'The Greatest American Hero'

Children of the '80s may recall William Katt as the bumbling superhero on ABC-TV's "The Greatest American Hero."

From 1981 to '83, Katt played high school teacher Ralph Hinkley, who is stranded with an FBI agent, played by Robert Culp.

The two are chosen by aliens to save the Earth. They give Ralph a red suit which, when worn, gives him superpowers. But Ralph loses the instruction manual and must learn to use the suit through trial and error.

Ralph Hinkley's character soon became "Mr. H" after the attempted assassination of President Reagan in March 1981 by John Hinckley Jr. just after the TV series began.

Katt kept acting in TV specials and films. He had been in the thriller "Carrie" (1976) and "Butch and Sundance: The Early Days" (1979). He's just finished writing, directing, and acting in his first feature film, "The Clean and Narrow," which arrives next year. He plays a surgeon in the current release "Twin Falls, Idaho." He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

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