John Diehl is a local boy from Cincinnati who has a very long list of credits in the film and television industry. His most prominent role was that of Detective Larry Zito in Miami Vice, and he had roles of varying sizes in such films and shows as Escape from New York, Falling Down, The West Wing, Gettysburg, and ER. It’s actually amazing that amidst all of the work he’s getting that he even had time to appear at the Hollywood Show on February 11, 2012.
But amidst the plethora of roles he’s played, there is one that stands head and shoulders above all of the others as far as I’m concerned: that of Cruiser (pictured at left in the picture above) in the 1981 Bill Murray comedy Stripes. In fact, Cruiser might be one of the dumbest characters to grace the screen and Diehl plays him to perfection. Who can forget the exchange between Sergeant Hulka and Cruiser that went like this:
- Cruiser: I joined the army ’cause my father and my brother were in the army. I thought I’d better join before I got drafted
- Hulka: Son, there ain’t no draft no more.
- Cruiser: There was one?
Well, I couldn’t. So it was a no-brainer that I’d pick up a nice signed photo from John Diehl and plop down the $25 for the autograph and photo combo. It was just another one of those cases where I got to meet someone I’ve enjoyed for years and it never even crossed my mind that one day this guy who likes fast cars and fast women and I might be shaking hands and posing for a picture together.
Celebrities of the Winter 2012 Hollywood Show will continue…
He was in EFNY? Where??
Loved him in Stripes! Wasn’t he the psycho in Angel, too? “Honor student by day, Hollywood hooker by night…”
Eric Hubble
November 24th, 2012
I’ll always remember him best from his great appearances in Wenders’ film, “The End of Violence’ and “Land of Plenty” — the latter featuring him in a lead role.
Peter
May 20th, 2013