Walter Olkewicz
Born(1948-05-14)May 14, 1948
Bayonne, New Jersey, US
DiedApril 6, 2021(2021-04-06) (aged 72)
Reseda, Los Angeles, California, US
Other namesRay Holland
OccupationActor
Years active1976–2017
Children1

Walter Olkewicz (May 14, 1948 – April 6, 2021) was an American character actor. He played Marko in the short-lived TV series Wizards and Warriors and Coach Wordman in the feature film Making the Grade.

Biography

Olkewicz was born in Bayonne, New Jersey,[1] and attended a Catholic grammar school there and St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City before graduating from Bayonne High School in 1965.[2] He continued his education at Saint Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, Kansas and at Colorado State University.[1] During his high-school years, he was active in plays.[2] Before he began acting professionally, Olkewicz sold insurance, sold office supplies, and drove a taxi.[3]

Early in his career, Olkewicz acted with improv and other groups.[4] He co-founded the improvisational group Saturday Bath, which had a national tour that lasted more than a year.[2]Originally billed as Ray Holland, He appeared in the films Futureworld (1976), The Greatest (1977), Summer Camp (1979), Hot T-Shirts (1981), and The Client (1994).[1]

Olkewicz guest-starred in many TV shows, including Barney Miller (two episodes), Night Court, Seinfeld, ER, and Who's the Boss?. He was a semi-regular performer on Dolly Parton's 1987–88 variety show Dolly! and appeared in several episodes of Grace Under Fire. He played Jacques Renault on Twin Peaks (1990).

Olkewicz died at his Reseda, California, home[1] after a long illness on April 6, 2021, at age 72.[5][6] His son, Zac Olkewicz, is a screenwriter.[1] During the time of his illness, he crafted a series of YouTube videos reaching out to all of his friends from his years of work, hoping that someone he knew would help him. The video messages were posted as being meant for Whoopi Goldberg, Sam Elliott, Chuck Lorre, Tommy Lee Jones, and John Larroquette, among many others. He spoke of his illness and struggling to get back into work. The pain that he was in, his substantial number of knee surgeries (19 at that point as he states). As well as his resulting insurance-related financial losses. In his message to John Larroquette, he said he'd been out of work approximately 12 years because he was too sick to go on, with the exception of two episodes of Twin Peaks where he appeared in 2017. His final video was posted as "Message to Sam Elliott."

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1976 Futureworld Chief Technician
1977 The Greatest Reporter
1977 Can I Do It... 'Til I Need Glasses? Himself
1979 1941 Private Hinshaw
1981 Circle of Power Buddy Gordon
1982 Jimmy the Kid Kelp
1984 Making the Grade Coach Wordman
1984 Heartbreakers Marvin
1989 The Big Picture Babe Ruth
1992 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Jacques Renault
1994 The Client Jerome 'Romey' Clifford
1995 The Surgeon Dr. Meade
1995 Stuart Saves His Family Larry Skoog
1996 Big Packages Richie
1996 Raven Bernie DeFrewd
1997 In Dark Places Vendor
1998 How to Make the Cruelest Month Professor
1998 Milo Jack Wyatt
1998 Suicide, the Comedy
1999 You Know My Name Mr. Killian
1999 You're Killing Me... Embalmer
2000 Meeting Daddy 'Dink' Branson
2001 Last Days Warden Phillips
2002 Par 6 Walt Hegelman

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1978 The Rockford Files Mac Amodeus Episode: "The Jersey Bounce"
1979 Hart to Hart Longshoreman #2 Episode: "Hit Jennifer Hart"
1979–1980 The Last Resort Zach Comstock 15 episodes
1980 Enola Gay: The Men, the Mission, the Atomic Bomb Sergeant 'Shug' Crawford Television film
1980, 1983 Taxi Tom Caldwell 2 episodes
1981 Alice Sonny Santini Episode: "Vera Goes Out on a Limb"
1981–1982 Barney Miller William Krebs / Walter Cushing 2 episodes
1982 It's a Living Dan Episode: "Falling in Love Again"
1982 The Executioner's Song Pete Galovan Television film
1982 The Blue and the Gray Private Grundy Episode: "Part 2"
1983 Wizards and Warriors Marko 8 episodes
1983 Travis McGee Wright Fletcher Television film
1983 Cheers Wally Bodell Episode: "They Called Me Mayday"
1983 The Love Boat Leonard Gluck Episode: "Dee Dee's Dilemma/Julie's Blind Date/The Prize Winner"
1984–1987 Family Ties Various 3 episodes
1984 Calamity Jane Will Lull Television film
1984 The Duck Factory Bumps Carmichael Episode: "The Children's Half Hour"
1984 Partners in Crime Harmon Shain 12 episodes
1985 Newhart Mr. Thurman Episode: "My Fair Larry"
1985 Trapper John, M.D. Dr. Harry Denmore Episode: "Go for Broker"
1985 I Had Three Wives Johnny Shore Episode: "You and I Know"
1985 Hollywood Beat Harvey Minick Episode: "The Long Weekend"
1985–1986 Tall Tales & Legends Van Epps / Zeke 2 episodes
1985 The A-Team Joe Skrylow Episode: "There Goes the Neighbourhood"
1985 Riptide Robin Loxley / Robin Duncan Episode: "Robin and Marian"
1985 227 Eddie Episode: "The Big Piano Play-Off"
1986 Hardcastle and McCormick Conyo Episode: "In the Eye of the Beholder"
1986 Many Happy Returns Darryl Webb Television film
1986 Throb Perry Mason Episode: "Our Song"
1986 Designing Women Mason Dodd Episode: "A Big Affair"
1986 Falcon Crest Dancer 3 episodes
1986–1992 Night Court Various 5 episodes
1987 Shell Game Norman van Delken Episode: "Norman's Parking Ticket"
1987 Stillwatch Sid Sherman Television film
1987 Married... with Children Violinist Episode: "Sixteen Years and What Do You Get"
1987–1992 Who's the Boss? Tiny McGee 4 episodes
1987 Moonlighting Leon Summers Episode: "Tale in Two Cities"
1987 The Charmings Henry Giant Episode: "The Charmings and the Beanstalk"
1987–1989 Mr. Belvedere Alan 2 episodes
1987–1988 Dolly Bubba 10 episodes
1988 L.A. Law Mr. Hartvig Episode: "Full Marital Jacket"
1988 We Got It Made Orville Episode: "Mickey Times Two"
1988 Baja Oklahoma Private Eye Television film
1989 Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal Lenny Coles Television film
1989 Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure Police Officer Andy Glasscock Television film
1989 Wiseguy Jacobson Episode: "Sins of the Father"
1989 Open House Stan Episode: "In Vegas... with Showgirls!: Part 1"
1989 Murder, She Wrote Howard Episode: "When the Fat Lady Sings"
1990 Twin Peaks Jacques Renault 3 episodes
1990 Matlock Bartender Episode: "No Where To Turn"
1990 Bagdad Cafe Bobby Episode: "City On A Hill"
1990 The Flash Callahan Episode: "Shroud of Death"
1991 Life Goes On Nathan Episode: "Arthur"
1991 Brooklyn Bridge Happy Felton Episode: "Boys of Summer"
1992 Love & War Claude Renais Episode: "Monday, Monday"
1993 Batman: The Animated Series Carmine Falcone (voice) 2 episodes
1993 Route 66 George Wilton Episode: "Everybody's a Hero"
1993–1996 Grace Under Fire Dougie Boudreau 48 episodes
1995 The Good Old Boys 'Fat' Gervin Television film
1996 Seinfeld Nick Episode: "The Cadillac"
1997 Profiler Sanitorum Director Episode: "Shattered Silence"
1997 Pronto Jimmy 'The Cap' Capotorto Television film
1998 Michael Hayes Albert Parker Episode: "Mob Mentality"
1998 The Visitor Ozzie Faulkner Episode: "The Chain"
1998 The Wonderful World of Disney Mr. Bloom Episode: "Tourist Trap"
1998 Sliders The Boss Episode: "World Killer"
1998 Chicago Hope Harry Zakovitch Episode: "Austin, We Have a Problem"
1999 The Wayans Bros. Ernie Episode: "Saving Private Marlon"
1999 Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction Otto Schenkel 2 episodes
1999 Dharma & Greg Howie Episode: "Bed, Bath, And Beyond"
1999 G vs E Gus Wine Episode: "To Be or Not to be Evil"
2000 Arliss Episode: "The Sum of the Parts"
2001 ER Georgia's Man Episode: "Surrender"
2002 Everwood Mike O'Connell Episode: "Turf Wars"
2017 Twin Peaks Jean-Michel Renault 2 episodes

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Emergency Room 2

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Walter Olkewicz, 72". Classic Images (553): 46. September 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 McLaughlin, Bill (January 4, 1980). "Jersey native's star is rising". Asbury Park Press. p. 17. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Buck, Jerry (October 10, 1979). "Olkewicz plays a slob in 'Resort'". The Morning News. Wilmington, Delaware. Associated Press. p. 27. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Witbeck, Charles (April 24, 1983). "Walter Olkewicz pulls his weight as the chubby star in 'Wizards'". The Bradenton Herald. King Features. p. 127. Retrieved March 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ Haring, Bruce. "Walter Olkewicz Dies: Character Actor In 'Twin Peaks' And 'Grace Under Fire' Was 72". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  6. ↑ Barnes, Mike (2021-04-07). "Walter Olkewicz, Actor on 'Twin Peaks' and 'Grace Under Fire,' Dies at 72". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
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