Biography
Born Richard Stevenson Parker, Jr. on June 4, 1952 in Philadelphia, PA, Parker Stevenson's entry into the acting world was something of a conflict for his parents. His father, an investment banker, had reservations about the business, but his mother, a stage actress and occasional performer in television commercials, was enthusiastic about bringing their photogenic child to casting sessions. However, Stevenson did not begin to act until he was cast as Gene, the thoughtful, guilt-ridden hero of John Knowles' "A Separate Peace" (1972) while still a senior at the prestigious Brooks School in North Andover, MA. Two years later, while studying architecture at Princeton University, he landed his second lead in "Our Time" (1974), Peter Hyams' coming-of-age drama with Stevenson's future co-star, Pamela Sue Martin as a '50s-era student who must weigh the consequences of sleeping with her boyfriend (Stevenson). After graduating from Princeton, he dove into acting fulltime, landing a supporting role as a novice lifeguard opposite Sam Elliott's rugged but unemotional vet in "Lifeguard" (1976). The following year, the 25-year-old Stevenson was tapped to play Frank Hardy, the eldest of the crime-solving Hardy Boys in "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries," which instantly minted him and co-stars Shaun Cassidy and Martin as teen idols.
