Dean Butler

• Name — Dean Butler • Born — 20 May 1956 • Birthplace — Prince George, British Columbia, Canada • Years Active — 1976–2008 (actor) 2005–present (producer)

Born in Prince George, British Columbia, and raised in Piedmont, California, Butler studied communication arts at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

Butler's career as an actor started with a small part on the TV series The Streets of San Francisco. His first major role was in the 1978 TV movie Forever, based on Judy Blume's novel of the same title. Butler is best known for his portrayal of Almanzo Wilder on the NBC family drama Little House on the Prairie, which was based on the classic Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. He appeared in the final four seasons of the show and the three post-series TV movies. After Little House ended, he played Jeff "Moondoggie" Griffin in the TV series The New Gidget and Buffy’s father, Hank Summers, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. During the 1980s and 1990s, Butler was a guest star on various television series, including Murder, She Wrote; Who's the Boss?; The Love Boat; and JAG. He co-starred with the late Gary Coleman in The Kid with the 200 I.Q.. He appeared in the movies Desert Hearts and The Final Goal. Onstage, Butler has performed in the shows of Stephen Sondheim. He appeared on Broadway in the original company of Into the Woods as Rapunzel's Prince, internationally as Tony in West Side Story and regionally in Company.

Butler now works largely behind the camera producing entertainment, sports, and documentary programming. Butler produces Feherty for Golf Channel, starring David Feherty. In addition, he is a West Coast correspondent for Broadway World, a provider of web content about the performing arts. Butler has directed, produced, written, and narrated bonus features for Little House on the Prairie DVD collections. He narrated a six-part documentary, The Little House Phenomenon. Butler has produced two documentaries, Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura, which drew their inspiration from the Little House books of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Additionally, in 2012, Butler co-executive produced Pa's Fiddle: The Music of America for PBS.

Butler is married to actress Katherine Cannon, who played Felice Martin on the television series Beverly Hills 90210. They met when Cannon auditioned for the female lead in the Michael Landon series Father Murphy. They live in Los Angeles, California.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1978 — Forever — Michael Wagner — TV movie • 1979–1983 — Little House on the Prairie — Almanzo Wilder — Main cast (65 episodes) • 1980 — CHiPs — Dean Butler — Episode: "The Great 5K Star Race and Boulder Wrap Party: Part 2" • 1981 — Here's Boomer — Gary — Episode: "Good Looking" • 1982 — The Love Boat — Stan Barber — Episode: "Familiar Faces" • 1983 — The Kid with the 200 I.Q. — Steve Bensfield — TV movie • Fantasy Island — Carl Peters — Episode: "The Devil Stick/Touch and Go" • The Love Boat — Scott Pryor — Episode: "Kisses and Makeup" • Little House: Look Back to Yesterday — Almanzo Wilder — TV movie • 1984 — Little House: The Last Farewell • Little House: Bless All the Dear Children • Fantasy Island — Harley Batten — Episode: "Sing Melancholy Baby/The Last Dogfight" • Who's the Boss? — Jason — Episode: "Mona Gets Pinned" • 1985 — Hotel — Michael Korsak — Episode: "Anniversary" • Gidget's Summer Reunion — Jeff "Moondoggie" Griffin — TV movie • Desert Hearts — Darrell — Feature film • 1986 — The Love Boat — Brent Harper — Episode: "Couples/Made for Each Other" • 1986–1988 — data-sort-value="New Gidget, The" | The New Gidget — Jeff "Moondoggie" Griffin — Main cast (44 episodes) • 1987 — Hotel — Gary Marsh — Episode: "All the King's Horses" • 1989 — ABC Afterschool Specials — Matthew Green — Episode: "Private Affairs" • 1990 — Murder, She Wrote — Howard Griffin — Episode: "The Fixer-Upper" • 1991 — Shades of LA — Dr. Ted Kolfax — Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part" • | Without a Pass — Officer #1 (1965) — Feature film • 1992 — Tequila and Bonetti — Frank Avalon — Episode: "Brooklyn and the Beast" • 1994 — Diagnosis: Murder — Sly — Episode: "Georgia on My Mind" • | Juana la Cubana — Mark Taylor — Feature film • 1995 — The Final Goal — Valentine • 1996 — Renegade — Cop — Episode: "Baby Makes Three" • 1997–2002 — Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Hank Summers — Recurring role (5 episodes) • 1997 — Fame L.A. — Producer — Episode: "Seize the Day" • 2000 — Cover Me — FBI Agent — Episode: "The Line" • | Ricky 6 — Vic Portelance — Feature film • 2003 — JAG — Navy Appellate Court Judge #2 — Episode: "Lawyers, Guns and Money" • 2008 — Chemical Wedding — Ceremony Man — Feature film (aka Crowley)

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1988 — West Side Story — Tony — International tour • 1988-1989 — Into the Woods — Rapunzel's Prince u/s The Wolf / Cinderella's Prince — Broadway • 1993 — Company — Peter — Los Angeles

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Dean Butler is recorded as actor, television producer, film director and screenwriter.