Childhood & Early Life
Parker Stevenson was born Richard Stevenson Parker Jr. on June 4, 1952, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, to Sarah Meade and Richard Stevenson Parker Sr. When he was five years old, he accompanied his mother to a filming session, which landed him opportunities to appear in television. However, his father discouraged him from acting and relocated his family to Rye, New York.
Stevenson was enrolled at ‘Brooks Preparatory School’ where he appeared in stage plays. Though he had no intention of pursuing acting as a career, he continued appearing in the school production of many plays. 1972, he played Gene in a film titled ‘A Separate Peace.’
After graduating from ‘Brooks School,’ he went to ‘Princeton University,’ where he studied architecture. In 1974, he played Michael in the Peter Hyams-directed drama film ‘Our Time.’ In the same year, he was also seen in a TV series titled ‘Gunsmoke.’ After graduating from ‘Princeton University,’ he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he landed an opportunity to play Chris, alongside actor Sam Elliott in Daniel Petrie-directed drama film ‘Lifeguard.’
Continue Reading Below
Career
Parker Stevenson received his big breakthrough in 1977, when he was cast to play Frank Hardy in the television mystery series ‘The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries’ which was based on the ‘Hardy Boys’ and ‘Nancy Drew’ novel series. Stevenson played Frank Hardy from 1977 to 1979, appearing in 35 episodes.
In 1983, he played Aubrey James in Hal Needham-directed action comedy film ‘Stroker Ace.’ In the same year, he was also seen in TV series such as ‘The Love Boat’ and ‘Shooting Stars.’ In 1984, he was cast to play Joel McCarthy on ‘CBS’ television network’s ‘Falcon Crest.’ He played Joel McCarthy from 1984 to 1985, appearing in 11 episodes.
Meanwhile, he played Nick Larabee in the 1985 TV movie ‘Rockhopper.’ He also appeared in a couple of TV series, namely ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’ and ‘Murder, She Wrote.’ In the same year, he was cast to play Bobby Stevens in Alan Smithee-directed comedy film ‘Stitches.’
In 1986, Stevenson played Billy Hazard in a TV miniseries titled ‘North and South: Book II.’ In the series, he appeared alongside his then-wife, Kirstie Alley, who played Billy Hazard’s sister, Virgilia Hazard. The following year, he appeared in three TV series, namely ‘Matlock,’ ‘The Hitchhiker,’ and ‘Shades of Love: The Rose Café.’
In 1989, he became part of the original cast of ‘Baywatch’ when he was cast to play Craig Pomeroy in the action drama series. He played Pomeroy from 1989 to 1999, appearing in 28 episodes. Apart from acting in ‘Baywatch,’ Stevenson also directed nine episodes of the series.
Meanwhile, he continued appearing in several TV series, including ‘Caddie Woodlawn’ and ‘Flesh 'n' Blood.’ In 1992, he played prominent roles in two TV movies, namely ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ and ‘Shadow of a Stranger.’ In 1993, he landed the recurring role of a computer tycoon named Steve McMillan in the second season of American primetime soap opera ‘Melrose Place.’ He also directed a couple of episodes of ‘Melrose Place.’
In 1995, Stevenson was cast to play a film role after a gap of 10 years. He played Jack Sherbourne in the 1995 Terence H. Winkless-directed film ‘Not of This Earth.’ In 1998, he played Captain Aldrich in Jon Hess-directed television film ‘Legion.’ The following year, he played John Alden in another TV film titled ‘Avalon: Beyond the Abyss.’
In 2000, he voiced Paxton Powers in one of the episodes of animated TV series ‘Batman Beyond.’ He then played Oliver Sloan in the 2001 TV movie ‘Trapped.’ After playing Kevin Fraser in the 2003 TV movie ‘Terror Peak,’ Stevenson took a break from acting. He returned to playing a film role after a gap of 13 years when he was cast to play Ben Ryan in the 2008 Alan Pao-directed crime thriller film ‘Loaded.’
After appearing in an episode titled ‘Princess’ in the popular TV series ‘Legend of the Seeker,’ he again took a break of four years before making a comeback in the 2014 crime drama television series ‘Longmire.’ In the same year, he also played Richard Heywood in a feature film titled ‘McTaggart's Fortune.’ The following year, he played supporting roles in three TV films, namely ‘Win, Lose or Love,’ ‘His Secret Family,’ and ‘A Christmas Reunion.’
In 2016, he played General Sherman in a film titled ‘The War Riders.’ In the same year, he also played Sheriff Underwood in ‘Hidden Truth.’ In 2017, he was cast to play the recurring role of Louis Osmond in the tween drama television series ‘Greenhouse Academy.’ He played the role from 2017 to 2018, appearing in 24 episodes. In 2018, he was cast to play Brandon McKellan in a film titled ‘Mistrust.’ Apart from playing supporting roles in films and TV series, Parker Stevenson is also passionate about photography. His works can be viewed on his official website and his studio.
Family & Personal Life
Parker Stevenson’s father, Richard Stevenson Parker Sr., was an investment advisor, while his mother, Sarah Meade, was an actress. She has appeared in many television commercials. Stevenson also has a brother named Hutch Parker who is a film producer.
Stevenson married actress Kirstie Alley on December 22, 1983. On September 28, 1992, Stevenson and Alley were blessed with a son named William True Stevenson. On June 15, 1994, Kirstie Alley gave birth to their second child, a daughter named Lillie Price Stevenson. Stevenson and Alley got divorced on December 16, 1997.
