Known For
Acting
Born
Nov 09, 1929
Died
May 27, 1995
Credits
90 titles
Severn Darden
Biography
Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, 1929 – May 27, 1995) was an American comedian and actor, and a founding member of The Second City Chicago-based comedy troupe as well as its predecessor, the Compass Players. He is known from his film appearances for playing the human leader Kolp in the fourth and fifth Planet of the Apes films. His live comedy improv skit under the character of "Walther von der Vogelweide" was influential with two generations of comic performers. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he attended the University of Chicago, where he was a "campus legend" according to poet Paul Carroll. Darden’s offbeat and intellectual sense of humor was a major element in the style of The Second City at that time, and is evident throughout his work. Carroll described him as a combination of surrealistic New Orleans and tough, caustic "Chicago Style" comedy. An example of his offbeat humor is the way he squeezed the phrase "Know thyself" into the seven-character limitation of a New Mexico license plate: NOYOSEF. Darden was a core comedian in Paul Sills' Compass Players, the first improvisation theater in the US; it performed around the Chicago area during the mid-1950s. Sills went on to found The Second City in 1959 and brought in many of the comedians from Compass Players, including Darden.
Known For
Filmography
The Telephone
Beauty and the Beast
Waterman
Take Five
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
Farmer Silas
Back to School
Dr. Barazini
Real Genius
Dr. Meredith
Half Nelson
Morgue Attendant
Quarterback Princess
Mr. Hobart
Cheers
Professor DeWitt
Faerie Tale Theatre
Farmer Silas
Rooster
Conway
The Fall Guy
Saturday the 14th
Van Helsing
Evita Peron
Alfredo Suero
A Cry for Love
Paul
Hopscotch
Maddox
In God We Tru$t
Priest
Why Would I Lie?
Dr. Barbour
A Small Circle of Friends
Art Professor
Beyond Westworld
Foley
Orphan Train
Mr. Barrington
Love for Rent
Fred Hallem
Once Upon a Midnight Scary
Jonathan Barnavelt
Rendezvous Hotel
Albert Church
Wanda Nevada
Merlin Bitterstix
Outside Chance
Sheriff Dempsey
Flying High
Never Con a Killer
Cap
Victory at Entebbe
Moshe Meyer
The Disappearance of Aimee
S.I. Gilbert
Mother, Jugs & Speed
Moran
Jackson County Jail
Sheriff Dempsey
City of Angels
Winnie
The Practice
Laverne & Shirley
The Bionic Woman
I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?
Mr. Fletch / Dr. DeHart
Starsky & Hutch
Mr. Wheeler
Barbary Coast
Barney Miller
Randolph Cook
Baretta
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Dr. Aaron Pollack
Harry O
Lincoln
Gideon Welles
The Legend of Hillbilly John
Mr. Marduke
Skyway to Death
Steve Kramer
The Six Million Dollar Man
Apploy
The Day of the Dolphin
Schwinn
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Kolp
The Man Who Died Twice
Harry