Frank Woodrow Boers Jr. (February 28, 1942 – June 16, 2021) was an American actor and television director. He is best known for his role as sales manager Herb Tarlek on the television sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.[1][2][3]
Frank Bonner | |
|---|---|
 Publicity photo of Bonner | |
| Born | Frank Woodrow Boers Jr. February 28, 1942 |
| Died | June 16, 2021 (aged 79) |
| Occupations | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1970–2014 |
| Known for | |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 5 |
Early life
editBonner was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Grace Marie "Mamie" (née Dobbins) Boers Delahoussay,[3] a singer, and Frank Woodrow Boers, a saxophonist.[2][4] He was raised in Malvern, Arkansas.[3][2]
Career
editBonner began acting in the experimental 1967 independent film The Equinox ... A Journey into the Unknown, which was reshot and re-edited as the 1970 cult classic Equinox (in which he is credited as Frank Boers Jr.).[4]
He later had several small roles in movies and on television, including Mannix, Emergency!, and Love, American Style. In 1978 he joined the cast of WKRP in Cincinnati, finding his signature role as Herb Tarlek, the crass and ineffectual station advertising sales agent, noted for his garish plaid suits and white shoes.[1]
Bonner appeared as a guest star in two episodes of the sitcom Night Court in the 1980s. He had a supporting role as Detective Mooney in the short-lived Disney action series Sidekicks (1986–87).[2] From 1988 to 1990, Bonner played the role of Father Hargis, headmaster of the fictional St. Augustine's Academy, on the TV show Just the Ten of Us, which was a spin-off of Growing Pains. He also appeared in one of the early episodes of the television show Newhart. He reprised the role of Herb Tarlek in the 1991 spinoff The New WKRP in Cincinnati and in a 2004 rock video for Canadian indie rock band Rheostatics (for the song "The Tarleks"[5] from their album 2067.
After directing six episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati, he directed for other television shows in the 1980s and 1990s,[3] including Who's the Boss?, Head of the Class (starring his WKRP alumni Howard Hesseman), Evening Shade, Newhart, and every episode of the NBC Saturday morning sitcom City Guys. Bonner appeared in five episodes of Saved by the Bell: The New Class and directed[6] four episodes.
Personal life and death
editBonner was married five times: to Sharon Gray (1966–1971); actress Mary Alice Rings (1972–1975); playwright Lillian Garrett-Groag (1977–1980); Catherine M. Sherwood (1981–? until their divorce); and Gayle Hardage, his former high school sweetheart (2006–2021; his death).[7] He had five children: a daughter (Desiree Boers-Kort) with his first wife, Sharon Gray; three sons (Michael, Matthew, and Justin); and a stepdaughter, DeAndra Freed. Bonner also had seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild at the time of his death.[3][8] Michael predeceased his father.
In 1979, Bonner was injured in a parasailing accident at the El Mirage Lake Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area, northeast of Los Angeles. He was approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) in the air, suspended under an ascendancy parachute pulled by a tow vehicle — when a sudden, unexpected gust of wind collapsed the chute, causing him to fall to the lake bed and suffer internal injuries and injuries to his back.[9] Subsequently, he appeared on crutches in episodes of WKRP in Cincinnati (the season 2 episode "A Family Affair") and an All-Star Special episode of Family Feud.[6]
Bonner died on June 16, 2021, aged 79, in Laguna Niguel, California, of complications from Lewy body dementia.[2][10][4][3] Bonner was a resident of Beverly Hills, California.[9]
Filmography
editAs actor
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Equinox | Jim Hudson | Feature film |
| The Young Lawyers | Walt | Episode: "Where's Aaron" | |
| Nancy | Hank | Episode: "Boys' Night Out" | |
| 1971 | Mannix | Hypnotized Man | Episode: "Catspaw" |
| 1972 | Nichols | Gruber | Episode: "About Jesse James" |
| The Hoax | Clete Dempsey | Feature film | |
| 1973 | Little Cigars | Gene (Hotel Bellman) | |
| The F.B.I. | Johnson | Episode: "The Confession" | |
| Hawkins | 1st Yankee | Episode: "Blood Feud" | |
| Emergency! | Walt | Episode: "Body Language" | |
| 1974 | Love, American Style | Jerry | Segment: "Love and the Extra Job" |
| Cannon | Allecino | Episode: "Kelly' Song" | |
| Fer-de-Lance | Compton | TV film | |
| 1975 | Las Vegas Lady | Claude | Feature film |
| Cannon | Bill | Episode: "The Victim" | |
| 1976 | Police Woman | Donny's Father | Episode: "The Pawn Shop" |
| 1977 | Man from Atlantis | Bartender | Episode: "C.W. Hyde" |
| 1978–1982 | WKRP in Cincinnati | Herb Tarlek | Main role, 88 episodes |
| 1979 | Sex and the Single Parent | Peter | TV film |
| 1981 | The Love Boat | Dr. Jonathan Hunt | Episode: "Country Blues/Daddy's Little Girl/Jackpot" |
| Fantasy Island | Jack Simon | Episode: "Romance Times Three/Night of the Tormented Soul" | |
| 1982 | The Facts of Life Goes to Paris | Garth Kiley | TV film |
| Gimme a Break! | Officer Baxter | Episode: "The Chief's Gay Evening" | |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | Ben Phillips | Episode: "The Captain's Replacement/Sly as a Fox/Here Comes the Bride-Maybe" |
| 1984 | Newhart | Mr. Pack | Episode: "Kirk Pops the Question" |
| Legmen | Leo Gibson | Episode: "I Shall Be Re-Released" | |
| The Duck Factory | Mel Kemper | Episode: "The Annies" | |
| No Man's Land | Deputy Thad Prouty | TV film | |
| Simon & Simon | Brad Daniels | Episode: "Deep Cover" | |
| 1985 | Matt Houston | Fred | Episode: "Death Watch" |
| Gimme a Break! | Warren | Episode: "Police Mamas" | |
| George Burns Comedy Week | Stu | Episode: "Home for Dinner" | |
| Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Henry 'Buck' McConnell | 2 episodes | |
| Crazy Like a Fox | Chick | Episode: "Requiem for a Fox" | |
| 1985-1986 | Night Court | Howie / Preston Cowdrey | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | The Longshot | Realtor | Feature film |
| Punky Brewster | Cheapo Chester | Episode: "Cherie Lifesaver" | |
| Blacke's Magic | Hal Renquist | Episode: "Death Goes to the Movies" | |
| Murder, She Wrote | Earl Fargo | Episode: "Murder in the Electric Cathedral" | |
| Sidekicks | Detective R.T. Mooney | Recurring role, 5 episodes | |
| Night Court | Preston Cowdrey | Episode: "Prince of a Guy" | |
| 1988 | You Can't Hurry Love | Chuck Hayes | Feature film |
| 1988–1990 | Just the Ten of Us | Father Robert Hargis | Main role, 22 episodes |
| 1991 | Going Under | Soviet General | Feature film |
| 1991–1993 | The New WKRP in Cincinnati | Herb Tarlek | Main role, 45 episodes |
| 1993 | Evening Shade | Walt Thompson | Episode: "She What?!" |
| 1994–1997 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | Mr. Harrington | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 1995 | The Mommies | Director | Episode: "Selling Out" |
| The Colony | Frank Williamson | TV film | |
| 1997 | USA High | Mr. Giggles (Dentist) | Episode: "The Odd Couple" |
| 1998 | Motel | Gressil | Feature film |
| 2000 | City Guys | Jake | Episode: "Meet Mr. History" |
| 2003 | A Light in the Forest | Kimmel | Feature film |
| 2004 | Shut Up and Kiss Me | Harvey Ballister | |
| A Norwegian Lunch | Teacher | Short film | |
| 2008 | Remembering Phil | Motel Clerk | Feature film |
| 2014 | Under the Hollywood Sign | Larry |
As director
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1980–1982 | WKRP in Cincinnati | 6 episodes |
| 1982 | Family Ties | Episode: "No Nukes Is Good Nukes" |
| 1986–1990 | Head of the Class | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Frank's Place | Episode: "The Bum Out Front" |
| The Van Dyke Show | Episode: "Fatal Condo" | |
| 1988–1990 | Just the Ten of Us | 8 episodes |
| 1989 | Who's the Boss? | Episode: "Working Girls" |
| 1989–1990 | The Famous Teddy Z | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Evening Shade | Episode: "Fast Women" |
| You Take the Kids | Episode: "Merry Christmas to All and a Pointy Hat to You" | |
| 1991–1993 | Harry and the Hendersons | 11 episodes |
| The New WKRP in Cincinnati | 7 episodes | |
| 1995 | Fudge | Episode: "Bad Housekeeping" |
| The Mommies | 4 episodes | |
| 1996 | Campus Cops | Episode: "Sister, Sister" |
| 1997 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | 4 episodes |
| 1997–1998 | USA High | 6 episodes |
| 1997–2001 | City Guys | 105 episodes |
| 2003 | Living Straight | TV film |
| 2010 | Desire and Deceit | Unknown episode |
References
edit- 1 2 Crowther, Linnea (June 17, 2021). "Frank Bonner (1942–2021), 'WKRP in Cincinnati' star". Legacy.com. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Frank Bonner". tv.apple.com. Apple. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nath, Sayantani (June 17, 2021). "Frank Bonner, Brash Salesman on 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' Dies at 79". The New York Times. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- 1 2 3 Ferme, Antonio (June 17, 2021). "Frank Bonner, 'WKRP in Cincinnati' and 'Saved by the Bell' Actor, Dies at 79". Variety. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ↑ Herendeen, Doug (June 17, 2021). "(Music Video) In memory of WKRP's Frank Bonner. A Canadian band call Rheostatics imagined an alien invasion called 'The Tarleks.' Guess who they got to star in the video?". lightnercommunications.com. Lightner Communications. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- 1 2 Lund, Anthony (June 17, 2021). "Frank Bonner Dies, WKRP in Cincinnati and Saved by the Bell Star Was 79". Movieweb. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ↑ Nath, Sayantani (June 18, 2021). "Who were Frank Bonner's wives? Inside actor's 5 marriages as he dies at 79". meaww.com. MEA World Wide. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ↑ Olphin, Olivia (June 18, 2021). "Who are Frank Bonner's children? Meet the late WKRP actor's family and ex-wives". The Focus. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
- 1 2 "Parachute Accident Hospitalizes Frank Bonner of 'WKRP'". Lakeland Ledger. Associated Press. October 16, 1979. Retrieved June 19, 2021 – via Google News.
- ↑ Reid, Tony; Nakamura, Maglio (June 17, 2021). "Frank Bonner, 'WKRP in Cincinnati' Star, Dies at 79". TheWrap. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
External links
edit- Frank Bonner at IMDb