Michael Parks is known as an actor's actor by his peers with a breadth of astonishing range that has allowed him to portray stunning contrasts--sometimes in the same film, like in _Tusk , "Parks has such light in his eyes, fire in his belly and a mellifluous purr in his voice" that "Variety" wrote, "it would probably be a pleasure to watch him recite the Manitoba phone book".
Lived on a yacht in the Monterey, California, harbor in the early 1980s.
The theme song "Long Lonesome Highway" from Parks TV series "Then Came Bronson" , sung by Parks himself, was penned by James Hendricks , a Greenwich Village folksinger who was married to Cass Elliot of The Mamas and the Papas , not by Jimi Hendrix. The song became a Top 40 hit in 1970.
Prior to becoming an actor. his jobs included picking fruit, digging ditches, driving trucks and fighting forest fires.
Turned down an offer to play minor league baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates because he was making more money upholstering caskets.
Attempted to qualify for the 1972 Olympics as a miler, running a time of 4:06.
Recorded a half-dozen country/blues/jazz albums in the late 60s and early 70s.
He played Earl McGraw, the police officer with bad puns, in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and then played Esteban Vinaio, the 80-year-old, smooth Mexican pimp who once was Bills mentor in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 . This makes him only one of two actors to appear in both Kill Bill films playing different characters. The other person to play separate roles in both films is Chia-Hui Liu.
The official "Kill Bill" websites claim that he is "frequently cited by longtime fan Quentin Tarantino as the worlds greatest living actor.".
Was a close friend of legendary director Jean Renoir.
His father Harry was a baseball player. His son James is also an actor.
He has played the character of Earl McGraw in three separate films involving Quentin Tarantino : From Dusk Till Dawn , Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Grindhouse (both Death Proof and Planet Terror ).
He was a pall bearer for Lenny Bruce.
Was discovered by Frank Silvera while acting in a play entitled "Compulsion" at age 18.
The pilot of the series "Then Came Bronson" reflects and drew heavily on the background of Parks own life story.
His brother Jimmy drowned in 1968.
Parks second wife, a small-part actress named Jan Moriarty , took a fatal overdose of pills in 1964, less than two months after their marriage. He was briefly married at sixteen with Louise Johnson with which he had a daughter. In 1997 he married Oriana Parks with a ceremony without any attendants.
Was one of five children of an itinerant laborer. Like the rest of his family, Parks drifted from job to job in his early teens, briefly marrying at age 16.
Plays the lead, an aging, misguided NSA listener in indie thriller In ascolto .
Filming a new movie Julian Po with Christian Slater and Robin Tunney.
Refused a role in a remake of "Beau Geste". That conflict triggered the end of a long-term contract with Universal and left Parks out of work for two years, apart from a few made-for-TV movies.
Turned down the "Then Came Bronson" pilot twice because he didnt like the script. They later rewrote it.
In the opening of "Then Came Bronson" pilot, Bronson drives up to a red light in San Francisco and briefly chats with a commuter introducing Bronsons signature-phrase which he often uses in the episodes "Hang in there".
Declined to cover "Mr. Tambourine Man" as the end title theme of "Then Came Bronson" .
Marlon Brando was going to star in Wild Seed , produced by Brandos father, but it was later decided that Brando was too old for the part and Parks was cast instead.
As per his request, his body was buried at sea and his wife Oriana was his only witness. His wife also held a funeral at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery for the rest of family and friends.
