Dean Stockwell

2025-09-02T21:47:12Z

2600:1702:5A50:3910:D468:4622:9E12:D047: Added missing paren

{{Short description|American actor (1936–2021)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dean Stockwell
| image = Dean Stockwell (1965).jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Stockwell in 1965
| birth_name = Robert Dean Stockwell
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1936|3|5}}
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|11|7|1936|3|5}}
| death_place = [[Whangārei]], New Zealand
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1945–2015
| spouse = {{ubl|{{marriage|[[Millie Perkins]]|1960|1962|end=div}}|{{marriage|Joy Marchenko|1981|2004|end=div}}}}
| children = 2
| father = [[Harry Stockwell]]
| relatives = [[Guy Stockwell]] (brother)
| awards = [[List of awards and nominations received by Dean Stockwell|See list]]
}}
'''Robert Dean Stockwell''' (March 5, 1936 – November 7, 2021) was an American actor, whose career in film and television spanned seven decades.<ref name="tmzdeath">{{cite web|url=https://www.tmz.com/2021/11/08/dean-stockwell-dead-dies-quantum-leap-married-to-the-mob/|work=[[TMZ]]|title='QUANTUM LEAP' STAR DEAD AT 85|access-date=November 8, 2021}}</ref><ref name="Zambrana">{{cite book|last=Zambrana|first=M. L.|date=2002|title=Nature Boy|location=Lincoln, NE|publisher=Writers Club Press|page=[https://archive.org/details/natureboy00mlza_0/page/2 2]|isbn=0595218296|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/natureboy00mlza_0/page/2}}</ref> As a child actor under contract to [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], he appeared in ''[[Anchors Aweigh (film)|Anchors Aweigh]]'' (1945), ''[[Song of the Thin Man]]'' (1947), ''[[The Green Years (film)|The Green Years]]'' (1946), ''[[Gentleman's Agreement]]'' (1947), ''[[The Boy with Green Hair]]'' (1948), The Secret Garden (1949), and ''[[Kim (1950 film)|Kim]]'' (1950). As a young adult, he played a lead role in the 1957 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] play ''Compulsion'' and its [[Compulsion (1959 film)|1959 film version]]; and in 1962 he played Edmund Tyrone in the [[Long Day's Journey into Night (1962 film)|film version]] of ''[[Long Day's Journey into Night]]'', for which he won two [[Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor|Best Actor Awards]] at the [[Cannes Film Festival]]. He was nominated for a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama]] for his starring role in the [[Sons and Lovers (film)|1960 film version]] of [[D. H. Lawrence]]'s ''[[Sons and Lovers]]''.

He had lead roles in the films ''[[The Dunwich Horror (film)|The Dunwich Horror]]'' (1970) and ''[[The Werewolf of Washington]]'' (1973). He appeared in supporting roles in such films as ''[[Dune (1984 film)|Dune]]'' (1984); ''[[Paris, Texas (film)|Paris, Texas]]'' (1984); ''[[To Live and Die in L.A. (film)|To Live and Die in L.A.]]'' (1985); ''[[Blue Velvet (film)|Blue Velvet]]'' (1986); ''[[Beverly Hills Cop II]]'' (1987); and ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]'' (1988). He received further critical acclaim for his performance in ''[[Married to the Mob]]'' (1988), for which he was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]. He subsequently had roles in ''[[The Player (1992 film)|The Player]]'' (1992), ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]'' (1997), [[The Rainmaker (1997 film)|''The Rainmaker'']] (1997), ''[[Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker]]'' (2000) and ''[[The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)|The Manchurian Candidate]]'' (2004).

His television roles include [[Al Calavicci|Rear Admiral Albert "Al" Calavicci]] in ''[[Quantum Leap (1989 TV series)|Quantum Leap]]'' (1989–1993), Navy Secretary Edward Sheffield on ''[[JAG (TV series)|JAG]]'' (2002–2004), and [[John Cavil|Brother Cavil]] on ''[[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' (2004–2009). Following his roles on ''Quantum Leap'' and ''Battlestar Galactica'', he appeared at numerous [[science fiction conventions]]. He retired from acting in 2015 due to health issues and focused on [[sculpture]] and other visual art.<ref name="taos">{{cite web |last=Pesquera |first=Yvonna |date=June 2, 2014 |title=Dean Stockwell exhibits art at El Monte Sagrado Resort |url=https://www.taosnews.com/stories/dean-stockwell-exhibits-art-at-el-monte-sagrado-resort,37603 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120041428/https://www.taosnews.com/stories/dean-stockwell-exhibits-art-at-el-monte-sagrado-resort,37603 |archive-date=November 20, 2019 |work=Taos News |location=Taos, New Mexico}}</ref>

==Biography==
===1936–1950: Early life and career beginnings===
Stockwell was born into a family of entertainers in the [[North Hollywood]] section of Los Angeles,<ref name=chase>{{cite book|title=Chase's Calendar of Events 2017: The Ultimate Go-To Guide for Special Days, Weeks and Months|page=163|year=2016|publisher=Bernan Press|location=Lanham, Maryland|isbn=978-1-598-88859-1}}</ref> and grew up between there and New York City.<ref>{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Liz|title=Dean Stockwell: An Update|newspaper=Toledo Blade|location=Ohio|page=3|language=en|publisher=The Blade|date=July 1, 1985|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19850701&id=hQxPAAAAIBAJ&pg=6833,5511605}}</ref><ref name=ap>{{cite web|work=Alternative Projections|publisher=Los Angeles Film Forum|title=Dean Stockwell|url=https://www.alternativeprojections.com/people/dean-stockwell/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120040414/https://www.alternativeprojections.com/people/dean-stockwell/|archive-date=November 20, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> He was the younger son of Elizabeth "Betty" (Veronica) Stockwell, a vaudeville actress,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.series-80.net/us/actor/family/dean-stockwell.html|title=Dean Stockwell Family - Quantum Leap on Series-80.net|website=www.series-80.net}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news|title=Dean Stockwell obituary|newspaper=[[The Times]]|language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/dean-stockwell-obituary-75rbt6wbf|access-date=2021-11-11|issn=0140-0460}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A7HedX_-eN0C&q=%22Harry+and+Betty+Veronica+Stockwell%22 |title=Born This Day: A Daily Celebration of Famous Beginnings - Ed Morrow - Google Books |isbn=9780806516486 |accessdate=2022-03-18|last1=Morrow |first1=Ed |year=1995 |publisher=Carol Publishing }}</ref> and [[Harry Stockwell]], an actor and lyric baritone singer. His father appeared in New York productions of ''[[Carousel (musical)|Carousel]]'' and ''[[Oklahoma!]]'', and was the voice of the Prince in Disney's 1937 animated feature film ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]''.<ref name="seniorcitylocal.com">{{cite web|date=2016-03-05|title=Celebrating Seniors – Dean Stockwell is 81|url=https://seniorcitylocal.com/celebrating-seniors-dean-stockwell-is-81/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815154254/https://seniorcitylocal.com/celebrating-seniors-dean-stockwell-is-81/|archive-date=2016-08-15|access-date=|website=seniorcitylocal.com}}</ref> His elder brother was television and film actor [[Guy Stockwell]]. His stepmother, [[Nina Olivette]], was an actress, comedian, singer, and [[toe dancer]] in [[burlesque]] and theater in New York and throughout North America. His mother's family was Italian.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stockwellsassies.tripod.com/articles/Dean_Stockwell_a.html|title=Dean Stockwell|website=stockwellsassies.tripod.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/dean-stockwell-dead-quantum-leap-1235044577/|title = Dean Stockwell, Actor in 'Married to the Mob' and 'Quantum Leap,' Dies at 85|website = [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date = November 9, 2021}}</ref>

Stockwell's father was appearing on Broadway in ''Oklahoma!'' when he heard about a play, ''Innocent Voyage'' by Paul Osborne, that was looking for child actors. Stockwell's mother took their two sons down to audition, and both boys were successful. Stockwell's part was small and the play had only a short run, but it led to a contract with [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]].<ref name="psycho">{{cite web|last=Edwards|first=Craig|date=1995|title=Dean Stockwell Interview|url=http://stockwellsassies.tripod.com/articles/Dean_Stockwell_Interview.html|url-status=live|website=stockwellsassies.tripod.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080718201933/http://stockwellsassies.tripod.com/articles/Dean_Stockwell_Interview.html |archive-date=July 18, 2008 }}</ref>

The studio cast him in a small role in ''[[The Valley of Decision]]'' (1945), a popular melodrama. Producer [[Joe Pasternak]] gave him a bigger part in ''[[Anchors Aweigh (film)|Anchors Aweigh]]'' (1945) with [[Frank Sinatra]] and [[Gene Kelly]], where he played the nephew of [[Kathryn Grayson]].<ref>Dorothy McGuire Set for 'White Collar Girl': Dorothy Stone, Member of Theatrical Family, Cast in 'With All My-Heart'
Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times May 3, 1944: A10.</ref>

The film was popular, and MGM gave him a key role in ''[[The Green Years (film)|The Green Years]]'' (1946) as Robert Shannon, an [[Irish Catholic]] orphan who grows up in a [[Scottish Presbyterian]] household. It was a huge hit.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/variety165-1947-01|title=Variety (January 1947)|date=1947-01-08|publisher=Variety Publishing Company|others=Media History Digital Library Media History Digital Library|location=New York, NY|page=8}}</ref> He also made a brief appearance in the MGM school room during the chase sequence of ''[[Abbott and Costello in Hollywood]]'' (1945).<ref name="psycho"/>

[[20th Century Fox]] borrowed him for ''[[Home Sweet Homicide]]'' (1946) with [[Peggy Ann Garner]] where he was billed fourth. He co-starred with [[Wallace Beery]] in ''[[The Mighty McGurk]]'' (1947) at MGM, a remake of ''[[The Champ (1931 film)|The Champ]]'' (1931) which Beery had made previously with [[Jackie Cooper]].<ref>{{cite news|title=New 'Champ' Film Again Stars Beery: Metro's Revised Edition of Old Screenplay to Feature Dean Stockwell, Child Actor|work=[[The New York Times]]|location=New York City|page=31|date=March 20, 1946}}</ref> He also had the lead in the short ''A Really Important Person'' (1947).

He had supporting roles in ''[[The Arnelo Affair]]'' (1947), ''[[The Romance of Rosy Ridge]]'' (1947) (as [[Janet Leigh]]'s brother), and ''[[Song of the Thin Man]]'' (1947), billed fourth as the son of [[William Powell]] and [[Myrna Loy]]'s characters. He later said, "I have very positive feelings regarding both of them, they were very sweet people, especially Myrna Loy. And that cute little dog, Asta. I liked that little dog."<ref name="psycho"/>

Nevertheless, Stockwell found being a child actor difficult overall, stating, "I didn't enjoy acting particularly, when I was young. I thought it was a lot of work. There were a few films that I enjoyed, they were comedies, they were not important films, weren't very successful, so I was always pretty much known as a serious kid. I got those kind of roles and I didn't care for them very much."<ref name="psycho"/> He found that this work meant he didn't have any friends except his brother, and he was constantly working, with only one holiday in nine years. He said it was "a miserable way to bring up a child, though neither my parents nor I recognised it at the time".<ref name=":0" />

Fox borrowed him again to play [[Gregory Peck]]'s son in ''[[Gentleman's Agreement]]'' (1947), a film which Stockwell "didn't like doing at all, because it was so serious. In other words, when I would find out I was going to do another movie, my mother would always bring that news to me, and the first question that I would always ask was, 'Is there a crying scene in the movie?' And there almost always was."<ref name="psycho"/>

He played an orphaned runaway longing to go to sea in ''[[Deep Waters (1948 film)|Deep Waters]]'' (1948). He was then borrowed by [[RKO Pictures]] to play the title role in ''[[The Boy with Green Hair]]'' (1948) directed by [[Joseph Losey]], a notorious flop for the [[Dore Schary]] regime. Stockwell said that "during the production, I did feel that I was part of something that meant something to me, it was important."<ref name="psycho"/>

Back at Fox, he was cast as [[Lionel Barrymore]]'s grandson and [[Richard Widmark]]'s protégé in ''[[Down to the Sea in Ships (1949 film)|Down to the Sea in Ships]]'' (1949), before supporting [[Margaret O'Brien]] at MGM in ''[[The Secret Garden (1949 film)|The Secret Garden]]'' (1949), a box office disappointment.<ref name="Mannix">{{Citation |title=The Eddie Mannix Ledger |publisher=Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study |place=Los Angeles}}</ref> Stockwell later described the picture as "More crying scenes! And temper tantrums! But I enjoyed very much working with Margaret, she was a very talented little actress."<ref name="psycho"/>

In MGM's popular ''[[Stars in My Crown (film)|Stars in My Crown]]'' (1950), which he did not enjoy doing, he was billed third after [[Joel McCrea]] and [[Ellen Drew]].<ref name="films"/>

Stockwell was top billed in ''[[The Happy Years]]'', which lost a considerable amount of money for the studio, but then played the title role in ''[[Kim (1950 film)|Kim]]'' (1950) alongside [[Errol Flynn]] and [[Paul Lukas]], a big commercial success.<ref name="Mannix"/><ref>Deal for James Stewart as 'Harvey' Star on Foot; Shearer Return Pending
Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times (September 19, 1949: 31.</ref> During its filming, Flynn played a prank on him in a scene where he was supposed to hand him a bowl of food, instead handing him a bowl of camel dung.<ref name=":0" />

In 1951, Stockwell had a lead role with [[Joel McCrea]] in a Western at Universal, ''[[Cattle Drive]]''.

===1952–1968: Adult career and hiatus===
Stockwell graduated from [[Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles)|Alexander Hamilton High School]] in Los Angeles, and attended the [[University of California, Berkeley]], for a year before dropping out. "I was unhappy and could not get along with people," he later said.<ref name="films"/> At UC Berkeley, he immersed himself in music and wrote several small compositions.

He took a number of years off and resumed his acting career as an adult in 1956. He guest-starred on shows such as ''[[Front Row Center]]'', ''[[NBC Matinee Theater|Matinee Theatre]]'', ''[[Schlitz Playhouse of Stars|Schlitz Playhouse]]'', ''[[The United States Steel Hour]]'', ''[[Climax!]]'', ''Men of Annapolis'', ''[[Cimarron City (TV series)|Cimarron City]]'', ''[[General Electric Theater]]'', and ''[[Wagon Train]]'' (in 1957 as "Jimmy Drew", brother to [[Shelley Winters]] in "The Ruth Owens Story", S1E3, also in 1958, as Juan Ortega in “The Juan Ortega Story” S2E2 and again in 1959, as Rodney Lawrence in “The Rodney Lawrence Story”, S2E36). He had a supporting role in a Western, ''[[Gun for a Coward]]'' (1957), and the lead role in a low-budget teen melodrama, ''[[The Careless Years]]'' (1957), the feature directorial debut of [[Arthur Hiller]]. It was made for Bryna Productions, the company of [[Kirk Douglas]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Kirk Douglas to Star Ex-Boy Actor; 'Bombers' Features Marsha Hunt|author=Schallert, Edwin|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 27, 1956|page=C9|location=Los Angeles, California}}</ref> He signed a five-year deal with the company, but this was the only film he made for them.<ref>{{cite news|title=Susan Hayward to Star for Fox|work=[[The New York Times]]|location=New York City|date=December 26, 1954|page=34}}</ref>

In 1957, he starred as Judd Steiner in the Broadway adaptation of ''Compulsion'', based on the [[Leopold and Loeb]] story.<ref>{{cite web| title= Compulsion| url= http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=2651 | publisher= The Broadway League | work= [[Internet Broadway Database]] | access-date=2011-11-05}}</ref> He reprised the role in the [[Compulsion (1959 film)|1959 film version]], for which he and co-stars [[Orson Welles]] and [[Bradford Dillman]] shared the 1959 [[Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]] Film Award for Best Actor. Stockwell continued to work heavily in TV on such shows as ''[[Playhouse 90]]'', ''[[Johnny Staccato]]'', and ''[[Buick-Electra Playhouse]]''.

Stockwell married actress [[Millie Perkins]] on April 15, 1960. That year, he played coal miner Walter Morel's son Paul Morel in the British film ''[[Sons and Lovers (film)|Sons and Lovers]]'', with [[Trevor Howard]] and [[Wendy Hiller]]. He later called it "a very delightful film to do".<ref name="psycho"/> He continued to work mostly on television, including episodes of ''[[Checkmate (American TV series)|Checkmate]]'', ''[[The DuPont Show with June Allyson]]'', ''[[Outlaws (1960 TV series)|Outlaws]]'', ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'', ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]'' (''[[List of Hallmark Hall of Fame episodes#Season 10 (1960–61)|The Joke and the Valley]]''), ''[[Bus Stop (TV series)|Bus Stop]]'', ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' ("[[A Quality of Mercy]]"), ''[[Alcoa Premiere]]'', ''[[List of Alfred Hitchcock Presents episodes|The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]'', and ''[[The Dick Powell Show|The Dick Powell Theatre]]''. He appeared with Millie Perkins on ''[[Wagon Train]]'' as the lead character in the episode "The Will Santee Story".

In 1962, Stockwell and Perkins divorced. He appeared in an adaptation of [[Eugene O'Neill]]'s play ''[[Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962 film)|Long Day's Journey Into Night]]'' with [[Katharine Hepburn]], [[Ralph Richardson]] and [[Jason Robards]], under the direction of [[Sidney Lumet]]. He later called it "as intense and rewarding an experience as I've had."<ref name="films"/> He subsequently guest starred on ''[[Combat!]]'', ''[[The Greatest Show on Earth (TV series)|The Greatest Show on Earth]]'', ''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]'', ''[[The Eleventh Hour (1962 TV series)|The Eleventh Hour]]'', ''[[Kraft Suspense Theatre]]'', ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]'', had a six-episode arc on ''[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Dr. Kildare]], and'' had a supporting part in the feature ''[[Rapture (1965 film)|Rapture]]'' (1965).

In the mid-1960s, Stockwell dropped out of show business, becoming active in the [[Topanga, California|Topanga Canyon]] [[hippie]] subculture as a close friend of visual artists [[George Herms]] and [[Wallace Berman]], fellow child actor and "dropout" [[Russ Tamblyn]], and musician [[Neil Young]].<ref name="tcmbio">{{cite web| title= Biography | publisher= [[Turner Classic Movies]] | url= https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/185047%7C37263/dean-stockwell#biography | access-date=2011-11-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yrd20PZoLFYC&q=stockwell|title=Shakey: Neil Young's Biography|first=Jimmy|last=McDonough|date=2003|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=9781400075447|via=Google Books}}</ref> "I did some drugs and went to some [[love-in]]s," he later said. "The experience of those days provided me with a huge, panoramic view of my existence that I didn't have before. I have no regrets."<ref name="psycho"/> Stockwell once said “The flower children and the love-ins … were the childhood I didn’t have."<ref name="Guardian obit">{{cite news|last1=Gilbey |first1=Ryan|title=Dean Stockwell obituary|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/nov/09/dean-stockwell-obituary |access-date=2 February 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=9 November 2021}}</ref>

===1968–1983: Return to acting===
[[File:AIP Press Photo - Dunwich Horror.jpg|thumb|left|Stockwell with [[Sandra Dee]] in ''[[The Dunwich Horror (film)|The Dunwich Horror]]'' (1970)]]

Stockwell returned to acting with a supporting role in ''[[Psych-Out]]'' (1968) co-starring [[Susan Strasberg]] and [[Jack Nicholson]]. He guest starred on ''[[Thirty-Minute Theatre]]'' in Britain, ''[[The F.B.I. (TV series)|The FBI]]'', and ''[[Bonanza]]'', and played the lead in AIP's ''[[The Dunwich Horror (film)|The Dunwich Horror]]'' (1970) with [[Sandra Dee]].

He also had a key part in [[Dennis Hopper]]'s ''[[The Last Movie]]'' (1971). In 1985 Stockwell said this film "is a great picture. It was ahead of its time then  – and it still is ... it will gain respect over the years. Dennis Hopper is a marvelous director."<ref name="films"/>

[[File:Dean Stockwell - Paper Man.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.9|Stockwell in ''[[Paper Man (1971 film)|Paper Man]]'']]
Stockwell guest starred on ''[[Mannix]]'', ''The FBI'' (again), ''[[Night Gallery]]'', ''[[Orson Welles' Great Mysteries]]'', and ''Mission: Impossible'' and had the lead in some TV movies, ''[[Paper Man (1971 film)|Paper Man]]'' (1971) and ''[[The Failing of Raymond]]'' (1971) as well as a support part in ''Adventures of Nick Carter'' (1972).

Stockwell had the lead in a biker movie, ''[[The Loners (1972 film)|The Loners]]'' (1972), the last film of [[Sam Katzman]], which Stockwell called "a mess",<ref name="psycho"/> and horror comedy ''[[The Werewolf of Washington]]'' (1973), the script for which he said "had a brilliant edge to it. It was satirical, political, funny, witty and wonderful", but the director ruined it, according to Stockwell.<ref name="psycho"/>

During the mid-1970s, he designed the distinctive cover of Neil Young's album ''[[American Stars 'n Bars]]'' (1976).<ref name="tcmbio"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://first-draft.com/2014/10/08/album-cover-art-wednesday-american-stars-n-bars/|title=Album Cover Art Wednesday: American Stars 'n Bars|date=October 8, 2014|website=first-draft.com}}</ref>

He continued to guest for TV shows such as ''[[Dr. Simon Locke|Police Surgeon]]'', ''[[The Streets of San Francisco]]'', ''[[Columbo]]'', ''[[Joe Forrester]]'', ''[[Three for the Road (TV series)|Three for the Road]]'', ''[[Cannon (TV series)|Cannon]]'', ''[[Ellery Queen (TV series)|Ellery Queen]]'', ''[[Police Story (1973 TV series)|Police Story]]'', ''[[McCloud (TV series)|McCloud]]'', ''[[Quinn Martin's Tales of the Unexpected|Tales of the Unexpected]]'', ''Greatest Heroes of the Bible'', ''[[Hart to Hart]]'', ''[[The A-Team]]'', and ''[[Simon & Simon]]''.

He appeared in the occasional feature such as ''The Pacific Connection'' (1974), ''Win, Place or Steal'' (1974), ''[[Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood]]'' (1976), ''[[Tracks (1977 film)|Tracks]]'' (1976) with Dennis Hopper, ''[[One Away (film)|One Away]]'' (1976), ''[[A Killing Affair (1977 film)|A Killing Affair]]'' (1977), ''[[She Came to the Valley]]'' (1979), ''Born to Be Sold'' (1981), and ''[[Wrong Is Right]]'' (1982).

On December 15, 1981, Stockwell married his second wife, Joy Marchenko, a textiles expert who worked in Morocco.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20096519,00.html|date=June 25, 1987|last=Rozen|first=Leah|archive-url=https://archive.today/20151014170502/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20096519,00.html|archive-date=October 14, 2015|url-status=live|title=Dean Stockwell, the Comeback Champ, Puts His Unique Brand on the Movies for the Third Time|website=[[People (magazine)|People]]|access-date=August 1, 2016}}</ref> The following year, Stockwell and [[Neil Young]] together directed and appeared in ''[[Human Highway]]'' (1982). He starred in ''[[Alsino and the Condor]]'', a Nicaraguan film, and ''To Kill a Stranger'' (1983). By this time Stockwell had moved to [[Taos, New Mexico]], and was depressed about the state of his career, turning to real estate to pay the bills.<ref name="psycho"/> On November 5, 1983, his wife gave birth to their son, Austin.

===1984–1988: Mainstream comeback and critical success===
In 1984, he appeared in [[Wim Wenders]]'s critically acclaimed film ''[[Paris, Texas (film)|Paris, Texas]]'', and in the same year, in [[David Lynch]]'s film version of ''[[Dune (1984 film)|Dune]]'' as [[List of Dune secondary characters|Wellington Yueh]]. In between he appeared in ''[[Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense|Fox Mystery Theater]]''. Stockwell later said "After ''Paris, Texas'' and ''Dune'' I think I've got a pretty good start on what amounts to a third career."<ref name="films">{{cite web|url=http://stockwellsassies.tripod.com/articles/Dean_Stockwell_An_Intervie.html|website=Films in Review|title=Dean Stockwell: An Interview|first=Michael|last=Buckley|date=January 1985}}</ref> Also in 1984 Dean lost his dad Harry Stockwell due to diabetes. He and his dad were estranged from each other at the time.

Between 1985 and 1988, he was a busy character actor, appearing in 14 films and one telefilm.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 5, 1988|page=1|last=Cohn|first=Lawrence|title=Acting Jobs Steadiest Since Studio Era}}</ref> In 1985, he turned in a brief but significant role as attorney Bob Grimes in [[William Friedkin]]'s ''[[To Live and Die in L.A. (film)|To Live and Die in L.A.]]''. He was also in ''[[The Legend of Billie Jean]]'' (1985), an episode of ''[[Miami Vice]]'', and ''[[Papa Was a Preacher (film)|Papa Was a Preacher]]'' (1986). Stockwell's second child with wife Marchenko, Sophia, was born on August 5, 1985.

In 1986, Stockwell made an appearance in another Lynch production, the [[neo-noir]] thriller ''[[Blue Velvet (film)|Blue Velvet]].'' He was in episodes of ''Hunter'' and ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'', and the films ''[[Gardens of Stone]]'' (1987) (directed by [[Francis Ford Coppola]]), ''[[Beverly Hills Cop II]]'' (1987), ''[[The Gambler (film series)|Kenny Rogers as The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues]]'' (1987), ''[[The Time Guardian]]'' (1987), ''[[Banzai Runner]]'' (1987), and ''[[The Blue Iguana]]'' (1987).

In 1988, he was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for his performance as [[American Mafia|Mafia]] boss Tony "the Tiger" Russo in the comedy ''[[Married to the Mob]]''. Stockwell later called it "the favorite part I've ever had in a film. I just felt that that part was just perfect for me and I had a way to approach it that I thought was just right and it turned out that way."<ref name="psycho"/> [[Jonathan Demme]], who directed the film, said that what made Stockwell special was that he was a "chameleon" and had a "mercurial presence."<ref name="Guardian obit" />

He also had roles in ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]'' (1988) from Coppola, ''[[Palais Royale (film)|Smokescreen]]'' (1988), the Brazilian ''[[The Long Haul (1988 film)|The Long Haul]]'' (1989), the reboot of ''[[The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'', ''[[Buying Time]]'' (1989), and ''[[Limit Up]]'' (1989).<ref>Dean Stockwell, "Happy at Last in Hollywood: Dean Stockwell: At Last He's Happy in Hollywood, by Myra Forsberg". ''New York Times'' 11 September 1988: H27.</ref>

===1989–1999: Television roles===
{{Unreliable sources section|date=August 2025}}
In 1989, Stockwell appeared as second lead in the show ''[[Quantum Leap (1989 TV series)|Quantum Leap]]'', which ran for five seasons. During the series' run, Stockwell appeared in ''[[Catchfire]]'' (1990) directed by Hopper, ''[[Citizen Soldier (film)|Citizen Soldier]]'' (1990, originally shot in 1976), ''[[Sandino (film)|Sandino]]'' (1991), ''[[Son of the Morning Star (film)|Son of the Morning Star]]'' (1992), ''[[The Player (1992 film)|The Player]]'' (1992), ''[[Shame (1988 film)|Shame]]'' (1992), ''[[Captain Planet and the Planeteers]]'' voiced Duke Nukem (1990–92),{{cn|date=August 2025}} ''Friends and Enemies'' (1992), and ''Fatal Memories'' (1992).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dean Stockwell - Quantum Leap on Series-80.net |url=https://www.series-80.net/us/actor/dean-stockwell.html?utm_source |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=www.series-80.net}}</ref>

Following the end of ''Quantum Leap'', Stockwell appeared in ''[[Bonanza: The Return]]'' (1993), ''Caught in the Act'' (1993), ''In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance'' (1994), ''[[Chasers]]'' (1994), ''[[Vanishing Son]] II'' (1994), ''Justice in a Small Town'' (1994), ''[[The Innocent (1994 film)|The Innocent]]'' (1994), ''[[Madonna: Innocence Lost]]'' (1994), ''Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan'' (1995), and ''[[The Langoliers (miniseries)|The Langoliers]]'' (1995).

He tried another regular series, ''Street Gear'' (1995) but it only lasted 13 episodes. Stockwell was in episodes of ''[[Snowy River: The McGregor Saga]]'', ''[[Nowhere Man (American TV series)|Nowhere Man]]'', ''[[The Commish]]'', ''[[Can't Hurry Love]]'', and ''[[Ink (TV series)|Ink]]''.

He had roles in the comedy ''[[Mr. Wrong]]'' (1996), ''[[Naked Souls]]'' (1996), ''[[Twilight Man]]'' (1996), ''[[Unabomber: The True Story]]'' (1996), ''Last Resort'' (1996), ''Close to Danger'' (1997), ''[[Living in Peril]]'' (1997), ''[[McHale's Navy (1997 film)|McHale's Navy]]'' (1997), ''Midnight Blue'' (1997), ''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]'' (1997), ''[[The Shadow Men (1997 film)|The Shadow Men]]'' (1997), ''[[The Rainmaker (1997 film)|The Rainmaker]]'' (1997), and ''Sinbad: The Battle of the Dark Knights'' (1998).

Stockwell had a regular role on ''[[The Tony Danza Show (1997 TV series)|The Tony Danza Show]]'' (1998) which only ran 14 episodes.

He was in ''[[Restraining Order (film)|Restraining Order]]'' (1999), ''Water Damage'' (1999), ''[[The Venice Project]]'' (1999), ''[[Rites of Passage (1999 film)|Rites of Passage]]'' (1999), ''[[What Katy Did]]'' (1999), and ''Phenomenon: The Lost Archives'' (1999).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dean Stockwell {{!}} Actor, Director, Writer |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001777/ |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== 2000–2015: Later career ===
[[File:Dean Stockwell 01 (6940352648).jpg|thumb|right|Stockwell at Wizard World Toronto in 2012.]]
Stockwell's performances in the 2000s included ''[[They Nest]]'' (2000), ''[[In Pursuit]]'' (2000), ''[[Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker]]'' (2000), ''The Flunky'' (2000), ''Italian Ties'' (2001), ''[[CQ (film)|CQ]]'' (2001) directed by Coppola's son Roman, ''[[The Quickie (film)|The Quickie]]'' (2001), ''[[Buffalo Soldiers (2001 film)|Buffalo Soldiers]]'' (2001), ''Inferno'' (2002), ''[[The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)|The Manchurian Candidate]]'' (2004), ''The Deal'' (2007), and ''[[The Nanny Express]]'' (2008).

He guest starred on ''[[First Monday]]'', ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' (reunited with [[Scott Bakula]] from ''Quantum Leap''), ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'', ''[[JAG (TV series)|JAG]]'', and ''[[Crash (2008 TV series)|Crash]]'' with Hopper. He had a semi-regular part on ''[[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' from 2006 as [[John Cavil]].

He made a minor appearance in a new 2009 adaptation of ''[[The Dunwich Horror (upcoming film)|The Dunwich Horror]]'', followed by roles in the films ''[[C.O.G.]]'' (2013), ''[[Max Rose (film)|Max Rose]]'' (2013), ''[[Deep in the Darkness]]'' (2014), and ''[[Persecuted (film)|Persecuted]]'' (2014). As of 2015, Stockwell remained a resident of Taos.<ref name="taos" /> He reunited with Bakula in a 2014 episode of ''[[NCIS: New Orleans]]'', titled "Chasing Ghosts," and the following year appeared in the film ''[[Entertainment (2015 film)|Entertainment]]'' (2015).

Stockwell lived in [[Taos, New Mexico]] late in life, and exhibited some of his art there in 2009.<ref name="taos" />

It was reported in January 2017 by his ex-wife Joy that he had suffered and recovered from a stroke in 2015 and was retired from acting.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hamilton|first=Anita|date=2021-11-09|title=Dean Stockwell – A Quantum Leap From Kim|url=https://50plusworld.com/celebrating-seniors-dean-stockwell-is-81/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-09|website=50plusworld.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502141558/https://50plusworld.com/celebrating-seniors-dean-stockwell-is-81/ |archive-date=May 2, 2018 }}</ref>

==Political activism==
Stockwell was an "avowed environmentalist".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-15-tv-385-story.html|title=Leave It To Dean Stockwell To Play A Hologram|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 15, 1990 }}</ref> He campaigned for the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in the [[1992 United States presidential election|1992 U.S. presidential election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-10-26-me-888-story.html|title=CAMARILLO : Democrats Gain in Voter Registration|first=Ron|last=Soble|date=October 26, 1992|location=Los Angeles, California|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>

==Death==
Stockwell died of [[natural causes]] in [[Whangārei]] in New Zealand, where his daughter lived,<ref>{{cite tweet|user=VQ_VisionQuest|number=862785943551393793|title=Last time we spoke he said he was doing better and going to see his daughter in New Zealand.}}</ref> on November 7, 2021, at the age of 85.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-09 |title=Dean Stockwell, Actor in 'Married to the Mob' and 'Quantum Leap,' Dies at 85 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/dean-stockwell-dead-quantum-leap-1235044577/ |access-date=2022-05-01 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/arts/television/dean-stockwell-dead.html|title = Dean Stockwell, Child Actor Turned 'Quantum Leap' Star, Dies at 85|work = [[The New York Times]]|last = Victor|first = Daniel|date = November 9, 2021|accessdate = November 9, 2021}}</ref>

== Credits and accolades ==
*[[List of Dean Stockwell performances]]
*[[List of awards and nominations received by Dean Stockwell]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

=== Bibliography ===
* Best, Marc. ''Those Endearing Young Charms: Child Performers of the Screen'' (South Brunswick and New York: Barnes & Co., 1971), pp. 240–244.
* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, pp. 196–197.
* Dye, David. ''Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914–1985''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, pp. 220–223.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.scifi.com/quantum/castcrew/stockwellint.html |title=The Pro: A Conversation with Dean Stockwell |work=The Complete Quantum Leap: The Official Publication of the Show |publisher=[[MCA Publishing]] via [[Quantum Leap (1989 TV series)|Quantum Leap]] official site ([[Syfy|Sci Fi Channel]]) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060713143627/http://www.scifi.com/quantum/castcrew/stockwellint.html |archive-date=July 13, 2006}}
* {{IMDb name|0001777}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{TV Guide person}}
* {{Discogs artist|Dean Stockwell}}

{{Navboxes
|title = [[List of awards and nominations received by Dean Stockwell|Awards for Dean Stockwell]]
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{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{Prix d'interprétation masculine 1946–1959}}
{{GoldenGlobeSupportingActorTV 1970-1989}}
{{National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor}}
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[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]
[[Category:American male child actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (television) winners]]
[[Category:Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor winners]]
[[Category:Male actors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players]]
[[Category:People from North Hollywood, Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Entertainers from Topanga, California]]
[[Category:People from Taos, New Mexico]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]

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Dean Stockwell