Born in the tiny town of Muleshoe, TX, actor Lee Horsley started singing in church as a youngster in the Denver area, his vocal talents eventually leading him to tour in stage productions of "West Side Story", "Damn Yankees", "Oklahoma!" and "1776" prior to his arrival in Hollywood. He began his TV career as detective Archie Goodwin (opposite William Conrad) in the 1981 NBC drama series "Nero Wolfe" but is best known for his starring role as the detective "Matt Houston" (ABC, 1982-1985). A true outdoorsman, who enjoys fly fishing and horseback riding and participates in celebrity rodeos and other sporting events, Horsley has lent his six-foot-four-inch rugged good looks to a wide array of TV-movies, including "Agatha Christie's '13 at Dinner'" (CBS, 1985), "Danielle Steele's 'Palomino'" (NBC, 1991) and "The Corpse Had a Familiar Face" (CBS, 1994), as well as two ABC miniseries, "North and South: Book II" and "Crossings" (both 1986), adapted from the best-selling novel by Danielle Steele. After short series runs with "Guns of Paradise" (ABC, 1988), "Bodies of Evidence" (ABC, 1992-93) and "Hawkeye" (syndicated, 1994-95), Horsley landed the part of wealthy rancher Gardner Poole (opposite Bo Derek) on NBC's very short-lived "Wind on Water" (1998). His only feature appearance (to date) was as the star of "The Sword and the Sorcerer" (1982), a film that has acquired through the years a devoted following among fantasy film buffs. He took time away from Hollywood in 1987 and 1988 to return to his great love, musical theater, playing legendary silent screen director Mack Sennett in the revival of Jerry Herman's "Mack & Mabel" at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey.
Profession(s):
Actor
Sometimes Credited As:
1998 Co-starred with Bo Derek in the NBC series "Wind on Water"
1996 Acted in two CBS movies, "LaVryle Spencer's Home Song" and "The Care and Handling of Roses"
1991 Starred in "Danielle Steele' 'Palomino'" (NBC), the second project based on a Steele novel
1988 Headed the cast of the short-lived CBS Western "Guns of Paradise"
1986 Acted in the ABC miniseries "North and South: Book II"; role gave him the opportunity to work with his boyhood idol James Stewart
1986 Portrayed Nick Burnham in ABC miniseries adaptation of Danielle Steele's "Crossings"
1982 Film debut, "The Sword and the Scorcerer"
1982 TV-movie debut, "The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch" (ABC)
1982 - 1985 Played title role in the detective series "Matt Houston" (ABC)
1981 Had supporting role of Archie Goodwin on the NBC detective series "Nero Wolfe", starring William Conrad
Grew up in the Denver, CO area
Spent several years touring in stage productions like "West Side Story" and "1776" before a screen test for Paramount brought him to Hollywood
Starred as Mack Sennett in the Papermill Playhouse revival of "Mack and Mabel"
Headlined the CBS series "Bodies of Evidence"
Played the title role in the syndicated series "Hawkeye"
