Peter Van Norden (1950-2026), who is known for films like "Police Academy 2 - Jetzt geht's erst richtig los" and "Die nackte Kanone 2½", has passed away. He was 75 years old. As "Hollywood Reporter reported", son Robert announced that the actor passed away peacefully on Thursday in the presence of his wife Wendy.
We will miss him
His father was a wonderful husband, friend, and a highly respected member of the theater community, he reportedly wrote in an Instagram message. We will miss him.
Peter Van Norden was born on December 16, 1950. He got his first film role in the late 1970s in the comedy "Squeeze Play". However, he made his mark in the memory of a million-strong audience wearing a uniform: in 1985, he took on the role of police officer Vinnie Schtulman in the first sequel of the "Police Academy" series. As the first partner of Carey Mahoney, he stood alongside Steve Guttenberg.
Six years later, Van Norden returned to the big screen for the second "Die nackte Kanone" film. There he portrayed John Sununu, the former White House Chief of Staff under U.S. President George H. W. Bush.
Decades in U.S. Television
In addition to cinema, Van Norden was also at home in American television for decades. He could be seen among others in "Three's A Crowd" (1985) as well as in individual episodes of "Silver Spoons" and "Matlock" (1991). From 1990 to 1992, he was part of the ensemble of the legal drama "L.A. Law", and he also appeared in the Stephen King adaptation "The Stand".
He also appeared repeatedly in the long-running crime series "Mord ist ihr Hobby" between 1989 and 1996. In 2004, two episodes of the soap opera "Days of Our Lives" followed, and in 2019 a guest appearance in the emergency services series "9-1-1". His film list also includes titles such as "The Accused", "An Innocent Man", "Love Hurts", "Hunky Dory" and "West Virginia".
The Stage Remained His Home
As visible as his film and television appearances were: Van Norden felt most comfortable as a theater man throughout his life. He participated in countless productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and at regional theaters. His Broadway engagements included plays such as Saint Joan, "Macbeth", "Little Johnny Jones", Romeo and Juliet and The Government Inspector.
Until the very end, he was drawn to the stage. He played his last role last year in "Corktown '39" at the Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles. In addition, he was involved in the acting workshop "The Rehearsal Room", which aims to advance actors with challenging material. There, as recently as last August, he was still working on Shakespeare's "Richard III.".
