Nicholas Pryor

Nicholas Pryor (born Nicholas David Probst; January 28, 1935) is an American actor. He has appeared in various television series, films, and stage productions.

Pryor was born Nicholas David Probst in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Dorothy (née Driskill) and J. Stanley Probst, a pharmaceutical manufacturer.

His early film credits include appearances in The Happy Hooker (1975), Smile (1975), and as nervous college professor Samuel Graves in the 1976 film The Gumball Rally. Notable film credits included appearing alongside William Holden and Lee Grant in Damien: Omen II (1978), as one of the sick passengers in Airplane! (1980), the role of Joel Goodson (Tom Cruise)’s father in the hit movie Risky Business (1983), and as Julian Wells’ father in Less Than Zero (1987). His other film credits include The Falcon and the Snowman (1985), Pacific Heights (1990), Executive Decision (1996), The Chamber (1996) and Collateral Damage (2002)