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John Snyder

John Snyder

Actor · Born August 23, 1952 (74) · Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Anyone lucky enough to have seen his work never forgets the incredible richness that John Snyder brings to film. With his uncanny Christopher Lee demeanor, Joe Strummer looks, and James Mason-esque gaze, it is perhaps his haunting and indelible voice that makes his career so legendarily paved. Born in 1952, John holds a BFA from Boston University College of Fine Arts. He has appeared in over sixty plays, films, and television episodes. He has received acting awards from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, LA Weekly, Drama-Logue and The Boston Phoenix. On stage, he appeared in the original Broadway cast of "Bent" and the world premier of Denis Spedaliere's ''Vicious''. His directing credits include stage and video productions of Hybrid Vigor, Scenes from an Interracial Marriage, Finnegans Wake-up Call, and Shaving Orbits, as well as PXL productions of Venus in Flames, and Locals. His essay "Confessions of a Wakefiend: Bibliomantic Readings in Finnegans Wake" was originally presented at the 2001 International James Joyce Conference at the University of California Berkeley.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
August 23, 1952 (74)
From
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
21 on Motif · 36 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 25% in 30 days

What are John Snyder's films like?

Across their 5 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
27%
Self
24%
Morality
22%
Survival
11%
Society
11%
Ideas
5%
Survival2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 3 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Easy watch: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their easy watch movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
3
Absurd
2
Hopeful
2
Melancholic
2
Thrilling
2
Other
2

How their films linger

Fun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet1
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch John Snyder's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 21 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for John Snyder's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

36 credits, 21 with a Motif page.

  • A Unicorn Adventure(2017)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • McCoy Tyner - Guitars (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    Director

  • Souvenir (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2004)

    as Narrator

  • The Box (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    as Detective Miller

  • BitterSweet (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    as Wilbur

  • Jimmy Zip (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    as Frank

  • Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Nicky Russ (segment "The Golden Cue")

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • Eraser(1996)

    as Sal

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Baywatch Nights (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Ray Elliot

  • Illegal in Blue (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1995)

    as Denny

  • Confessions of a Hitman(1994)

    as Rocco / Doctor Sanders

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Babylon 5(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Orin Zento · as Soul Hunter #2

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Dangerous Game(1993)

    as Party Guest

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Double Deception (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1993)

    Actor

  • Roadside Prophets (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1992)

    as Hank

  • Forced March (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1989)

    as Devlin

  • The Edge (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1989)

    as Toledo (Professional Man)

  • K-9(1989)

    as Freddie

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Quantum Leap(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Nick Kochifos

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • True Believer(1989)

    as Chuckie Loeder

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Police Story (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Peter

  • Martini Ranch: Reach (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    Actor

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Aaron Conor · as Centurion Bochra

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Tough Guys Don't Dance(1987)

    as Spider

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • No Mercy(1986)

    as Miles

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Crocodile Dundee(1986)

    as Pimp

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Crime Story(1986)

    Show 1 episode · as Pernell

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Sid and Nancy(1986)

    as Vito

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Equalizer (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Alphonse

  • Tales from the Darkside (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Guard

  • Miami Vice(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Albert Szarbo

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Exposed(1983)

    as Photographer's Assistant

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Knight Rider(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Benson

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Tattoo(1981)

    as Hawker

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • We're Fighting Back(1981)

    as Tony Costa

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The Warriors(1979)

    as Gas Station Man

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 88th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 35 titles from 1979 to 2008; peak year 1988.

Biggest box office

K-9 (1989)

$78M worldwide

Highest rated

K-9 (1989)

Midcredits 41st

Film career

19792008

Peak 1988 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting34 of 35: 34 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thDirecting1 of 35: 1 only directing, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s20 · acting1990s11 · acting2000s3 · 2 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 13th · top billed in 0% of 9 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do John Snyder's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 42nd percentile, the median of all 14; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 23rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

23rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

27thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

27thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 21 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

A Unicorn Adventure (2017)

91st percentile spread · 53% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Warriors (1979)

Midcredits 94th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the acting 52/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 69, detractors 22. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does John Snyder work with?

People who share at least 2 of John Snyder's Motif titles; Michael Wright shares the most, 2.