John Getz (born October 15, 1947) is a stage-trained American actor. Getz, one of four children, was born in Davenport, Iowa, and grew up in the Mississippi River Valley. He began acting while attending the University of Iowa, where he helped found the Center for New Performing Arts. He has a daughter, Hannah, from his marriage to playwright Grace McKeaney. Getz dropped out of college to attend the respected American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. While working in a winery, he helped found the Napa Valley Theater Company. His location in the grape-growing Napa Valley led to Getz' television debut as an Attendant in a made-for-television horror film. Killer Bees (1974) starred icon of silent film Gloria Swanson, as well as Craig Stevens (Peter Gunn), Kate Jackson (Charlie's Angels), and Edward Albert (Butterflies Are Free). Getz moved on to New York City, where he became active in local theater while doing an 18-month stint as "Neil Johnson" on the daytime drama Another World. Getz appeared in The Happy Hooker (1975) and followed up with several other roles before starring in the Coen Brothers' neo-noir thriller Blood Simple (1984).