Alex Henteloff

There probably aren't many actors whose official bios offer this kind of juxtaposition: "His favorite roles include Malvolio in "Twelfth Night" and Arnold Ripner on "Barney Miller."" Indeed, veteran character actor Alex Henteloff has spent five decades playing a diversity of roles on stage and screen. As a 1963 graduate of Los Angeles City College's theater program and a founder of the Los Angeles Shakespeare Company and the Los Angeles Repertory Company, Henteloff's leading roles have mostly come in front of the footlights; before the cameras, he's led a life of supporting roles and guest appearances. One of the few times Henteloff played a main role on television or in the movies was in the innovative but short-lived 1970 TV series "The Young Rebels," which infused '60s idealism into an American Revolution drama about a group of young rebel spies. His character, Henry Abington, combined Hannibal Smith-like inspirational leadership with Macgyver-like inventiveness. Henteloff was also a regular on "The Betty White Show" (1977). His impressive and varied list of guest shots includes such iconic shows as "Love, American Style," "Kung Fu," "Charlie's Angels," "Hill Street Blues," and of course, that aforementioned turn as shyster lawyer Arnold Ripner on the '70s comedy classic "Barney Miller."