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Ken Wahl

Ken Wahl

Actor · Born October 31, 1954 (71) · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Ken Wahl (born February 14, 1957) is a retired American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s, best known for the CBS television crime drama Wiseguy. A severe injury in 1992 effectively ended his acting career. Wahl's best known movies are probably The Wanderers and The Taking of Beverly Hills.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 31, 1954 (71)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 17 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 38 days to Oct 27Up 35% in 30 days

What are Ken Wahl's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 21st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 14th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
Morality
27%
Bonds
25%
Survival
16%
Self
14%
Power
11%
Society
6%
Justice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 4 · Intense 4

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 7 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

10 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 6 of 10 analyzed roles.

Hero
6 of 10
Mentor
1 of 10
Trickster
1 of 10
Shadow
1 of 10
Herald
1 of 10
Show the 10 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Thrilling
7
Melancholic
4
Romantic
3
Absurd
3
Other
5

How their films linger

Fun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous3

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 Ken Wahl's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ken Wahl'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

17 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.

  • Wiseguy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Vinnie Terranova

  • Search for Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as John 'Johnny' Danielli / Jake

  • The Favor(1994)

    as Tom Andrews

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Taking of Beverly Hills(1991)

    as Boomer Hayes

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Wiseguy(1987)

    Show 66 episodes · as Vincent Terranova

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • Wiseguy: Pilot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Vinnie Terranova

  • Omega Syndrome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Jack Corbett

  • The Gladiator(1986)

    as Rick Benton

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Double Dare(1985)

    Show 7 episodes · as Ken Sisko

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission(1985)

    as Louis Valentine

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Purple Hearts(1984)

    as Don Jardian

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Jinxed!(1982)

    as Willie Brodax

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Soldier(1982)

    as The Soldier

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr(1981)

    as Barney

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Fort Apache the Bronx(1981)

    as Corelli

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Running Scared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Chas McClain

  • The Wanderers(1979)

    as Richie

    Midcredits score: 89th 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 17 titles from 1979 to 1996; peak year 1980.

Biggest box office

Fort Apache the Bronx (1981)

$29M worldwide

Highest rated

The Wanderers (1979)

Midcredits 89th

Most popular right now

Wiseguy (1987)

Film career

19791996

Peak 1980 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 3 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.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting17 of 17: 17 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score24th

By decade

1970s1 · acting1980s12 · acting1990s4 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 50% of 8 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 MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Ken Wahl's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 24th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 33rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

33rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

21stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 12 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor

Double Dare (1985)

83rd percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

The Wanderers (1979)

Midcredits 89th · 79% liked

Reviewers score the acting 59/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 66, detractors 31. 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.

Who does Ken Wahl work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ken Wahl's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sidney J. Furie shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Producers