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| {{Cast Data | | {{Cast Data |
| | image= Cast - Frank Parker c. 2015 CE.jpg | | | image= Zed.jpg |
| | character=[[Zed]] | | | character=[[Zed]] |
| | series=TOS | | | series=TOS |
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| | born_day= 1 | | | born_day= 1 |
| | born_year= 1939 | | | born_year= 1939 |
| | death_month= 9 | | | death_month= |
| | death_day= 16 | | | death_day= |
| | death_year= 2018 | | | death_year= |
| | nationality= US | | | nationality= US |
| | imdb= 0662243 | | | imdb= 0662243 |
| | sortkey=Parker, Frank | | | sortkey=Parker, Frank |
| |image2=Zed.jpg}}
| | }} |
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| '''Frank Russell Parker''' (July 1, 1939 – September 16, 2018) was an American television actor who portrayed [[IFB]] reporter [[Zed]] in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] episodes "[[The Man with Nine Lives]]" and "[[Murder on the Rising Star]]". Born in Darby, Pennsylvania, Parker was raised in the nearby Philadelphia suburb of Lansdowne.<ref name="legacy_obit">{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/frank-parker-obituary?id=8072943|title=Frank Russell Parker Obituary|date=September 25, 2018|accessdate=November 11, 2025|archiveurl=|archivedate=|format=|language=|quote=|author=|publisher=Legacy.com}}</ref><ref name="deadline_obit">{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/09/frank-parker-dead-days-of-our-lives-grandpa-shawn-brady-general-hospital-1202471297/|title=Frank Parker Dies: Actor Who Played Grandpa Brady On 'Days Of Our Lives' Was 79|date=September 26, 2018|accessdate=November 11, 2025|author=Pedersen, Erik|publisher=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref> | | '''Frank Parker''' (born July 1, 1939) is the American actor who portrayed the [[IFB]] reporter [[Zed]] in the [[Original Series]]. |
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| Parker earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Acting from Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburgh in 1962, then moved to Culver City, California to pursue his acting career.<ref name="legacy_obit" /><ref name="deadline_obit" /><ref name="welovesoaps">{{cite web|url=https://www.welovesoaps.net/2018/09/frank-parker-dead-at-79.html|title=Frank Parker Dead at 79|date=September 26, 2018|accessdate=November 11, 2025|publisher=We Love Soaps}}</ref> He performed under the name '''Brett Parker''' during the early part of his career.<ref name="findagrave">{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193383512/frank-parker|title=Frank Parker (1939-2018)|accessdate=November 11, 2025|publisher=Find a Grave}}</ref>
| | Born in [[w:Darby, Pennsylvania|Darby, Pennsylvania]], Parker is known for his recurring role as Grandpa Shawn Brady in ''[[w:Days of Our Lives|Days of Our Lives]]'' from 1983 to present. Outside of that series, Parker has appeared in numerous series, including ''[[w:Buck Rogers in the 25th Century|Buck Rogers in the 25th Century]]'', ''[[w:Quincy, M.E.|Quincy, M.E.]]'', ''[[w:CHiPs|CHiPs]]'', and ''[[w:Wonder Woman (TV series)|Wonder Woman]]''. |
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| == Career ==
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| === Television ===
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| Parker made his television debut in a 1964 episode of the military comedy series ''[[w:Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.|Gomer Pyle: USMC]]''.<ref name="deadline_obit" /> By the mid-1960s, he was guest-starring on such series as ''[[w:Lost in Space|Lost in Space]]'', ''[[w:Daktari|Daktari]]'', and ''[[w:Hogan's Heroes|Hogan's Heroes]]''.<ref name="deadline_obit" />
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| Throughout the 1970s, Parker appeared in numerous television series including ''[[w:Mission: Impossible|Mission: Impossible]]'', ''[[w:Ironside (1967 TV series)|Ironside]]'', ''[[w:Dan August|Dan August]]'', ''[[w:The Mod Squad|The Mod Squad]]'', ''[[w:The Jimmy Stewart Show|The Jimmy Stewart Show]]'', ''[[w:Room 222|Room 222]]'', ''[[w:Cannon (TV series)|Cannon]]'', ''[[w:The Cowboys (TV series)|The Cowboys]]'', ''[[w:Little House on the Prairie (TV series)|Little House on the Prairie]]'', ''[[w:McCloud (TV series)|McCloud]]'', ''[[w:Barnaby Jones|Barnaby Jones]]'', ''[[w:S.W.A.T. (1975 TV series)|S.W.A.T.]]'', ''[[w:Black Sheep Squadron|Black Sheep Squadron]]'', ''[[w:Switch (TV series)|Switch]]'', ''[[w:Wonder Woman (TV series)|Wonder Woman]]'', ''[[w:The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries|The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries]]'', ''[[w:The Six Million Dollar Man|The Six Million Dollar Man]]'', the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]], ''[[w:Sword of Justice (TV series)|Sword of Justice]]'', ''[[w:CHiPs|CHiPs]]'', and ''[[w:Quincy, M.E.|Quincy, M.E.]]''
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| Parker played Grandpa Shawn Brady on the NBC daytime soap opera ''[[w:Days of Our Lives|Days of Our Lives]]'' from 1983 until he retired in 2008.<ref name="deadline_obit" /> He was given a hero's exit from the show when his character was on a sabotaged airplane and gave up his oxygen mask to save his son, Bo (played by Peter Reckell).<ref name="deadline_obit" /> Parker also had roles on other daytime dramas including ''[[w:General Hospital|General Hospital]]'' (as Paddy Kelly in 1980), ''[[w:The Young and the Restless|The Young and the Restless]]'', and ''[[w:Never Too Young (TV series)|Never Too Young]]''.
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| From 1980 to the mid-1980s, Parker continued guest-starring on primetime television, appearing on ''[[buckwiki:Buck Rogers in the 25th Century|Buck Rogers in the 25th Century]]'', ''[[w:Hart to Hart|Hart to Hart]]'', ''[[w:The Fall Guy|The Fall Guy]]'', ''[[w:Blue Thunder (TV series)|Blue Thunder]]'', and ''[[w:Crazy Like a Fox (TV series)|Crazy Like a Fox]]''.
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| === Film ===
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| Parker appeared in several films during his career, including ''[[w:Midway (1976 film)|Midway]]'' (1976) and ''[[w:The Concorde ... Airport '79|The Concorde... Airport '79]]'' (1979). He also appeared in the made-for-television movies ''Just a Little Inconvenience'' (1977) and ''The Other Victim'' (1981).
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| == Personal life ==
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| Parker was married to Nola Donelle Rajcok in 1981, and together they had three daughters: Candace Donelle and fraternal twins Danielle Dallas and Lindsay Kyle.<ref name="legacy_obit" /> Tragically, his daughter Candace died in a car accident in January 1999.<ref name="imdb_bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0662089/bio/|title=Frank Parker - Biography|accessdate=November 11, 2025|publisher=IMDb}}</ref> In 2005, Parker married Mary Jean Dunning Garofalo, and the couple resided in Vacaville, California.<ref name="legacy_obit" />
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| An accomplished singer, Parker was known to burst into song at any moment and could light up a room with his singing voice.<ref name="legacy_obit" /> His co-star Stephen Nichols remembered him as "So full of Blarney and Joy!"<ref name="news24">{{cite web|url=https://www.news24.com/you/celebs/former-days-of-our-lives-actor-frank-parker-dies-at-79-after-suffering-from-parkinsons-disease-20180926|title=Former Days of our Lives actor Frank Parker dies at 79 after suffering from Parkinson's disease|date=September 26, 2018|accessdate=November 11, 2025|publisher=News24}}</ref>
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| Parker died on September 16, 2018, at the age of 79 in Vacaville, California, from complications of Parkinson's disease and dementia.<ref name="legacy_obit" /><ref name="deadline_obit" /> He is survived by his wife, Mary; daughters Danielle Buckles and Lindsay Parker (Travis Burbank); his grandson, Jaxson Dale; and numerous nieces and nephews.<ref name="deadline_obit" />
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| == References ==
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| <references />
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| == External links ==
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| * {{imdb name|id=0662089|name=Frank Parker}}
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| [[Category:Glen Larson Productions Cast and Crew]] | | [[Category:Glen Larson Productions Cast and Crew]] |
| [[de: Frank Parker]]
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