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Anthony
Starke Biography
*This
information is from Tony to the best of my knowledge! If this info is incorrect
I hope that he will correct me on it!* Also information gotten from IMdB.
Anthony Starke was born on June 6, 1963 in Syracuse, New York. He lived there till he was five years old. He attended Antioch High School before graduating and going on to Marquette University where he was in the process of studying pre-law when he decided to switch to acting. While doing an online chat, Tony was asked where he was born and raised, and he said this. "I was born in Syracuse, New York. When I was 5 we moved to Pleasant Hill in the San Francisco Bay Area. When I was 10 we moved to Northern Illinois. I went to Antioch High School, then Marquette University. I worked briefly in Chicago, then came out to LA." (People online Chat, March 10, 1998)
Tony's first credited acting job was in "First Steps" in 1985. He played the role of Dean Conroy. The movie was about a young woman injured in a car accident and was paralyzed. The following year in 1986, Tony was in "Nothing in Common" in a small role, having the opportunity to star opposite Tom Hanks, as a man who is successful and must deal with his parent's marriage falling apart. Tony's character was Cameron.
Tony then went to star in what appears to be his
first television series, "One Big Family", along with other familiar face
such as Gabriel Damon, Danny Thomas and Michael Deluise. Tony played Don
Hatton, one of the members of the Hatton family. In 1987, Tony guest starred
on the then popular tv show "21 
Jump
Street" in the episode, "Fear and Loathing With Russell Buckins". Tony
starred opposite another Deluise once again. This time Michael's brother,
Peter, a regular on the show at the time. Michael joined the cast three
years later.
One of Tony's most notable performances to many of his fans on the BrigaDears mailing list is that of Chad Finletter in "Return of the Killer Tomatoes" where he starred opposite George Clooney, John Astin, Karen Mistal, as well as returning favorite from "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes", J. Stephen Peace in 1988. During an online chat interview, Tony was asked if Return of the Killer Tomatoes fell into the "Don't remind me category, he was response was this. "It absolutely doesn't fall under the "don't remind me" category. It was a barrel of laughs. We knew it was a silly movie and we went full force. George Clooney and I had a license to play around with the stuff. We improvised a lot of lines and had a blast. We were in San Diego for 5 weeks. We were young and had a lot of fun. I have a lot of fond memories. I also think it's a good film because it accomplishes what it sets out to accomplish. A movie that's just looking to be a silly romp with a lot of laughs and succeeds is a good. By that yardstick, "Return of the Killer Tomatoes" is a successful film." (People Online Chat, March 10, 1998)
That same year, Tony starred in "18 Again" also known as "Young Again", opposite Charlie Schlatter and the late George Burns. Tony has admitted this to being his favorite film because he had the opportunity to work opposite Geogre Burns.
In 1989, Tony took on the role of Truman Lodge in "Licence to Kill", the one and only James Bond movie Timothy Dalton starred in as 007. 1990 was a fairly busy year for Tony. He guest starred on "The Flash" that starred John Wesley Shipp and then switching from the small screen to the big screen, Tony starred opposite Leslie Neilson and Linda Blair in the hilarious Excorcist parody, "Repossessed". Tony comedicaly held his own against the legendary Neilson well.
In 1991 Tony guest starred on the Halloween episode of "Beverly Hills, 90210" as Kelly's (Jennie Garth) would-be rapist. In 1992 then Tony guest starred on the popular series "Cheers" as Slim in the episode "Take me out to the Ball Game."
1993
found Tony playing Olaf Brackman in the Bruce Campbell western "The Adventures
of Brisco County, Jr" and in a all too brief part as a friend of Jean Claude
Van Dam's in the movie "Nowhere to Run." Tony starred as the ill fated
Billy.
In 1994, Tony was in a new show "The George Carlin Show" as Jack Donahue, a bartender. The show was short-lived, but Tony still worked. In 1995, Tony guest starred as "The Jimmy" in an episode of Seinfeld as a man who talked about himself in the third person. He delivered a hilarious performance while confusing a lot of people in the show.
In 1996, Tony starred as Kip, the man Brooke Shields leaves at the altar in her series premier of "Suddenly Susan." Tony repised the role for four more episodes. It also found Tony starring in a brief new Fox series called "The last Frontier" as one of three men with one woman as their roommate. A year later, Tony was after Jared, who was also known as "The Pretender." Playing the role of Michael Patrick, he was the man you would come to love to hate. Using his previous relationship with Miss Parker, he almost got his man.
1997-98 would prove to be the year Tony would make it. Cast as the Gambler with a heart of gold in the TV movie based on the 1960 movie, "The Magnificent Seven" Tony was thrust into a fandom that has grown strong and sure since it's premier. But according to Tony, landing the role of Ezra Standish was not easy. "It was actually a pretty long and difficult process. I had to audition initially for the producers, for Trilogy, and for MGM. Then finally I had to audition for the network. They all went well, but there was some disagreement about who should be playing the part. There was a bit of wrangling for a month and it was finally determined I'd get the job. I was told about 2 days before I had to get on a plane and go to Arizona and film. I had a 6-week-old baby at the time and it was quite stressful. But I was excited to get the job and take off and go to work." (People Online Chat, March 10, 1998)
Nevertheless,
Tony got the role, and did a magnificent job as the Southern Gambler, but
the show was not renewed for the 1998-1999 Fall season, and a massive internet
campaign was put on and the show as brought back as a mid-season replacement
in 1999. Once again the show as cancelled, but the seven men live on in
the hearts of the fans and the many thousands of fan sites on the internet,
as well as the show is being shown on TNN.
The cancellation of M7 was not the end for Tony. He was cast to replace another departing actor as David Chandler in the short-lived comedy series on NBC called "Cold Feet". It didn't last, but David Chandler did procur some fans. While Tony had been filming the Magnificent Seven, he also did a UPN TV movie called "Inferno" in which he played an Army Reserve sergeant named Wil Dezmond.
Tony watches all his roles on TV and in the movies, something not many actors do. But he says he does it, because if he doesn't like his own work, then no one else will. But then again, we are our own worse critics. He loves a good joke too, so if you have one, leave it in the guest book. You never know, he might read it. Tony's favorite comedy movie is Cemetary man, and English-speaking Italian movie that stars Rupert Everett.
Tony currently resides in Los Angeles, California with is wife, Lolly, and their son Garrett. As of right now, no word as to what Tony is doing next, but the fans he has accumulated wait with baited breath for his next notable television appearance, or movie role.
