Cliff Potts

Cliff Potts (born January 5, 1942, in Glendale, California) is an American film and television actor best known for his co-starring role as astronaut John Keenan in the science fiction film Silent Running (1972).^[1] Potts began his acting career in the late 1960s, initially appearing under the billing "Cliff Potter" in guest roles on television series such as The Name of the Game (1968).^[2] His early film work included supporting parts in westerns like A Man Called Gannon (1969) and the Paul Newman-directed drama Sometimes a Great Notion (1971), where he played the character Andy Stamper.^[3] Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Potts built a reputation for portraying tough, pugnacious characters in action-oriented second features and episodic television, accumulating over sixty guest appearances across various shows.^[2] Notable television credits include the lead role of Mitch Fears in the short-lived ABC series Big Hawaii (1977–1978), which ran for nine episodes, and the recurring role of Sergeant Eugene Allard in the NBC military drama For Love and Honor (1983).^[4] He also portrayed historical figures such as outlaw Bob Dalton in the TV movie The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang (1979) and Cole Younger in Belle Starr (1980).^[2] In later years, Potts continued with guest spots on major series, including the role of Vice Admiral Kennelly in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Ensign Ro" (1991).^[4] After largely retiring from acting in the late 1990s, he made a return appearance in the family western Our Wild Hearts (2013), playing the father of the lead character.^[5]

Early life

Birth and family background

Cliff Potts was born on January 5, 1942, in Glendale, California, with his full name given as Clifton Vandyke Potts.^[6] In his early screen appearances, Potts was billed as "Cliff Potter" due to variations in his name.^[2] Potts grew up in Glendale, but public details about his parents and any siblings remain limited, with no widely documented information on familial influences from his immediate family background.

Pre-acting years and influences

Cliff Potts was born on January 5, 1942, in Glendale, California, a suburban community in the Los Angeles area, where he spent his childhood and youth during the 1940s and 1950s.^[2]^[7]^[8] Biographical details on his formative experiences remain sparse, with no publicly documented accounts of early interests in entertainment or performance activities, such as involvement in local theater or school productions. Similarly, there are no records indicating formal acting education or training prior to his professional debut, pointing to a self-motivated path into the industry.

Acting career

Early roles in film and television (1960s–1970s)

Cliff Potts began his professional acting career in television during the late 1960s, appearing in a recurring supporting role as a junior reporter (Andy Hill) across seven episodes of the first season of the NBC anthology series The Name of the Game (1968–1969).^[9] In this publishing-themed drama, Potts appeared as a supporting player, portraying an assistant to one of the lead investigative journalists, which helped establish his presence in ensemble television casts.^[2] Billed initially as Cliff Potter, this recurring gig marked his entry into the industry after earlier uncredited appearances in films like Hurry Sundown (1967) and a credited bit part as Virgil Earp in Hour of the Gun (1967). Potts transitioned to film with a supporting role in the Western A Man Called Gannon (1968), where he played Ike, a ranch hand entangled in a conflict over land and cattle drives alongside lead Anthony Franciosa.^[10] This minor but noticeable part led to further opportunities in the early 1970s, including a brief appearance as a junior member of the Stamper logging family in the Paul Newman-directed drama Sometimes a Great Notion (1971), based on Ken Kesey's novel about familial and labor tensions in the Pacific Northwest.^[1] His breakthrough came with the science fiction film Silent Running (1972), directed by Douglas Trumbull in his feature debut, where Potts portrayed astronaut John Keenan, one of three crew members aboard the Valley Forge spaceship.^[1] In the ecological parable, Keenan and his colleagues serve under botanist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern), who defies orders to destroy the ship's domed forests preserving Earth's last flora; Potts' character represents the pragmatic, regulation-bound opposition to Dern's eco-activism, contributing to the film's tense interpersonal dynamics amid its pioneering visual effects.^[11] The role garnered attention for Potts in genre circles, as Silent Running developed a cult following for its environmental themes, though critics noted the supporting ensemble's function in amplifying the lead's isolation rather than individual depth. Potts continued building his resume with supporting parts in thrillers like The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972), playing security officer Carl Mosely in a Cold War espionage plot involving a sabotaged space project and an amnesiac suspect (Michael Sarrazin).^[12] By the mid-1970s, Potts earned a starring turn in the NBC miniseries Once an Eagle (1976–1977), adapted from Anton Myrer's novel, where he played ambitious career officer Courtenay Massengale opposite Sam Elliott's principled Sam Damon.^[13] The seven-part epic spanning World War I to Vietnam highlighted Potts' ability to embody a ruthless, self-serving antagonist, earning acclaim for the production's historical sweep and the leads' contrasting portrayals of military ethos.^[14]

Peak television work and notable series (1970s–1980s)

During the late 1970s, Cliff Potts achieved prominence in television with his starring role as Mitch Fears in the NBC drama series Big Hawaii (1977), which centered on the interpersonal conflicts within a family-owned pineapple plantation on Hawaii's Big Island.^[15] The series stemmed from the pilot film Danger in Paradise (1977), where Potts portrayed the disaffected son of a traditional rancher patriarch, navigating tensions between family legacy, modern ideals, and island life; the show aired 10 episodes before cancellation but highlighted Potts' ability to convey brooding intensity in a serialized family drama format.^[16] This role marked a significant step in Potts' television career, building on his earlier film work to establish him as a reliable lead in ensemble-driven narratives. Potts maintained visibility through recurring appearances on the acclaimed CBS newsroom drama Lou Grant (1977–1981), playing Ted McCovey, a baseball scout and romantic interest for reporter Billie Newman, across at least three episodes including the season 5 premiere "Wedding" (1981).^[17] The series, known for its journalistic ensemble cast featuring Ed Asner as the titular editor and its exploration of ethical dilemmas in reporting, earned multiple Primetime Emmy Awards during its run, providing Potts with opportunities to contribute to high-profile, character-rich storytelling.^[18] By the early 1980s, he took on a regular supporting role as First Sergeant Eugene Allard in the NBC military soap opera For Love and Honor (1983–1984), depicting the personal and romantic entanglements of an airborne artillery unit at Fort Geller, Texas; the show ran for 13 episodes, emphasizing themes of duty, infidelity, and camaraderie among soldiers.^[19] Potts also made notable guest appearances that underscored his versatility in action-oriented and adventure genres. In Tales of the Gold Monkey (ABC, 1982–1983), he portrayed agent Johnny Kimble (also referred to as Dr. John Kimble) in two episodes, including "The Late Sarah White" (1982), where his character aided pilots in a 1930s South Pacific intrigue involving espionage and aerial exploits.^[20] Similarly, in T.J. Hooker (ABC, 1982), Potts guest-starred as the ambitious Detective Holland in the episode "Deadly Ambition" (season 2, episode 8), clashing with Sergeant Thomas Jefferson Hooker's methods during a jewelry heist investigation, adding tension through his portrayal of a competitive law enforcement figure. These roles exemplified Potts' shift during the 1970s–1980s toward supporting and guest positions in over 60 episodic television appearances, solidifying his reputation as a dependable character actor in prime-time series.^[21]

Later appearances and retirement (1990s–present)

In the 1990s, Cliff Potts transitioned to fewer but notable guest roles and television films, marking a period of reduced activity compared to his earlier decades. One of his prominent appearances during this time was as Vice Admiral Kennelly in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Ensign Ro," aired in 1991, where he portrayed a Starfleet officer involved in covert negotiations with the Bajorans.^[22] He also featured in TV movies such as Deadly Charades (1996), playing the character Tate in this erotic thriller about marital intrigue and deception, and Temptations (1999), in which he appeared as Ben Hopkins, a family patriarch navigating relational conflicts on a farm.^[23]^[24] These roles exemplified Potts' continued work in supporting capacities within direct-to-video and made-for-TV productions. Potts officially retired from acting in 1999, concluding a career that spanned over 60 credits across film and television, primarily in character and supporting parts.^[7] His decision to step away followed a steady output in the 1980s, allowing him to focus on personal endeavors after decades in the industry. After a 14-year hiatus, Potts made a brief return to the screen in 2013 with the Hallmark Channel family western Our Wild Hearts (also released as Wild Hearts), portraying the supporting role of Top, a ranch hand aiding a young girl and her estranged father in taming a wild mustang.^[25] This marked his final credited appearance to date. As of 2025, Potts remains retired from acting, living privately with no major projects announced since 2013, occasionally reflecting on his extensive body of work in interviews and fan discussions.^[7]^[22]

Personal life

Marriages

Cliff Potts' first marriage was to Maryann Carter on December 2, 1967, during the initial rise of his acting career in the late 1960s. The union ended in divorce, though the precise date remains unspecified in available records.^[26] His second marriage took place in September 1975 to Maria Yolanda Aguayo, an actress also known as Maria Potts, whom he had met on the set of the 1972 TV movie Cry for Me, Billy. The couple divorced in April 1984.^[26] No additional marriages for Potts have been documented following his 1984 divorce.^[26]

Family and children

Cliff Potts has three children from his second marriage to Maria Yolanda Aguayo, which took place in 1975 and ended in 1984.^[2] The names of these children have not been publicly disclosed, reflecting Potts' commitment to maintaining privacy around his family amid his acting career.^[2] Throughout his professional life in Hollywood, Potts balanced his commitments by keeping details of his parental role out of the public eye, with no further information available on family relocations or daily life as of 2025. There is no public record of children from his first marriage.^[2]