Walter Olkewicz

Walter Olkewicz (May 14, 1948 – April 6, 2021) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles in Twin Peaks, The Client, and 1941.

He appeared on Married... with Children as Bobo in "Sixteen Years and What Do You Get".

Biography

Olkewicz graduated from Bayonne High School in 1966.

Since his first role in The Rockford Files in 1978, he has guest-starred in many TV shows and movies, including Cheers, Who's the Boss?, Night Court, and Seinfeld. One of his longest acting roles was on the ABC sitcom, Grace Under Fire, which he starred as one of Grace's coworkers for the first three seasons.

One of his best known role was Jacques Renault on the series, Twin Peaks, a role he played multiple times from its first series in 1990 to the movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me to its most recent reboot in 2017, which also served as his last acting role. By the time he starred in the reboot, he was unable to stand and was placed behind a bar to hide this fact.

His career was put on hold after his first knee surgery in 1999 followed by medical issues that have him living in a wheelchair. In the last decade he has had nearly 20 surgeries on his knees, with recurring infections proving costly and debilitating.

Death

Olkewicz passed away on April 6, 2021 due to complications following years of surgery and infections. He had been residing with his caretaker in Reseda, California. He leaves behind a son, screenwriter Zak Olkewicz, daughter-in-law, Katrina Rennells and two grandchildren.