Stephen Collins

Before 7th Heaven, Collins was known for his roles as Commander Willard Decker in the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture and pilot Jake Cutter in the ABC television series Tales of the Gold Monkey. In 2014, his career came to an end after he confessed to sexual abuse against multiple minors.

• Name — Stephen Collins • Birth Name — Stephen Weaver Collins • Born — 1 October 1947 • Birthplace — Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1971–2014 • Children — 1 • Relatives — Max Collins (nephew) • Education — Amherst College

Stephen Collins was born on October 1, 1947, in Des Moines, Iowa, to mother Madeleine (née Robertson) and father Cyrus Stickney Collins, an airline executive. Collins was raised with his two older brothers in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, and attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, graduating cum laude. While at Amherst, he played bass guitar in a number of bands. He was also then a singing member of the Amherst College Zumbyes.

Stephen Collins is known for his role as Eric Camden in the television drama series 7th Heaven during the series' run from 1996 to 2007 and for his role as Captain Willard Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). His other notable television credits include Jake Cutter in the cult series Tales of the Gold Monkey and his role in Tattingers, as well as guest appearances in The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, Charlie's Angels, and numerous miniseries and television films. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work opposite Ann-Margret in the miniseries The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (1987), and played John F. Kennedy in the miniseries A Woman Named Jackie (1991), which won the Emmy for Best Miniseries. He also played the lead role opposite Lauren Hutton in the television film The Rhinemann Exchange (1977), based on Robert Ludlum's bestselling novel. Collins was above-the-title billed in Loving Couples (1980) with Shirley MacLaine, James Coburn and Susan Sarandon. He co-starred with Diane Keaton in both The First Wives Club (1996) and Because I Said So (2007). He has co-starred with Meredith Baxter in three films, All the President's Men, A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story, and Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, the Last Chapter, both of which were television films broadcast on CBS in 1992. In the 2010–11 television season, Collins starred in the short-lived ABC series No Ordinary Family. On ABC's Brothers & Sisters, he played a potential love interest for Ron Rifkin's character Saul Holden. Collins appeared in season eight of The Office playing Andy Bernard's father in the episode, "Garden Party". In 2013, Collins began appearing in the NBC series Revolution as Dr. Gene Porter, the leader of the town of Willoughby and father of Rachel Matheson (played by Elizabeth Mitchell). and in two episodes of Falling Skies in season three. His final guest spots include The Fosters, Devious Maids, and Penance.

Stephen Collins was married to Marjorie Weinman from 1970 to 1978. In 1985, he married actress Faye Grant, whom he had met on the set of Tales of the Gold Monkey in 1982. Together they have a daughter Kate, who was born in 1989. They separated in 2012, and a final divorce decree was issued in January 2015. In 2019, Collins began a relationship with Jenny Nagel, a 7th Heaven fan. Collins is an Episcopalian and a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM). He has taken part in the advanced TM Yogic Flying technique since 1980. Until October 2014, he was a national co-director of the Committee for Stress-Free Schools, which advocates practicing TM in schools and funds TM research. Following becoming disgraced, he was forced to retire from acting, and Collins moved back to his native state of Iowa, buying a house in Fairfield, Iowa. His nephew is musician Max Collins of the band Eve 6.

On October 7, 2014, the New York City Police Department began investigating Collins after an audio tape was leaked to the news media; on the tape was a male voice, said to be that of Collins, admitting past sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 14. At that time, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson stated that they had investigated Collins in 2012 after receiving a claim of sexual abuse, but had been unable to "substantiate the allegation". In a December 2014 interview with People, Collins admitted to "inappropriate sexual conduct with three female minors" in 1973, 1982, and 1994. The abuses were the subject of an episode of the 2025 documentary series Hollywood Demons.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1974 — The Michele Lee Show — Dr. Steven Mayhill — Television pilot • 1975 — The Waltons — Todd Clarke — Episode: "The Abdication" • 1976 — Brink's: The Great Robbery — Agent Donald Nash — Television film • 1977 — The Rhinemann Exchange — David Spaulding — Miniseries • 1978 — Charlie's Angels — Steve Carmody — Episode: "Angel Come Home" • 1980 — The Henderson Monster — Pete Casimir — Television film • 1981 — Great Performances — Morton Fullerton — Episode: "Edith Wharton: Looking Back" • Summer Solstice — Young Joshua Turner — Television film • 1982 — Inside the Third Reich — Karl Hanke • Tales of the Gold Monkey — Jake Cutter — Main role • 1983 — Chiefs — Billy Lee — Miniseries • 1984 — Threesome — Peter Hatten — Television film • Dark Mirror — Jim Eiseley • 1985 — The Hitchhiker — Todd Fields — Episode: "And If We Dream" • 1986 — Hold the Dream — Shane O'Neil — Miniseries • 1987 — The Two Mrs. Grenvilles — Billy Grenville Jr. • 1988 — Weekend War — Captain John Deason — Television film • Tattingers — Nick Tattinger — Main role • 1990 — Working It Out — David Stuart • 1991 — A Woman Named Jackie — John F. Kennedy — Miniseries • 1992 — A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story — Dan Broderick — Television film • Her Final Fury: Betty Broderick, The Last Chapter • 1993 — Remember — Clee Donovan • The Disappearance of Nora — Jack Fremont • 1994 — Scarlett — Ashley Wilkes — Miniseries • 1995 — A Family Divided — Roger Billingsley — Television film • Sisters — Gabriel 'Gabe' Sorenson — Recurring • 1996 — On Seventh Avenue — Tom Aiken — Television film • The Babysitter's Seduction — Bill Bartrand • An Unexpected Family — Sam • 1996–2007 — 7th Heaven — Rev. Eric Camden — Main role; directed 3 episodes • 1998 — An Unexpected Life — Sam — Television film • 1999 — As Time Runs Out — Dan Carlin • Batman Beyond — Tony Maychek/Earthmover — Voice, episode: "Earth Mover" • 2001 — Jumping Ship — Gardener — Television film • 2002 — State of Grace — Norris Sinclair — Episode: "Sophisticated Ladies" • 2005 — Celebrity Poker Showdown — Himself — Qualified for the first tournament • 2006–2007 — It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia — Bruce Mathis — 2 episodes • 2008 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Pierson Bartlett — Episode: "Trade" • Every Second Counts — Joe Preston — Television film • 2009–2011 — Private Practice — The Captain — 4 episodes • 2010 — No Ordinary Family — Dayton King — Main role • Brothers & Sisters — Charlie — Episode: "A Righteous Kiss" • 2011 — The Office — Walter Bernard — Episode: "Garden Party" • 2013 — Falling Skies — President Benjamin Hathaway — 2 episodes • Scandal — Reed Wallace — Episode: "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" • The Fosters — Rev. Adams — Episode: "I Do" • Devious Maids — Philippe Delatour — 6 episodes • Revolution — Gene Porter — Main role • 2014 — Avengers Assemble — Howard Stark — Voice, episode: "Thanos Rising"