Peter Van Norden, Actor in ‘Police Academy 2’ and ‘The Stand,’ Dies at 75
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- Peter Van Norden died Thursday in California at age 75, with his son Robert confirming the news on Instagram; he is survived by his wife Wendy and son Robert
- Van Norden played slobby police dog officer Vinnie Schtulman in 'Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment' (1985), partnered with Steve Guttenberg's Officer Mahoney at the 16th precinct
- Van Norden portrayed Attorney Paulsen in 'The Accused' (1988), the Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis rape-trial drama
- Van Norden played farmer Ralph Brentner in Stephen King's 1994 miniseries 'The Stand,' a character who travels west to escape a weaponized virus
- Van Norden originated onstage in 'Measure for Measure,' 'A Country Scandal,' and 'Romeo and Juliet' after graduating from Colgate University, making his screen debut in the 1979 film 'Squeeze Play'
- Van Norden played Henry Kissinger in the 1990s series 'Dark Skies' and accumulated guest spots across Cheers, Silver Spoons, Family Ties, Murder She Wrote, 9-1-1, ER, and Days of Our Lives
Why it matters: Van Norden built a four-decade career moving between Broadway-adjacent stage work, blockbuster franchises, and prestige drama — a working character actor whose name rarely led a poster but whose face anchored scenes in 'The Accused' and 'The Stand.' His death is a small but real loss to the ecosystem of recognizable bit players who shaped 1980s and 1990s American screen entertainment.
