Biography

Ken Wahl

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Ken Wahl is award-winning actor, most known for his Golden Globe starring role in the ground-breaking, critically acclaimed, CBS crime drama Wiseguy (1987). He entered acting without experience or aspirations. In 1979, Ken was set to be a walk-on in director Philip Kaufman's movie The Wanderers (1979), and Kaufman spotted a talent and cast him in the lead role. Several TV and movie roles followed, including a co-starring role with Paul Newman in Fort Apache the Bronx (1981). Never fond of fame or the spotlight, Wahl responded with a cringe to a "US Magazine" cover story calling him "Sexiest Man on TV". He was forced to retire in 1996 due to disability caused by a broken neck and severe spinal column injury suffered in 1992.

Ken was married to Corinne Alphen-Wahl (1983-1991). Ken is currently married to Shane Barbi (1997-). He now helps veterans suffering with PTSD with shelter pets for therapy.
- IMDb mini biography by: TruthInAdvertising

Second and current wife Shane Barbi was a "Playboy" model and magazine cover girl in the early and mid-1990s, half of the famous Barbi twins with identical-twin sister Sia.
Crashed his motorcycle at age 15 and again in 1984 as he was on his way to a meeting with Diane Keaton to co-star in Mrs. Soffel (1984); the part went to Mel Gibson.
First wife, Corinne Alphen Wahl, was "Penthouse" Pet of the Year in the mid-'80s.
Was working as a gas station jockey in the Midwest when he decided to drive out to L.A. and try to his luck in Hollywood.
Within six hours of arriving in LA from Chicago, Ken got his first appearance on camera as an extra in The Buddy Holly Story (1978). He appears in the very first shot of the film wearing a blue plaid shirt helping a girl out of a car.

Every single movie I've done has been crap because they've cut the best stuff out.
[on the accident during the filming of Wiseguy (1987)] She (Jan Eliasberg) had me walking into my own POV shot, and you don't have to be Steven Spielberg to know that that's not right. I was stepping up, and the [camera] wheel caught my right heel and it just ripped out the Achilles tendon. Pop! It sounded like a champagne cork. But she wanted to do it again, so I said, "Okay, you're the boss". From that day forward I've never been the same.
[on being named the Sexiest Man on TV by "Us" magazine] When that Sexiest Man thing came out, I absolutely hated it. Everybody likes to be thought of as attractive, but when it's the foremost thing that you're known for, it's the kiss of death.
On the Wiseguy (1996) movie they were shooting me up like a racehorse with cortisone and shit. I only worked 16 days and barely got through it. That's when I knew I couldn't do it anymore. I had to hang 'em up.
I'm forever grateful for all the major producers who offered me numerous opportunities for huge comebacks. Maybe it's for the best, I just didn't have the personality to be famous and felt out of place in the limelight.

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