Lance Guest

Lance Guest
Guest in 2024
Born (1960-07-21) July 21, 1960 (age 66)
Saratoga, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles
OccupationActor
Years active1981–present
Children1

Lance R. Guest (born July 21, 1960) is an American actor. Known for his film work throughout the 1980s and various television roles thereafter, he made his screen debut with a supporting role in Halloween II (1981). This was followed by headline parts in The Last Starfighter (1984) and Jaws: The Revenge (1987). Between 2010 and 2012, Guest appeared both on and off-Broadway in the musical Million Dollar Quartet, playing Johnny Cash.

Biography

Guest was born and raised in Saratoga, California. Guest developed a serious interest in acting as a freshman while attending Saratoga High School, and also played guitar in a local band called Stillwater. Guest majored in theater at the UCLA.

Career

Guest made his feature film debut as Jimmy, a paramedic attempting to save Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) in Halloween II (1981). He also starred in [1980] The Roommate {John Updike} and Neil Simon's I Ought to Be in Pictures. His most notable role was in the science fiction film The Last Starfighter (1984) as Alex Rogan, and as Beta, a robot sent to replace Alex while he was in space. Guest also starred in Jaws: The Revenge (1987) as Michael Brody.

Guest played Cosmo Cola in Stepsister from Planet Weird (2000). In 2001, he played Hugo Archibald in The Jennie Project (2001). Also that year, he appeared in Mach 2 (2001).

Guest's starring television roles included Lou Grant (1981–1982) and Knots Landing (1991). Additionally, he has made guest appearances on St. Elsewhere, The Wonder Years, Party of Five, JAG, NYPD Blue, The X-Files, Becker, Life Goes On, House, and Jericho.

Guest starred as Johnny Cash in the Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet, a fictionalized depiction of the only time that Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley recorded music together.

Personal life

Guest has one son.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Halloween II Jimmy
1982 I Ought to Be in Pictures Gordon
1984 The Last Starfighter Alex Rogan / Beta Alex
Just the Way You Are Jack the Answering Service Guy
1985 Waiting to Act Body Snatcher Guy
1987 Jaws: The Revenge Michael Brody
1988 The Wizard of Loneliness John T.
1997 Plan B Jack Sadler
2001 Mach 2 Keith Dorman
2007 Shadowbox Morell - Shadow Man Short
2008 The Least of These Mark Roberts
2009 21 and a Wake-Up Dr. Oscar Kimber
2014 Late Phases James Griffin
2017 Traces Nelson
2022 In Search of Tomorrow Himself Documentary

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Dallas Student 1 episode: "The Mark of Cain"
Why Us? Hugh Whitaker TV short
Please Don't Hit Me, Mom Michael Reynolds TV film
1981–1982 Lou Grant Lance Reinecke / Mark 7 episodes
1982 Cassie & Co. David Cooper 1 episode
1982–1983 St. Elsewhere Orderly Sean Rooney 4 episodes: "Down's Syndrome", "Legionnaires: Part 1 & 2", "Hearts"
1982–1985 ABC Afterschool Special Tim / Doug Henshaw 2 episodes: "One Too Many", "Between Two Loves"
1983 Confessions of a Married Man Arthur TV film
1984 American Playhouse Orson Ziegler 1 episode: "The Roommate"
1985 My Father, My Rival Scott TV film
1988 Favorite Son David Ross 1 episode: "Part One"
1991 Knots Landing Steve Brewer 13 episodes
1992 The Wonder Years Mike Detweiller 1 episode: "Politics as Usual"
Life Goes On Michael Romanov 6 episodes
1993 Hart to Hart Returns Peter McDowell TV film
1995 All-American Girl Leon 1 episode: "Venus de Margaret"
The X-Files Kyle Lang 1 episode: "Fearful Symmetry"
1995–1996 Party of Five Mr. Allen Peck 2 episodes: "Dearly Beloved", "Unfair Advantage"
1997 The Burning Zone Russ Johnson 1 episode: "Critical Mass"
1999 Becker Dr. Harvey Cohen 1 episode: "Saving Harvey Cohen"
Thanks John the Blacksmith 1 episode: "Marriage"
2000 Then Came You Tom 1 episode: "Then Came a Wedding"
Stepsister from Planet Weird Cosmo Cola TV film
2001 The Jennie Project Hugo Archibald TV film
JAG Cmdr. Stacy Loftness 2 episodes: "Adrift: Part 1 & 2"
Bitter Winter TV film
2004 NYPD Blue Mercy Hawks 1 episode: "Traylor Trash"
2006 House Lewis Bardach 1 episode: "Safe"
2007 Alibi Peterson TV film
2008 Jericho Alex Utley 1 episode: "Condor"
Flu Bird Horror Garrett TV film
2010 Late Show with David Letterman Johnny Cash 1 episode: "Evangeline Lilly/Sam Rockwell/Million Dollar Quartet/Aaron Kelly"
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Johnny Cash 1 episode: "No. 2.104"
2012 All-American New Year's Eve 2013 Johnny Cash TV film
2014 Christmas Eve, 1914 John Gilliam TV film
2022 The Patient Paul 1 episode: "The Cantor's Husband"

Stage credits

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2010 Million Dollar Quartet Johnny Cash Nederlander Theatre
2011 New World Stages

References

  1. ↑ "Lance Guest". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lance Guest - Questions and Answers -Interview". New York Theatre Guide. October 19, 2017. Archived from the original on June 28, 2025. I was in the theatre Dept at UCLA. It wasn't a training program per se, but there were a lot of good people to learn from, students, grad students as well as teachers.
  3. 1 2 "Lance Guest Biography". TV Guide. Archived from the original on October 3, 2026.
  4. ↑ Sarwari, Khalida (September 2, 2015). "Saratoga Historical Museum exhibit showcases the history of local theater". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018.
  5. ↑ Smith, Jeremy (2023-10-20). "Halloween 2 Completely Changed One Character's Fate For The TV Edit". /Film. Archived from the original on 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  6. ↑ Canby, Vincent (1982-03-26). "Matthau Back in Simon's Hollywood". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  7. ↑ "The Last Starfighter, pictures, Lance Guest, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston". www.movieprop.com. Archived from the original on 2002-10-22. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  8. ↑ Shelley, Garry (1985-01-26). "Lance lands in outer space" (PDF). TV Week. Internet Archive. p. 78. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  9. ↑ Weiss, Josh (May 19, 2023). "New Book Reveals How Michael Caine Saved Lance Guest's Life on Set of Jaws 4 (Exclusive)". Syfy. Archived from the original on January 18, 2025.
  10. ↑ Speier, Michael (June 16, 2000). "Stepsister From Planet Weird". Variety. Archived from the original on 2020-10-25. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  11. ↑ Smith, Craig (January 20, 2024). "The Jennie Project". Disney News. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  12. 1 2 Anderson, Lauren (October 25, 2022). "Why Lance Guest, Who Plays Sam's Dad in 'The Patient' Finale, Looks so Familiar". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Archived from the original on June 28, 2025.
  13. ↑ Brown, James (2017-10-23). "Lou Grant". Television Academy Interviews. Academy of Television Arts & Science. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  14. ↑ DeFillipo, Michael (2014-10-04). "Where Are They Now? : Halloween's Lance Guest". Horror Society. Archived from the original on 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  15. ↑ "St. Elsewhere series regulars and episode guide". www.ultimate70s.com. Archived from the original on 2024-01-14. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  16. ↑ Fick, David. "Million Dollar Quartet Opens Tonight". Musical Cyberspace, April 11, 2010
  17. ↑ "Lance Guest (Performer)". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 13, 2026.
  18. ↑ "MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET to Close at New World Stages, June 24". BroadwayWorld. May 24, 2012. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014.