John Pappas: As Talented As He Is Ubiquitous

By Dominique Martin


With a career that has spanned more than forty-five years, he has appeared in countless movies and television shows. People who see John Pappas in public are likely to think they somehow know him, rather than thinking they saw him acting in a movie. With his chameleon like acting skills, he may not be recognizable from one role to the next.

He was born in Oakland, but made his way to Southern California after finishing college at San Francisco State University. He made his way to Hollywood, the city that has the best job opportunities for actors. History has shown that he found plenty of acting jobs.

He is a multi talented individual. Not many people can act, write, direct and do stand up comedy. Name a detective show of the 1980s and he had a guest role. He also appeared in numerous sitcoms. He also made many appearances on the popular daytime talk shows of the 1970s as a standup comic.

Adept in almost every aspect of the performing arts, he has written and directed plays. On occasion he directed himself in plays he wrote. His work in the theater is distinguished. He had the good fortune and talent to originate roles in the Los Angeles theater and continue the same role to New York productions.

Part of his acting talent is the ability to change face, to somehow morph into the face of his character. This how he has been able to play bad guys, good guys and just ordinary guys and be equally believable playing all three types of characters.

A good portion of his longevity was spent on a popular soap opera. For twenty-two years he had a regular role, not just periodic guest appearance. His guest appearance on that soap opera may have brought him to the attention of the producers, but his likability with the show's fans is what kept him on the show.

For a time when he was doing stand up comedy he part of a two man comedic team. The pair would tell jokes and sing, not unlike another popular duo of that era, the Smothers Brothers. It was all good, clean fun. The team poked more fun at themselves than anyone else.

Surprisingly, in addition to acting, writing, directing and comedy, Pappas is also a talented artist. He has had many showings in art galleries. Many of his paintings have been purchased privately and hang in private homes across the continent.

He truly has the best of both worlds. He has enjoyed success and celebrity without the pitfalls of stardom. He and his wife live happily with their two dogs, Golden Retrievers, who have been the subject of some of his paintings. He made it work. He has the balance of creativity, productivity and personal fulfillment. Really, who could ask for more. He has been gifted with many talents, but he had the wisdom and discipline to put his talents to good use. Congratulations to this fine actor. It is a rare man who can achieve this balance. For all we know, he is a Zen master too.




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