Don Stark Wiki Bio
Donald ‘Don’ Stark was born in New York City, USA, on 5 July 1954 – his zodiac sign is Cancer, he’s of Jewish ethnicity, and holds American nationality. He’s an actor, perhaps known best for his role as Bob Pinciotti, in the popular Fox Network sitcom “That ‘70s Show”.
Early life and education
Don spent his early childhood in New York City. His father, Nate, was the manager of the clothing company Wilson’s House of Suede, while his mother, Harriet, was a housewife. His father was known for his sense of humor, once saying “Life is a s**t sandwich and every day you have to take another bite”.
When Don was a teenager, he moved to the San Fernando Valley, California with his family, and in 1972, he matriculated from Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda, California. During his time there, Don played for their football team, and was also an active member of the theatre arts department. He also had roles in many local theatre productions, including “Dark of the Moon”, “Guys and Dolls”, “Othello”, and “Fiddler on the Roof”.
He then enrolled at the California State University in Northridge, where he initially studied business, before changing his major to theatre arts.
Roles in movies
Don made his film debut in the 1973 TV crime thriller drama “Outrage”, written by William Wood, directed by Richard T. Heffron, and which starred Robert Culp, Marilyn Manson and Beah Richards.
He made his big screen debut two years later, in the action crime drama about girl gangs, entitled “Switchblade Sisters”.
In 1981, he appeared in the sci-fi horror “Evilspeak”, centered on an outcast military cadet who discovers a way to summon demons through his computer. In 1988, he had a role in the home video hit comedy “The Couch Trip”. In 1993, he got a chance to showcase his knowledge of martial arts in the action comedy “3 Ninjas: Knuckle Up”, and in its 1994 sequel “3 Ninjas Kick Back”.
In 1995, he appeared alongside Andy Garcia and Christopher Walken in the award-winning thriller drama “Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead”, focused on five criminals who are faced with imminent death after an unsuccessful job.
In the following year, he played one of the leads in the comedy “Santa with Muscles”, directed by John Murlowski, and which also starred Robin Curtis and the World Wide Entertainment (WWE) star Hulk Hogan. Also in 1996, Don played the role of Nicky the Nose, in the sci-fi adventure “Star Trek: First Contact”, the eighth installment in the “Star Trek” movie series.
In 2009, Don appeared in the award-winning horror “Dark House”, written and directed by Darin Scott, and in the following years had support roles in several critically acclaimed films, such as “Hello, MY Name Is Doris”, “Café Society”, and “Green Book”.
Don’s most recent movie role was in the 2019 adventure comedy about gambling addicts, entitled “7 Days to Vegas”.
Roles in TV series
Don made his TV series debut in 1975, when he appeared in an episode of the sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter”. In the following year, he was seen in an episode or two of several other shows, including “The Streets of San Francisco”, “The Twilight Zone”, and “Sledge Hammer!”
In 1988, Don played his first recurring role, as Ripley in 13 episodes of the long-running daytime drama “General Hospital”. Between 1995 and 1997, he voiced the character Rhino, in “Spider-man: The Animated Series”, based on the characters from Marvel comic books.
Another notable role for Don was in the nine episodes long sci-fi crime action “Timecop”, in which he played one of the leads, alongside Ted King and Cristi Conaway.
The series aired in 1997 and 1998, and followed a time traveler from 2007, who tracks down rogue travelers and brings them to justice.
Perhaps the role Don is best known for was in the Fox Network period sitcom “That ‘70s Show”, created by Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner and Mark Brazill. It focused on the lives of six teenagers living in a fictional town in Wisconsin, while addressing social issues of the 1970’s, such as generational conflict, underage substance abuse, and the economic hardships of the decade. In the series, Don played one of the main non-teenage characters, Bob Pinciotti, Donna Pinciotti’s father, and a former member of the National Guard.
The series was one of the most successful sitcoms of the 1990’s and early 2000’s, and was nominated for a substantial number of awards, including 16 Primetime Emmy nominations, but won its only Emmy in 1999, for Outstanding Costume Design in a Series, received by Melina Root.
In the following years, Don guest-starred in a number of popular TV series, including “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, “Supernatural” and “Cory in the House”. In 2016, he played Gerry in the last season of the comedy “Maron”, centered on the life of a professional comedian.
His latest TV series appearance was in 2018, in an episode of the comedy drama “Shameless”, entitled “Weirdo Gallagher Complex”.
https://twitter.com/donstark70/status/1405985124739534850
In late2021, he’s set to star alongside Duke Van Patten and Caitlyn Jenner in the pilot of the upcoming sitcom “Duke of the Valley”, loosely based on real life experiences of Duke Van Patten.
Awards and other accolades
In 2018, Don was rewarded with the Jury Prize for Best Ensemble at the Festigious International Film Festival, shared with his co-stars from the short comedy film “Holiday Hostage”.
In 2021, he along with his co-stars from “7 Days to Vegas” won the Actor Award at the Garden State Film Festival, for Best Ensemble in a Feature Film
Love life and relationships
Don has been married to the non-celebrity Aubrey Robinson since 1989. The two don’t have children together, however, Don has two daughters named Samantha and Nicole, from his previous marriage with Julie Stark.
Hobbies and interesting facts
Don is a very active person, and has a background in dancing, bodybuilding and martial arts.
He volunteers for YMCA in his spare time, and has also coached softball, helping his daughters who both played for their high school teams.
His co-star from “That 70’s Show”, Kurtwood Smith – who played the role of Red Foreman – studied in Canoga High School, which is the rival school to Don’s Cleveland High School.
Appearance, age and net worth
Don is 67 years old. He has short brown hair and green eyes, he’s 5ft 10ins (1.78m) tall, and weighs around 176lbs (80kgs).
As of October 2021, his net worth is estimated at more than $5 million.
