Whatever Happened to ‘Matlock’s Kene Holliday?
What To Know
- Kene Holliday, best known for playing Tyler Hudson on Matlock, had a prolific early career in theater and television.
- His time on Matlock ended after three seasons, but he continued to work in TV, film, and voice acting in the years that followed.
- Outside of acting, Holliday published a book of poetry.
Matlock premiered on March 3, 1986, and part of what made those early seasons extremely popular with fans was the balance between courtroom drama and real-world investigation. Ben Matlock handled the juries and closing arguments, but he needed someone out in the field doing the legwork. That role belonged to Tyler Hudson, the sharp private investigator played by Kene Holliday. But what has he been up to since the show ended? Holliday is now 76 years old and has one project in the works. First, let’s go back to the beginning.
Holliday was born Kenneth Earl Holliday on June 25, 1949, and was raised in Copiague on Long Island. He grew up in a Christian, Baptist household and lost his father at age 12. Encouraged by his mother, he became a standout athlete in high school, excelling in track and football. After graduating in 1967, he attended the University of Maryland on a full scholarship, originally focused on athletics.
Viacom/Everett Collection
His path shifted after taking a class on theater history. In 1969, while still an undergraduate, Holliday played Yank in Eugene O’Neill’s The Hairy Ape, becoming the first Black actor to perform a leading role on the university’s main stage. After college, he worked with the Inaugural Theater Group at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., and became a founding member of the D.C. Black Repertory Company. During this period, he also conducted workshops. Despite ongoing struggles with substance abuse, he continued performing and starred as Carlyle in David Rabe’s Vietnam-era play Streamers at the Lincoln Theatre.
By the mid ’70s, Holliday had relocated to Los Angeles, where his face became familiar to television audiences. He guest-starred on a wide range of popular series, including Kojak, What’s Happening!!, The Incredible Hulk, Quincy, M.E., Lou Grant, Soap, Benson, The Jeffersons, The Fall Guy, Hart to Hart, and Doogie Howser, M.D. His first regular series role came on Carter Country, where he played Sgt. Curtis Baker from 1977 to 1979. He also appeared in Roots: The Next Generations and later voiced Roadblock on G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and G.I. Joe: The Movie. In early 1986, producers Fred Silverman and Dean Hargrove chose Holliday as their first pick to play Tyler Hudson on Matlock. Holliday appeared as Tyler throughout seasons 1 through 3 and returned for guest appearances in season 4. His departure from the series is widely attributed to ongoing drug and alcohol abuse.
Viacom/Everett Collection
In the years after Matlock, Holliday continued working steadily. His later television credits include appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2005 and Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2008. He also appeared in films such as Everybody’s Fine in 2009 and provided voice work in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise that same year. In 2011, he appeared in The Human War, followed by the 2015 TV movie Handle Your Business. According to IMDB, he has one project in post-production: a movie called Historical Film.
Outside of acting, Holliday published a book of poetry in 1998 titled The Book of K-III: The Contemporary Poetics of Kene Holliday. In the early 2000s, he became the full-time caregiver for his mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease, and later became involved with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.
Remind 
’80s Where Are They Now
March 2023
Who can forget all the great TV shows, movies and music of the ‘80s? See what your favs are up to now!
Buy This Issue