Vincent Van Patten (born October 17, 1957) is an American actor, former professional tennis player, and the commentator for the World Poker Tour.

Vincent Van Patten
Vincent Van Patten in 2017
Born (1957-10-17) October 17, 1957 (age 67)
Occupation(s)Actor, tennis player, commentator for the ClubWPT
Years active1970–present
Spouses
(m. 1989; div. 2001)
(m. 2003)
Children3
FatherDick Van Patten
RelativesNels Van Patten (brother)
Joyce Van Patten (aunt)
Tim Van Patten (uncle)
Talia Balsam (cousin)
Grace Van Patten (cousin)

Tennis career
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Turned pro1978
Retired1987
PlaysRight-handed
Prize money$433,522
Singles
Career record109–116
Career titles1
Highest rankingNo. 26 (November 2, 1981)
Grand Slam singles results
French Open1R (1981, 1985)
Wimbledon3R (1985)
US Open3R (1982, 1983)
Doubles
Career record43–72
Career titles1
Highest rankingNo. 24 (September 15, 1986)
Grand Slam doubles results
French OpenQF (1981)
Wimbledon3R (1984)

Personal life

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Van Patten was born in Bellerose, New York, as the youngest son of actor Dick Van Patten and his wife, Patricia Helon "Pat" Van Patten (née Poole), a former June Taylor dancer. He is of Dutch, English, and Italian descent.[citation needed]

He was first urged into show business at age nine by his father's agent. He appeared in more than thirty commercials, including Colgate toothpaste, before his father was cast in the TV series, Arnie, and moved his family from Long Island to Los Angeles.[citation needed]

From his first marriage to Betsy Russell he has two sons: Richard and Vince. His second marriage, on April 15, 2003, was to The Young and the Restless actress Eileen Davidson; they have one child together, a son named Jesse Thomas Van Patten.[1]

Vince is related to several other well-known actors, actresses, and singers through blood and by marriage. Vince is a brother of James and Nels Van Patten, a nephew of Joyce Van Patten and Timothy Van Patten, and a cousin of Talia Balsam.[1]

Acting

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As a child actor during the 1970s, Van Patten guest-starred in over three dozen classic television series, including Bonanza, Gunsmoke,The High Chaparral, Nichols, Medical Center, Adam-12, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, ‘’Night Gallery’’, Wonder Woman, and a variety of television movies. He also had roles in the films Charley and the Angel (1973) and Chino (1973).[1] At age 16, he was cast in Apple's Way, a CBS drama series, in which he played the son of an architect who leaves the big city to rear his family in rural and fictional Appleton, Iowa.[1]

In the fall of 1975, at age 18, Van Patten appeared as John Karras in a 12-week CBS drama series Three for the Road.[2] In 1978, he co-starred in The Bionic Boy, a two-hour ABC attempted spinoff of the popular Lee Majors vehicle The Six Million Dollar Man, that never went to series. He made a guest appearance in the final episode of the NBC television anthology series $weepstake$ in 1979.

In 1978, Van Patten starred in the cult film classic Rock 'n' Roll High School. He starred in several other films in the 1970s and 1980s, including the 1979 action thriller Survival Run (aka Spree), Yesterday (1981) as a Vietnam war veteran, the slasher film Hell Night (1981), Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985), The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission (1987), and Camp Fear (1991). He wrote, produced, and starred in The Break (1995), distributed by Lions Gate with Martin Sheen.[1] Van Patten co-wrote and produced 7 Days to Vegas (2019), based on a true story, about a bet he made in 1995 that he could walk 280 miles (450 km) from Los Angeles, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada, in seven days.[3]

Films

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Year Title Role Notes
1970 Dial Hot Line Stevie Television Movie
1972 The Bravos Peter Harkness Television Movie
1973 Charley and the Angel Willie Appleby
1973 Chino Jamie Wagner
1978 Rooster: Spurs of Death! Wyatt
1979 Rock 'n' Roll High School Tom Roberts
1979 Survival Run Chip
1981 Yesterday Matt Kramer
1981 Hell Night Seth
1985 Gidget's Summer Reunion Mickey Television Movie
1987 The Dirty Dozen: The Deadly Mission Ronnie Webber Television Movie
1990 Payback Terry Cartwright
1991 Camp Fear Professor Hamilton Direct-to-video
1995 The Break Nick Irons
2000 Backyard Dogs ZZ Nash Direct-to-video
2001 When Billie Beat Bobby Lornie Kuhle Television Movie
2003 High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story Jimmy D.
2016 The Guest House Abe
2019 7 Days to Vegas Duke also co-screenwriter and co-producer

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1970 The High Chaparral Culley Broxton Episode: "Spokes"
1970-73 Medical Center Kenny
Jimmy
Benjy
3 episodes
1970 Bracken's World Pete O'Connell Episode: "Nude Scene"
1970 The Interns Young Samuel Episode: "Dancy"
1970 Nanny and the Professor Tommy Episode: "The Humanization of Herbert T. Peabody"
1970-72 Bonanza Tommy Brenner
Tim Griffin
Episode: "A Matter of Circumstance"
Episode: "Stallion"
1971 Ironside Sonny Brokaw Episode: "The Target"
1971 The Courtship of Eddie's Father Mark Episode: "To Catch a Thief"
1971 The Bill Cosby Show Jimmy Episode: "The Saturday Game"
1971 Cannon Shaun Donaldson Episode: "The Salinas Jackpot"
1971 Marcus Welby, M.D. Philip Grand Episode: "This Is Max"
1971 Adam-12 Virgil Stephens Episode: "Truant"
1971 Night Gallery Chris Segment: "Big Surprise"
1972 Nichols Grover Episode: "About Jesse James"
1972 The Partners Roger Higgenbottom Episode: "Headlines for Higgenbottom"
1972 ABC Afterschool Special Mark voice, Episode: "The Last of the Curlews"
1972 The New Scooby-Doo Movies Additional roles voice, 16 episodes
1972-73 The Magical World of Disney Todd Thompson
Davey
4 episodes
1972-73 Gunsmoke Colby Eaton
Heck Walden
Episode: "Bohannan"
Episode: "The Boy and the Sinner"
1973 Barnaby Jones Kevin Mills Episode: "Day of the Viper"
1973 Jeannie Billy voice, Episode: "The Kid Brother"
1973 Love, American Style Bobby Segment: "Love and Carmen Lopez"
1973 Dirty Sally George Episode: "The Orphans"
1974-75 Apple's Way Paul Apple Main role; 28 episodes
1975 Three for the Road John Karras Main role; 13 episodes
1976 Phyllis Rob Episode: "Crazy Mama"
1976 The Six Million Dollar Man Andy Sheffield Episode: "The Bionic Boy"
1977 James at 16 Rip Lindeman Episode: "Pilot"
1977 Wonder Woman Johnny 2 episodes
1977 Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels Additional roles Episode: "The Mystery Mansion Mix-Up"
1978-79 Insight Morgan
Rick Adams
Episode: "The Sex Game"
Episode: "It Can't Happen to Me"
1978 What Really Happened to the Class of '65? Phil Episode: "The Most Likely to Succeed"
1978 Flying High Unknown role Episode: "Palm Springs Weekend"
1979 How the West Was Won Bob Cooper Episode: "The Rustler"
1981 The Love Boat Frank 1 episode
1990 Matlock Dave Travis Episode: "The Pro"
1992 Baby Talk Elliot Episode: "Requiem for a Lightweight"
1992-97 Baywatch Vincent
Dr. Tom Morella
6 episodes
2000 The Young and the Restless Christian Page 12 episodes
2006 Cuts Himself as Vincent Van Patten Episode: "Rogue Trip"
2022 Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem Phil Hellworth 2 episodes

Tennis

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Van Patten was a professional tour tennis player who in 1979 was awarded the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Rookie of the Year award. The highlight of his career came in 1981 when he defeated John McEnroe and two other top ten world ranked pros to win the Seiko World Super Tennis tournament in Tokyo. His career high ranking in singles was World No. 26, reached on February 11, 1982.

In singles, Van Patten reached the third round of the US Open twice, in 1982 and 1983, and Wimbledon once, in 1985. In doubles his best Grand Slam event result was reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open in 1981, partnering with Mel Purcell. His highest doubles ranking was World No. 24, reached in September 1986.

Tennis Grand Prix Championship Series finals

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Singles (1 title)

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Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 1981 Tokyo, Japan Carpet   Mark Edmondson 6–2, 3–6, 6–3

Poker

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Van Patten learned to play poker at the age of 14 from his father, actor Dick Van Patten.

In the 1990s, Vincent Van Patten put together his own Hollywood home game with famous regulars like Ben Affleck and Tobey Maguire.[4]

He finished in the money at the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing 481st in a pool of 7,319 entrants and received winnings totaling $27,519. (This amount was awarded to finishers in 460th through 531st place.)[5]

Since 2003, he has been a commentator on World Poker Tour.[6] The first four seasons were broadcast on Travel Channel; seasons five and six on Game Show Network, and, from the seventh through to the current season, it has aired on Fox Sports Networks.[7]

With Robert J Randisi, he wrote The Picasso Flop, a novel about Las Vegas poker.[8]

As of September 2020, Van Patten has $104,383 in live tournament earnings from seven events.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Vincent Van Patten at IMDb
  2. ^ "Three for the Road". IMDb. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  3. ^ Fessier, Bruce (January 10, 2019). "Vince Van Patten accepted a bet to walk from L.A. to Vegas. Then he made a movie about it". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  4. ^ "Vincent Van Patten's Life: Biggest Profits, Losses and Net Worth". Somuchpoker. July 31, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  5. ^ "Event #57: No-Limit Hold'em Championship". World Series of Poker. November 9, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  6. ^ Sofen, Jon (February 26, 2022). "Vince Van Patten Still Passionate About Poker as World Poker Tour Turns 20". PokerNews.com. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Profile, pokerlistings.com; accessed March 2, 2016.
  8. ^ Van Patten, Vince; Randisi, Robert J. (February 21, 2007). The Picasso Flop. Grand Central. ISBN 978-0759517073. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  9. ^ "Vince van Patten's profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Retrieved September 21, 2020.

Bibliography

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