Peter Van Norden, a character actor who frequently appeared in films such as “Police Academy 2” and television productions such as “The Stand,” died Thursday in California, his son Robert confirmed on Instagram. He was 75 years old.
Born in New York, Van Norden graduated from Colgate University and began appearing on stage in productions such as “Measure for Measure,” “Country Scandal,” and “Romeo and Juliet.” His first film role was in 1979’s Squeeze Play, and he went on to appear in films such as Waitress!, The Accuser, and Gigli. In The Accuser, she played attorney Paulsen in the intense drama about a rape trial starring Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis.
In Police Academy 2: The First Mission, he played scruffy police dog officer Vinnie Stulman, a member of the 16th Precinct gang who partners with Officer Mahoney, played by Steve Guttenberg.
During the 1980s, Van Norden frequently guest-starred in popular television series and TV movies, including “Cheers,” “St. Elsewhere,” “T.J. In the 1994 Stephen King miniseries The Stand, he played Ralph Brentner, a farmer who travels with a group of people across the West to escape mayhem caused by a weaponized virus. Van Norden played Henry Kissinger in the 1990s series Dark Skies and appeared in two episodes of Tales from the Crypt and episodes of Nash Bridges and Family Matters.
Van Norden went on to appear in series such as “9-1-1,” “Without a Trace,” “Days of Our Lives,” “ER,” and “The Invisible Man.” He continued to work on stage with several different theater companies.
Van Norden is survived by his wife, Wendy, and son, Robert.
