Who plays Deacon on ‘Nashville’?
BY R.D. HELDENFELS Akron Beacon Journal (MCT)
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Q. Did John Nettles of “Midsomer Murders”
play the part of the Duke of Marlborough in
the early PBS series “The Churchills”?
A. If you are referring to the 1969 series “The
First Churchills,” the Duke was played by actor
John Neville, a veteran of British and
American TV and movies, including in a recurring
role as the Well-Manicured Man on “The
X-Files.” He died in 2011. I cannot find any
reference to John Nettles playing the role in a
production.
Q. On “Nashville,” where would we know the
actor who plays Deacon from?
A. Charles “Chip” Esten, who plays singersongwriter
Deacon Claybourne on the ABC
series, is also known for improvisational comedy,
having appeared on both the British and
American versions of “Whose Line Is It
Anyway?” (And when I read that in his bio, I
went, “Oh, yeah! That guy!”)
He has also been on “Big Love,”
“Enlightened,” “The Office” and “ER” - and
played the father on the Disney Channel’s
Jessie, a Klingon on “Star Trek: The Next
Generation,” a secretary on “Murphy Brown”
and Kelly Bundy’s fiance on the series finale of
“Married . With Children.” He was also in the
movies “Swing Vote,” “Thirteen Days,” “61."
and “The Postman."
Q. Can you please tell me who does the voice
for that Lizard in the Geico commercial?
A. The Geico gecko has long been given voice
by Jake Wood, an English actor whose other
credits include a long run as Max Branning on
the British drama "EastEnders." But during
commercial appearances dating back more than
a decade, more than one actor has played the
role; the most famous is Kelsey Grammer.
Send your questions about TV to: The
Akron Beacon Journal, 44 East Exchange
St., Akron, Ohio, 44309 or by email to:
rheldenfels@thebeaconjournal.com. Sorry, no
personal replies.
