Severn Darden
Severn Teakle Darden Jr. (November 9, 1929 – May 27, 1995) was an American comedian and actor, and a founding member of The Second City Chicago-based comedy troupe as well as its predecessor, the Compass Players. He is known from his film appearances for playing the human leader Kolp in the fourth and fifth Planet of the Apes films. His live comedy improv skit under the character of "Walther von der Vogelweide" was influential with two generations of comic performers.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he attended the University of Chicago, where he was a "campus legend" according to poet Paul Carroll. Darden’s offbeat and intellectual sense of humor was a major element in the style of The Second City at that time, and is evident throughout his work. Carroll described him as a combination of surrealistic New Orleans and tough, caustic "Chicago Style" comedy. An example of his offbeat humor is the way he squeezed the phrase "Know thyself" into the seven-character limitation of a New Mexico license plate: NOYOSEF.
Darden was a core comedian in Paul Sills' Compass Players, the first improvisation theater in the US; it performed around the Chicago area during the mid-1950s. Sills went on to found The Second City in 1959 and brought in many of the comedians from Compass Players, including Darden.
Acted in
The Telephone
1988
Beauty and the Beast
1987
Take Five
1987
Back to School
1986
as Dr. Barazini
Real Genius
1985
as Dr. Meredith
Half Nelson
1985
as Morgue Attendant
Quarterback Princess
1983
as Mr. Hobart
Cheers
1982
as Professor DeWitt
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
as Farmer Silas
Rooster
1982
as Conway
The Fall Guy
1981
Saturday the 14th
1981
as Van Helsing
Evita Peron
1981
as Alfredo Suero
A Cry for Love
1980
as Paul
Hopscotch
1980
as Maddox
In God We Tru$t
1980
as Priest
Why Would I Lie?
1980
as Dr. Barbour
A Small Circle of Friends
1980
as Art Professor
Beyond Westworld
1980
as Foley
Orphan Train
1979
as Mr. Barrington
Love for Rent
1979
as Fred Hallem
Once Upon a Midnight Scary
1979
as Jonathan Barnavelt
Rendezvous Hotel
1979
as Albert Church
Wanda Nevada
1979
as Merlin Bitterstix
Outside Chance
1978
as Sheriff Dempsey
Flying High
1978
Never Con a Killer
1977
as Cap
Victory at Entebbe
1976
as Moshe Meyer
The Disappearance of Aimee
1976
as S.I. Gilbert
Mother, Jugs & Speed
1976
as Moran
Jackson County Jail
1976
as Sheriff Dempsey
City of Angels
1976
as Winnie
The Practice
1976
Laverne & Shirley
1976
The Bionic Woman
1976
I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?
1975
as Mr. Fletch / Dr. DeHart
Starsky & Hutch
1975
as Mr. Wheeler
Barbary Coast
1975
Barney Miller
1975
as Randolph Cook
Baretta
1975
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1974
as Dr. Aaron Pollack
Harry O
1974
The Legend of Hillbilly John
1974
as Mr. Marduke
Skyway to Death
1974
as Steve Kramer
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974
as Apploy
The Day of the Dolphin
1973
as Schwinn
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
1973
as Kolp
The Man Who Died Twice
1973
as Harry
Dirty Little Billy
1972
as Big Jim McDaniel
Play It as It Lays
1972
as Hypnotist
Playmates
1972
as Roger, Man in Gallery
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes
1972
as Kolp
The War Between Men and Women
1972
as Dr. Harris
Cisco Pike
1972
as Lawyer
The Last Movie
1971
as Mayor
Getting Together
1971
The Man and the City
1971
The Hired Hand
1971
as McVey
Werewolves on Wheels
1971
as One
Vanishing Point
1971
as J. Hovah
Alias Smith and Jones
1971
Barefoot in the Park
1970
Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You
1970
as Dr. Fahrquardt
The Movie Murderer
1970
as Jimmy Apache
Bongo Wolf’s Revenge
1970
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
1969
as Cecil
Fearless Frank
1969
as The Good Doctor / Claude
To See or Not to See
1969
Justine
1969
as Bathazar
The Mad Room
1969
as Nate
Model Shop
1969
as Camera Shop Owner
The Virgin President
1968
as U.S. President / Fillmard Millmore
The Name of the Game
1968
as Cameron
P.J.
1968
as Shelton Quell
The President's Analyst
1967
as Kropotkin
Luv
1967
as Vandergist
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round
1966
as Miles Fisher
Occasional Wife
1966
The Monkees
1966
The Double-Barrelled Detective Story
1965
as H.S. Stevens
I Dream of Jeannie
1965
as Milton
Honey West
1965
as Dr. Gregory Ames
Goldstein
1965
as Doctor
Daniel Boone
1964
as Sir Hubert Spencer
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955
as Franklin
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as S.I. Gilbert, Aimee's lawyer