Tim Choate
Quick Facts
Biography
Tim Choate (October 11, 1954 – September 24, 2004) was an American actor who starred in a number of film and television roles on series such as Dragnet and Babylon 5.
Choate was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, the son of Betty Nell (née Strong), a commercial artist, and Ben Tom Choate, who worked in building and construction. He appeared in theater productions while attending the University of Texas in Austin and also attended Cornell University.
He was active on stage in both New York and Hollywood. On Broadway, he appeared in Crimes of the Heart and Da. He also performed at the Los Angeles Shakespeare Fest in Twelfth Night and Merry Wives of Windsor as well as in the Los Angeles production of Beyond Therapy. Choate appeared in regional productions at the Long Wharf Theater, the Kennedy Center and the Berkshire Theatre Festival.
His film appearances included several Merchant Ivory productions including The Europeans (1979), Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980) and Jefferson in Paris (1995); Times Square (1980), Ghost Story (1981), Blow Out (1981), Def-Con 4 (1985), the Oscar-winning short Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987), Soapdish (1991), Immaculate Conception (1992), Live Nude Girls (1995), and Pearl Harbor (2001).
On television, he played Zathras on Babylon 5 and had a recurring role on Newhart, as well as appearing in several TV movies, notably Blind Witness (1989) and Child in the Night (1990), and guesting on shows including The Practice, Diagnosis: Murder and The Bold and the Beautiful.
He was killed in a motorcycle accident in Los Angeles, California in 2004, aged 49. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Filmography
- The Europeans (1979) - Clifford
- Jane Austen in Manhattan (1980) - Jamie
- Times Square (1980) - Eastman
- Blow Out (1981) - Sailor
- Ghost Story (1981) - Young Ricky Hawthorne
- The First Time (1983) - Charlie Lichtenstein
- Def-Con 4 (1985) - Howe
- Ray's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987) - Phil Leeds
- Soapdish (1991) - Assistant Director
- Immaculate Conception (1992) - David Schwartz
- Jefferson in Paris (1995) - Reporter
- Girl in the Cadillac (1995) - Motel owner
- Live Nude Girls (1995) - Jerome
- Pearl Harbor (2001) - Navy Doctor
- Hungry Hearts (2002) - Butterfly Collector