Leonard Barrie Corbin (born October 16, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Maurice Minnifield on the television series Northern Exposure (1990–1995), which earned him two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations.
His other notable credits include the films Urban Cowboy (1980), Stir Crazy (1980), WarGames (1983), and No Country for Old Men (2007), as well as the television series Dallas (1979–1984), Lonesome Dove (1989), One Tree Hill (2003–2009), The Closer (2007–2012), The Ranch (2016–2020), Yellowstone (2021), and Tulsa King (2022).
Early life
Corbin's mother gave him his middle name in honor of author Sir James M. Barrie. He played football briefly in eighth grade, but soon moved to the arts, including acting and ballet classes.
At 21, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, served two years, and then returned to Texas Tech.
Career
Corbin began his career in the 1960s as a Shakespearean actor, but today is more likely to be seen in the role of the sheriff, military leader, or some other authority figure, though on occasion, he has portrayed murderous villains. To moviegoers, he is well remembered as General Beringer in WarGames,
From 1979 until 1984, Corbin appeared as Sheriff Fenton Washburn in several episodes of Dallas.
In 1994, Corbin narrated the acclaimed TV documentary Moon Shot, He also had a role in 2007's No Country for Old Men. In 2014, he became the spokesman for the Texas Veterans Land Board. He also played a role in the Netflix series The Ranch.
In September 2011, Corbin was given a lifetime achievement award by the Estes Park Film Festival in Estes Park, Colorado. The Texas Film Hall of Fame inducted Corbin into its membership on March 8, 2012.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| rowspan="3"|1980 || Urban Cowboy || Bob Davis ||
|-
| Stir Crazy || Warden Walter Beatty ||
|-
| Any Which Way You Can || Fat Zack Tupper ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|1981 || Dead & Buried || Phil ||
|-
| The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia || Wimbish ||
|-
| rowspan="4"|1982 || The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez || B.R. Abernathy ||
|-
| Six Pack || Sheriff "Big John" Stone ||
|-
| The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas || C.J. ||
|-
| Honkytonk Man || Derwood Arnspriger ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|1983 || WarGames || General Jack Beringer, Commander of NORAD ||
|-
| The Man Who Loved Women || Roy Carr ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|1985 || What Comes Around || Leon Redden ||
|-
| My Science Project || Lew Harlan ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|1986 || Nothing in Common || Andrew Woolridge ||
|-
| Hard Traveling || Frank Burton ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|1987 || Under Cover || Sergeant Irwin Lee ||
|-
| Off the Mark || Walt Warner ||
|-
| rowspan="3"|1988 || Permanent Record || Jim Sinclair ||
|-
| Critters 2: The Main Course || Harv ||
|-
| It Takes Two || George Lawrence ||
|-
| 1989 || Who's Harry Crumb? || P.J. Downing ||
|-
| rowspan="3"|1990 || Short Time || Captain ||
|-
| Ghost Dad || Mr. Emery Collins ||
|-
| The Hot Spot || Sheriff ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|1991 || Conagher || Charlie McCloud ||
|-
| Career Opportunities || Officer Don ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|1996 || Solo || General Clyde Haynes ||
|-
| Curdled || Lodger ||
|-
| 1997 || The Fanatics || Robert Blister ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|1999 || Judgment Day: The Ellie Nesler Story || Tony Serra ||
|-
| Held Up || Pembry ||
|-
| 2000 || Timequest || Lyndon B. Johnson ||
|-
| rowspan="4"|2001 || The Journeyman || Charlie Ledbetter ||
|-
| No One Can Hear You || Sheriff Joe Webster ||
|-
| Race to Space || Earl Vestal ||
|-
| The Gristle || Senator Dorm ||
|-
| 2002 || Clover Bend || Cotton ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|2003 || Dunsmore || Sheriff Breen ||
|-
| Tin Can Shinny || Daddy Jack ||
|-
| rowspan="3"|2005 || Yesterday's Dreams || Pastor ||
|-
| River's End || Sheriff 'Buster' Watkins ||
|-
| The Dukes of Hazzard || Mr. Pullman || Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2"|2006 || Waitin' to Live || Buford Pike ||
|-
| Beautiful Dreamer || Grandpa ||
|-
| rowspan="4"|2007 || No Country for Old Men || Ellis ||
|-
| The Grand || Jimminy 'Lucky' Faro ||
|-
| Trail End || Hank || Short
|-
| In the Valley of Elah || Arnold Bickman ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|2008 || Lake City || George ||
|-
| Beer for My Horses || Buck Baker ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|2009 || That Evening Sun || Thurl Chessor ||
|-
| Not Since You || Uncle Dennis ||
|-
| rowspan="5"|2010 || Bloodworth || Itchy ||
|-
| Rising Stars || Farmer ||
|-
| Nonames || Ed ||
|-
| Feed the Fish || Axel Andersen ||
|-
| The Next Door Neighbor || Judge Rodgers ||
|-
| rowspan="5"|2011 || Sedona || Les ||
|-
| Valley of the Sun || Gene Taggert ||
|-
| Universal Squadrons || Deakin ||
|-
| Redemption: For Robbing the Dead || Judge Smith ||
|-
| 3 Blind Saints || Rusty Pickens ||
|-
| rowspan="3"|2012 || Cinema Six || Roger ||
|-
| The Man Who Shook the Hand of Vicente Fernandez || Walker ||
|-
| Born Wild || Ray Jennings ||
|-
| 2013 || This Is Where We Live || Bode ||
|-
| rowspan="4"|2014 || Dawn of the Crescent Moon || Cyrus ||
|-
| The Homesman || Buster Shaver ||
|-
| Planes: Fire & Rescue || Ol' Jammer || Voice
|-
| Finding Harmony || Grady Pickett ||
|-
| rowspan="3"|2015 || Windsor || Gil Denton ||
|-
| Beyond the Farthest Star || Chief Burns ||
|-
| Christmas in the Smokies || Wade Haygood ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|2016 || Last Man Club || Pete Williams ||
|-
| New Life || Oscar ||
|-
| rowspan="4"|2017 || Mountain Top || Sam Miller ||
|-
| The Valley || Gary ||
|-2017 mountain top
| All Saints || Forrest ||
|-
| An American in Texas || Larry Korchinsky ||
|-
| 2018 || Farmer of the Year || Hap Anderson ||
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2019 || Trading Paint || Deputy ||
|-
| Eminence Hill || Noah ||
|-
| 2020 || Star Trek: First Frontier || John April ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2023 || Killers of the Flower Moon || Undertaker Turton ||
|-
| Funny Thing About Love || Grandpa Joe ||
|-
| 2025 || El Tonto Por Cristo || Terry Don ||
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! 1999
! Outer Limits Joyride
! Financier of space flight.
!
|-
| rowspan="2"|1976 || Movin' On || Waldo || Episode: "The Old South Will Rise Again" (uncredited)
|-
| NBC Special Treat || Stokey Andrews || Episode: "Big Henry and the Polka Dot Kid"
|-
| 1979–1984 || Dallas || Sheriff Fenton Washburn || 9 episodes
|-
| rowspan="5"|1981 || M*A*S*H || Sgt. Joe Vickers || Episode: "Your Retention, Please"
|-
| This House Possessed || Lieutenant Fletcher || rowspan="4" | TV movie
|-
| The Killing of Randy Webster || Nick Hanson
|-
| Murder in Texas || Dist. Atty. McMasters
|-
| Bitter Harvest || Dr. Agajanian
|-
| 1982 || Hart to Hart || Sheriff Bud Williams || Episode: "Hart, Line, and Sinker"
|-
| rowspan="2"|1983 || The Thorn Birds || Pete || 4 parts (TV miniseries)
|-
| Travis McGee || Sheriff Hack Ames || rowspan="2" | TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2"|1984 || Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac || Burt Hamilton
|-
| The Duck Factory || Hubbell Browning || Episode: "The Way We Weren't"
|-
| rowspan="3"|1986 || The A-Team || J.J. Kincaid || Episode: "Waiting for Insane Wayne"
|-
| The Twilight Zone || Pete Siekovich || Episode: "Dead Run"
|-
| Firefighter || Captain Johnson || TV movie
|-
| rowspan="4"|1987 || Spies || Thomas "C of B" Brady || Main role
|-
| LBJ: The Early Years || Judge Alvin J. Wirtz || TV movie
|-
| Murder, She Wrote || Lt. Lou Flannigan || Episode: "The Bottom Line Is Murder"
|-
| Matlock || Army Col. Steven McRea || Episode: "The Court Martial"
|-
| 1988 || Man Against the Mob || Big Mac McCleary || TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1989 || Lonesome Dove || Roscoe Brown || 4 episodes
|-
| I Know My First Name Is Steven || Officer Warner
|-
| 1990–1995 || Northern Exposure || Maurice J. Minnifield/Mace Mobrey || 110 episodes (Main role)
|-
| rowspan="2"|1991 || The Chase || Wallis || rowspan="2" | TV movie
|-
| Conagher || Charlie McCloud, Stage Driver
|-
| 1994 || Moon Shot • The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon || Narrator/Deke Slayton (voice) || TV movie documentary
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1995 || Deadly Family Secrets || "Mr. Potter" || TV movie
|-
| Life with Louie || Uncle Sammy (voice) || Episode: "The Fourth Thursday in November"
|-
| 1996 || Ellen || Jack Penney || Episode: "A Penney Saved..."
|-
| 1996–1997 || The Big Easy || C.D. LeBlanc || 35 episodes
|-
| 1997 || Columbo || Clifford Calvert || Episode: "A Trace of Murder"
|-
| rowspan="5"|1998 || The Magnificent Seven || Wickes || Episode: "Working Girls"
|-
| The Closer || Angus Clayton || Episode: "Pilot"
|-
| Spin City || Peter Noland || Episode: "The Deer Hunter"
|-
| JAG || Percival Bertram || Episode: "Act of Terror"
|-
| The Drew Carey Show || Chuck Fifer || 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3"|1999 || King of the Hill || Fire Chief (voice) || Episode: "A Fire-fighting We Will Go"
|-
| Chicken Soup for the Soul || Doctor || Episode: "The Real Father"
|-"The Outer Limits" / Billionaire/ Episode: "The Joy Ride" S5-EPS-6
| Walker, Texas Ranger || Ben Crowder || Episode: "Widow Maker"
|-
| 2001 || Crossfire Trail || Sheriff Walter Moncrief || TV movie
|-
| rowspan="2"|2002 || Reba || J.V. McKinney || Episode: "Meet the Parents"
|-
| Hope Ranch || Shorty || rowspan="2" | TV movie
|-
| 2003 || Monte Walsh || Bob the Storekeeper
|-
| 2003–2009 || One Tree Hill || Coach Whitey Durham || 90 episodes (Main role)
|-
| 2005 || Celebrity Poker Showdown || Himself || Game show
|-
| 2006 || Hidden Places || Sheriff John Doggins || TV movie
|-
| 2007–2012 || The Closer|| Clay Johnson || 13 episodes
|-
| 2008 || Psych || Billy Joe || Episode: "There Might Be Blood"
|-
| 2008–2009 || The Unit || Carson || 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2"|2009 || Wyvern || Hass || rowspan="3" | TV movie
|-
| Ben 10: Alien Swarm || Grandpa Max Tennyson
|-
| rowspan="2"|2012 || Ghoul || Grandfather
|-
| The Looney Tunes Show || Santa Claus (voice) || Episode: "A Christmas Carol"
|-
| 2012–2013 || Suit Up || Dick Devereaux || 16 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2"|2012–2014 || Modern Family || Merle Tucker || 3 episodes
|-
| Anger Management || Ed || 100 episodes (Main role)
|-
| 2013 || Dallas || J.R. Ewing's lawyer/executor || Episode: "Ewings Unite!"
|-
| 2014 || Parenthood || Ernie || Episode: "Fraud Alert"
|-
| 2015 || Blood & Oil || Clifton Lundegren || 6 episodes
|-
| 2016–2020 || The Ranch || Dale the Veterinarian || 32 episodes
|-
| 2019 || Young Sheldon || Mr. Gilford || Episode: "A Math Emergency and Perky Palms"
|-
| 2020 || Better Call Saul || Everett Acker || rowspan="2" | 3 episodes
|-
| 2020–2022 || 9-1-1: Lone Star || Stuart Ryder
|-
| 2021 || Yellowstone || Ross || Episode: "Under a Blanket of Red"
|-
| 2022 || Tulsa King || Babe || Recurring role, 6 episodes
|}
Video games
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| rowspan="2"|1996 || The Pandora Directive || Jackson Cross || Played an NSA operative who kidnaps and threatens to kill the main character in his pursuit of an alien artifact.
|-
| Steven Spielberg's Director's Chair || Warden ||
|-
| 1998 || Red Alert: Retaliation || General Ben Carville ||
|-
| 2000 || Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 || Gen. Ben Carville (General Thorn) / American Taunts || Reprised his role as General Carville from Red Alert with a much larger role in the story. The game also featured a number of cinematics spoofing his role in WarGames.
|-
| 2001 || Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge || Gen. Ben Carville || He played General Carville once more in this 2001 expansion pack to Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2.
|-
| 2017 || Madden NFL 18: Longshot || rowspan="2"|Hank Jamison ||
|-
| 2018 || Madden NFL 19: Longshot Homecoming ||
|}
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="width:99%;"
! scope="col"| Award/Organization
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col" style="width: 30%;"| Category
! scope="col" style="width: 18%;"| Work
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"|
|-
!scope="row" rowspan="1"|Viewers for Quality Television
|style="text-align:center;"|1991
|rowspan="1"|Q Award - Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series
|rowspan="3"|Northern Exposure
|
|style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|2016
|rowspan="1"|Best Supporting Actor - Feature
|rowspan="1"|Last Man Club
|
|style="text-align:center;"|