Charles Lewis Napier (April 12, 1936 – October 5, 2011) was a prolific American actor known for his many supporting and occasional leading roles in television and film. Born near Scottsville, Kentucky, Napier served in the U.S. Army before pursuing higher education, earning a degree in art from Western Kentucky University. He initially worked as a sports coach and art teacher before dedicating himself to acting. Napier gained early attention after starring in several low-budget films by director Russ Meyer, including his debut in Cherry, Harry & Raquel! (1969). He became well-known for his portrayal of tough, authoritative characters such as police officers, soldiers, and villains often with a rugged or corrupt edge. Among his memorable roles are the short-tempered country singer Tucker McElroy in The Blues Brothers (1980), CIA officer Marshall Murdock in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), and multiple collaborations with director Jonathan Demme in films like The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Philadelphia (1993). He also had notable appearances in television, including roles in The A-Team, The Oregon Trail, Star Trek: The Original Series, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Napier was appreciated for his strong voice, steely gaze, and distinct broad chin, which made him a standout character actor. Napier passed away in 2011 in Bakersfield, California, due to thrombosis at the age of 75. He also published a book about his life titled Square Jaw and Big Heart

Filmography

• Archer — Dr. Speltz (voice)
• 2009Life Blood — Sherrif Tillman
• 2009Shadowheart — Sheriff Sanders
• 2009The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard — Dick Lewiston
• 2008Black Crescent Moon — Father Woods
• 2008One-Eyed Monster — Mohtz
• 2008Your Name Here — Chuck
• 2007Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: Field Trips, Permission Slips, Signs, and Weasels — Seargent Guard
• 2006Annapolis
• 2005Fielder's Choice — Taco Bob
• 2005Lords of Dogtown — Nudie
• Squidbillies — Sheriff (voice)
• 2005Suits on the Loose — General Wilkins
• 2005The Kid & I — Eyepatch-wearing Two Spies boss
• 2004Dinocroc — Sheriff Harper
• Justice League Unlimited — General Hardcastle (voice)
• Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide — Seargent Guard
• The 4400 — Josiah
• The Batman — Kilgore Steed (voice)
• 2004The Manchurian Candidate — General Sloan
• Cold Case — Hal Chaney (2008)
• Monk — Sheriff Bates
• 2002Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — Roy (voice)
• 2002The Thief & the Stripper — Face
• 2001Down 'n Dirty — Capt. Jerry Teller
• 2001Extreme Honor — Commanding Officer #1
• The Legend of Tarzan — Ian McTeague (voice)
• Buzz Lightyear of Star Command — Wild Bill Cooley (voice)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation — Warren Matthews
• God, the Devil and Bob — Rev. Nat Potterson (voice)
• 2000Never Look Back — Sheriff Dawkins
• 2000Nutty Professor II: The Klumps — Four Star General
• Son of the Beach
• 2000Very Mean Men — Detective Bailey
• 1999Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me — Gen. Hawk
• 1999Cypress Edge — Detective O'Reilly
• 1999Lima: Breaking the Silence — Padre
• 1999Pirates of the Plain — Grandpa
• Roswell — Hal Carver
• 1999The Big Tease — Sen. Warren Crockett
• 1999The Hunter's Moon — J.T. Conover
• The Magician
• 1998Alien Species — Sheriff Nate Culver
• 1998Armstrong — Robert Zorkin
• 1998Beloved — Angry Carny (uncredited)
• 1998Centurion Force — Dunlap
• 1998Death on the Oregon Trail
• Hercules — (voice)
• 1998Second Chances — Craig Hardy
• 1997Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery — Commander Gilmour
• George & Leo
• 1997Macon County Jail — Sheriff Dempsey
• Men in Black: The Series — Chief Zed (voice)
• 1997No Small Ways
• 1997Steel — Col. David
• The Practice — Judge Abraham Betts
• 1996Billy Lone Bear
• 1996Expert Witness
• 1996Felony — Duke
• 1996Limp Fangs: The Adventures of Count Malt Liquela — Adam
• 1996Original Gangstas — Mayor
• Pacific Blue — Tyrone Justice
• 1996Riot — Agent Devaney
• Superman: The Animated Series — General Hardcastle (voice)
• 1996The Cable Guy — Arresting Officer
• The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest — Hinkle (voice)
• 19953 Ninjas Knuckle Up — Jack
• 1995Ballistic — Underwood
• 1995Fatal Pursuit — Herbert
• 1995Hard Justice — Warden Pike
• 1995Jury Duty — Jed
• 1995Max Is Missing — Becker
• 1995Ripper Man — Harry
• 1995Twisted Fate — Nolan Gobal
• 1994Body Shot — Leon
• 1994Jailbreakers — Charlie, the Horse Connection
• Party of Five — Video Guy
• 1994Raw Justice — Mayor David Stiles
• Rebel Highway — Charlie, the Horse Connection
• 1994Savage Land — Cole
• 1994Silent Fury
• 1994Silk Degrees — Schultz
• The Critic — Duke Phillips (voice)
• 1994To Die, to Sleep — Father
• 1993Body Bags — Manager
• Diagnosis: Murder — Johnny McNamara
• Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman — Sailin' Whalen
• 1993National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 — Interrogator
• 1993Philadelphia — Judge Garnett
• 1993Skeeter — Ernie Buckle
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Gen. Rex Denning
• Walker, Texas Ranger — Warden Kyle
• 1992Center of the Web — Agent Williams
• 1992Eyes of the Beholder — Det. Wilson
• 1992Frogtown II — Capt. Delano
• 1992Killer Instinct — John Doogan
• 1992Mean Tricks — Brian Hornsby
• Renegade — Col. Nelson Brackett, Sgt. Douglas Raines
• The Golden Palace — Mr. Smith #1
• 1992Treacherous Crossing
• 1991After the Condor
• 1991Indio 2 - The Revolt — IMC President
• 1991Lonely Hearts — Robby Ross
• Rugrats — Captain (voice)
• 1991Soldier's Fortune — Col. Blair
• 1991The Silence of the Lambs — Lt. Boyle
• 1991Under Surveillance — Troy
• 1990Cop Target — John Granger
• 1990Dragonfight — Moochow
• 1990Ernest Goes to Jail — Warden
• 1990Future Zone — Mickland
• 1990Maniac Cop 2 — Lew Brady
• 1990Miami Blues — Sergeant Bill Henderson
• 1990The Grifters — Gloucester Hebbing
• 1990The Last Match — American Consul
• 1989Alien from the Deep — Colonel Kovacks
• Coach — Buzz Durkin
• 1989Hit List — Tom Mitchum
• 1989One Man Force — Dante
• The Simpsons — Warden (voice), Grant Conner (voice), Officer Krackney (voice)
• 1988Bush Shrink — Kingsley
• 1988Deep Space — Det. Ian McLemore
• 1988Kidnapped — Lt. O'Bryan
• 1988Married to the Mob — Angela's Hairdresser
• Paradise — Sheriff Cochran
• 1988The Incredible Hulk Returns — Mike Fouche
• 1987The Night Stalker — Sgt. J.J. Striker
• Blacke's Magic — Jack Rhodes
• 1986Body Count — Charlie, the Sheriff
• 1986Instant Justice — Maj. Davis
• L.A. Law — Detective John Foley
• Outlaws — Wolf Lucas
• 1986Something Wild — Irate Chef
• 1985Rambo: First Blood Part II — Marshall Murdock
• Street Hawk — John Slade
• Murder, She Wrote — Hank Sutter, Denver Martin
• Night Court — Mitchell Bowers
• 1984Swing Shift — Moon Willis
• 1984The Cartier Affair — Morgan Carroll
• 1984The Outlaws — Captain Striker
• 1983China Lake — Donnelly
• Gun Shy — Carlton
• The A-Team — Burt Cross, Col. Briggs
• Knight Rider — Carney (uncredited)
• Tales of the Gold Monkey — Tex Henderson
• The Blue and the Gray — Major Harrison
• 1982Wacko — Chief O'Hara
• Simon & Simon
• 1980Gridlock — Sonny
• 1980Melvin and Howard — Ventura
• 1980The Blues Brothers — Tucker McElroy
• B. J. and the Bear
• 1979Last Embrace — Dave Quittle
• 1978Big Bob Johnson and His Fantastic Speed Circus — Big Bob Johnson
• Dallas — Carl Daggett
• CHiPs — Klane
• 1977Citizens Band — Chrome Angel
• 1977Ransom for Alice! — Pete Phelan
• The Incredible Hulk — Hulk (voice), Bert, John Blake
• The Oregon Trail — Luther Sprague
• 1977Thunder and Lightning — Jim Bob
• Baa Baa Black Sheep — Red Buell
• Delvecchio — Alt
• 1976The Flying Misfits — Maj. Red Buell
• Baretta
• Starsky & Hutch — Sheriff Joe Tyce, John Brown Harris
• 1975Supervixens — Harry Sledge, Associate Producer
• The Rockford Files — Billy Webster, Mitch Donner
• Kojak — Marty Vaughan
• 1973Moonfire — Robert W. Morgan
• The Rookies
• The Streets of San Francisco — Norderman
• 1971Love and Kisses
• 1971The Seven Minutes — Officer Iverson
• 1970Beyond the Valley of the Dolls — Baxter, Associate Producer
• 1969Cherry, Harry & Raquel! — Harry
• 1969The Hanging of Jake Ellis — Jake Ellis
• 1969The House Near the Prado
• The Mod Squad — Broker (uncredited)
• Mannix — Police Officer (uncredited)
• Mission: Impossible — First Guard (uncredited), Thug, Roland (uncredited)
• Star Trek — Adam
• Hogan's Heroes — Partisan Messenger (uncredited)

Appearances as themselves (2)

• 2002We Get to Win This Time — Self
• 1997Hollywood Rated 'R' — Self