Leigh McCloskey

Leigh Joseph McCloskey (born June 21, 1955) is an American artist, actor, and writer. As an actor, he has appeared in numerous television shows and movies, including a 46-episode stint as Mitch Cooper on the popular American soap opera Dallas, and a leading role in the Dario Argento-helmed supernatural horror film Inferno.

Biography

Born in Los Angeles, California, McCloskey was classically trained as an actor at the Juilliard School in Lincoln Center, New York. He began his professional acting career playing Billy Abbott in the original miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man. He went on to star in three nighttime television series: Executive Suite, Married: The First Year, and performed the role of Mitch Cooper (husband of Lucy Ewing Cooper) on the CBS nighttime soap opera Dallas. McCloskey was a series regular from 1980–1982, and made brief appearances in 1985 and 1988.

McCloskey starred in made-for-television films and miniseries including The Bermuda Depths, Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway and its sequel Alexander: The Other Side of Dawn in which he played the title role. He was given the lead role in the 1980 Italian horror film Inferno after the director's original choice of James Woods proved to be unavailable. He starred in Trouble Shooters: Trapped Beneath the Earth and with Linda Gray (Dallas) in Accidental Meeting. He starred in the television miniseries Gone But Not Forgotten in 2005. McCloskey has also appeared in the films Just One of the Guys, Cameron's Closet, Fraternity Vacation with Tim Robbins, and Inferno directed by Dario Argento, among others.

McCloskey has guest-starred on television series and pilots including Bones, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Jake and the Fatman, JAG, Life Goes On, Chicago Hope, Medical Center, and many others. He has played villains on four sci-fi television series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, as well as Babylon 5 (2 parts) and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century with Dorothy Stratten. He has also appeared in a number of daytime soap operas, including Santa Barbara, General Hospital, The Young and the Restless and One Life to Live.

Artwork and books

• Codex Tor Illuminated Books: Three Volumes

McCloskey’s Codex Tor illuminated books, Volume One, Winter Solstice, Volume Two, Summer Solstice and Volume Three, Equinox comprise over 500 hand drawn and painted images in three volumes and was created over a 21-year period beginning in 1982. The Codex Tor books were published in three volumes between 2006 and 2008.^[1]

• Tarot ReVisioned Book and Original Tarot Drawings

Beginning in 1985, McCloskey spent seventeen years creating an entirely new series of 22 pen and ink, black and white drawings, representing the Major Arcana of the Tarot. He also wrote and illuminated his first book, Tarot ReVisioned which was first released in 2003 See* Whole Life Times Nov. 2004 Vol 26 No 11 WLT Book Review for book for artist and author, Tarot ReVisioned

• Art & Frame Review June 2004 Vol.VIII No.6

Celebrity Artist : Leigh McCloskey By Ken Hall

• Malibu Magazine November, 2006 Vol.4 Issue 6

Vision, Malibu’s Ark of Creation, Leigh McCloskey Shares his mind, home and creative universe. By Laden Cher The Malibu Chronicle Dec-Jan 2004-05 No.39 “In the Splendor: The Art of Leigh J. McCloskey A.Barnes

• The Hieroglyph of the Human Soul - 3-D painted environment

Beginning on September 11, 2001, McCloskey began an enormous undertaking a 3-D painting and painted environment called The Hieroglyph of the Human Soul. This multidimensional “cave painting * now covers the floor, walls, ceiling, furniture and books of the library studio in Malibu, California. The Hieroglyph of the Human Soul is written and painted in what McCloskey refers to as the “Watcher” language.

• Watcher Graphic language copyright 2003 VAu604-963

Magazine and Journal references

• Forth Magazine Literature & Art

“Leigh J. McCloskey, Last of the Cave Painters” By Jason Hall Malibu Times Vol.1 No.3 March/April 2004 The Holy Grail, Malibu Style: Leigh McCloskey’s hand painted library floor takes visitors on a mystical tour of goddesses, underwater worlds and the universe”. By Vicki Godal

The Painting Phoenix Arise and the Mandala-DNA - Double Helix Effect Phoenix Arise is a 5x7ft. oil painting that McCloskey completed after four years in 1997. The image of his Phoenix Arise painting was printed as post cards in 2003. Accidental dropping of the cards led to a discovery that when the painting is mirrored with itself a DNA double helix image appears. This discovery led to another that revealed the Phoenix Arise cards also create mandala-medicine wheels when they are formed into a circle. The first three Phoenix Arise mandalas McCloskey discovered revealed visually the mythic story of the Phoenix Bird of Immortality and Rebirth, in card form. The first Phoenix Arise mandala creates a nest, the second mandala shows the nest erupting into flames, the third mandala reveals the flames transforming into a blossom.^[2]

• Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones selected images from McCloskey’s hand-painted Grimoire (fr: book of spells) for the Stones’ Bigger Bang Tour (August 2005 to August 2007). The images were projected onto enormous screens on the stage where the group performed.^[3] The Grimoire was originally created for the movie, Shadow of the Vampire.
• In 2010, Flying Lotus (Steve Ellison) selected works from McCloskey’s illuminated books, the Codex Tor, as the album art of Cosmogramma.

Published books

• Tarot Revisioned Book & Cards, Olandar Press 2003 ISBN 0-9729502-2-2
• In the Splendor, Olandar Press 2004, ISBN 0-9729502-3-0
• Adam Reborn & Eve Restored: A Romance in Two Parts, Olandar Press 2005, ISBN 0-9729502-6-5
• Codex Tor, Book One Winter Solstice, Olandar Press 2007, ISBN 0-9729502-5-7
• Codex Tor, Book One Summer Solstice, Olandar Press 2008, ISBN 0-9729502-6-5
• Codex Tor, Book Two Equinox: Mysterium Magnum, Olandar Press 2008, ISBN 978-0-9729502-9-9

Filmography

References

External links

• Official website
• Leigh McCloskey at the Internet Movie Database
• Leigh McCloskey at AllMovie