Personal Info
Birth date
1932-11-13 (92 Years)
Gender
Male
Known for
Acting
Place of birth
Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Also known as
J. A. Preston
J.A. Preston
Biography
James Allen Preston Sr. (born November 13, 1932) is an American actor. Preston is best known for his role as Ozzie Cleveland on the NBC primetime television series Hill Street Blues which originally aired from 1981 until 1987. Preston was born November 13 (1932) in Washington, D.C. In addition to his role on Hill Street Blues, Preston is also known for his roles as Leo Daltry in Dallas, Richard Matthews in Santa Barbara, court-martial judge Col. J. A. Randolph, USMC in the 1992 film A Few Good Men, and the minor but important role of a USAF Major General in Air Force One (1997). He was a series regular in the short-lived CBS sitcom All's Fair which ran just one season (1976-77). In it he played an assistant to conservative newspaper columnist Richard Barrington (played by Richard Crenna). Preston also appeared on the NBC television series The A-Team as a judge (Col. Thomas Milo) presiding over a military tribunal convened to try the A-Team. He also appeared in 3 episodes of Martin as Gina’s (Tisha Campbell-Martin) father Dr. Cliff Waters.
Filmography
Law & Order
7.4
Overview:
In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place.Dallas
6.8
Overview:
The world's first mega-soap, and one of the most popular ever produced, Dallas had it all. Beautiful women, expensive cars, and men playing Monopoly with real buildings. Famous for one of the best cliffhangers in TV history, as the world asked "Who shot J.R.?" A slow-burner to begin with, Dallas hit its stride in the 2nd season, with long storylines and expert character development. Dallas ruled the airwaves in the 1980's.The A-Team
7.469
Overview:
A fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel work as soldiers of fortune while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit."Quincy, M.E.
7.482
Overview:
Los Angeles County medical examiner Quincy routinely engages in police investigations.Chicago Hope
7.2
Overview:
Chicago Hope is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It ran on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charity hospital in Chicago, Illinois.Hill Street Blues
7.6
Overview:
A realistic glimpse into the daily lives of the officers and detectives at an urban police station.21 Jump Street
7.2
Overview:
21 Jump Street revolves around a group of young cops who would use their youthful appearance to go undercover and solve crimes involving teenagers and young adults.Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
6.9
Overview:
A much more lavish version of the popular Superman television series which had first aired forty years earlier, Lois & Clark focused more on the Man of Steel's early adult years in Metropolis. With the unknowing help of Lois Lane, Clark Kent created Superman there in Metropolis after finding work at the world-famous Daily Planet newspaper, where he meets fellow reporter Lois Lane.Touched by an Angel
7.2
Overview:
Monica, an angel, is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives.Simon & Simon
6.7
Overview:
A.J. Simon is a polished fellow with a taste for classic cars and tailored suits. Rick Simon is his less refined (but still pleasant) older brother who has a taste for cowboy boots and four-wheel drive pickups. The two of them live in San Diego, where they own a private detective agency.T. J. Hooker
6.4
Overview:
Sergeant Thomas Jefferson Hooker is a tough-as-nails veteran police officer with the LCPD who turns his back on a gold badge and goes back to patrolling the streets and training recruits. Along with his young partners in blue, Hooker take on Lake City's toughest criminals.Moonlighting
7.52
Overview:
After being duped and going bankrupt, model Maddie is convinced by David to become a partner in a detective agency. Together they solve various cases, while getting comfortable with each other.Hart to Hart
6.866
Overview:
Wealthy couple Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, a self-made millionaire and his journalist wife, moonlight as amateur detectives.Tales from the Crypt
7.962
Overview:
Cadaverous scream legend the Crypt Keeper is your macabre host for these forays of fright and fun based on the classic E.C. Comics tales from back in the day. So shamble up to the bar and pick your poison. Will it be an insane Santa on a personal slay ride? Honeymooners out to fulfill the "til death do we part" vow ASAP?The Sentinel
7.1
Overview:
The Sentinel is a Canadian-produced television series. In the jungles of peru, the fight for survival heightened his senses. Now, Detective Jim Ellison is a sentinel in the fight for justice. Anthropologist Blair Sandburg works side by side with Jim, helping him develop these senses.seaQuest DSV
7.032
Overview:
In the early 21st century, mankind has colonized the oceans. The United Earth Oceans Organization enlists Captain Nathan Bridger and the submarine seaQuest DSV to keep the peace and explore the last frontier on Earth.Amazing Stories
7.5
Overview:
A truly amazing, fantastical, science fiction, funny and odd, and sometimes scary, sad and endearing anthology series presented by Steven Spielberg with guest appearances by many famous actors, actresses, and directors.The Jeffersons
7.341
Overview:
Sitcom following a successful African-American couple, George and Louise “Weezyö Jefferson as they “move on up” from working-class Queens to a ritzy Manhattan apartment. A spin-off of All in the Family.Martin
7.682
Overview:
Sassy sitcom centering on radio and television personality Martin Payne. Series focuses on his romantic relationship with girlfriend Gina, her best friend Pam and escapades with best friends Tommy and Cole.All in the Family
7.8
Overview:
Archie Bunker, a working class bigot, constantly squabbles with his family over the important issues of the day.Hardcastle and McCormick
6.4
Overview:
Hardcastle and McCormick is an American action/drama television series from Stephen J. Cannell Productions, shown on ABC from 1983 through 1986. The series stars Brian Keith as Judge Milton C. Hardcastle and Daniel Hugh Kelly as ex-con and race car driver Mark "Skid" McCormick. The series premise was somewhat recycled from a previous Cannell series, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe.Good Times
8
Overview:
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer. Good Times is a spin-off of Maude, which is itself a spin-off of All in the Family along with The Jeffersons. The series is set in Chicago. The first two seasons were taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood. In the fall of 1975, the show moved to Metromedia Square, where Norman Lear's own production company was housed.Punky Brewster
7.313
Overview:
An abandoned waif and her dog are taken in by a cranky apartment manager who becomes her guardian in this family-friendly sitcom.Wonder Woman
7
Overview:
With the strength of Hercules, the wisdom of Athena, the speed of Mercury and the beauty of Aphrodite, she’s Wonder Woman. Beautiful Amazon princess Wonder Woman travels to 1940s America disguised as Diana Prince, assistant to handsome but trouble-prone Major Steve Trevor. Using her golden belt, which imbues her with astonishing strength, her bullet-deflecting bracelets, a golden lasso that dispels dishonesty and an invisible supersonic plane, Wonder Woman combats evil.A Few Good Men
7.545
Overview:
When cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep.Gimme a Break!
6.6
Overview:
Gimme a Break! is an American sitcom which aired on NBC for six seasons, October 29, 1981, until May 12, 1987. The series stars Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief and his three daughters.Contact
7.4
Overview:
A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.Two-Minute Warning
6.2
Overview:
A psychotic sniper plans a massive killing spree in a Los Angeles football stadium during a major championship game. The police, led by Captain Peter Holly and the SWAT commander, learn of the plot and rush to the scene.Silver Streak
6.7
Overview:
A somewhat daffy book editor on a rail trip from Los Angeles to Chicago thinks that he sees a murdered man thrown from the train. When he can find no one who will believe him, he starts doing some investigating of his own. But all that accomplishes is to get the killer after him.The Gifted
3
Overview:
Psychic descendents of an African tribe reunite to save Earth. 5000 years ago certain members of the Dogon tribe in West Africa were granted psychic powers by good aliens to counterbalance the effects of Ogo, a bad alien intent on taking over Earth and killing all life to remake the planet for his own purposes. Descendents of the tribe who inherit the psychic powers are given an ancient book to read and pass on. Every 32 years, in connection with the orbiting of the star Sirius B, Ogo returns to kill a few more of the psychics in his ongoing bid for power.Acting
TBABlack Cop as Narrator
2011Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door as Unknown
1997House of Frankenstein (2 Episodes) as Unknown
1997Contact as Senator (uncredited)
1996Harvest of Fire as Sheriff Garrison
1996The Sentinel (1 Episode) as Mel Wilkenson
1994Touched by an Angel (1 Episode) as Waters
1994Chicago Hope (2 Episodes) as Unknown
1994Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle as Man
1994MacShayne: Winner Takes All as Pete Webb
1993seaQuest DSV (1 Episode) as Charles
1993Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1 Episode) as Unknown
1993The Gifted as Jacob (Adult)
1992A Few Good Men as Judge Randolph
1992Steel Justice as Jeremiah J. Jones
1992Captain Ron as Magistrate
1992Martin (3 Episodes) as Unknown
1991Aftermath: A Test of Love as Det. Boland
1990The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson as Wendell Smith
1990Narrow Margin as Martin Larner
1990Law & Order (1 Episode) as Congressman Ronald Eaton
1990Fire Birds as General Olcott
1989Tales from the Crypt (1 Episode) as Harry
1988The George McKenna Story as Mr. McKenna
1987Desperate as Wiggee
198721 Jump Street (1 Episode) as Principal George Messiah
1985Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins as Conn MacCleary
1985Amazing Stories (1 Episode) as Prof. Bertram Carver
1985Hollywood Beat (1 Episode) as Walker
1985Moonlighting (1 Episode) as Dr. Nealy
1984Punky Brewster (1 Episode) as Unknown
1983Hardcastle and McCormick (1 Episode) as Vic Dutton
1983The A-Team (1 Episode) as Judge
1982The New Odd Couple (1 Episode) as Charles Walker
1982T. J. Hooker (1 Episode) as Dr. Ross
1981The White Lions as Aniel
1981Simon & Simon (1 Episode) as Police Lt. 'Mule' Muldower - Internal Affairs
1981Gimme a Break! (1 Episode) as Unknown
1981Body Heat as Oscar Grace
1981Hill Street Blues (1, 6 Episode) as Ozzie Cleveland (archive footage) (uncredited), Ozzie Cleveland
1980High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane as Alonzo
1980The Plutonium Incident as Dr. Samuels
1979Hart to Hart (1 Episode) as Mr. Pruitt
1979Americathon as Morty
1979Real Life as Dr. Ted Cleary
1978Dallas (5 Episodes) as Leo Daltry
1977Carter Country (1 Episode) as Unknown
1977James at 16 (1 Episode) as Hazeltine
1976Silver Streak as Waiter (uncredited)
1976Two-Minute Warning as Policeman
1976Quincy, M.E. (1 Episode) as Judge Saunder MacMillan
1975Wonder Woman (1 Episode) as Jazreel
1975The Jeffersons (1 Episode) as Unknown
1974Good Times (1 Episode) as Unknown
1973The Spook Who Sat by the Door as Dawson
1971All in the Family (1 Episode) as Elmo 'Black Elmo' Bridgewater