John Karlen - Life and Career

Life and Career

Karlen was born May 28, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Helen-Agnes (née Balondowicz) and Adam Marion Karlewicz. He is of Polish descent. He enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts on a scholarship. His first acting experiences were on early television productions such as From These Roots and Kraft Television Theatre . Karlen's performances on the dramatic stage began in 1959 with Sweet Bird of Youth.

He accumulated roles on both stage and television before winning one of his signature roles in 1967 in the daytime serial Dark Shadows. It was Karlen's pivotal character of Willie Loomis who released vampire Barnabas Collins from his coffin, setting off the events of the series. Karlen would stay with the television series for 182 episodes, playing various characters through 1971. He reunited with his Dark Shadows co-stars for the 1970 House of Dark Shadows as Willie Loomis, and in 1971 with Night of Dark Shadows as Alex Jenkins.

Karlen moved to a series of guest appearances on television productions, establishing himself in 1982 as Harvey Lacey, husband of Tyne Daly's character Mary Beth Lacey on Cagney & Lacey . He appeared in 110 episodes over six years. Karlen won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Harvey Lacey. His career also included numerous movie roles, during which he reprised his Harvey Lacey character in four Cagney and Lacey television movies: Cagney & Lacey: The Return in 1994, Cagney & Lacey: Together Again and Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling in 1995, and Cagney & Lacey: True Convictions in 1996.

In 1963, Karlen married acting teacher Betty Karlen but divorced in 1998. They have one child, Adam (b. 1966).