Biography

John Vernon

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Born
February 24, 1932 · Zehner, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died
February 1, 2005 · Los Angeles, California, USA (complications following heart surgery)
Birth name
Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz
Height
6′ 2″ (1.88 m)

John Vernon was a prolific stage-trained Canadian character player who made a career out of convincingly playing crafty villains, morally-bankrupt officials and heartless authority figures in American films and television since the 1960s. Vernon was directed by some stellar filmmakers, including Alfred Hitchcock (Topaz (1969)); George Cukor (Justine (1969)); Don Siegel (Dirty Harry (1971)) and Clint Eastwood (The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)). After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and honing his skills in Canadian theatre and television, Vernon made his US film debut in John Boorman's noir/gangster classic Point Blank (1967) as a trusted friend who betrays Lee Marvin. He again failed to inspire confidence as the ineffectual mayor of San Francisco in Dirty Harry (1971). Vernon may be best remembered as the sinister Dean Vernon Wormer in John Landis' National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), a role he reprised for the TV spin-off Delta House (1979). This led to more film comedy roles, a highlight being Mr. Big in the blaxploitation spoof I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988).
- IMDb mini biography by: VidMan

Usually played authority figures such as doctors, politicians, prison officials, academics, etc.
Silvery but commanding voice
Muscular physique

He has appeared in four films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Point Blank (1967), Dirty Harry (1971), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and National Lampoon's Animal House (1978).
Having shown a talent for acting at his Jesuit school, Vernon won a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, alongside Peter O'Toole, Albert Finney, and Alan Bates.
In later years, he provided voices for video games and animated shows.
Had the unique achievement of having voiced both Genenal Ross and Major Talbot from "The Incredible Hulk" comics. He played Major Talbot in the 1966 series, Hulk (1966), and General Ross in the 1996 version, The Incredible Hulk (1996).
Of Polish and German descent, he was one of two sons born to an immigrant grocer, Adolf Agopsowicz, and wife Eleanore Krückel, and was baptized at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic parish in nearby Arat, as Adolphus Raymondus Vernon Agopsowicz. He was a third cousin of Trent Gough.

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