Stephen Weaver Collins (born October 1, 1947) is an American former actor and writer. He is known for playing Eric Camden on the television series 7th Heaven from 1996 to 2007. Afterwards, Collins played the roles of Dayton King on the ABC television series No Ordinary Family and Gene Porter in the television series Revolution, father of Elizabeth Mitchell's character, Rachel Matheson. Before 7th Heaven, Collins was known for his role as Commander Willard Decker in the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the television series Tales of the Gold Monkey.
His career ended in 2014, the year that he confessed to sexual misconduct against multiple minors.[1][2]
Stephen Collins was born on October 1, 1947, in Des Moines, Iowa, to mother Madeleine (née Robertson) and father Cyrus Stickney Collins, an airline executive.[3][4] Collins was raised with his two older brothers in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, and attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, graduating cum laude.[5] While at Amherst, he played bass guitar in a number of bands.[6]
Stephen Collins is known for his role as Eric Camden in the television drama series 7th Heaven during the series' run from 1996 to 2007[7] and for his role as Captain Willard Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.[8] His other notable television credits include Jake Cutter in the cult series Tales of the Gold Monkey and his role in Tattingers, as well as guest appearances in The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, Charlie's Angels, and numerous miniseries and made-for-television movies. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work opposite Ann-Margret in the miniseries The Two Mrs. Grenvilles and he played John F. Kennedy in the miniseries A Woman Named Jackie, which won the Emmy for Best Miniseries. He also played the lead role opposite Lauren Hutton in the made-for-TV movie The Rhinemann Exchange, based on Robert Ludlum's bestselling novel.[9]
Collins has co-starred with Diane Keaton in both The First Wives Club (1996) and Because I Said So (2007). He has co-starred with Meredith Baxter in three films, All the President's Men, A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story, and Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter, both of which were made-for-television movies broadcast on CBS in 1992.
In the 2010–11 television season, Collins starred in the short-lived ABC series No Ordinary Family.[10] On ABC's Brothers & Sisters, he played a potential love interest for Ron Rifkin's character Saul Holden. Collins appeared in season eight of The Office playing Andy Bernard's father in the episode, "Garden Party".[11][12]
In 2013, Collins began appearing in the NBC series Revolution as Dr. Gene Porter, the leader of the town of Willoughby and father of Rachel Matheson (played by Elizabeth Mitchell).[13] and in two episodes of Falling Skies in season three. Collins' final guest spots include The Fosters, Devious Maids, and Penance.[14]
Collins also played a minor role in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, as Dee and Dennis’ biological father.
Stephen Collins was married to Marjorie Weinman from 1970 to 1978.[15][16] In 1985, he married actress Faye Grant, whom he had met on the set of Tales of the Gold Monkey in 1982.[17] Together they have a daughter, Kate, who was born in 1989. They separated in 2012, and, after 30 years of marriage, a final divorce decree was issued in January 2015.[18][19]
Collins is an Episcopalian[20] and a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and has taken part in the advanced TM Yogic Flying technique since 1980.[21] Until October 2014, he was a national co-director of the Committee for Stress-Free Schools, which advocates practicing TM in schools and funds TM research.[22]
In October 2014, the New York City Police Department began investigating Stephen Collins after an audio tape leaked to the media revealed a male voice—purported to be that of Collins—admitting to past sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 14.[17] A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson stated that Collins had been investigated by the department in 2012 after receiving a claim from 40 years earlier regarding sexual abuse. The LAPD further stated that its investigation did not allow it to "substantiate the allegation" against Collins.[23][24]
In a December 2014 interview with People, Collins admitted he committed "inappropriate sexual conduct with three female minors" in 1973, 1982 and 1994.[1][25]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1974 | The Michele Lee Show | Dr. Steven Mayhill | TV Movie |
1975 | The Waltons | Todd Clarke | Episode: "The Abdication" |
1976 | Brink's: The Great Robbery | Agent Donald Nash | TV movie |
1977 | The Rhinemann Exchange | David Spaulding | Miniseries 3 episodes |
1978 | Charlie's Angels | Steve Carmody | Episode: "Angel Come Home" |
1980 | The Henderson Monster | Pete Casimir | TV movie |
1981 | Great Performances | Morton Fullerton | Episode: "Edith Wharton: Looking Back" |
Summer Solstice | Young Joshua Turner | TV movie | |
1982 | Inside the Third Reich | Karl Hanke | |
Tales of the Gold Monkey | Jake Cutter | Main role (21 episodes) | |
1983 | Chiefs | Billy Lee | Miniseries 3 episodes |
1984 | Threesome | Peter Hatten | TV movie |
Dark Mirror | Jim Eiseley | ||
1985 | The Hitchhiker | Todd Fields | Episode: "And If We Dream" |
1986 | Hold the Dream | Shane O'Neil | Miniseries |
1987 | The Two Mrs. Grenvilles | Billy Grenville Jr. | |
1988 | Weekend War | Captain John Deason | TV movie |
Tattingers | Nick Tattinger | Main role (13 episodes) | |
1990 | Working It Out | David Stuart | |
1991 | A Woman Named Jackie | John F. Kennedy | Miniseries 3 episodes |
1992 | A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story | Dan Broderick | TV movie |
Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, The Last Chapter | |||
1993 | Remember | Clee Donovan | |
The Disappearance of Nora | Jack Fremont | ||
1994 | Scarlett | Ashley Wilkes | Miniseries 2 episodes |
1995 | A Family Divided | Roger Billingsley | TV movie |
Sisters | Gabriel 'Gabe' Sorenson | Recurring role (16 episodes) | |
1996 | On Seventh Avenue | Tom Aiken | TV movie |
The Babysitter's Seduction | Bill Bartrand | ||
An Unexpected Family | Sam | ||
1996–2007 | 7th Heaven | Rev. Eric Camden | Main role (242 episodes) Directed 3 Episodes |
1998 | An Unexpected Life | Sam | TV movie |
1999 | As Time Runs Out | Dan Carlin | |
Batman Beyond | Tony Maychek/Earthmover (voice) | Episode: "Earthmover" | |
2001 | Jumping Ship | Gardener | TV movie |
2002 | State of Grace | Norris Sinclair | 1 episode, "Sophisticated Ladies" |
2005 | Celebrity Poker Showdown | Himself | Qualified for the first tournament |
2006–2007 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Bruce Mathis | 2 episodes |
2008 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Pierson Bartlett | Episode: "Trade" |
Every Second Counts | Joe Preston | TV movie | |
2009–2011 | Private Practice | The Captain | 4 episodes |
2010 | No Ordinary Family | Dayton King | Main cast (20 episodes) |
Brothers & Sisters | Charlie | Episode: "A Righteous Kiss" | |
2011 | The Office | Walter Bernard Sr. | Episode: "Garden Party" |
2013 | Falling Skies | President Benjamin Hathaway | 2 episodes |
Scandal | Reed Wallace | Episode: "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" | |
The Fosters | Rev. Adams | Episode: "I Do" | |
Devious Maids | Philippe Delatour | 6 episodes | |
Revolution | Gene Porter | Main role; season 2 (22 episodes) | |
2014 | Avengers Assemble | Howard Stark (voice) | Episode: "Thanos Rising" |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1976 | All the President's Men | Hugh W. Sloan Jr. | |
1977 | Between the Lines | Michael | |
1978 | Fedora | Young Barry Detweiler | |
1979 | The Promise | Michael Hillyard | |
Star Trek: The Motion Picture | Captain/Commander Willard Decker | ||
1980 | Loving Couples | Greg | |
1985 | Brewster's Millions | Warren Cox | |
1986 | On Dangerous Ground | Dr. David Lowell | Alternate title: Choke Canyon |
Jumpin' Jack Flash | Marty Phillips | ||
1989 | The Big Picture | Attorney | |
1990 | Stella | Stephen Dallas | |
1992 | My New Gun | Gerald Bender | |
1996 | The First Wives Club | Aaron Paradis | |
1999 | Drive Me Crazy | Mr. Maris | |
2003 | The Commission | Joseph A. Ball | |
2006 | Blood Diamond | Ambassador Walker | |
2007 | Because I Said So | Joe Dresden | |
2008 | Hole in the Paper Sky | Mr. Benson | |
2012 | The Three Stooges | Mr. Harter | |
2014 | Penance | Priest | Short |
Year | Title | Notes |
---|---|---|
1993 | Sondheim: Putting It Together | Off-Broadway cast recording |
2003 | Stephen Collins | |
2005 | The Hits of Rick Nelson |
Preceded by Jonathan Hadary October 31, 2006 – June 5, 2008 |
Actor playing King Arthur on Spamalot June 5, 2008 – September 14, 2008 |
Succeeded by |
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Biographical dictionaries | |
Other |
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