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Leslie Carlson

Leslie Carlson

Actor · Died May 3, 2014, aged 81 · Mitchell, South Dakota, USA

Excellent, prolific, and versatile character actor Leslie Carlson was born on February 24, 1933 in Mitchell, South Dakota. Leslie earned both a BFA and an MA from the University of South Dakota, which he attended in the 1950s. Carlson began his acting career performing in several stage plays in both America and England. He immigrated to Canada in the late 1960s and began popping up in a slew of films and TV shows n the early 1970s. His most memorable movie roles were helpful police officer Graham in the chilling seasonal slasher shocker Black Christmas (1974), stuffy newspaper reporter Tom Sims in the creepy Deranged (1974), security expert Jim in Shoot (1976), bumbling drunk Bud in High-Ballin' (1978), and a pushy Christmas tree salesman in the delightful A Christmas Story (1983). Leslie appeared in four pictures for noted director David Cronenberg. He was splendidly slimy as sinister white collar corporate sleazeball Barry Convex in Videodrome (1983) (for which he was nominated for a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role), The Dead Zone (1983), The Fly (1986), and the offbeat short Camera (2000). Among the many TV shows Carlson did guest spots on are Avonlea (1990), The X-Files (1993), Highlander (1992), Friday the 13th: The Series (1987), 21 Jump Street (1987), MacGyver (1985), The Twilight Zone (1985), and The New Avengers (1976). In addition to his film and TV credits, Leslie also acted throughout the decades in stage productions of such plays as "Homecoming," "Our Town," "A Lie of the Mind" (Carlson was nominated for a Jessie Richardson Award in 1989 for his sterling work in this particular play), "A Walk in the Woods," "Candida," "Glengarry Glen Ross," "Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde," "Hamlet," "Joggers," "All My Sons," and "Death and the Maiden." Carlson died of cancer on May 3, 2014 at the age of 81.

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Biography from IMDb.

Born
February 24, 1933
Died
May 3, 2014 (aged 81)
From
Mitchell, South Dakota, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 68 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 36% in 30 days

What are Leslie Carlson's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Bonds.

Genres

Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
34%
Bonds
27%
Morality
14%
Self
8%
Ideas
8%
Society
7%
Power
2%
Survival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 2 · Dark 7

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 2

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 6

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

Steady 3 · Shifting 6 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 3 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 6

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

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Dread
3
Melancholic
5
Warm
2
Contemplative
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Haunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet2
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous2

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 Leslie Carlson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (15).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Leslie Carlson's titles on MovieCove; 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

68 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page.

  • Babar and the Adventures of Badou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 52 episodes · as (voice)

  • Lost Girl(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Cole

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Haven(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Vaughn Carpenter

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Rookie Blue(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Clarence Hodgson

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • At Risk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as George Finlay

  • Plague City: SARS in Toronto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • Looking for Angelina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Justice Britton (as Les Carlson)

  • Snow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Chester

  • This Is Wonderland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · as (as Les Carlson) · as Victor Demchek

  • The Berenstain Bears(2003)

    Show as Gramps

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Left Behind II: Tribulation Force(2002)

    as Witness Eli

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye(2002)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Weaver

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Stolen Miracle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Mr. Neelandson

  • Bailey's Mistake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Stableman

  • Preludes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as The Actor

  • The Last Debate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Pat Tubbs

  • Camera (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as The Actor

  • Harlan County War(2000)

    as Udell

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Catch a Falling Star(2000)

    as Man at Train Station

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Wishing Tree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Professor

  • Beyond the Call(1996)

    as Dan

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Moonshine Highway(1996)

    as Pappy

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • A Stranger in the Mirror(1993)

    as Harry Durkin

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Morning Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Howard Pride

  • The X-Files(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · as Dr. Troisky

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • To Grandmother's House We Go(1992)

    as Doorman

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Highlander(1992)

    Show 2 episodes · as Sam Thompson

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Impolite(1992)

    as Billy

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Dead Ahead: The Exxon Valdez Disaster(1992)

    as Theo Polasek

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • K2(1991)

    as Dexter

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Chaindance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Willy

  • The Girl From Mars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Mr. Sharbut

  • Looking for Miracles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Principal

  • War of the Worlds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Detective

  • Rolling Vengeance(1987)

    as Misty's Father

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • 21 Jump Street(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Professor Gray

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Street Smart(1987)

    as Marty

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Lawrenceville Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Conover

  • Unnatural Causes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Bob

  • The Fly(1986)

    as Dr. Cheevers

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Young Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Mr. Dillon

  • MacGyver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Sparky

  • The Twilight Zone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as Holsen

  • That's My Baby! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Actor

  • A Christmas Story(1983)

    as Christmas Tree Man

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Dead Zone(1983)

    as Brenner

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Videodrome(1983)

    as Barry Convex

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Shock-Trauma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Elton Bates

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Conover

  • Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper(1981)

    as L. Bruce Laingen

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Obsession(1980)

    as Doctor at the Hospital

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Mr. Patman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Mr. Abernathy

  • Improper Channels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Bucci

  • Nothing Personal(1980)

    as Marshal #2

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Lost and Found (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as Jean-Paul

  • High-Ballin'(1978)

    as Bud

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Raku Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Actor

  • Deadly Harvest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as The Minister

  • Who Has Seen the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    as Joe Pivott

  • Teleplay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Tony

  • The New Avengers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Douglas Collings

  • Shoot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Jim

  • Black Christmas(1974)

    as Graham

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • McQ(1974)

    as Radical (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Deranged(1974)

    as Tom Sims

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Collaborators (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 20 episodes · as Detective Kaminski

  • The Hard Part Begins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Mechanic

  • The Neptune Factor(1973)

    as Brigs, Triton Radioman

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 67 titles from 1973 to 2010; peak year 1973.

Biggest box office

The Fly (1986)

$61M worldwide

Highest rated

The Fly (1986)

Midcredits 96th

Film career

19732010

Peak 1973 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. 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.

  • 1973Screen debut· The Neptune Factor
  • 1986Career best· The Fly
  • 2000First top-billed film· Camera

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting67 of 67: 67 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score55th

By decade

1970s14 · acting1980s22 · acting1990s13 · acting2000s13 · acting2010s5 · acting

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 7% of 15 roles
7388

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 MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Leslie Carlson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48th percentile, the median of all 24; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 48th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

17 of their 32 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser17
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

Left Behind II: Tribulation Force (2002)

91st percentile spread · 36% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Fly (1986)

Midcredits 96th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; 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 MovieCove 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.

Is Leslie Carlson's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 93 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 58 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 88 · severeMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Leslie Carlson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Leslie Carlson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Chris Wiggins shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers