Hank Jones ( June 3, 1940 ) is an American Actor, Musician and Song Writer, who appeared as Mork's ineffectual Defense Attorney in Mork's Sanity hearing in the Pilot episode of the show.
Biography[]
Hank Jones was born Henry Z. Jones Jr on June 3, 1940 in Oakland, California, USA. From the early age of 8, he developed a deep love of genealogy following the discovery of fading tintypes, family letters and old newspaper clippings in the basement of his parents' home in San Leandro, California. He wrote his first genealogical work, "A Few More Left: The Story of Isaac Hillman", his great-grandfather, while still in high school. ,Following High School he attended Stanford University. Carrying his long time love genealogy through college, a talented musician and creative, Hank pursued another path and embarked on a career in the entertainment industry, before returning in the early 80s to his genealogical first love. [1]
He has been married twice, first to Lori Spring (divorced) and then to Bonnie Lublin (m. 1988), and one child, a daughter, Amanda. [2]
Career[]
He began his entertain career as co-star of the musical variety program The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show (1962) on ABC, logging 400 network appearances on the program; during this period. Hank also recorded albums on RCA and Capitol Records. A long-time songwriter and member of ASCAP, Hank's song "Midnight Swinger" recorded by Mel Tormé was honored with a preliminary Grammy nomination in 1970.
In 1963 he began a 20-year career as an actor in films and television. He was a featured player in many of the well loved live action Walt Disney films of the 1960s and 1970s. These include Blackbeard's Ghost (1968) with Peter Ustinov, Elsa Lanchester, Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette; Herbie Rides Again (1974) with Helen Hayes; The Shaggy D.A. (1976), with Dean Jones and Tim Conway; The Cat from Outer Space (1978) with Sandy Duncan, and several others. He also appeared in many other films, including MGM's Girl Happy (1965) with Elvis Presley and 20th Century-Fox's Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), the Academy Award-winning film about the Pearl Harbor attack.
On television, Hank made his TV bow in Mr Novak (1864) and had recurring roles on My Three Sons (1964-66) with Fred MacMurray and William Frawley, and the The Patty Duke Show (1965). He also appeared on many other sitcoms and TV shows during the 60s and 70s including No Time for Sergeants (i1965), The Tycoon (1965); Petticoat Junction (1965). Love, American Style (1970-73), Nanny & The Professor (1970); The Mod Squad (1970-71); Emergency! (1973); The Love Boat (1978) his last on screen credit being The Jeffersons (1980),
He also appeared as Ringo Starr's twin brother (after five hours of make-up every day) in a TV Movie version of Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper (1976). Over the years, Hank has been featured in countless TV commercials, several of which (for MacDonald's, Hai Karate After Shave, Honda, and Dial Soap) won awards and were shown on NBC's "World's Greatest Commercials" show.
He retired from "on-camera acting" in 1981 to devote more time to his first love of genealogical research, though In 1986, he made three appearances as "champion" on the popular quiz-show Jeopardy! (1984). Besides the fun and money involved, it gave him a chance to talk about genealogy on national television which brought forth thousands of letters from around the country from those interested in Palatine Families, his particular area of interest. He is now a highly respected genealogist, a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists and the author of a number Genealogy books, the most recent being 'Psychic Roots: Intuition in Genealogy'[1]
Mork & Mindy[]
Hank Jones appeared in The Pilot as Mork's court appointed Defense Attorney (unnamed) for his sanity hearing after Fred and Deputy Ed Tilwick end up getting Mork committed in their eagerness to get him away from Mindy. As an attorney he appears utterly ineffectual, drawing the Ire of the attending Mindy when he seems to have no strategy at all to defend Mork against the charge of not being mentally fit to be allowed to be free. A situation which prompts Mork to finally take on his own grandstanding defense.