Peter Van Norden, ‘Police Academy’ And ‘Naked Gun’ Star, Dies At 75
LOS ANGELES – MAY 11: The television miniseries “The Stand”, directed by Mick Garris. Teleplay by Stephen King based on his book. Seen here, Peter Van Norden (as Ralph Brentner). Episode three, The Betrayal. Initial broadcast date, Wednesday, May 11, 1994. Image is a screen grab. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
CBS via Getty Images
Peter Van Norden, who starred in the Police Academy and Naked Gun movies, as well as the Jodie Foster drama The Accused and the Stephen King TV miniseries The Standhas died.
Van Norden’s wife, Wendy, told TMZ that her husband died in a Southern California hospice facility early Thursday. He was 75.
The actor’s son, Robert, also confirmed Van Norden’s death in an Instagram postwriting, “Peter passed away peacefully last night with his wife, Wendy, at his side. He was a terrific father, husband, friend, and a greatly respected member of the theater community. He will be missed.”
Van Norden starred as Officer Vinnie Schtulman opposite Steve Gutenberg in 1985’s Police Academy 2: Their First Assignmentthe sequel to the 1984 comedy hit. In Leslie Nielsen’s detective spoof The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of FearVan Norden played President George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff John Sununu.
LOS ANGELES – MAY 12: The television miniseries “The Stand”, directed by Mick Garris. Teleplay by Stephen King based on his book. Seen here, left to right, Adam Storke (as Larry Underwood); Ray Walston (as Glen Bateman); Peter Van Norden (as Ralph Brentner) and Gary Sinise (as Stu Redman). Episode four, The Stand. Initial broadcast date, Thursday, May 12, 1994. Image is a screen grab. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
CBS via Getty Images
The actor proved, however, that he was just as adept at playing drama as he was comedy. He played an attorney, Paulsen, in 1988’s The Accusedwhich earned Foster her first Best Actress Oscar.
In the first miniseries adaptation of the King’s best-selling novel The StandVan Norden starred as Ralph Brentner, who, along with Stu Redman (Gary Sinise), Larry Underwood (Adam Storke) and Glen Bateman (Ray Walston), travels West to confront Randall Flagg (Jamey Sheridan), an authoritarian leader who builds a dangerous following after a weaponized strain of influenza decimates the U.S.
Peter Van Norden Appeared In More Than 70 Screen Projects
Born Peter Edward Van Norden on Dec. 16, 1960, in New York City, Van Norden was a veteran of both stage and screen.
Van Norden’s screen debut was in a bit role in director Lloyd Kaufman’s sports comedy Squeeze Playwhich was produced by Kaufman’s low-budget film company Troma Entertainment.
The actor’s other film credits included the Willem Dafoe and Judge Reinhold comedy Roadhouse 66the Tom Selleck prison drama An Innocent Man and the TV movie Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story.
Van Norden also appeared in numerous guest roles on TV over his career, on such series as Cheers, T.J. Hooker, St. Elsewhere, Benson, MatlockSilver Spoons, Hardcastle & McCormick, L.A. Law, Wings, Tales from the Crypt, Murder, She Wrote, Nash Bridges, Family Matters, IS and 9-1-1.
