You Definitely Knew These Faces
The 70s gave us sitcom stars nobody could forget. Carroll O’Connor. Bea Arthur. Bob Newhart. Henry Winkler. Those people practically came with the television set.
But what about all the other faces that showed up in millions of living rooms every week? That’s where things get interesting. Let’s see if you can remember five.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Clifton Davis ("That's My Mama," 1974–1975)
Clifton Davis was once a full-fledged sitcom leading man, starring as Washington, D.C. barber Clifton Curtis on That's My Mama. And television wasn't his only talent. Before that, Davis had written the Jackson 5 hit Never Can Say Goodbye. He later returned to sitcom success on Amen, making him a pretty impressive answer to this little memory test.
Screenshot from That's My Mama, ABC (1974–1975), Modified
Ron Glass ("Barney Miller," 1975–1982)
Detective Ron Harris was stylish, ambitious and always seemed slightly more sophisticated than the building he worked in. Ron Glass made Harris one of Barney Miller's most memorable detectives before a completely different generation discovered him decades later on Firefly. Somehow, neither role made “Ron Glass” quite as famous as the face deserved.
Screenshot from Barney Miller, ABC (1975-1982)
Marcia Strassman ("Welcome Back, Kotter," 1975–1979)
The Sweathogs got most of the attention, but Marcia Strassman was there from the beginning as Gabe Kotter’s wife, Julie. She had the unenviable job of welcoming an endless parade of Gabe’s students into their apartment. Years later, she played the mom in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Recognize her now?
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Bill Macy ("Maude," 1972–1978)
Everybody remembers Bea Arthur as Maude Findlay. But what was the name of the poor guy who had to survive being married to her? Bill Macy played Walter Findlay for all six seasons, usually looking like he had just realized another argument was coming his way. That face should be instantly familiar. The name might take a minute.
Screenshot from Maude, CBS (1972–1978), Modified
Ron Palillo ("Welcome Back, Kotter," 1975–1979)
Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! You remember Arnold Horshack. But do you remember Ron Palillo? Palillo’s wheezing laugh, raised hand and complete inability to sit quietly made Horshack one of the most recognizable characters on Welcome Back, Kotter. John Travolta became a movie star. Palillo became one of those faces permanently trapped somewhere in our 70s memory.
Screenshot from Welcome Back, Kotter, ABC (1975–1979)
Jack Soo ("Barney Miller," 1975–1979)
Detective Nick Yemana could get a laugh without doing much more than looking across the squad room. Jack Soo’s wonderfully dry delivery made him one of the secret weapons of Barney Miller, especially whenever Yemana was making his famously terrible coffee. You probably remember Yemana. But did “Jack Soo” immediately pop into your head?
Screenshot from Barney Miller, ABC (1975-1982)
Pat Harrington Jr. ("One Day At A Time," 1975–1984)
That mustache. That tool belt. That swagger. Pat Harrington Jr. played building superintendent Dwayne Schneider, the guy who seemed capable of fixing anything except his inability to stay out of Ann Romano’s apartment. Schneider was a huge part of One Day at a Time. Harrington’s name? Somehow much easier to forget.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Franklin Cover ("The Jeffersons," 1975–1985)
Tom Willis spent years living across the hall from George Jefferson, which meant Franklin Cover spent years walking directly into some of television’s funniest arguments. Tom and Helen Willis were one of TV’s best-known couples, and Cover appeared throughout the series. Yet “Franklin Cover” might still have you staring at the screen going, “Wait…which one was he?”
Screenshot from The Jeffersons, CBS (1975–1985)
Beth Howland ("Alice," 1976–1985)
If you watched Alice, there was absolutely no forgetting Vera. Sweet, scattered and frequently somewhere several exits past confused, Vera Gorman was played by Beth Howland for the series’ entire run. Flo had the catchphrase and Alice had her name in the title, but Vera could steal a scene with one bewildered expression.
Screenshot from Alice, CBS (1976–1985), Modified
David Groh ("Rhoda," 1974–1978)
At one point, millions of viewers were invested in whether Rhoda Morgenstern would marry Joe Gerard. David Groh played Joe, and Rhoda’s 1974 wedding became a genuine television event. Yet Valerie Harper remained a classic-TV icon while Groh’s name slowly faded. Even people who remember the wedding may need help remembering the groom.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Whitman Mayo ("Sanford And Son," 1972–1977)
Grady Wilson barely had to open his mouth before you knew something funny was coming. Whitman Mayo became so popular as Fred Sanford’s old friend that NBC actually gave Grady his own spinoff. The character remains familiar to Sanford and Son fans. The actor behind him deserves to be remembered just as well.
Screenshot from Sanford and Son, NBC (1972–1977), Modified
Robert Mandan ("Soap," 1977–1981)
Chester Tate was rich, smug and spectacularly bad at behaving himself. Robert Mandan played him with exactly the right amount of self-satisfaction on Soap, where nearly every member of the Tate family seemed to be living in a different kind of chaos. Mandan was everywhere for a while. Today, he's another great “I know that guy!” face.
Screenshot from Soap, ABC (1977–1981), Modified
Paul Benedict ("The Jeffersons," 1975–1985)
Harry Bentley had perhaps the worst timing of anyone living in George Jefferson’s apartment building. The friendly British neighbor would wander through the Jeffersons’ door, usually just in time to irritate George. Paul Benedict played Bentley, and once you see the face, the character comes rushing back. His name? Maybe not quite as quickly.
Screenshot from The Jeffersons, CBS (1975–1985)
Steve Landesberg ("Barney Miller," 1975–1982)
Detective Arthur Dietrich could calmly explain almost any obscure subject while everyone around him wondered how on Earth he knew it. Steve Landesberg’s deadpan delivery made Dietrich a perfect addition to Barney Miller. He was one of those performers who never looked like he was trying to be funny, which usually made him even funnier.
Screenshot from Barney Miller, ABC (1975-1982)
Ralph Carter ("Good Times," 1974–1979)
Jimmie Walker's J.J. got the catchphrase, but Ralph Carter was right there as younger brother Michael Evans. Michael was the smart, politically aware kid in the family who frequently had something to say about what was happening around him. Carter became a familiar face to millions of viewers before largely stepping away from television acting.
Screenshot from Good Times, CBS (1974–1979)
Vic Tayback ("Alice," 1976–1985)
Mel's Diner would not have been Mel's Diner without Mel. Vic Tayback played the grouchy cook and owner who spent nine seasons arguing with Alice, Flo, Vera and practically anybody else unfortunate enough to wander behind his counter. You can probably hear Mel yelling just by looking at Tayback's face. Now, did you remember his name?
Screenshot from Alice, CBS (1976–1985), Modified
Robert Hegyes ("Welcome Back, Kotter," 1975–1979)
Juan Epstein had perhaps the greatest collection of excuse notes in school history, usually signed “Epstein’s Mother.” Robert Hegyes played the Puerto Rican Jewish Sweathog with enough confidence to stand out in a classroom containing John Travolta and Ron Palillo. Epstein remains instantly recognizable. Hegyes’ name has become much more of a trivia question.
Screenshot from Welcome Back, Kotter, ABC (1975–1979)
Cathryn Damon ("Soap," 1977–1981)
Cathryn Damon played Mary Campbell, Jessica Tate’s sister and the relatively sensible center of a family where “relatively” was doing a tremendous amount of work. Damon won an Emmy for the role, yet her name doesn't get mentioned nearly as often as Soap itself. That feels like exactly the kind of sitcom star this list was made for.
Screenshot from Soap, ABC (1977–1981), Modified
Mike Evans ("The Jeffersons," 1975–1985)
Before Damon Evans temporarily took over the role, Mike Evans was the original Lionel Jefferson on All in the Family and The Jeffersons. He also helped create Good Times. That is a pretty remarkable 70s sitcom résumé for somebody whose name now draws plenty of blank looks. Lionel, however? Everybody remembers Lionel.
Screenshot from The Jeffersons, CBS (1975–1985), Modified
Audra Lindley ("Three's Company," 1977–1984)
Helen Roper always seemed far more interested in romance than her husband Stanley, a running joke Audra Lindley could sell with one perfectly timed look. Lindley and Norman Fell became popular enough to get their own spinoff, The Ropers. Mr. and Mrs. Roper remain famous. “Audra Lindley” is where the challenge starts.
Screenshot from Three's Company, ABC (1977–1984), Modified
Barnard Hughes ("Doc," 1975–1976)
Barnard Hughes had one of those faces that seemed to turn up everywhere. In the mid-70s, he actually headlined his own sitcom, playing kindly New York physician Dr. Joe Bogert in Doc. Hughes would continue working for decades, but there was a moment when CBS was quite literally building a comedy around him. Remember that guy?
CBS Television Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
Diana Canova ("Soap," 1977–1981)
Diana Canova played Corinne Tate, Jessica’s daughter and yet another member of the Soap family tree whose romantic life became wonderfully ridiculous. Canova was a familiar television presence throughout the era, but her name has faded much faster than many of her co-stars. Show a classic-TV fan her picture, though, and something may click immediately.
Screenshot from Soap, ABC (1977–1981), Modified
Richard Kline ("Three's Company," 1977–1984)
Larry Dallas was Jack Tripper’s best friend and perhaps the last person on Earth Jack should have accepted dating advice from. Richard Kline played the confident ladies’ man throughout Three’s Company, becoming one of the sitcom's most familiar supporting faces. Everybody remembers Larry. Richard Kline? That's where we start separating the casual viewers from the experts.
Screenshot from Three's Company, ABC (1977–1984), Modified
Harold Gould ("Rhoda," 1974–1978)
Harold Gould played Rhoda and Brenda's patient father, Martin Morgenstern, which mostly meant trying to survive whatever their mother Ida was doing. Gould was one of television’s great character actors and kept turning up for decades afterward. You have almost certainly seen this man before. You may have seen him dozens of times.
Screenshot from Rhoda, CBS (1974–1978), Modified
Richard Benjamin ("Quark," 1977–1978)
Richard Benjamin had a substantial film career, but there was also a period when he was a sitcom leading man. On Quark, he played the captain of an intergalactic garbage ship in a Buck Henry sci-fi spoof. Benjamin’s name may still ring a bell for movie fans, but his days as a network-comedy star feel like another television universe.
Screenshot from Quark, NBC (1977–1978)
Johnny Brown ("Good Times," 1974–1979)
Bookman! Johnny Brown played Nathan Bookman, the Evans family's building superintendent and frequent target of J.J.'s jokes on Good Times. Brown could walk through the door and immediately change the energy of a scene. The character is difficult to forget if you watched the show. The actor's real name is considerably tougher.
Screenshot from Good Times, CBS (1974–1979)
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs ("Welcome Back, Kotter," 1975–1979)
Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington was the coolest Sweathog in the room, complete with that deep “Hi there” greeting. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs managed to stand out even while sharing a classroom with Travolta, Palillo and Hegyes. Freddie Washington remains an unmistakably 70s television character. Hilton-Jacobs’ name deserves more of that recognition.
Screenshot from Welcome Back, Kotter, ABC (1975–1979), Modified
Nathaniel Taylor ("Sanford And Son," 1972–1977)
Rollo Lawson always seemed to make Fred Sanford suspicious simply by walking through the front door. Nathaniel Taylor played Lamont’s smooth-talking friend, and Fred usually reacted as though Rollo had personally arrived to empty the entire house. Taylor wasn't the star of Sanford and Son, but he became one of its most familiar faces.
Screenshot from Sanford and Son, NBC (1972–1977)
Richard Mulligan ("Soap," 1977–1981)
Richard Mulligan played Burt Campbell, a man who eventually became convinced he could make himself invisible. That sentence alone should tell you what kind of show Soap was. Mulligan later found another successful sitcom role on Empty Nest, yet his name still isn't nearly as famous as many actors who had half his television résumé.
Screenshot from Soap, ABC (1977–1981), Modified
Peter Bonerz ("The Bob Newhart Show," 1972–1978)
Dr. Jerry Robinson was Bob Hartley’s orthodontist friend and frequent lunch companion on The Bob Newhart Show. Peter Bonerz spent six seasons trading wonderfully dry jokes with Bob Newhart before eventually becoming a prolific television director. If his face immediately made you think, “Jerry!” congratulations. You're doing extremely well.
Screenshot from The Bob Newhart Show, CBS (1972–1978), Modified
Al Molinaro ("Happy Days," 1974–1984)
Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep. Al Molinaro played Al Delvecchio, the lovable owner of Arnold's Drive-In on Happy Days. But 70s sitcom fans may also recognize him as Murray the cop on The Odd Couple. Two classic sitcoms, two memorable characters and one face you know immediately. Please tell us you remembered “Al Molinaro.”
Screenshot from Happy Days, ABC (1974–1984), Modified
David Birney ("Bridget Loves Bernie," 1972–1973)
David Birney was not merely some guy who popped up in a forgotten sitcom. For a brief period, he was a genuine television leading man. Birney starred opposite Meredith Baxter as Bernie Steinberg in Bridget Loves Bernie, and the show became a major ratings success during its single season. Television audiences definitely knew this guy.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
Paul Sand ("Paul Sand In Friends And Lovers," 1974–1975)
Paul Sand had won a Tony, appeared on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and impressed people enough that MTM Enterprises put his name right in the title of a sitcom. He played awkward symphony bassist Robert Dreyfuss, with the entire comedy built around Sand’s peculiar charm. That's sitcom-star status, even if almost nobody remembers it now.
CBS Photo Division, Wikimedia Commons
Louise Lasser ("Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," 1976–1977)
Louise Lasser wasn't simply on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. She was Mary Hartman, appearing five nights a week as one of the strangest television phenomena of the decade. For a while, Lasser was an unmistakable face in American pop culture. Today, plenty of people know the show's title without being able to name its star.
Screenshot from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Sony Pictures Television (1976–1977)
James Coco ("Calucci's Department," 1973)
James Coco had the look, voice and timing of a man television producers clearly believed should have his own sitcom. More than once, they tried. He starred as Joe Calucci in Calucci's Department and later returned as the co-lead of The Dumplings. Coco remained a busy actor, but his moment as a 70s sitcom headliner has largely disappeared.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
John Schuck ("Holmes & Yoyo," 1976–1977)
John Schuck was already a familiar character actor when ABC cast him as Gregory “Yoyo” Yoyonovich, a police detective who happened to be a robot. Schuck played the ridiculous idea completely straight, which was half the joke. He would keep popping up in movies and television for decades. That face really should be setting off alarms.
Screenshot from Holmes & Yoyo, ABC (1976–1977), Modified
Richard B. Shull ("Holmes & Yoyo," 1976–1977)
And somebody had to be partnered with the robot. Richard B. Shull played Detective Alexander Holmes, the spectacularly accident-prone human half of Holmes & Yoyo. Shull became one of those endlessly useful character actors whose face seemed familiar even when his name didn't. In the 70s, though, he was actually co-leading his own ABC sitcom.
Screenshot from Holmes & Yoyo, ABC (1976–1977), Modified
David Naughton ("Makin' It," 1979)
David Naughton may be the only guy here whose sitcom theme became more famous than his sitcom. He starred as Billy Manucci in Makin' It and sang the title song himself. The song climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Naughton later starred in An American Werewolf in London. Quite the strange résumé.
Screenshot from Makin' It, ABC (1979), Modified
Miyoshi Umeki ("The Courtship Of Eddie's Father," 1969–1972)
Miyoshi Umeki entered the 70s as Mrs. Livingston on The Courtship of Eddie's Father, where her warmth and wonderfully understated humor made her essential to the household. Here's the part people really forget: Umeki had already won an Academy Award before becoming a sitcom regular. Not exactly your average TV housekeeper résumé.
Screenshot from The Courtship of Eddie's Father, ABC (1969–1972)
Dick Gautier ("When Things Were Rotten," 1975)
Some viewers remember Dick Gautier as Hymie the robot from Get Smart. In 1975, Mel Brooks promoted him all the way to Robin Hood. Gautier starred in When Things Were Rotten, Brooks’ wonderfully silly take on the legend years before Robin Hood: Men in Tights. For a moment, this guy was carrying his own network comedy.
Screenshot from When Things Were Rotten, ABC (1975)
So…How Many Names Did You Actually Know?
And no, recognizing the character after we gave you the actor’s name does not count.
These people were once in millions of living rooms every week. They played neighbors, husbands, detectives, Sweathogs and, because this was the 70s, even the occasional robot policeman.
So how did you do? Five? Ten? Twenty? Or did you spend half this list saying, “I knew that guy!” without knowing a single name?
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
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