CIARAN MEETS THE STARS
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Ken Foree
Ken Foree's TV work often shows him in an altogether different light, as in the 39 episodes of the family comedy series Kenan & Kel (1996-1999). He has also had many other TV roles including Rollo in The Dukes of Hazzard (1981), Bubba in Hill Street Blues (1982), Danton in Knight Rider (1986), Leonard Mosher in L.A.Law (1988), Howard in Dallas (1990) and Vincent Parmelly in The X Files (1995).
After Dawn of the Dead, Ken Foree played Little John in another Romero film Knightriders (1981). He was in more horror films in the early 90s, with appearances in Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 (1990), Hangfire (1991), Joshua Tree (1993), Sleepstalker (1995) and The Dentist (1996).
A more recent film appearance was in Rob Zombie's sadistically violent The Devil's Rejects (2005) starring Sid Haig, in which Ken Foree plays the character Charlie Altmont, half-brother to the murderous Captain Spaulding. Foree also appears in Rob Zombie's remake of the 1978 horror film Halloween (2007). He has recently completed another horror thriller with Sid Haig, Brotherhood of Blood (2007) as well as a comedy Brutal Massacre (2007).
Ken Foree's website lists his interests away from acting as weightlifting, surfing, boxing, watching Hoosier basketball, travelling and history. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
He was also involved in theatre work at this time, when the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself in the shape of an audition for George Romero's second 'Dead' film Dawn of the Dead (1978). Foree auditioned and landed the leading role of Peter Washington, a member of the Police Authority's SWAT team. With the land overrun by zombies, Peter and a colleague, along with 2 TV station workers, escape by helicopter and take refuge in a shopping mall. All is well until the zombies begin to overrun that as well! Foree appears as the 'Televangelist' in the 2004 remake of the film.
Then, quite by chance, he met an actress friend who was on her way to a Broadway audition and she jokingly asked Ken to go there with her. The result was that he auditioned too - and got the leading role! He needed some formal training so he enrolled for a while at the Michael Schulman Performing Gallery in New York.
Foree's first film part came in 1976 in a sports comedy about baseball called The Bingo Long Travelling All-Stars & Motor Kings and was followed a year later with a starring role in an episode of Kojak with Telly Savalas.
Before that though, he opened a photography studio in Manhattan, New York, but three months later his plans were ruined when the studio was ransacked and he lost everything.
Ken Foree was born Kentotis Alvin Foree, in Indianapolis, in 1948. His family were noted for their academic and political achievements, so it might have come as a surprise to them to see Ken become an actor!
I met Ken Foree in 2005 at the NEC in Birmingham. He signed my Dawn of the Dead poster and a photograph of him from the film. He added the words, "Scary, isn't it?"
I bumped into him again at London's Earls Court in September 2007 and had a chat to him. He is one of the friendliest people you could wish to meet.
Early publicity shot
The Televangelist
In Knight Rider
Ken Foree as Peter Washington in Dawn of the Dead
Ken Foree signing my poster
of Ken Foree
In Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3
Ken Foree as Carl in Brutal Massacre
As Roger Rockmore in Kenan & Kel
As Charlie Altmont in The Devil's Rejects
As Vincent Parmelly in The X Files
As Stanis in Brotherhood of Blood
"Scary, isn't it?" Ken Foree signed this photo for me