Carlos Alan Autry Jr. (also known for a time as Carlos Brown; born July 31, 1952) is an American actor, politician, and former football player. During his brief career in the National Football League, he played as a quarterback and was known as Carlos Brown.
Autry played the role of Captain Bubba Skinner on the NBC, and later CBS, television drama series In the Heat of the Night, starring Carroll O'Connor. He has also appeared in films and other television shows. In November 2000, he was elected mayor of Fresno, California, and served for two four-year terms through January 2009. From 2008 to 2011, Autry hosted a talk radio show on KYNO AM 940 in Fresno. He now hosts a midday show on KXEX 1550 AM in Fresno.
Early life
Autry was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, the son of Carl and Verna (née Brown) Autry. His name was changed to Carlos Brown when he was a year old, after his parents divorced. He worked alongside his mother and stepfather, Joe Duty, in California's San Joaquin Valley, where they planted and harvested cotton, grapes, and other crops, traveling around the valley living in
migrant workrt camps. When he was 12, they settled in Riverdale, California.
Football career
In high school, Autry was a star quarterback for the Riverdale Cowboys. He received an athletic scholarship to the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where he was a second-string
tight end in his senior year for the Tigers. In 1975, he was selected by the Green Bay Packers, where he ended up in 1976, as the starting quarterback for three games.
His football career ended quickly when he was cut from the team by then-coach Bart Starr. Autry then went to Hollywood to become an actor.[ "British Columbia Lions All-Time Roster", The Football Database. Retrieved August 20, 2022.]
Acting career
Autry made his film debut in the 1978 motion picture
Remember My Name. He met his father, Carl Autry Sr., for the first time in 1981, while on location in Shreveport for the motion picture
Southern Comfort, after he found Carl's name in the telephone book. Afterwards, he made the decision to return to his birth surname of Autry. During his acting years, he struggled with drug and alcohol use, according to an interview with
Pat Robertson's
The 700 Club in 2007.
Other
After nine years in Hollywood, Autry returned home and left his career. "I realized that God had moved in my life like never before. I really realized what God and the power of Jesus Christ was," he said on
The 700 Club.[ The 700 Club – Alan Autry: A New Sheriff in Town, cbn.com; accessed July 20, 2016.]
By 1986, he was divorced and became a born-again Christian and began to devote much of his time to working with charitable causes. He is married to his second wife, Kimberlee Autry; the couple has three children.
Filmography
Television
Starring roles
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In the Heat of the Night (1988–95) as Officer/Sergeant/Lieutenant/Captain Bubba Skinner
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Grace Under Fire (1995–96) as Rick Bradshaw
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Style & Substance (1998) as Earl
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Sons of Thunder (1999) as Butch McMann
Guest-starring roles
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Hello, Larry – "The Final Papers" (1979) as Max credited
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Seven Brides for Seven Brothers – "Gold Fever" (1982) as J.T. credited
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Best of the West – "The Funeral" (1982) credited
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Cheers – "The Boys in the Bar" (1983) as Tom Kenderson
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The Mississippi – "Murder at Mt. Parnassus" (1983)
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The A-Team
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"Labor Pains" (1983) as Gary Crenshaw
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"Quarterback Sneak" (1986) as Mike "The Hammer" Horn
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The Dukes of Hazzard
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"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Duke" (1984) as Hurley
-
"10 Million Dollar Sheriff" (Parts 1&2) (1981) as Dawson credited
-
Hunter – "High Bleacher Man" (1984) as Whitey McVee
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Newhart – "Will the Real Dick Loudon Please Shut Up?" (1986) as Ed McKendrick
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St. Elsewhere – "Out on a Limb" (1986) as John Corzinsky
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The Facts of Life – "Peekskill Law" (1988) as Clark Darrin
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Hart of Dixie (2015) – as Mayor Todd Gainey Sr. of rival town Fillmore, AL
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Tulsa King (2022) - as Brian Gillen
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(2023–24) - as Ranger Chief Bridges
Films
Credited as Alan Autry
-
Roadhouse 66 (1984) as Hoot
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O.C. and Stiggs (1985)
-
The Eagle and the Bear (1985)
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Brewster's Millions (1985) as Biff Brown
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House (1985) as Cop #3
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Nomads (1986) as Olds
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Blue de Ville (1986) as Sgt. Auggie Johnson
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At Close Range (1986) as Ernie
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Proud Men (1987) as Brian Winoon
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Destination America (1987) as Larry Leathergood
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Amazing Grace and Chuck (1987) as George
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World Gone Wild (1987) as Hank
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Street of Dreams (1988) as Maury Fields
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(1990) as Matt
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Intruders (1992) as Joe Wilkes
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The Legend of Jake Kincaid (2002) as Jake Kincaid
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Forgiven (2011) as Jake Kincaid
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Victory by Submission (2016) as Hank Hendricks
Credited as Carlos Brown
-
Remember My Name (1978) as Rusty
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North Dallas Forty (1979) as Balford
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Rage! (1980) as Man #B
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Popeye (1980) as Slug (a bully)
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Southern Comfort (1981) as Cpl. Nolan (Coach) Bowden
-
Dangerous Company (1982) as Donald Robinette
Politics
Autry, a Republican, was elected in 2000 to succeed Jim Patterson as the mayor of Fresno, defeating former mayor
Dan Whitehurst. He was elected to a second term (2005–2009) on March 2, 2004, with more than 72% of the vote. Because of term limits, he was ineligible to run for re-election. In November 2008, he endorsed Ashley Swearengin, who was elected to succeed him as mayor.
Dirt Road Productions
In 1997, Autry launched his own production company, Dirt Road Productions. In 2002, he released
The Legend of Jake Kincaid, a Western-based on a story he wrote. He was also the director of this film.
Music
Autry and his
In the Heat of the Night co-star
Randall Franks joined forces under the banner of Autry-Franks Productions to produce the charity
In the Heat of the Night CD
Christmas Time's A Comin', featuring the cast of the show. The project raised funds for drug-abuse prevention charities. With Franks producing, Autry performed his rendition of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in homage to
Gene Autry.
(Gene and Alan were distant cousins, descended from William A. Autry (5 August 1784 – 2 April 1836) and Mary Campbell of North Carolina/Tennessee.)
Franks and Autry both performed on "Jingle Bells" and "Christmas Time's A Comin'". The duo was able to include many music legends, including Kitty Wells, Jimmy Dickens, and Pee Wee King, and many from the Bluegrass music genre, from Jim & Jesse to The Lewis Family. The Christmas Time's A Comin' CD, released on Sonlite and MGM/UA, was one of the most popular Christmas releases of 1991 and 1992 with Southern retailers.
Crimson Records released their second Autry-Franks Productions project Alan Autry and Randall Franks Mississippi Moon: Country Traditions in 2013, an Americana CD featuring both actors vocally on various classic and original songs. The project, which incorporates country, bluegrass, and Southern gospel, includes special appearances by Bluegrass Hall of Fame members Jim and Jesse McReynolds and three-time Dove Award nominee Mark Wheeler of the Marksmen Quartet.
Electoral history
|
|
|
| Alan Autry | 22,951 | 28.75 | 66,555 | 61.23 |
| Dan Whitehurst | 22,177 | 27.78 | 41,920 | 38.57 |
| Chris Mathys | 10,503 | 13.16 | |
| Garry Bredefeld | 10,029 | 12.56 | |
| Daniel Ronquillo | 7,929 | 9.93 | |
| Sal Quintero | 5,046 | 6.32 | |
| Chris Petersen | 699 | 0.88 | |
| Benjerman J. Raya | 214 | 0.27 | |
| Michael Eagles | 203 | 0.25 | |
| Write-ins | 86 | 0.11 | 214 | 0.20 |
|
External links
