Jeff Conaway

{{Short description|American actor (1950–2011)}} {{Lead too short|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2011}} {{Infobox person | name = Jeff Conaway | image = JeffConawayOct10.jpg | caption = Conaway in 1998 | birth_name = Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway | birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1950|10|5}} | birth_place = Manhattan, New York, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|5|27|1950|10|5}} | death_place = Encino, California, U.S. | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1971–2011 | spouse = {{plainlist| * Unknown ({{abbr|m.|married}} 1971; {{abbr|ann.|annulled}} 1971)<br>{{marriage|Rona Newton-John |1980|1985|end=divorced}} * {{marriage|Kerri Young |1990|2000|end=divorced}} }} }}

'''Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway'''<ref name=nyt-obit>{{cite news|last=Gates|first=Anita|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/28/arts/television/jeff-conaway-actor-in-taxi-and-grease-dies-at-60.html|title=Jeff Conaway, Actor In 'Taxi', Is Dead at 60|work=The New York Times|date=May 27, 2011}}</ref> (October 5, 1950 – May 27, 2011)<ref name=nyt-obit/> was an American actor. He portrayed Kenickie in the film ''Grease'' and had roles in three television series: struggling actor Bobby Wheeler in ''Taxi'' (1978–1982), Prince Erik Greystone in ''Wizards and Warriors'', and security officer Zack Allan on ''Babylon 5''. Conaway was featured in the first and second seasons of the reality television series ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew''.

==Early life, family and education== Conaway was born on October 5, 1950, in Manhattan, New York City, New York, and raised in the Astoria, Flushing, and Forest Hills neighborhoods of Queens, New York City.<ref name=newsdayobit>{{cite news| author-link=Frank Lovece|last= Lovece| first=Frank|url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/obituaries/grease-taxi-star-jeff-conaway-dies-o16664|title= 'Grease', 'Taxi' Star Jeff Conaway Dies|work=Newsday|date=May 27, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013161201/http://www.newsday.com/long-island/obituaries/grease-taxi-star-jeff-conaway-dies-1.2907909?p=|archive-date=October 13, 2012}}</ref> His father Charles<ref name=newsdayobit/> was an actor, producer, and publisher.<ref name=taxibookp41>{{cite book|first1= Frank|last1=Lovece|first2=Jules|last2= Franco|title=Hailing Taxi: The Official Book of the Show|date=1988|location= New York |publisher=Prentice Hall Press|page=41|isbn= 978-0-13-372103-4}}</ref> His mother Helen, an actress who went by the stage name Mary Ann Brooks,<ref name= newsdayobit/> taught music at New York City's Brook Conservatory. They divorced when he was 3,<ref name= taxibookp41/> and Conaway and his two older sisters lived with their mother.<ref name=people1989>{{cite magazine|first= Tom|last=Cunneff|url=https://people.com/archive/jeff-conaway-took-a-wrong-turn-after-taxi-but-now-hes-back-on-track-as-a-soap-stud-vol-32-no-24/|title=Jeff Conaway Took a Wrong Turn After Taxi, but Now He's Back on Track as a Soap Stud|magazine=People|volume=32|issue= 24| date=December 11, 1989|archive-date= June 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615033038/https://people.com/archive/jeff-conaway-took-a-wrong-turn-after-taxi-but-now-hes-back-on-track-as-a-soap-stud-vol-32-no-24/|url-status=live}}</ref>

He spent time living with his grandparents in South Carolina, which gave him enough of a Southern accent<ref name=people1989/> that when he accompanied his mother to a casting call for director Arthur Penn's Broadway play ''All the Way Home'', a story set in Knoxville, Tennessee, the 10-year-old Conaway landed a featured role as one of four boys.<ref name=taxibookp41/> The 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning play was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and ran 333 performances and one preview from November 29, 1960, to September 16, 1961.<ref>[http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=2273 ''All the Way Home''], Internet Broadway Database; accessed January 13, 2018.</ref> Conaway remained for the entire run, then toured with the national company of the play ''Critic's Choice''.<ref name= taxibookp41/> Conaway also worked as a child model.

He attended high school at the Quintano School for Young Professionals.<ref name= taxibookp41/> After playing with the rock band {{frac|3|1|2}} beginning at age 15, he attended the North Carolina School of the Arts<ref name= taxibookp41/><ref>{{cite news|first= Earl|last=Wilson|author-link=Earl Wilson (columnist) |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ehwvAAAAIBAJ&pg=2850,6998453&dq=jeff-conaway&hl=en|title=Jeff Conaway reaches for it all|newspaper= The Beaver County Times|date= November 29, 1978}}</ref> and later transferred to New York University.<ref name=taxibookp41/>

==Acting career== While at NYU, Conaway appeared in television commercials and had the lead in a school production of ''The Threepenny Opera''.<ref name= taxibookp41/> He made his film debut in the 1971 romantic drama ''Jennifer on My Mind'', which also featured future stars Robert De Niro and Barry Bostwick.<ref name= taxibookp41/>

===''Grease'' and ''Taxi''=== The following year, Conaway appeared in the original cast of the Broadway musical ''Grease'', as an understudy to several roles including that of the lead male character, Danny Zuko, and eventually succeeded role-originator Barry Bostwick.<ref name= newsdayobit/><ref name=ibdb-grease>{{cite web | url= http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=3641| title = ''Grease''| website = Internet Broadway Database| accessdate =January 13, 2018}}</ref>

He played the role for {{frac|2|1|2}} years while his friend John Travolta, with whom he shared a manager, later joined the play, playing the supporting role of Doody.<ref name= newsdayobit/><ref>{{cite web| url= http://ibdb.com/productionreplacements.asp?ID=3641 | title= ''Grease'' (Replacement/Transfers)| website = Internet Broadway Database| date= | accessdate= }}</ref> The two reunited in the 1978 motion picture musical ''Grease'', in which Travolta played Zuko and Conaway his buddy Kenickie.<ref name= newsdayobit/> thumb|left|upright|Conaway as Bobby Wheeler in ''Taxi'' After breaking into series television in 1975 with ''Happy Days'', followed by guest spots in several other TV shows, and three more films including ''Grease'', he was cast as aspiring actor Bobby Wheeler on ''Taxi'', which premiered in fall 1978.<ref name= BrooksMarsh>{{cite book|last1=Brooks|first1=Tim|last2=Marsh|first2=Earle|year=1984|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows | edition= 3rd | location=New York|publisher=Ballantine Books|isbn= 0-345-31864-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/completedirector00timb}}</ref>

He had appeared in an episode of ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' for the same producers, and, he said in 1987, had been considered for the role of John Burns, which eventually went to Randall Carver: {{quote|text=But then one day I got the whole script and became real interested in the actor character, then called Bobby Taylor. And [the producers] said they had been thinking along the same lines, so I read again. Later I got a call from [original casting director] Joel Thurm, who says, 'Well, it's not good news, but it's not bad news either.' He says I'm the only choice for a white actor, but that they'd had a meeting and thought that maybe Bobby should be black and that now they're looking at black actors. ... So I went back to read, and it was me, Cleavon Little, and somebody else.... I ended up reading with [star] Judd Hirsch and it went really well."<ref name=taxibook-p40>Lovece, with Franco, p. 40</ref>}}

Conaway left ''Taxi'' after the third season. Part of the reason was his drug abuse after season one.<ref name= newsdayobit /> ''Taxi'' writer Sam Simon recalled in 2008 that during production of Simon's first script for that show, a missing Conaway was found in his dressing room, too high on drugs to perform. Conaway's dialogue for that episode was divided between his co-stars Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd, who delivered the jokes well enough so that Conaway's absence had little negative effect on the episode. This development caused the show's producers to realize that Conaway was expendable, and this contributed to his termination.<ref>{{cite AV media| first = Sam | last= Simon| title= Call-in | interviewer = Howard Stern | work = The Howard Stern Show| date = February 7, 2008}} Reported in {{cite web|url=http://www.marksfriggin.com/news08/2-4.htm|title=Sam Simon Talks About Jeff Conaway |website= MarksFriggin.com| access-date= December 15, 2008|archive-date=March 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303222916/http://www.marksfriggin.com/news08/2-4.htm#thu|url-status=live}}</ref> Conaway was reported at the time to be dissatisfied with being typecast as a "blond bimbo" and the "butt of struggling-actor jokes," along with finding the nature of the role repetitive.<ref name="LA Times Obit">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-may-28-la-me-jeff-conaway-20110528-story.html| title= Obituary - Jeff Conaway dies at 60|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=June 14, 2020|first= Dennis|last=McLellan|date=May 28, 2011|archive-date=June 15, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200615033038/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-may-28-la-me-jeff-conaway-20110528-story.html|url-status= live}}</ref> He also felt creatively stymied: {{quote|text=I wanted to do things with Bobby, but as the show went on, I could see I wasn't going to get that chance ... Lemme tell you — I loved Bobby, I identified with Bobby. So, yeah, I kind of took everything personally. I had a lot of meetings with [the producers] because I was unhappy ... Sure, partially it was ego, but let me ''do'' what I ''do'' best. It was frustrating. I remember leaving the studio feeling guilty and unhappy. I just couldn't appreciate it and use it as just a job, as a learning experience. Instead I saw it as, "Hey, anybody could do this character." Like nobody else could do Louie or Jim, they were such defined characters. But Bobby — anybody could walk in and say, "Hi, Alex."<ref>Lovece, with Franco, pp. 40–41</ref>}}

=== After ''Taxi'' === Conaway starred in the short-lived 1983 fantasy-spoof series ''Wizards and Warriors''. He made guest appearances on such shows as ''Barnaby Jones'', ''George and Leo'', and ''Murder, She Wrote''. He appeared in films such as ''Jawbreaker'', ''Elvira: Mistress of the Dark'', and ''Do You Wanna Know a Secret?''

From 1989 to 1990, he played Mick Savage on ''The Bold and the Beautiful''. In 1993, he appeared onstage in ''Real Life Photographs''.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}} From 1994 to 1999, he played Sergeant, later promoted to Security Chief, Zack Allan on ''Babylon 5''. In 2010, he provided voice-over for the English version of the animated short film ''Dante's Hell Animated'' (released in 2013), in which he is credited as "Hollywood legend Jeff Conaway".

==Music career== In addition to acting, Conaway dabbled in music. In the mid-1960s, he was the lead singer and guitarist for a rock band, The {{frac|3|1|2}}, which recorded four singles for Cameo Records in 1966 and 1967: * "Don't Cry to Me Babe" / "R & B In C" (Cameo 425, 1966) * "Problem Child" / "Hey Mom Hey Dad" (Cameo 442, 1966) * "Hey Gyp" / "Hey Kitty Cool Kitty" (Cameo 451, 1967) (This single was produced by Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, who also wrote the B-side. The A-side is a song by Donovan.) * "Angel Baby (Don't You Ever Leave Me)" / "You Turned Your Back on Love" (Cameo 485, 1967)

In 1979, Conaway recorded a self-titled debut album for Columbia Records. "City Boy" was released as a single. Bruce Springsteen's manager, Mike Appel, produced the album.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UpucCQAAQBAJ&q=jeff+conaway+city+boy&pg=PA68|title=From Small Screen to Vinyl: A Guide to Television Stars Who Made Records, 1950-2000|first=Bob|last=Leszczak|year=2015| page=68|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|location=Lanham, Maryland|isbn=978-1442242739}}</ref> In 2000, he released the album ''It Don't Make Sense You Can't Make Peace'' on the KEGMusic label.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jeff-conaway-mn0000187114| title=Jeff Conaway Discography| publisher= | website = AllMusic| access-date= October 6, 2015}}</ref>

==Personal life== His stepson, Emerson Newton-John,<ref name=nyt-obit/> is a race car driver.

===Marriages=== Conaway was married three times. His first, short-lived marriage (when he was 21) was to a dancer he had been seeing for two years. It was annulled.<ref name=nyt-obit/><ref name=taxibookp41/> His second marriage, from 1980 until their divorce in 1985, was to Rona Newton-John,<ref name=newsdayobit/> elder sister of his ''Grease'' co-star, Olivia Newton-John.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/wales/south_east_wales|title=Coming Home: Olivia Newton-John|date=27 August 2012|publisher=BBC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827094115/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/sites/cardiff/pages/olivianewtonjohn.shtml?1|archive-date=2012-08-27|url-status=live|access-date=November 9, 2018|quote=Olivia Newton-John with elder sister Rona}}</ref> His third marriage was to Kerri Young from 1990 to 2000.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8543558/Jeff-Conaway.html |title=Film Obituaries: Jeff Conaway|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=UK|date= May 28, 2011|archive-date=September 3, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200903141015/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8543558/Jeff-Conaway.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Health problems=== After experiencing a crisis in the mid-1980s, Conaway came to grips with having a substance abuse problem. He underwent treatment in the late 1980s and often spoke candidly about his addictions.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}

By the mid-2000s, he had relapsed. Conaway appeared in VH1's ''Celebrity Fit Club'', but was forced to leave and entered rehabilitation. In early 2008, Conaway appeared with other celebrities in the VH1 reality series ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew''. The show revealed that Conaway was addicted to cocaine, alcohol, and painkillers, and that he was in a codependent relationship with his girlfriend, who was also a user of prescription opiates. Conaway had suffered a back injury earlier in his career on the set of ''Grease'' while filming the "Greased Lightning" scene, which had been exacerbated by lifting boxes in his home, and he had turned to substances to manage the pain.

Conaway's appearance on the show's first and second seasons drew much attention{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} because of his severely crippled state, his constant threats to leave the facility, and his frequent inability to speak clearly. Upon arrival at the Pasadena Recovery Center (which was filmed as part of ''Celebrity Rehab''{{'}}s first episode), Conaway, using a wheelchair, arrived drunk, mumbling to Dr. Drew that he had binged on cocaine and Jack Daniel's whiskey the previous night.

During the second episode of ''Celebrity Rehab''{{'}}s first season, Conaway, fed up with his back pain, withdrawal symptoms, and the humiliation of having to be assisted while using the toilet, told Pinsky that he was thinking of killing himself. After Pinsky asked him to elaborate upon how he would carry out a suicidal act, Conaway glared at the mirror in his room and said, "I see myself breaking that mirror and slicing my fucking throat with it." During group sessions, Conaway revealed he was "tortured" during his childhood, as older boys in his neighborhood would put him into dangerous situations, tying him up and threatening him. He also related that he was molested when he was seven years old.<ref>[http://www.vh1.com/video/play.jhtml?id=1584047&vid=206176 "Jeff reveals his traumatic history"]{{dead link|date=November 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'', Season 1, Episode 10, March 13, 2008, Vh1, accessed May 27, 2011.</ref> Conaway stated that he had been an addict since he was a teenager.<ref>[http://www.vh1.com/video/play.jhtml?id=1584047&vid=211256 "Jeff talks about Vikki and drugs at home"]{{dead link|date=November 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''Celebrity Rehab'' Season 1, Episode 10, March 13, 2008, Vh1, accessed May 28, 2011.</ref>

With John Travolta's support, Conaway took courses and auditing from the Church of Scientology to cope with his drug problem and depression,<ref name="insideedition">{{cite interview|first=Jeff|last=Conaway|title=Former Greaser Kicks Drugs with Scientology|work=Inside Edition|date=March 3, 2008}}</ref> although he did not intend to become a Scientologist.<ref name="parade">{{cite journal | first=Walter | last=Scott|title=Personality Parade | journal=Parade | date=March 30, 2008}}</ref><ref name=TVGuide>''TV Guide''; June 23, 2008; Page 8</ref><ref name="CelebCheck">{{cite web|url=http://blog.vh1.com/2008-06-10/new-slate-of-celebs-check-into-rehab-2-with-dr-drew/|title=Celebs Check Into Rehab 2 With Dr. Drew|publisher=VH1|date=June 10, 2008|archive-date=June 13, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613005309/http://blog.vh1.com/2008-06-10/new-slate-of-celebs-check-into-rehab-2-with-dr-drew/|url-status=dead|access-date=June 24, 2008}}</ref>

In June 2009, Conaway joined ''Celebrity Rehab'' castmate Mary Carey at the premiere of her parody film ''Celebrity Pornhab with Dr. Screw''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.celebritysmackblog.com/2009/06/03/celebrity-pornhab-with-dr-screw-brings-out-the-winners/ |title='Celebrity Pornhab' with Dr Screw Brings Out the Winners|publisher=CelebritySmarkBlog.com|date=June 3, 2009|archive-date=July 21, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721194802/http://www.celebritysmackblog.com/2009/06/03/celebrity-pornhab-with-dr-screw-brings-out-the-winners/ |url-status=dead|access-date=June 27, 2009}}</ref>

In August 2009, Conaway was interviewed by ''Entertainment Tonight''. In the interview, the actor claimed he was much better after a fifth back operation, and that he had yet to use painkillers again. He also discussed unscrupulous doctors and enablers.<ref>[http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/jeff-conaway-on-micahel-jackson-s-death/tb8c9qc3?from=sharepermalink "Jeff Conaway on Michael Jackson's Death"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109064302/http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/jeff-conaway-on-micahel-jackson-s-death/tb8c9qc3?from=sharepermalink |date=November 9, 2012 }}, Bing Videos, August 6, 2009</ref>

In March 2010, shortly after the death of actor Corey Haim, Conaway told ''E! News'' that he had warned Haim about dying because of prescription drug abuse.<ref>{{cite news|date=March 18, 2010|last=Baker|first=Ken|url= https://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b172239_celebrity_rehabs_jeff_conaway_i_told.html|title=Celebrity Rehab's Jeff Conaway: 'I Told Corey Haim He Was Gonna Die'|publisher=E! News|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201126235601/https://www.eonline.com/news/172239/celebrity_rehabs_jeff_conaway_i_told|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Death== On May 11, 2011, Conaway was found unconscious from what was initially described as an overdose of substances believed to be pain medication and was taken to Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Encino, California, where he was listed in critical condition.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-jeffconaway-idUSTRE74I6P920110519|title='Grease' actor Jeff Conaway critical after overdose|work=Reuters|date=May 19, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522082036/http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/19/us-jeffconaway-idUSTRE74I6P920110519|archive-date=May 22, 2011}}</ref> After initial reports, Drew Pinsky, who had treated Conaway for substance abuse, said the actor was suffering not from a drug overdose, but rather from pneumonia with sepsis, for which he was placed into an induced coma.<ref>{{cite news|first=Alan|last=Duke|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/05/21/jeff.conaway.hospitalized/|title='Grease' actor Jeff Conaway on 'razor's edge' in fight for life|publisher=CNN|date=May 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315070842/http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/05/21/jeff.conaway.hospitalized/|archive-date=March 15, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Christina|last=Everett|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2011/05/23/2011-05-23_jeff_conaway_did_not_overdose_is_tenuous_in_coma_as_he_battles_pneumonia_says_dr.html|title=Jeff Conaway did not overdose, is 'tenuous' in coma as he battles pneumonia, says Dr. Drew Pinsky|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 23, 2011}}</ref>

Though his drug use did not cause his pneumonia, it hampered Conaway's ability to recognize how severely ill he was; he did not seek treatment until it was too late.<ref name="LA Times Obit"/>

On May 26, 2011, Conaway's family took him off life support after doctors determined they could do nothing to revive him. Conaway died the following morning at the age of 60.<ref name="LA Times Obit"/> Conaway's doctor attributed his death to his addiction, stating, "What happens is, like with most opiate addicts, eventually they take a little too much ... and they aspirate, so what's in their mouth gets into their lungs ... That's what happened with Jeff."<ref name="drdrew-conawaydeath">{{cite news|first=Alan|last=Duke|url= https://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/05/27/jeff.conaway.dead/index.html?hpt=T2|title='Grease' actor Jeff Conaway has died|publisher=CNN|date=May 27, 2011|access-date=May 27, 2011| archive-date= August 13, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200813210340/http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/05/27/jeff.conaway.dead/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

An autopsy performed on Conaway revealed that the actor died of various causes, including aspiration pneumonia and encephalopathy, attributable to drug overdoses.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna44756068|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004122951/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44756068/ns/today-entertainment/#.TqJSA3K6VI4|url-status=live|date=October 3, 2011|archive-date=October 4, 2011|title=Actor Jeff Conaway's death ruled accidental|agency=Reuters|publisher=MSNBC|access-date=January 14, 2018}}</ref>

==Awards== Golden Globe Award * 1978 nomination, Best Supporting Actor, Comedy or Musical Series (for ''Taxi'')<ref name=taxibookp276>Lovece, with Franco, p. 276</ref> * 1979 nomination, Best Supporting Actor, Comedy or Musical Series (for ''Taxi'')<ref name=taxibookp276 />

==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- | 1971 | ''Jennifer on My Mind'' | Hanki | |- | 1976 | ''The Eagle Has Landed'' | Frazier | |- | 1977 | ''Delta County, U.S.A.'' | Terry Nicholas | |- | 1977 | ''Pete's Dragon'' | Willie Gogan | |- | 1977 | ''I Never Promised You a Rose Garden'' | Lactamaeon | |- | 1978 | ''Grease'' | Kenickie | |- | 1980 | ''For the Love of It'' | Russ |<ref>{{cite rt|id=for_the_love_of_it |type=m |title=For The Love of It |access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1984 | ''Covergirl'' | T.C. Sloane |<ref>{{cite rt|id=covergirl |type=m |title=Covergirl |access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1986 |''The Patriot'' | Mitchell | |- | 1988 | ''Elvira: Mistress of the Dark'' | Travis | |- | 1989 | ''Ghost Writer'' | Tom Farrell |<ref>{{cite rt|id=ghost_writer |type=m |title=Ghost Writer |access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1989 | ''The Banker'' | Cowboy | |- | 1989 | ''Tale of Two Sisters'' | Taxi driver | |- | 1990 | ''The Sleeping Car'' | Bud Sorenson |<ref>{{cite rt|id=the_sleeping_car |type=m |title=The Sleeping Car |access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1991 | ''Dumb Luck in Vegas'' | |<ref>{{cite rt|id=dumb_luck_in_vegas_1991|type=m |title=Dumb Luck in Vegas|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1991 | ''Total Exposure'' | Peter Keynes |<ref>{{cite rt|id=total_exposure |type=m |title=Total Exposure|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1991 | ''A Time to Die'' | Frank |<ref>{{cite rt|id=a_time_to_die_1991 |type=m |title=A Time to Die|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1992 | ''Mirror Images'' | Jeffrey Blair |<ref>{{cite rt|id=mirror_images |type=m |title=Mirror Images|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1992 | ''Eye of the Storm'' | Tom Edwards |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.movieguide.org/reviews/eye-of-the-storm.html|title=''Eye of the Storm''|work=Movieguide|date=August 24, 2012 |access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1992 | ''Almost Pregnant'' | Charlie Alderson |<ref>{{cite rt|id=almost_pregnant|type=m |title=Almost Pregnant|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1992 | ''Bikini Summer II'' / ''Bikini Summer 2'' | Stu Stocker (also director) |<ref>{{cite rt|id=bikini_summer_2|type=m |title=Bikini Summer II|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1993 | ''Alien Intruder'' | Borman | |- | 1993 | ''In a Moment of Passion'' | Werner Soehnen |<ref>{{cite rt|id=in_a_moment_of_passion|type=m |title=In a Moment of Passion|access-date=June 27, 2020}} (Hit "See all" button)</ref> |- | 1993 | ''L.A. Goddess'' | Sean |<ref>{{cite rt|id=la_goddess|type=m |title=L.A. Goddess|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1993 | ''Sunset Strip'' | Tony |<ref>{{cite rt|id=sunset_strip_1991|type=m |title=Sunset Strip|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 1993 | ''It's Showtime'' | Rinaldi |<ref>{{cite web|url=http://peterrodgers.org/index.php/films/item/238-its-showtime|title=It's Showtime|publisher= Peter Rogers Organization|access-date=June 27, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200627193726/http://peterrodgers.org/index.php/films/item/238-its-showtime|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | 1994 | ''2002: The Rape of Eden'' | Reverend |<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/2002-the-rape-of-eden/130110/|title=Review: ''2002: The Rape of Eden''|magazine=TV Guide|access-date=June 27, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200627194154/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/2002-the-rape-of-eden/130110/ |url-status=live}}</ref> |- | 1997 | ''The Last Embrace'' | Jagger | |- | 1998 | ''Shadow of Doubt'' | Bixby | |- | 1999 | ''Jawbreaker'' | Marcie's Father | |- | 1999 | ''Man on the Moon'' | Jeff Conaway - ''Taxi'' Actor | Uncredited<ref>{{cite rt|id=1093579_man_on_the_moon|type=m |title=Man on the Moon|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 2001 | ''Do You Wanna Know a Secret?'' | Agent Owen Sacker | |- | 2002 | ''Curse of the Forty-Niner'' | Reverend Sutter | |- | 2002 | ''The Biz'' | Gavin Elliot |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/The_Biz?id=2aIJpnqs1QU&hl=en_US|title=''The Biz''|publisher=Google Play|access-date=June 27, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627194806/https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/The_Biz?id=2aIJpnqs1QU&hl=en_US|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | 2003 | ''Miner's Massacre'' | |<ref>{{cite rt|id=miners_massacre|type=m |title=Miner's Massacre|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 2004 | ''Ymi'' | Digger's Dad |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.polishfilmla.org/ymi/|title=''Ymi'' (2004, 90 min.)|publisher=Polish American Film Society|access-date=June 27, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200627194947/https://www.polishfilmla.org/ymi/|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | 2004 | ''Pan Dulce'' | Gabriel Levine |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jdmata.blogspot.com/2011/05/thank-you-jeff-conaway.html|title=Orson's Last Dance and My Lovely Encounters with Jeff Conaway!|date=May 28, 2011|publisher=J.D. Mata Films|access-date=June 27, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200627195345/https://jdmata.blogspot.com/2011/05/thank-you-jeff-conaway.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | 2004 | ''The Corner Office''{{cn|date=June 2020}} | Dick | |- | 2006 | ''The Pool 2'' | Agent Frank Gun |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinematografo.it/cinedatabase/film/the-pool-2/46432/|title=''The Pool 2'' (Italia, USA — 2005)|publisher=Fondazione Ente dello Spettacolo|language=it|access-date=June 27, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200627195907/https://www.cinematografo.it/cinedatabase/film/the-pool-2/46432/|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | 2005 | ''From Behind the Sunflower'' | Leo |<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jdmata.blogspot.com/2008/07/from-behind-sunflower-los-girasoles.html|date=July 15, 2008|title='From Behind the Sunflower' Los Girasoles Starring Jeff Conaway!|publisher=J.D. Mata Films|access-date=June 27, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200627200441/http://jdmata.blogspot.com/2008/07/from-behind-sunflower-los-girasoles.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://jdmata.blogspot.com/2010/01/jeff-conaway-as-seen-in-my-award.html?m=0|title=Jeff Conaway As Seen in My Award Winning Feature 'From Behind the Sunflower'!|publisher=J.D. Mata Films|date=January 22, 2010|access-date=June 27, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200627200207/http://jdmata.blogspot.com/2010/01/jeff-conaway-as-seen-in-my-award.html?m=0|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | 2006 | ''Living the Dream'' | Dick | |- | 2006 | ''The Utah Murder Project'' | Sheriff Dan Patterson |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/film202431.html|title=''The Utah Murder Project''|publisher=Filmaffinity.com|access-date=June 27, 2020|archive-date=June 27, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200627200741/https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/film202431.html|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | 2008 | ''Wrestling'' | Franklin Conner | |- |2010 | ''Dante's Inferno: Abandon All Hope''<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.abandonallhopefilm.com/ |title=''Dante's Inferno – Abandon All Hope''|publisher=Gotimna Production|access-date=May 27, 2011|archive-date=July 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717144032/http://abandonallhopefilm.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> |40-minute short film | |- | 2010 | ''Ladron'' | Commander Hill |<ref>{{cite rt|id=ladron |type=m |title=Ladron|access-date=June 27, 2020}}</ref> |- | 2010 | ''Dark Games'' | Tom Doyle | <ref name=nyt-obit /> Released 2017{{cn|date=June 2020}} |- |}

===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- | 1975–1976 | ''Happy Days''&nbsp; | Rocko | 2 episodes |- | 1975 | ''Joe Forrester'' | | 1 episode, 1975 "The Best Laid Schemes" |- | 1975 | ''Movin' On''&nbsp; | Mike / Mike Miller | 2 episodes, 1974 "Landslide" (S01, E16), 1975 "The Long Way To Nowhere" (S02, Ep10) |- | 1976–1977 | ''Barnaby Jones''&nbsp; | Jeff Saunders | 2 episodes |- | 1976 | ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show''&nbsp; | Kenny Stevens | 1 episode |- | 1977 | ''Delta County, USA''&nbsp; | Terry Nicholas | TV movie-ABC |- | 1978–1982 | ''Taxi'' | Bobby Wheeler | 69 episodes |- | 1978 | ''Kojak''&nbsp; | Bert Gaines | 1 episode "May the Horse Be with You" |- | 1978 | ''California Jam II'' | Host and interviewer<ref name="calj">''California Jam 2 (1978)'' on ''IMDb'' [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0426422/].</ref> | TV Special by ABC, first aired on May 19, 1978<ref name=calj></ref> |- | 1979 | ''Breaking Up Is Hard to Do''&nbsp; | Roy Fletcher | TV movie |- | 1980 | ''For the Love of It''&nbsp; | Russ | TV movie |- | 1981 | ''The Nashville Grab''&nbsp; | Buddy Walker | TV movie |- | 1983 | ''Making of a Male Model''&nbsp; | Chuck Lanyard | TV movie |- | 1983 | ''Wizards and Warriors''&nbsp; | Prince Erik Greystone | 8 episodes |- | 1984–1994 | ''Murder, She Wrote''&nbsp; | Howard Griffin / Nolan Walsh / Tom Powell | 4 episodes, 1984, 1986, 1993, 1994 |- | 1985 | ''Berrenger's''&nbsp; | John Higgins | 11 episodes |- | 1985 | ''The Love Boat''&nbsp; | Andy Jackson | 1 episode |- | 1985 | ''Who's the Boss?''&nbsp; | Jeff | 1 episode, 1985 |- | 1986 | ''Matlock (NBC)''&nbsp; | Daniel Ward | 1 episode, "The Affair" (S01, E5) |- | 1987 | ''Bay Coven''&nbsp; | Josh McGwin | TV movie |- | 1987 | ''Hotel''&nbsp; | Eric Madison | 1 episode |- | 1984–1987 | ''Mike Hammer''&nbsp; | Harry Farris | 2 episodes, 1984 and 1987 |- | 1987 | ''Stingray''&nbsp; | Ty Gardner | 1 episode |- | 1987 | ''Tales from the Darkside''&nbsp; | Peter | 1 episode |- | 1988 | ''The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission'' | Sergeant Holt | Television movie |- | 1989-1990 | ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' | Mick Savage | 61 episodes |- | 1989 | ''Freddy's Nightmares''&nbsp; | Buddy Powers | 1 episode |- | 1989 | ''Monsters'' | Phil | 1 episode |- | 1990 | ''Good Grief''&nbsp; | Winston Payne | 1 episode |- | 1990 | ''Shades of L.A.''&nbsp; | Richard | 1 episode |- | 1993 | ''Matlock (ABC)''&nbsp; | Slick/Waiter | 1 episode, "Matlock's Bad, Bad, Bad Dream" (S08, E11) |- | 1994–1998 | ''Babylon 5''&nbsp; | Zack Allan | 74 episodes |- | 1995 | ''Burke's Law''&nbsp; | Dr. Alex Kenyon | 1 episode |- | 1995 | ''Hope and Gloria''&nbsp; | Bud Green | 1 episode |- | 1996 | ''Mr. & Mrs. Smith''&nbsp; | Rich Edwards | 1 episode |- | 1997 | ''George & Leo''&nbsp; | | 1 episode, "The Cameo Episode" |- | 1998 | ''Babylon 5: The River of Souls''&nbsp; | Zack Allan | TV movie |- | 1998 | ''Babylon 5: Thirdspace''&nbsp; | Zack Allan | TV movie |- | 1999 | ''Babylon 5: A Call to Arms''&nbsp; | Zack Allan | TV movie |- | 2000 | ''L.A. 7''&nbsp; | Manager of Radio Station | 1 episode |- | 2004 | ''She Spies''&nbsp; | Zachary Mason | 1 episode |- | 2006 | ''The John Kerwin Show''&nbsp; | Guest | 1 episode |- | 2012 | ''Planet Houston''&nbsp;{{cn|date=June 2020}} | Scareglow | Voice, 1 episode, "Dedicated to Jeff Conaway", Conaway's final project |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|0001063}} * {{IBDB name}} * {{cite web | url = http://www.scifi.com/transcripts/1998/JeffConaway.html | title = Jeff Conaway | publisher= (chat transcript), Sci Fi Channel | date = September 4, 1998 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20030811073351/http://www.scifi.com/transcripts/1998/JeffConaway.html | archive-date=August 11, 2003}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Conaway, Jeff}} Category:1950 births Category:2011 deaths Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American male child actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male voice actors Category:Deaths from pneumonia in California Category:Deaths from sepsis in California Category:Drug-related deaths in California Category:New York University alumni Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Astoria, Queens Category:Actors from Queens, New York Category:People from Flushing, Queens Category:People from Forest Hills, Queens Category:Male actors from Manhattan Category:University of North Carolina School of the Arts alumni Category:Male actors from Queens, New York