Born in Hollywood, California, Dean Stockwell began acting as a child in the 1940s. He appeared in the 1945 musical “Anchors Aweigh,” with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly, and he played Nick Charles Jr., son of urbane husband-and-wife detectives Nick and Nora Charles (played by William Powell and Myrna Loy) in 1947’s “Song of the Thin Man.” Stockwell has distinguished himself as one of the few child actors to carve out a successful film and television career for himself as an adult.
Television audiences will remember Stockwell as the wisecracking, holographic Al on the sci-fi adventure series “Quantum Leap,” a role that brought him a multiple Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award. Stockwell received an Oscar nomination for his memorable portrayal of amorous mob boss Tony “The Tiger” Russo in “Married to the Mob.”
Stockwell had a recurring role as Secretary of the Navy Edward Sheffield in the military drama “JAG” and most recently, he appeared as Brother Cavil in numerous episodes of “Battlestar Galactica.” He played Howard Hughes in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” and also appeared in the David Lynch film “Blue Velvet” and Jonathan Demme’s 2004 remake of “The Manchurian Candidate.” Stockwell also creates photographic and collage art and has exhibited his work. He has a son, Austin, and a daughter, Sophia, from his marriage to Joy Marchenko.
