[msb-alumni] Frank Bonner, 79, Actor on 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' Dies on June 16, 2021
- From: Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2021 16:25:14 -0400
BlankFrank Bonner, 79, Actor on 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' Dies. By The Associated
Press.
He played the memorably obnoxious Herb Tarlek for all four seasons of the
popular sitcom set
at a radio station, and reprised the role on a sequel show a decade later.
Frank Bonner, the actor best known for playing Herb Tarlek, the brash salesman
with an
affection for plaid polyester suits, on the popular television comedy "WKRP in
Cincinnati,"
died on Wednesday at his home in Laguna Niguel, Calif., south of Los Angeles.
He was 79..
His daughter, Desiree Boers-Kort, said the cause was complications of Lewy body
dementia. He
had learned he had the disease, which leads to worsening mental and physical
complications,
about three years ago. 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' seen on CBS from 1978 to 1982, was
set at a
struggling radio station trying to reinvent itself with a rock format. The cast
included
Gary Sandy as the embattled station manager and Tim Reid and Howard Hesseman as
disc
jockeys. Mr. Bonner's character, the station's sales manager, was known for his
obnoxious
behavior, his general incompetence and his garish wardrobe. Loni Anderson, who
played
Jennifer Marlowe, the station's super-efficient receptionist -- and the
frequent object of
Herb's heavy-handed flirting -- said in a statement that Mr. Bonner was 'one of
the funniest
men I had the pleasure of working with' and 'the nicest man I have ever known.
Ms.
Boers-Kort said that Mr. Bonner valued his time acting on 'WKRP in Cincinnati'
in part
because it led him toward the career he preferred: directing. After serving as
the director
of six episodes of 'WKRP,' he went on to direct episodes of more than a dozen
other shows in
the 1980s and '90s, including 'Who's the Boss? ,' 'Saved by the Bell: The New
Class' and
'Just the Ten of Us' (on which he also had a recurring role). Mr. Bonner
reprised the role
of Herb on the syndicated sequel 'The New WKRP in Cincinnati' in the early
1990s. He was
also seen on 'Scarecrow and Mrs. King,' 'Night Court' and many other shows.
Frank Bonner was
born Frank Woodrow Boers Jr. on Feb. 28, 1942, in Little Rock, Ark., to Frank
and Grace
(Delahoussay) Boers, and raised in the city of Malvern. His Hollywood career
began in 1967
and picked up steam in 1970 with roles in the film 'Equinox' and on the TV
series 'The Young
Lawyers' and 'Nancy. He appeared on 'Mannix,' 'Police Woman,' 'Fantasy Island'
and other
shows before landing the career-defining role of Herb Tarlek. In addition to
Ms. Boers-Kort,
his daughter, Mr. Bonner is survived by his wife, Gayle Hardage Bonner. She had
been his
high school sweetheart in Malvern, his daughter said, and they reunited and
eventually wed
four decades later. His four previous marriages ended in divorce. His survivors
also include
two sons, Matthew and Justin; a stepdaughter, DeAndra Freed; seven
grandchildren; and a
great-grandchild. Another son, Michael, died before Mr. Bonner. Mr. Bonner got
a kick out of
Herb's ill-advised wardrobe, his daughter said, because he knew that the
character's style
was 'one of the things that people loved about him. She said he kept some of
Herb's
distinctive white belts when the show ended.
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- » [msb-alumni] Frank Bonner, 79, Actor on 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' Dies on June 16, 2021 - Steve
