Sam Anderson (born May 13, 1945) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Sam Gorpley on Perfect Strangers, as dentist Bernard Nadler on Lost and as Holland Manners on Angel.
Early life
Anderson was born in Wahpeton, North Dakota. He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. During the 1970s, he taught drama at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California.
Career
Anderson is best known for his roles as mailroom supervisor Mr. Gorpley on Perfect Strangers, the lawyer Holland Manners on the first two seasons of Angel, the cardiologist Dr. Jack Kayson on the television series ER, and as dentist Bernard on Lost. He is also known as the assistant manager of the Hotel Royale in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Royale", and as Mike Seaver's adversarial Principal DeWitt on Growing Pains. In addition, he was one of the recurring actors on various episodes ofWKRP in Cincinnati, playing various roles, including an immigration officer in the episode "The Americanization of Ivan". Anderson has guest-starred in Season 8 of NCIS as Walter Carmichael, a middle school teacher whose classroom becomes a crime scene when one of his students is kidnapped.
Personal life
Anderson married Barbara Anderson, a private school drama and debate teacher at the Wesley School, in 1985 and is the father of twins. Sam holds advanced degrees in Theatre, American Literature and Creative Writing. He is also a member of the Mystery Writers of America.