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
Stargate
(1994)
Lieutenant Kawalsky
Stripes
(1981)
Cruiser
Escape from New York
(1981)
Punk
Falling Down
(1993)
Dad (Back Yard Party)
Pearl Harbor
(2001)
Senior Doctor
National Lampoon's Vacation
(1983)
Assistant Mechanic
Gettysburg
(1993)
Pvt. Bucklin
Armageddon Time
(2022)
Fred Trump
A Time to Kill
(1996)
Tim Nunley
Purgatory
(1999)
Badger
Fail Safe
(2000)
Col. Cascio
The Client
(1994)
Jack Nance
Nixon
(1995)
Gordon Liddy
Angel
(1984)
The Killer
Whore
(1991)
Derelict
Fire Down Below
(1997)
Frank Elkins
Full Filmography
Acting
Falling in Love Again
(1980)
Beaver (1940's)
A Cry for Love
(1980)
Stripes
(1981)
Cruiser
Escape from New York
(1981)
Punk
The Ambush Murders
(1982)
Ferguson
Hysterical
(1982)
Taxi Driver
Joysticks
(1983)
Arnie
National Lampoon's Vacation
(1983)
Assistant Mechanic
D.C. Cab
(1983)
Head Kidnapper
Angel
(1984)
The Killer
Miami Vice: Brother's Keeper
(1984)
Det. Larry Zito
Walker
(1987)
Stebbins
The Hanoi Hilton
(1987)
Murphy
Glitz
(1988)
Teddy Magyk
The Dark Side of the Moon
(1990)
Philip Jennings
MadHouse
(1990)
Fred
Whore
(1991)
Derelict
Kickboxer 2: The Road Back
(1991)
Jack
Motorama
(1991)
Phil
A Climate for Killing
(1991)
Wayne Paris
Mo' Money
(1992)
Keith Heading
Mikey
(1992)
Neil Trenton
Falling Down
(1993)
Dad (Back Yard Party)
Remote
(1993)
Delbert McCoy
The Paint Job
(1993)
Father
Gettysburg
(1993)
Pvt. Bucklin
Stargate
(1994)
Lieutenant Kawalsky
Almost Dead
(1994)
Eddie Herbek
The Client
(1994)
Jack Nance
The New Age
(1994)
Lyle
Mind Ripper
(1995)
Alex
Three Wishes
(1995)
Leland's Dad
Amanda & the Alien
(1995)
Colonel Rosencrans
Nixon
(1995)
Gordon Liddy
Buffalo Girls
(1995)
Gen. Custer (1995)
A Time to Kill
(1996)
Tim Nunley
The Grave
(1996)
J.C. Cole
Foxfire
(1996)
Mr. Buttinger
Managua
(1996)
The Destiny of Marty Fine
(1996)
Deke
Female Perversions
(1996)
Jake Rock
Most Wanted
(1997)
Police Captain
The End of Violence
(1997)
Lowell
Fire Down Below
(1997)
Frank Elkins
Casualties
(1997)
Polito
The Hi-Lo Country
(1998)
Les Birk
Monument Ave.
(1998)
Digger
The Rat Pack
(1998)
Joe DiMaggio
Anywhere but Here
(1999)
Jimmy
Purgatory
(1999)
Badger
Fail Safe
(2000)
Col. Cascio
Lost Souls
(2000)
Henry Birdson
Jurassic Park III
(2001)
Cooper
Pearl Harbor
(2001)
Senior Doctor
Falling Like This
(2001)
Eddie Gallagher
The Zeros
(2001)
Burl
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
The Far Side of Jericho
(2006)
Cash Thornton
Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise
(2006)
Jerry Snyder
The Lucky Ones
(2008)
Tom Klinger
Drifter: Henry Lee Lucas
(2009)
Sheriff Larabie
Road to Nowhere
(2010)
Bobby Billings
Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe
(2011)
Rear Admiral Lawrence
Natural Selection
(2011)
Abe
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