Ray Wise has it all –a charming look and a delicious smile. Throw in the fact that he’s a “‘Wiseman” who is devoted to his family and you’ll understand why this actor always steals the scenes and the hearts of his fans. Raymond Herbert “Ray” Wise was born on August 20, 1947. Wise is known for his roles as Leland Palmer in “Twin Peaks”, as Leon C. Nash, right-hand henchman to villain Clarence Boddicker in the science fiction classic “RoboCop”.
Here are five fast facts about Ray Wise.
1. Ray Wise was raised in a Romanian Baptist family
Ray Wise is among the Hollywood celebrities who were raised in a conventional way. Although raised in a religious home, his parents never got in the way of the career path he followed as a boy. Wise graduated from Garfield High School in 1964 and proceeded to Kent State University before leaving Ohio to pursue a career in the entertainment field.
Such was the freedom he had over his religious upbringing that he went on to portray the sinister, charismatic role of the Devil in the CW show, “Reaper”. Talk of the devil.
2. His Hollywood breakout role came in 1982
Wise Hollywood breakout role came in 1982 when he portrayed the role of Blair Sullivan on the long-running primetime soap “Dallas.” The part which lasted eight episodes was a defining moment in Ray Wise’s career. Ray went on to feature in “Knots Landing,” “Second Chances,” “Savannah,” and “Resurrection Blvd.”
Another film that cemented his place in Hollywood was when he portrayed the role of Leland Palmer in “Twin Peaks. The movie received wide credits from fans over the world and he has this to say.
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‘I’m so glad I played Leland Palmer, I can’t even tell you. Reading the pilot episode and seeing what Leland went through, I thought, “This could be pretty one-dimensional. It was a father grieving for his murdered daughter. But boy, was I wrong. I had no idea the gamut Leland would run during the course of that show. They just wrote a beautiful character, and I’m fortunate to have played it.’
Wise portrayed the role of henchman Leon C. Nash in “RoboCop” (1987), Jack Taggart Sr. in “Jeepers Creepers 2” (2003), the Devil in the CW television series “Reaper” (2007), and Donald Wadsworth in “Suburban Gothic” (2014).
In 1983, he received an OBIE Award for his work in Sam Shepard’s The Tooth of Crime. In fact, wise boasts of an impressive acting resume.
3. Ray Wise first Emmy nomination fetched him the Award
In 2015, when the Outstanding Special Guest Performer Awards in a Drama Series returned to the Emmy’s after 28 years, many actors were nominated but at the end of the day, Ray Wise’s name was announced as the winner of the prestigious award for the role he played in the series “The Young and the Restless”
Wise has since appeared in over 200 movies and television shows in his illustrious career.
4. Ray Wise has two children with wife, Kass McClaskey
Many celebrities have it rough with marriage but Ray Wise marriage seems like the proverbial (cliched) marriage made in heaven. Considering that his first marriage ended in a divorce perhaps this is no time for innuendos.
Wise was married to Julie Burr, daughter of actor Robert Burr, in 1974. They divorced in 1977. Wise then married Kass McClaskey in 1978. Kass McClaskey is a TV commercial producer. The duo has a son and a daughter.
5. Ray is a fan of Dracula films
Ever wondered why he played the role of the devil so well in the sinister, CW show, “Reaper”? It was because of his love for Dracula films. Wise said: “I’ve always been a Dracula/vampire aficionado, being half-Romanian myself. Dracula has always been close to my heart – in fact, I have the first edition of Bram Stoker’s book. I read it over and over again as a young kid. I was a fan of the Lugosi film, and I’ve been a fan really of all the Dracula films made ever since. Christopher Lee’s is a particular favorite of mine, and I like Coppola’s film with ‘Gary Oldman’. But I’ve never felt like the definitive Dracula film has been made. I’d like to take a shot at that sometime in the near future.”
Wise lives in Southern California with his wife and children.
Image Source: RTE
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