John Diehl (born May 1, 1950) is an American character actor with over 150 credits to his name in film and television. He is best known for his roles as Charles Kawalsky in the 1994 film Stargate, Det. Larry Zito on the 1980s cop show Miami Vice, Assistant Chief Ben Gilroy on The Shield, and as "the Cruiser" in Stripes. His other notable roles include Pvt. Bucklin, the spokesman of the 2nd Maine mutineers in Gettysburg, Cooper in Jurassic Park III (2001), as G. Gordon Liddy in the Oliver Stone movie Nixon, the Klansman informant ("Mickey Mouse") in A Time to Kill, and as Keith, a credit card company supervisor in Mo Money. He also appeared as the spirit of Harley Earl in a series of commercials for Buick. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1968. For a time, he flirted with a professional boxing career, leaving Miami Vice to pursue it.
Known For
Escape from New York
(1981)
Punk
National Lampoon's Vacation
(1983)
Assistant Mechanic
Pearl Harbor
(2001)
Senior Doctor
Stripes
(1981)
Cruiser
Stargate
(1994)
Lieutenant Kawalsky
A Time to Kill
(1996)
Tim Nunley
Falling Down
(1993)
Dad (Back Yard Party)
Nixon
(1995)
Gordon Liddy
Fire Down Below
(1997)
Frank Elkins
The Client
(1994)
Jack Nance
Gettysburg
(1993)
Pvt. Bucklin
Armageddon Time
(2022)
Fred Trump
Most Wanted
(1997)
Police Captain
Purgatory
(1999)
Badger
Whore
(1991)
Derelict
Anywhere but Here
(1999)
Jimmy
Full Filmography
Acting
Falling in Love Again
(1980)
Beaver (1940's)
A Cry for Love
(1980)
Escape from New York
(1981)
Punk
Stripes
(1981)
Cruiser
Hysterical
(1982)
Taxi Driver
The Ambush Murders
(1982)
Ferguson
D.C. Cab
(1983)
Head Kidnapper
National Lampoon's Vacation
(1983)
Assistant Mechanic
Joysticks
(1983)
Arnie
Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
(1984)
Det. Larry Zito
Angel
(1984)
The Killer
The Hanoi Hilton
(1987)
Murphy
Walker
(1987)
Stebbins
Glitz
(1988)
Teddy Magyk
MadHouse
(1990)
Fred
The Dark Side of the Moon
(1990)
Philip Jennings
Kickboxer 2: The Road Back
(1991)
Jack
Motorama
(1991)
Phil
Whore
(1991)
Derelict
A Climate for Killing
(1991)
Wayne Paris
Mikey
(1992)
Neil Trenton
Mo' Money
(1992)
Keith Heading
Gettysburg
(1993)
Pvt. Bucklin
Falling Down
(1993)
Dad (Back Yard Party)
The Paint Job
(1993)
Father
Remote
(1993)
Delbert McCoy
The Client
(1994)
Jack Nance
Almost Dead
(1994)
Eddie Herbek
The New Age
(1994)
Lyle
Stargate
(1994)
Lieutenant Kawalsky
Mind Ripper
(1995)
Alex
Nixon
(1995)
Gordon Liddy
Buffalo Girls
(1995)
Gen. Custer (1995)
Amanda & the Alien
(1995)
Colonel Rosencrans
Three Wishes
(1995)
Leland's Dad
Female Perversions
(1996)
Jake Rock
A Time to Kill
(1996)
Tim Nunley
The Destiny of Marty Fine
(1996)
Deke
Managua
(1996)
The Grave
(1996)
J.C. Cole
Foxfire
(1996)
Mr. Buttinger
The End of Violence
(1997)
Lowell
Most Wanted
(1997)
Police Captain
Casualties
(1997)
Polito
Fire Down Below
(1997)
Frank Elkins
The Rat Pack
(1998)
Joe DiMaggio
Monument Ave.
(1998)
Digger
The Hi-Lo Country
(1998)
Les Birk
Purgatory
(1999)
Badger
Anywhere but Here
(1999)
Jimmy
Lost Souls
(2000)
Henry Birdson
Fail Safe
(2000)
Col. Cascio
Jurassic Park III
(2001)
Cooper
The Zeros
(2001)
Burl
Falling Like This
(2001)
Eddie Gallagher
Pearl Harbor
(2001)
Senior Doctor
Tully
(2002)
Mal "Mac" MacAvoy
Bookies
(2003)
Vincent
Land of Plenty
(2004)
Paul
I Pass for Human
(2004)
Ex-husband
Down in the Valley
(2005)
Steve
The House Is Burning
(2006)
Mr. Garson
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
(2006)
Jerry Snyder
The Far Side of Jericho
(2006)
Cash Thornton
The Lucky Ones
(2008)
Tom Klinger
Drifter: Henry Lee Lucas
(2009)
Sheriff Larabie
Road to Nowhere
(2010)
Bobby Billings
Natural Selection
(2011)
Abe
Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe
(2011)
Rear Admiral Lawrence
The Obama Effect
(2012)
Steve Warren
Apartment 1303 3D
(2012)
Detective
Singularity Principle
(2013)
Jack Brenner
A Long Way Off
(2014)
Forever
(2015)
Neil
The North Star
(2016)
Master Anderson
Out of the Wild
(2017)
Henry McBride
La Sirena
(2020)
Nino
Serpent in the Bottle
(2020)
Marvin Decker
Armageddon Time
(2022)
Fred Trump
Production