Birthday: September 14th, 1963 (some sources incorrectly state it as being December 14th, 1965)
Place Of Birth: Los Angeles, California
Current Place of Residence: Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley area
Education: Attended Hollywood High
Siblings: 1 brother
Marital Status: Single (but currently has a girlfriend)
Likes: Dogs, horses, country music
A veteran of the film and television industry, Tony Becker has worked with many well-known Hollywood performers. This handsome actor first began his career as a child, appearing in a variety of television movies and series. One of his earlier roles was in the docudrama, The Other Side Of The Mountain (1975). The movie was based on the real life story of Jill Kinmont, a talented young skier whose hopes of competing in the 1956 Winter Olympics were cut short after she was paralyzed from a near-fatal fall off a mountain. The film also featured Beau Bridges and Dabney Coleman.
Tony's first regular role in a TV series was on the short-lived sit-com The Texas Wheelers, which revolved around the lives of four kids and their lovable but cantankerous father (played by the late Jack Elam). He played the youngest child, "T.J.". Actors Gary Busey and Mark Hamill were part of the cast as well. In addition to this, Tony also made two appearances on Little House On The Prairie as "Jake" in the episodes "The Craftsman" and "The Barn Burner".
As a teenager, Tony would go on to further success in the recurring role of "Drew Cutler" on the popular family drama The Waltons. Introduced during the series' later seasons as a friend of the family, Drew becomes romantically with the youngest daughter Elizabeth. Since then, Tony has continued to play the character in the subsequent Waltons reunion movies; the most recent appearance being A Waltons Easter (1997). It remains to be seen whether or not there will be another TV movie, although a script has apparently been written and submitted to CBS.
In the eighties, Tony continued to appear on various TV shows, often in soldier roles. Some of the more notable ones include a guest appearance in the 1987 Matlock movie entitled "The Court Martial" (where he played a young soldier wrongfully accused of murdering an officer), and as part of the regular cast on the short-lived military drama, For Love and Honor (1983). He also starred in "The Pass", one of three short episodes in the HBO anthology movie series, Vietnam War Story. In some ways, "The Pass" can be seen as a precursor to Tony's role in the acclaimed war drama Tour of Duty.
Debuting on CBS in the fall of 1987, Tour of Duty centers around the lives of a platoon of American soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War. In spite of its restrictions due to network regulations, the show attempted for the most part, to present viewers with a graphic, no-holds look at the brutality of war without any sugar-coated resolutions. After only three seasons, it was cancelled in 1990. However, in the years since, Tour Of Duty has gone on to develop a strong following all around the world. It can currently be seen in syndication in the United States, Canada, Argentina, and various parts of Europe.
In this series, Tony plays "Private Daniel Percell" (later promoted to Specialist), a patriotic but naive country boy from Billings, Montana who enlists in the army after buying into the government propoganda surrounding the war. His gung-ho attitude quickly changes though, once he is exposed to the death and horror happening all around him. As Percell, Tony is able to imbue the character with a special likable quality; essentially, Percell is your "All-American" boy-next-door with whom viewers can relate. Some of Tony's best performances can be seen in the third season, when his character suffers an emotional breakdown and is driven to heroin addiction.
After the cancellation of Tour of Duty, Tony retired briefly from acting for a few years in order to help out in his father's construction business. While he now works outside the entertainment industry with his brother, Tony has continued to act, appearing in guest spots on various TV shows, and working in supporting roles in film .
