Paul Kent

Infobox actor
name = Paul Kent

---

occupation = Character actor
yearsactive = 1950s—presentotheruses4|the American actor|the New Zealand swimming champion|Paul Kent (swimmer)

Paul Kent is an American character actor who has starred in film, television and theater for over five decades. Kent is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Lieutenant Commander "Stoney" Beach, a Starfleet officer on the USS Reliant, in "".

Biography

Early life

Kent studied acting at the Desilu Workshop in Hollywood, California, where he was taught by Lucille Ball. Kent was part of a select group of actors signed by Ball as the next generation of actors in television, which at that time was still a medium in its infancy. Later he appeared in "Marineland Mystery", an episode of the 1950s television series "Richard Diamond, Private Detective", where he played a police lieutenant.

Acting career

Throughout his career, Kent has played a variety of characters, often ones in the legal or medical profession. He starred in the 1976 television movie "Helter Skelter" as well as the 2004 remake, playing different characters in both versions. In his early career, Kent portrayed police officers, detectives and other law enforcement operatives. Sometimes he played different characters in multiple episodes of a series, including his appearances in "Lou Grant", "T. J. Hooker" and "Falcon Crest". In 1987 he portrayed Harry M. Daugherty in a made-for-TV biopic of J. Edgar Hoover, produced by Showtime.

Kent has most commonly played judges or doctors, such as the character of "Doctor Carver" in "". In 1999 Kent played "Doctor Noel Clinton" in "Port Charles", a spinoff of "General Hospital" (the character had previously been played on "General Hospital" by actors Dean Harens and Ron Husmann). Besides doctors, Kent has also portrayed medical patients, such as his guest appearances in "ER" and "Ghost Whisperer".

As of 2008, Kent's most recent acting appearance was the character of "Miles Mason" in the 2006 short film "Viagra Falls". Kent's portrayal of Mack Sennett in "Return to Babylon" was shot several years before that film's 2008 release date.

Acting instruction

In 1965, Kent and actress Carole Cook were invited to appear as guest contestants opposite Lucille Ball and Gary Morton on the CBS game show "Password". Ball announced the winnings from that competition would be used by the actors to start a theater on Theatre Row Hollywood. Kent consequently founded the Melrose Theater in 1977, located at 733 Seward Street in Hollywood. For over twenty years, Kent served as the theater's artistic director and taught as an acting instructor, with co-founder JoMarie Ward serving as administrator. In 2000 the theater was acquired by the National Comedy Theatre chain. It is currently the home of ComedySportz LA.

Paul Kent and Sandy Meisner

Kent and Meisner were close friends and colleagues during Meisner's life. When Meisner decided to leave Los Angeles to go back to New York, he left his teaching methods to be carried on in the West by Kent who consequently taught acting for many years through his theatre.

Partial filmography

Film

Television

External links

*imdb name|id=0448824|name=Paul Kent
* article at , a Wikia wiki