Lewis Arquette

American actor (1935–2001)

Brenda Olivia "Mardi" Nowak

(m. 1963; died 1997)

Children5, including Rosanna, Patricia, Alexis, and David ArquetteParent

Cliff Arquette (father)

Lewis Michael Arquette (December 14, 1935 – February 10, 2001) was an American actor. He was best known for playing J. D. Pickett on the television series The Waltons, on which he worked from 1978 to 1981.

Life and career

Arquette was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Mildred Nesbitt Le May and actor Cliff Arquette.^[1] He was related to explorer Meriwether Lewis, for whom he was named.^[2] His family's surname was originally "Arcouet", coming from his partial French-Canadian ancestry.^[3] His children are actors Patricia, Alexis, Rosanna, David, and Richmond Arquette. He is the former father-in-law of actress Courteney Cox, film composer James Newton Howard, and actors Thomas Jane and Nicolas Cage. Arquette frequently appeared in movies with his sons.

While living in Chicago, Arquette managed The Second City theater for several years.^[4] In 1970, the family moved to a Subud^[5] commune (described by Patricia as a "hippie commune") in Front Royal, Virginia. His wife, Brenda Olivia "Mardi" (née Nowak), died in 1997 from breast cancer. She was Jewish and the daughter of a Holocaust refugee from Poland, while Lewis Arquette, raised a Catholic,^[6] was a convert to Islam.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

Arquette died in Los Angeles, California on February 10, 2001, at the age of 65, due to congestive heart failure.^[11]

Filmography

Actor

The Very Naked Canvas (1965)
Alice (1977, TV Series) .... Officer Hertzig
Man from Atlantis (1977, TV Series) .... Friar Laurence
Ruby and Oswald (1978, TV Movie) (a.k.a. Four Days in Dallas)
Loose Shoes (1978) (a.k.a. Coming Attractions, a.k.a. Quackers) .... Warden
Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978, TV Movie) .... Judge
Fantasy Island (1978–1981, TV Series) .... Slocumb / Fred Waters / Jeff Logan
The Waltons (1978–1981, TV Series) .... Jefferson Davis 'J.D.' Pickett
Barney Miller (1979, TV Series) .... Finney
The China Syndrome (1979) .... Hatcher
Mrs. Columbo (1979, TV Series) (a.k.a. Kate Columbo (USA), a.k.a. Kate Loves a Mystery, a.k.a. Kate the Detective – The Valley Strangler) .... Howard
Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980, TV Series) .... Lieber
The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980, TV Movie) (a.k.a. Jayne Mansfield: A Symbol of the 50s) .... Publicity Man
Pray TV (1980) (a.k.a. K-GOD) .... Fred Wilson
The Incredible Hulk (1981, TV Series) .... Les Creaseman
The Smurfs (1981–1987, TV Series) ... a.k.a. Smurfs' Adventures) .... (voice)
Simon & Simon (1982, TV Series) .... Matt
Off the Wall (1983) .... Prison Chaplain
Remington Steele (1983, TV Series) .... Stuart Thorpe
Riptide (1984, TV Series) .... Sidney Gorman
Matt Houston (1984, TV Series) .... City Councilman Roberts
St. Elsewhere (1984, TV Series) .... Judge Ellsworth
Challenge of the GoBots (1984, TV Series) .... (voice)
Sherlock Hound (1984–1985, TV Series) (a.k.a. Meitantei Holmes) .... Dr. Watson, Inspector Lestrade, Smiley, additional voices (English version, voice)
E/R (1984, TV Series) .... Arnie Popkin (as Louis Arquette)
Badge of the Assassin (1985, TV Movie) .... 1st Foreman
The Fall Guy (1985, TV Series) .... Ghost
Rocky Road (1985–1986, TV Series) .... Lucas Buchanan
Rock 'n' Wrestling (1985, TV Series) (a.k.a. Hulk Hogan's Rock 'N' Wrestling (USA: complete title)) .... Superfly Jimmy Snuka (voice)
Just Between Friends (1986) .... TV Station Guard
The Check Is in the Mail (1986) (a.k.a. The Cheque Is in the Post (UK)) .... Man at pool
Sledge Hammer! (1986, TV Series) (a.k.a. Sledge Hammer: The Early Years (USA: second season title)) .... Jacob
Nobody's Fool (1986, with daughter Rosanna) .... Mr. Fry
Tall Tales & Legends (1986, TV Series) (a.k.a. Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales and Legends (USA: complete title)) .... George / Jimbo Smith / Narrator
Perfect Strangers (1987, TV Series) .... Rowdy Hockey Fan #1 (as Louis Arquette)
Mama's Family (1986, TV Series) .... Grand Viper
Married... with Children (1987, TV Series) .... Ed
ALF (1987, TV Series) .... Ed Billings
Big Business (1988) .... Mr. Stokes
The Great Outdoors (1988) .... Herm
Akira (1988) .... Doctor Onishi / Council 2 / Senator / Clown / Crowd Skeptic / Resistance 1 (voice: Streamline Pictures dub)
A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988, TV Series) .... (voice)
Dance 'til Dawn (1988, TV Movie) .... Pawnbroker
My First Love (1988, TV Movie) .... Mark Grossman
A Very Brady Christmas (1988, TV Movie) .... Sam / Santa
Paradise (1988–1989, TV Series) (a.k.a. Guns of Paradise (new title)) .... Mr. Sinclair
Quantum Leap (1989, TV Series).... Father Muldooney
The Horror Show (1989) (a.k.a. Horror House, a.k.a. House 3 (Australia: video title), a.k.a. House III: The Horror Show (UK: video title)) .... Lt. Miller
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) (a.k.a. Kiki's Delivery Service (USA), a.k.a. The Witch's Express Mail (literal title)) .... (English version, voice)
Charles in Charge (1989, TV Series).... Clarence Lembeck
Chopper Chicks in Zombietown (1989) (a.k.a. Cycle Sluts (USA)) .... Sheriff Bugiere
Dad (1989) .... (voice)
Tango & Cash (1989) .... Wyler
Camp Candy (1989–1992, TV Series) .... Newt DeForest, Jr. (voice)
Tales from the Crypt (1990, TV Series) (a.k.a. HBO's Tales from the Crypt – Lower Berth) .... Ernest Feeley
Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990, TV Series short) (a.k.a. The New Adventures of Captain Planet (USA: fourth season title)) .... (voice)
Syngenor (1990) .... Ethan Valentine
Gravedale High (1990, TV Series) (a.k.a. Rick Moranis in Gravedale High (USA: complete title)) .... (voice)
Matlock (1990, TV Series) .... Commissioner
Book of Love (1990) .... Mr. Malloy
Get a Life (1991, TV Series) .... Justice of the Peace
Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever (1991) .... Mr. Cheese
Morton & Hayes (1991, TV Series) .... Mr. Caldicott
The Linguini Incident (1991) .... Texas Joe
Double Trouble (1992) .... Tarlow
Let's Kill All the Lawyers (1992) .... Antinus
L.A. Law (1992, TV Series) .... Inspector Dodek
Beverly Hills, 90210 (1992, TV Series) .... Priest
A Child Lost Forever: The Jerry Sherwood Story (1992, TV Movie) (a.k.a. A Child Lost Forever (USA: short title)) .... Walter Vinton
Tainted Blood (1993, TV Movie) .... Artie
Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (1993, TV Movie) .... Mr. Ingersol
Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills (1994, TV Movie) .... Lyle's Jury: Juror #3
Sleep with Me (1994) .... Minister
Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist (1994, Video Game) .... Whittlin' Willie / P. H. Balance (voice)
Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1994, TV Series) .... Uncle Lester
The Flintstones: Wacky Inventions (1994, Video short) .... Prof, Einstone (voice)
SeaQuest DSV (1995, TV Series) (a.k.a. SeaQuest 2032 (USA: new title)) .... Kearny
Stuart Saves His Family (1995) .... Cemetery official
Wild Side (1995) .... The Chief
Seinfeld (1995, Episode: "The Secret Code") .... Leapin' Larry
Babylon 5 (1996, TV Series) (a.k.a. B5 (USA: promotional abbreviation)) .... General Smits
Hypernauts (1996, TV Series) .... Horten (voice)
Waiting for Guffman (1996) .... Clifford Wooley
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996, TV Series) (a.k.a. Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures – The Ballad of Belle Bonnet) .... Civilian / Driver (voice)
Mojave Moon (1996) .... Charlie
Kid Cop (1996) .... Mayor Cosgrove
Fox Hunt (1996) .... The Wolf
Meet Wally Sparks (1997) .... Cardinal
Princess Mononoke (1997) .... (English version, voice)
Life During Wartime (1997) (a.k.a. The Alarmist (USA: new title)) .... Bruce Hudler
The Westing Game (1997, TV Movie) (a.k.a. Get a Clue (USA: video title)) .... Otis Amber
Kiss & Tell (1997) .... Inspector Dan Furbal
Sleepwalkers (1997, TV Series)
Born Bad (1997) .... Bank Manager
Scream 2 (1997) .... Chief Lewis Hartley
Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer (1997, TV Mini-Series)
A River Made to Drown In (1997) .... Vagabond
Adventures with Barbie: Ocean Discovery (1997, Video Game) .... (voice)
Spawn (1997–1999, TV Series) (a.k.a. Todd McFarlane's Spawn) .... (voice)
Twilight (1998) .... Water Pistol Man
Almost Heroes (1998) .... Merchant
Ready to Rumble (2000) .... Fred King
Best in Show (2000) .... Fern City Show Spectator
Little Nicky (2000) .... Cardinal
Escape from Monkey Island (2000, Video Game) .... Freddie (voice)
FreakyLinks (2001, TV Series) .... Bob Frewer
Out Cold (2001) .... Herbert 'Papa' Muntz
As Told by Ginger (2000–2001, TV Series) .... Mr Cilia (voice)

Theme Park Attractions

The Great Texas Longhorn Revue (1982-1988, Six Flags AstroWorld, Animatronic Show) .... Slick Silver
The St. Louis River Revue (1987, SS Admiral, Animatronic Show) .... Louie Wails

Writer

The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Show (1976) TV Series (writer)

Producer

The Lorenzo and Henrietta Music Show (1976) TV Series (executive producer)

Himself

This Is Your Life – Cliff Arquette (1960) TV Episode .... Himself
The Jonathan Winters Show – Episode dated April 3, 1969 (1969) TV Episode .... Himself

References

^ "Lewis Arquette Film Reference biography". Filmreference.com. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
^ "Lewis Arquette Obituary in Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. February 13, 2001. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
^ Finding Your Roots, February 9, 2016, PBS
^ "Item T0991:0001 – 0002 – Lewis Arquette interview". bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
^ Smith, Dinitia (August 20, 1995). "None of That Sultry Innocence For a Change". The New York Times.
^ "'Medium' Cool | the Jewish Exponent". www.jewishexponent.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
^ Pfefferman, Naomi (October 17, 2002). "Arquette Reconnects". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
^ "Patricia Arquette – Cranky Critic® StarTalk – Movie Star Interviews". January 7, 2001. Archived from the original on January 7, 2001.
^ USA WEEKEND Magazine Archived June 29, 2012, at archive.today
^ Hoggard, Liz (August 18, 2006). "Patricia Arquette: The not-so-dippy hippie". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
^ The Associated Press (February 14, 2001). "Lewis Arquette, 65, Actor in Family of Performers". NY Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved January 12, 2020.