard made many guest appearances on a variety of television shows, ranging from Starsky & Hutch, Flamingo Road and The Jeffersons to The Flash, Wiseguy and Partners.

One of his most memorable appearances was as the blind musician Tyrone Wattell, close friend of Steve Martin's Roger Cobb, in the film All of Me. Bernard's final appearance was in the 1997 film Liar Liar as Judge Marshall Stevens. Ironically, both movies involved a theme of supernatural intervention leading to a less-than-honest lawyer telling the truth.

Sudden death

Shortly after principal filming of Liar Liar was completed, Bernard suffered a massive heart attack on October 16, 1996. He had been driving his automobile in Burbank, California when he was stricken, and was involved in a rear-end accident. Bernard was rushed to Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank and died within the hour at age 58. He was cremated.

Liar Liar was dedicated in memory of him.

Filmography

  1. Liar Liar (1997) .... Judge Marshall Stevens
  2. Suddenly (1996) (TV) .... Louie
  3. The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play (1996) (TV) .... Leon Martin
  4. "Partners" .... Leavitt (1 episode, 1996)
         - You Quit? (1996) TV episode .... Leavitt
  5. Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom (1996) (VG) .... Capt. William Eisen
  6. Sophie & the Moonhanger (1996) (TV) .... Holt
  7. "Murder, She Wrote" .... Wilson Sloane (1 episode, 1996)
         - Death Goes Double Platinum (1996) TV episode .... Wilson Sloane
  8. Down, Out & Dangerous (1995) (TV) .... Detective Danner
  9. While You Were Sleeping (1995) .... Jerry Wallace
 10. The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1995) (TV) .... Prof. Miles Quigley
 11. "Herman's Head" .... Mr. Bracken (71 episodes, 1991-1994)
         - First Impressions (1994) TV episode .... Mr. Bracken
         - A Head in the Polls (1994) TV episode .... Mr. Bracken
         - Absence Makes the Head Grow Fonder (1994) TV episode .... Mr. Bracken
         - Herm-in the Time of Cholera (1994) TV episode .... Mr. Bracken
         - Bedtime for Hermo (1994) TV episode .... Mr. Bracken
           (66 more)
 12. Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger (1994) (VG) .... Capt. William Eisen
 13. Cosmic Slop (1994) (TV) .... Bernard Shields (segment "Space Traders")
 14. "Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?" (1994) TV series .... Additional Voices (unknown episodes)
 15. "Dinosaurs" .... Edward R. Hero (1 episode, 1992)
         - And the Winner Is... (1992) TV episode (voice) .... Edward R. Hero
 16. Flash III: Deadly Nightshade (1992) (V) .... Desmond Powell / Nightshade
     ... aka The Flash 3: Deadly Nightshade (UK)
 17. "The Flash" .... Desmond Powell / ... (2 episodes, 1990-1991)
         - The Deadly Nightshade (1991) TV episode .... Desmond Powell / Nightshade
         - Ghost in the Machine (1990) TV episode .... Desmond Powell / Nightshade
 18. "Equal Justice" .... Judge Thaddeus Jones (1 episode, 1990)
         - Separate Lives (1990) TV episode .... Judge Thaddeus Jones

 19. "Wiseguy" .... Attorney General (2 episodes, 1989)
         - Day Nine (1989) TV episode .... Attorney General
         - Day Seven (1989) TV episode .... Attorney General
 20. "Hardball" (1 episode, 1989)
         - Till Death Do Us Part (1989) TV episode
 21. Paint It Black (1989) .... Lt. Wilder
 22. "American Playhouse" .... Martin Luther King, Jr. (1 episode, 1989)
         - The Meeting (1989) TV episode .... Martin Luther King, Jr.
 23. Heart and Soul (1989) (TV) .... Cecil Kincaid
 24. "Unsub" .... Bishop Grace (2 episodes, 1989)
         - And the Dead Shall Rise to Condem Thee: Part 2 (1989) TV episode .... Bishop Grace
         - And the Dead Shall Rise to Condem Thee: Part 1 (1989) TV episode .... Bishop Grace
 25. Original Sin (1989) (TV) .... Det. Mitchell
 26. "Empty Nest" .... Mr. Noack (1 episode, 1988)
         - Tinker to Evers to Tucson (1988) TV episode .... Mr. Noack
 27. "Designing Women" .... Wilson Brickette (1 episode, 1988)
         - The Candidate (1988) TV episode .... Wilson Brickette
 28. Police Story: Gladiator School (1988) (TV) .... Lt. Crawford
 29. Bird (1988) .... Benny Tate
 30. "Cagney & Lacey" .... Deputy Inspector Marquette (8 episodes, 1982-1988)
         - A Fair Shake: Part 1 (1988) TV episode .... Deputy Inspector Marquette
         - A Fair Shake: Part 2 (1988) TV episode .... Deputy Inspector Marquette
         - Loves Me Not (1987) TV episode .... Deputy Inspector Marquette
         - The Marathon (1986) TV episode .... Deputy Inspector Marquette
         - The Gang's All Here (1983) TV episode .... Deputy Inspector Marquette
           (3 more)
 31. "Beauty and the Beast" .... Jack Davis (1 episode, 1987)
         - An Impossible Silence (1987) TV episode .... Jack Davis
 32. "It's Garry Shandling's Show." .... Officer Sweeny (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
         - Nancy Gets Amnesia (1987) TV episode .... Officer Sweeny
         - The Day Garry Moved In (1986) TV episode .... Officer Sweeny
 33. Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam (1987) (TV) .... Sergeant Koslow
 34. "CBS Summer Playhouse" .... Vern Puckett (1 episode, 1987)
         - Kingpins (1987) TV episode .... Vern Puckett
 35. No Way Out (1987) .... Major Donovan
 36. "Amen" .... Dexter (1 episode, 1987)
         - Frye for the Defense (1987) TV episode .... Dexter
 37. "The Cosby Show" .... Sgt. Major Boswell Stokes (1 episode, 1986)
         - War Stories (1986) TV episode .... Sgt. Major Boswell Stokes
 38. "Starman" .... Chief Harold Galley (1 episode, 1986)
         - Peregrine (1986) TV episode .... Chief Harold Galley
 39. "Comedy Factory" .... Finney Morgan (1 episode, 1986)
         - The Faculty (1986) TV episode .... Finney Morgan
 40. The Children of Times Square (1986) (TV) .... Lt. Devins
     ... aka Street Wise (Australia: video title)
 41. "Shadow Chasers" .... Burke (1 episode, 1985)
         - The Many Lives of Jonathan (1985) TV episode .... Burke
 42. "Hardcastle and McCormick" .... Arnie Sandoval (1 episode, 1985)
         - Conventional Warfare (1985) TV episode .... Arnie Sandoval
 43. "The Facts of Life" .... Frank (1 episode, 1985)
         - Teacher, Teacher (1985) TV episode .... Frank
 44. "Hotel" .... Irwin Smith (1 episode, 1985)
     ... aka Arthur Hailey's Hotel
         - Obsessions (1985) TV episode .... Irwin Smith
 45. The Rape of Richard Beck (1985) (TV) .... Sgt. Wally Rydell
     ... aka Deadly Justice (USA: DVD title)
     ... aka The Broken Badge
     ... aka Violated (USA: video title)
 46. "Crazy Like a Fox" (1 episode, 1985)
         - The Geronimo Machine (1985) TV episode
 47. "Knots Landing" .... Dr. Garner (4 episodes, 1984)
         - Uncharted Territory (1984) TV episode .... Dr. Garner
         - Hanging Fire (1984) TV episode .... Dr. Garner
         - Calculated Risks (1984) TV episode .... Dr. Garner
         - Buying Time (1984) TV episode .... Dr. Garner
 48. "Riptide" .... Mr. Collins (1 episode, 1984)
         - It's a Vial Sort of Business (1984) TV episode .... Mr. Collins
 49. "Night Court" .... Judge Robert T. Willard (2 episodes, 1984)
         - Harry on Trial (1984) TV episode .... Judge Robert T. Willard
         - Once in Love with Harry (1984) TV episode .... Judge Robert T. Willard
 50. "The Dukes of Hazzard" .... The Chief Guard (1 episode, 1984)
         - The Dukes in Hollywood (1984) TV episode .... The Chief Guard
 51. City Killer (1984) (TV) .... Captain Frank Sydney
 52. "Airwolf" .... Aaron Martin (1 episode, 1984)
     ... aka Lobo del aire (USA: Spanish title)
         - Sins of the Past (1984) TV episode .... Aaron Martin
 53. "Hunter" .... Chief Kenny Lanark (1 episode, 1984)
         - The Hot Grounder (1984) TV episode .... Chief Kenny Lanark
 54. "Wolf Rock TV" (1984) TV series .... Mr. Morris (unknown episodes)
     ... aka Wolf Rock Power Hour (USA: syndication title)
 55. All of Me (1984) .... Tyrone Wattell
 56. "V: The Final Battle" .... Caleb Taylor (3 episodes, 1984)
         - Part Three (1984) TV episode .... Caleb Taylor
         - Part Two (1984) TV episode .... Caleb Taylor
         - Part One (1984) TV episode .... Caleb Taylor
 57. "This Is the Life" (1 episode, 1984)
         - Dark Journey (1984) TV episode
 58. "The Jeffersons" .... Lloyd Tyndall (3 episodes, 1983)
         - Mission: Incredible: Part 3 (1983) TV episode .... Lloyd Tyndall
         - Mission: Incredible: Part 2 (1983) TV episode .... Lloyd Tyndall
         - Mission: Incredible: Part 1 (1983) TV episode .... Lloyd Tyndall
 59. The Star Chamber (1983) .... Judge Bocho
 60. WarGames (1983) .... Captain Knewt
 61. V (1983) (TV) .... Caleb Taylor
     ... aka V: The Original Miniseries (USA: DVD box title)
 62. "High Performance" (1983) TV series .... Fletch (unknown episodes)
 63. Blue Thunder (1983) .... Mayor
     ... aka Blue Thunder the Movie (UK: video box title)
 64. "Days of Our Lives" (1965) TV series .... Preston Wade (unknown episodes, 1982)
     ... aka Cruise of Deception: Days of Our Lives (USA: summer title)
     ... aka DOOL (USA: informal short title)
     ... aka Days (USA: short title)
 65. I Was a Mail Order Bride (1982) (TV) .... Judge
 66. "Tucker's Witch" .... Mr. Stillwell (1 episode, 1982)
         - Terminal Case (1982) TV episode .... Mr. Stillwell
 67. "The Greatest American Hero" .... Morgan (1 episode, 1982)
         - Divorce, Venusian Style (1982) TV episode .... Morgan
 68. "Here's Boomer" .... Sergeant Lindsey Andrews (1 episode, 1982)
         - Flatfoots (1982) TV episode .... Sergeant Lindsey Andrews
 69. "Flamingo Road" .... Carl Turner (4 episodes, 1981-1982)
         - Chance of a Lifetime (1982) TV episode .... Carl Turner
         - The Substitute (1981) TV episode .... Carl Turner
         - Trapped (1981) TV episode .... Carl Turner
         - The Election (1981) TV episode .... Carl Turner
 70. "M*A*S*H" .... Capt. Quentin Rockingham (1 episode, 1982)
         - The Tooth Shall Set You Free (1982) TV episode .... Capt. Quentin Rockingham
 71. Pray TV (1982) (TV) .... Everett
     ... aka Mixed Blessings
 72. "Concrete Cowboys" .... Turman (1 episode, 1981)
         - On the Run (1981) TV episode .... Turman
 73. The Night the City Screamed (1980) (TV) .... Dale Wrightson

 74. Uncle Joe Shannon (1978) .... Goose
 75. A Woman Called Moses (1978) (TV) .... Daddy Ben Ross
 76. "The White Shadow" .... Jim Willis (1 episode, 1978)
         - Pilot (1978) TV episode .... Jim Willis
 77. Wilma (1977) (TV) .... Coach Temple
 78. "Delvecchio" .... Sgt. Ogden (1 episode, 1977)
         - Bad Shoot (1977) TV episode .... Sgt. Ogden
 79. Car Wash (1976) .... Parole Officer
 80. "Switch" .... Capt. Dellinger (1 episode, 1976)
         - Fleece of Snow (1976) TV episode .... Capt. Dellinger
 81. "Marcus Welby, M.D." .... Dr. Hal Mendoza (1 episode, 1976)
     ... aka Robert Young, Family Doctor
         - Vanity Case (1976) TV episode .... Dr. Hal Mendoza
 82. "The Blue Knight" .... Bosco / ... (2 episodes, 1976)
         - To Kill a Tank (1976) TV episode .... Detective Al Bosco
         - Snitch's Karma (1976) TV episode .... Bosco
 83. "Starsky and Hutch" .... R.C. Turner (1 episode, 1976)
         - Silence (1976) TV episode .... R.C. Turner
 84. Friday Foster (1975) .... Charles Foley
 85. Thomasine & Bushrod (1974) .... Seldon
 86. "Medical Center" .... Resident (1 episode, 1972)
         - Condemned (1972) TV episode .... Resident

 87. "Then Came Bronson" .... Reverend Taylor (1 episode, 1969)
         - A Long Trip to Yesterday (1969) TV episode .... Reverend Taylor
 88. "The Bold Ones: The New Doctors" .... Dr. Griffith (1 episode, 1969)
     ... aka The New Doctors
         - To Save a Life (1969) TV episode .... Dr. Griffith

  1. Liar Liar (1997) (in loving memory) 

External links

• Jason Bernard at the Internet Movie Database
• Jason Bernard at Allmovie
• Jason Bernard at Find a Grave