Who does not remember this famous comedy story that has become a classic of the parody genre? “Police Academy” talks about inept cadets, who, by order of the mayor, are included in the list of newcomers to the academy. They do not really know the basics of the police service, but this does not prevent them from becoming brave law enforcement officers. The picture is known not only in its homeland. In America, she won a million-strong army of fans, and when she reached the Russian expanses, she repeated the same success in our country. Many of the actors who starred in the film woke up famous. Among them is David Graf. David embodied a key character named Eugene Tecklbury. About him, and more precisely about his performer, will be discussed in our article.
Amateur shoot
Eugene was created according to the stereotype of the military, about which many films were made in the early 80s. A retired commandos, “born to kill”, a devoted fan of firearms. The character, who took center stage in the “Police Academy”, is famous for his passion for military order. He appears in each of the seven parts of the franchise, as well as in the spin-off, the television series of the same name. For several years, without betraying his hero, the role of Eugene was invariably played by David Graf. David is so accustomed to this image that fans were waiting for the release of each new picture with his participation in order to look at the actor in a different role.
Creative Searches
Paul David Earl was born April 16, 1950 in Ohio. His passion for acting woke up in his school years. He enrolled in the student theater, which served faithfully for a long time. But if at first it was amateur classes, then very soon the teenager thought about why not give the hobbies a more professional connotation. The town of Westerville near the capital of Columbus was not accidentally chosen as the place where the Earl moved. David entered the college located in it, which taught theatrical art. He graduated in 1972 and continued his studies at the University of Ohio.
Career steps: boy, teenager, sergeant
The first years of the 80s marked the beginning of acting. David receives an invitation to episodes of the series “Hospital M.E.SH.”, “Team“ A ”,“ Time Travelers ”. They are followed by a number of other well-known projects, but none bring deserved fame. And only the “Police Academy" becomes a successful launching pad for his future career.
Many aspiring American actors strove to get into the Academy. The list of those who became David’s colleagues on the set included Bubb Smith, Donovan Scott, Michael Winslow. The most sought-after stars of the Police Academy were Steve Guttenberg and Kim Cattrall, who made a dizzying career in Hollywood and achieved the greatest recognition.
At the same time, the actor does not forget about family happiness. In 1985, he married with a little-known actress, and soon they had two sons.
Actor of one role
But to say that the “Academy” did not change the Count’s life is wrong. He entered the main cast of a series of films that continued until 1994. The action of the final series was unfolding in Moscow, and three years later the eponymous series was released. True, he lasted only one season, and the actors of the original parts refused to star, but one of the few who remained faithful to the “Academy” was the Earl. David has successfully appeared in other projects. His filmography includes over 85 film works.
Having received recognition in the image of Sergeant Tecklbury, the actor only in 1993 played a prominent role in the action movie “American Kickboxer 2”. Until that time, he honored with his participation popular television hits, including Charles in Response, Family Matters, Life Continues, Quantum Leap, Step by Step, Palisade, Star Trek. David appeared in projects such as “Lois and Clark,” “Touch of an Angel,” “Diagnosis: Murder.”
Undoubtedly, the “Police Academy” remains the only calling card by which you can recognize David Earl, given his other, but not so bright and widely recognized works. However, the comedy thriller “Bodyguard Tess” stands out in the track record of the actor. The 1994 picture tells the story of the president’s ex-wife, who was forced to guard by a secret service agent performed by Nicolas Cage. The eccentric nature of the woman will add to the film comedic colors. Despite the secondary image, the play of David Earl was warmly noted by the audience.
Work done by the party
Unfortunately, most of David Earl’s works have a secondary connotation. The most striking of them are the following:
- “Father and Boy Scout” (family comedy, 1994).
- “The Brady Family” (comedy, 1995).
- “Aircraft Theft: Flight 285” (thriller, 1996).
- “Cactus Kid” (Adventure, 2000).
- “The Chase” (action movie, 2000).
One of the last works of the actor was the 2000 military drama “Rules of the Battle”. She talked about a lawsuit in which military personnel took part. A year later, in 2001, David Earl died of a heart attack.