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Severn Darden
0.4 Popularity
Biography
Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, 1929 – May 27, 1995) was an American comedian and actor, and a founding member of The Second City Chicago-based comedy troupe as well as its predecessor, the Compass Players. He is known from his film appearances for playing the human leader Kolp in the fourth and fifth Planet of the Apes films. His live comedy improv skit under the character of "Walther von der Vogelweide" was influential with two generations of comic performers. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he attended the University of Chicago, where he was a "campus legend" according to poet Paul Carroll. Darden’s offbeat and intellectual sense of humor was a major element in the style of The Second City at that time, and is evident throughout his work. Carroll described him as a combination of surrealistic New Orleans and tough, caustic "Chicago Style" comedy. An example of his offbeat humor is the way he squeezed the phrase "Know thyself" into the seven-character limitation of a New Mexico license plate: NOYOSEF. Darden was a core comedian in Paul Sills' Compass Players, the first improvisation theater in the US; it performed around the Chicago area during the mid-1950s. Sills went on to found The Second City in 1959 and brought in many of the comedians from Compass Players, including Darden.
Known For
4.2
The Telephone
1988
7.4
Beauty and the Beast
1987
🎬
0.0
Take Five
1987
0.0
Farmer Silas
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
1986
6.3
Dr. Barazini
Back to School
1986
6.7
Dr. Meredith
Real Genius
1985
0.0
Morgue Attendant
Half Nelson
1985
6.8
Mr. Hobart
Quarterback Princess
1983
7.6
Professor DeWitt
Cheers
1982
8.1
Farmer Silas
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
Credits
The Telephone
1988
4.2
Beauty and the Beast
1987
7.4
🎬
Take Five
1987
0.0
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
as Farmer Silas
1986
0.0
Back to School
as Dr. Barazini
1986
6.3
Real Genius
as Dr. Meredith
1985
6.7
Half Nelson
as Morgue Attendant
1985
0.0
Quarterback Princess
as Mr. Hobart
1983
6.8
Cheers
as Professor DeWitt
1982
7.6
Faerie Tale Theatre
as Farmer Silas
1982
8.1
Rooster
as Conway
1982
2.0
The Fall Guy
1981
7.5
Saturday the 14th
as Van Helsing
1981
5.0
Evita Peron
as Alfredo Suero
1981
0.0
🎬
A Cry for Love
as Paul
1980
0.0
Hopscotch
as Maddox
1980
7.0
In God We Tru$t
as Priest
1980
6.0
🎬
Why Would I Lie?
as Dr. Barbour
1980
6.0
A Small Circle of Friends
as Art Professor
1980
5.9
Beyond Westworld
as Foley
1980
5.4
Orphan Train
as Mr. Barrington
1979
4.8
Love for Rent
as Fred Hallem
1979
1.3
Once Upon a Midnight Scary
as Jonathan Barnavelt
1979
8.7
🎬
Rendezvous Hotel
as Albert Church
1979
0.0
Wanda Nevada
as Merlin Bitterstix
1979
5.6
🎬
Outside Chance
as Sheriff Dempsey
1978
2.0
Flying High
1978
4.5
Never Con a Killer
as Cap
1977
0.0
Victory at Entebbe
as Moshe Meyer
1976
5.0
The Disappearance of Aimee
as S.I. Gilbert
1976
8.0
Mother, Jugs & Speed
as Moran
1976
5.4
Jackson County Jail
as Sheriff Dempsey
1976
5.5
City of Angels
as Winnie
1976
5.2
The Practice
1976
7.5
Laverne & Shirley
1976
7.2
The Bionic Woman
1976
6.9
I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?
as Mr. Fletch / Dr. DeHart
1975
2.6
Starsky & Hutch
as Mr. Wheeler
1975
7.3
Barbary Coast
1975
7.5
Barney Miller
as Randolph Cook
1975
7.3
Baretta
1975
6.4
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
as Dr. Aaron Pollack
1974
7.6
Harry O
1974
4.6
Lincoln
as Gideon Welles
1974
8.0
The Legend of Hillbilly John
as Mr. Marduke
1974
5.3
Skyway to Death
as Steve Kramer
1974
4.3
The Six Million Dollar Man
as Apploy
1974
7.3
The Day of the Dolphin
as Schwinn
1973
5.8
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
as Kolp
1973
5.7
The Man Who Died Twice
as Harry
1973
0.0
Dirty Little Billy
as Big Jim McDaniel
1972
4.5
Play It as It Lays
as Hypnotist
1972
5.9
Playmates
as Roger, Man in Gallery
1972
0.0
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
as Kolp
1972
6.2
The War Between Men and Women
as Dr. Harris
1972
6.3
Cisco Pike
as Lawyer
1971
5.6
The Last Movie
as Mayor
1971
5.8
🎬
Getting Together
1971
5.0
🎬
The Man and the City
1971
5.0
The Hired Hand
as McVey
1971
6.0
Werewolves on Wheels
as One
1971
4.5
Vanishing Point
as J. Hovah
1971
7.1
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
7.0
🎬
Barefoot in the Park
1970
5.0
Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You
as Dr. Fahrquardt
1970
4.4
The Movie Murderer
as Jimmy Apache
1970
6.5
Bongo Wolf’s Revenge
1970
0.0
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
as Cecil
1969
7.6
Fearless Frank
as The Good Doctor / Claude
1969
4.8
To See or Not to See
1969
5.2
Justine
as Bathazar
1969
4.0
The Mad Room
as Nate
1969
6.1
Model Shop
as Camera Shop Owner
1969
6.5
The Virgin President
as U.S. President / Fillmard Millmore
1968
7.0
The Name of the Game
as Cameron
1968
6.8
P.J.
as Shelton Quell
1968
5.2
The President's Analyst
as Kropotkin
1967
5.7
Luv
as Vandergist
1967
4.1
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
as Miles Fisher
1966
5.7
Occasional Wife
1966
7.5
The Monkees
as J.B. Guggins Jr.
1966
6.5
The Double-Barrelled Detective Story
as H.S. Stevens
1965
0.0
I Dream of Jeannie
as Milton
1965
7.8
Honey West
as Dr. Gregory Ames
1965
7.0
Goldstein
as Doctor
1965
5.0
Daniel Boone
as Sir Hubert Spencer
1964
7.0
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
as Franklin
1955
7.8
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as S.I. Gilbert, Aimee's lawyer
1951
8.6