However, he has always enjoyed theatre, and took up acting after moving to New York. Hawk The Slayer (1980) was John Terry's first film role, and playing the title role of Hawk, successfully launched his film career. In Tuxedo Warrior (1982) he teamed up with John Wyman from For Your Eyes Only.
John Terry had a number of small roles in films during the 1990's, but was more involved in TV series including Dr David Cvetiic in ER (1994), as Bob Warner in 24 (2003) and as Dr Christian Shephard in Lost (2006).
In between these two came the James Bond film The Living Daylights (1987), with John Terry playing the part of 007's American counterpart, Felix Leiter. No less than 8 different actors have played this character (9 if Never Say Never Again is included) but John Terry's Leiter, with only one scene in his boat, is not especially memorable.
John Terry's next film was Stanley Kubrick's Vietnam War story Full Metal Jacket (1987). Terry was also in another film with a Vietnam War connection, In Country, in 1989.
Florida-born John Terry hasn't always been an actor. His first job was building log cabins in North Carolina before starting a river rafting company in Alaska.
John Terry as Dr Christian Shephard in Lost
I met John Terry at Autographica in London, in October 2005. He was very friendly, and signed a photograph for me of himself as Felix Leiter in the James Bond film The Living Daylights.
John Terry as Felix Leiter in The Living Daylights
John Terry signed this photograph for me of
him as Felix Leiter in The Living Daylights
John Terry as Hawk in Hawk The Slayer
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John Terry