Ken Swofford Passes On

Ken Swofford, who played Frank Flannigan on the TV show Ellery Queen and Quentin Morloch on the TV show Fame, died on November 1 at the age of 85.

Ken Swofford was born on July 25 1933 in Du Quoin, Illinois. He attended the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. He made his television debut in a guest appearance on Surfside 6 in 1962. In the Sixties he guest starred on such shows as The Big Valley, Cimarron Strip, The Wild Wild West, I Spy, Daniel Boone, Gunsmoke, Adam-12, The Outcasts, The Virginian, Here Come the Brides, The F.B.I., Lancer, The Odd Couple, and Mission: Impossible. He had uncredited role in the movies Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), Father Goose (1964), First to Fight (1967), Gunfight in Abilene (1967), How Much Loving Does a Normal Couple Need? (1967), and The Lawyer (1970).

In the Seventies Mr. Swofford played the recurring role of journalist Frank Flannigan on the single season of Ellery Queen. He also had the recurring role of Lt.. Griffin on the TV show Switch and J.J. on The Eddie Capra Mysteries. He appeared in the mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man--Book II. He guest starred on the shows Gunsmoke, The Streets of San Francisco, The Rookies, Columbo, The Girl with Something Extra, The Waltons, The Partridge Family, Dirty Sally, Kung Fu, Amy Prentiss, Paper Moon, Petrocelli, Police Story, The Six Million Dollar Man, and The Rockford Files.  He appeared in the films The Andromeda Strain (1971), Bless the Beasts and Children (1971), Skyjacked (1972), One Little Indian (1973), The Black Bird (1975), and The Domino Principle (1977).

In the Eighties Ken Swofford had a regular role on the TV show Fame. He guest starred on such shows as The Incredible Hulk, Fantasy Island, Code Red, The Fall Guy, Trapper John M.D., Knots Landing, Riptide, Knight Rider, Remington Steele, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Falcon Crest, Max Headroom, Highway to Heaven, Simon & Simon, Our House, The Wonder Years, Dynasty, and Dallas. He appeared in the films S.O.B. (1981), Annie  (1982), Hunter's Blood (1986), and Black Roses (1988).

In the Nineties Mr. Swofford guest starred on such TV shows as Matlock;. Baywatch; Murder, She Wrote; and Diagnosis Murder. He appeared in the films Thelma & Louise (1991), The Taking of Beverly Hills (1991), and Cops n Roberts. Into the Naughts he was the voice of Coach on the animated TV series Recess.