Bert Remsen


Herbert Birchell "Bert" Remsen was an American actor and casting director. He appeared in numerous films and television series.

Biography

Remsen was born in Glen Cove, New York, on Long Island, the son of Helen and Winfred Herbert Remsen.
He played character roles in numerous films directed by Robert Altman, including Brewster McCloud, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Thieves Like Us, California Split, Nashville, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson and A Wedding.
Other film credits included Fuzz, Baby Blue Marine, Uncle Joe Shannon, Fast Break, Carny, Borderline, Inside Moves, Second-Hand Hearts, Lookin' to Get Out, The Sting II, Places in the Heart, Code of Silence, TerrorVision, Eye of the Tiger, Miss Firecracker, ', ' and Only the Lonely. His last film was the posthumously released The Sky is Falling.
He also appeared in various television guest-starring roles, including the role of Jim Ford in the episode "Pete Henke" of the 1958 NBC western series, Jefferson Drum, starring Jeff Richards. He was a regular in the cast of the short-lived 1976 NBC dramatic television series Gibbsville, a regular in the first season of the ABC comedy television series It's a Living as Mario the cook, and appeared on Dallas in 1987 as Harrison 'Dandy' Dandridge.. He was cast as a judge in the pilot for The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr..
After suffering an injury on the set of a television show, Remsen had moved away from acting. He was hired as the casting director on Brewster McCloud when Altman talked him into taking a role in the film. He was casting director in season 1 and casting supervisor in season 2 of The Rookies.

Personal life

Seaman 1/c Herbert B. Remsen was a crew member on the destroyer USS Laffey during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. On April 16, 1945, the USS Laffey was attacked by 22 Japanese kamikaze planes during an 80-minute period. Remsen suffered burns during the battle but was able to return to duty and survive what the US Navy called, "one of the great sea epics of war".
He was first married to actress Katherine MacGregor, who played Mrs. Oleson in the NBC television series Little House on the Prairie. His daughter, with second wife Barbara Joyce Dodd, a casting director, is actress Kerry Remsen.

Filmography