
D.B. Sweeney plays Chance Harper, a
photojournalist who was the lone survivor of a plane crash when he was a kid, which left him with special intuitive powers. He is always around when someone is in trouble, and he often rescues people from dire situations. He is not a Superman by any means, but he is definitely a victim of "strange luck.''
Daniel Bernard Sweeney was born in Shoreham, Long Island, New York in 1961 to an educator (father) and municipal worker (mother) and is one of four children (Kathleen, Barbara, Daniel and Thomas). He went to school at Shoreham-Wading River High School where he was a star athlete, and did a little bit of acting.
His first love was baseball, and he actually aspired to become a professional athlete. While he was in high school he was a right fielder whom baseball scouts came to see him play. After high school he attended Tulane University. But the dream to become a professional athelete came to an end when he injured his leg in a motorcycle accident. He left Tulane and went back to New
York, to attend NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He had decided that if things did not work out as an actor, then he would become a lawyer.
After three years at NYU, he got his first big break in 1983 -- in Broadway's "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial". His first big screen break came when he was cast in Gardens of Stone (1987) directed by Frances Ford Coppola.
In the 1987 film Eight Men Out, Sweeney played Shoeless Joe Jackson. "One reason I wanted to be in the movie was to hit a home run in the World Series," jokes Sweeney. To prepare for the role, Sweeney, a right-handed hitter learned to hit left-handed over a summer spent with the Twins minor league team from Kenosha, Wisconsin. In the movie, he actually hit his own home runs -- thus "fulfilling" his dream.
On stage, Sweeney is a member of the Actor's Studio and has been in
numerous stage productions including: "The Cain Mutany Court Martial",
"The Seagull: The Hamptons: 1990", The Blue Light (with Mercedes
Ruehl and Dianne Wiest) and most recently in Los Angeles in the
Coast Playhouse production of "Distant Fires".
On television, Sweeney is probably best known (until Strange Luck) for his portrayal of Dish Boggett in the acclaimed miniseries "The Lonesome Dove." Sweeney discribed his character as "a young, lovesick, hopelessly ineffectual cowhand." He was also in the 1992, Emmy Award-winning Hallmark Hall of Fame movie "Miss Rose White." He also portrayed a fugitive who, after killing a man, hides from the law in an old haunted Civil War mansion, in a recent Tales From the Crypt.
On Film, Sweeney has been in 13 full-length movies since 1986, his most recent being Roommates in 1995. The most popular portrayal (among audiences) has been that of the washed up hockey player turned figure skater, a romantic comedy . He has played several athletes: "Eight Men Out" -- Baseball Player, "Heaven is a Playground" -- Basketball player, and "Hear No Evil" -- a rock sclimber.
Information from the Internet Movie Database in 1995 and today
- "Strange Luck" (1995) .... Chance Harper
- Roommates (1995) .... Michael Holzcek
- Fire in the Sky (1993) .... Travis Walton
- Hear No Evil (1993) .... Ben Kendall
- Cutting Edge, The (1992) .... Doug Dorsey
- Heaven Is a Playground (1992) .... Zack
- Leather Jackets (1992) .... Mickey
- Miss Rose White (1992) (TV) .... Dan McKay
- Blue Desert (1991) .... Steve Smith
- Dag I Oktober, En (1991) .... Niels Jensen
... aka Day in October, A (1991)
- Memphis Belle (1990) .... Phil Rosenthal
- "Lonesome Dove" (1989) (mini) .... Dish
- Eight Men Out (1988) .... Shoeless Joe Jackson
- Gardens of Stone (1987) .... Jackie Willow
- No Man's Land (1987) .... Benjy Taylor
- Fire with Fire (1986) .... Baxter
Note: the titles that start with a quote (") are TV series
Francis Fischer plays Angie, a waitress at the Blue Plate Cafe.
Information from the Internet Movie Database in 1995 and today
- Striptease (1996)
- "Strange Luck" (1995) .... Angie
- Babyfever (1994) .... Rosie
- Stars Fell on Henrietta, The (1994)
- Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (1993) (TV) .... Dr. Cushing
- Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up (1993) .... Jo Baker
- Molly & Gina (1993) .... Molly McKenna
- Praying Mantis (1993/II) (TV) .... Betty
- Devlin (1992) (TV) .... Maryellen
- Unforgiven (1992) .... Strawberry Alice
- Frame Up (1991) .... Jo Baker
- L.A. Story (1991) .... June
- Lucy & Desi: Before the Laughter (1991) (TV) .... Lucille Ball
- Promise to Keep, A (1990) (TV) .... Sarah
- Sudie and Simpson (1990) (TV) .... Miss Marge
- Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990) .... Rochelle Rossetti
- Cold Sassy Tree (1989) (TV) .... Loma
- Lost Angels (1989) .... Judith Loftis
- Pink Cadillac (1989) .... Dinah
- Bum Rap (1988)
- Patty Hearst (1988) .... Yolanda
... aka Patty (1988)
- Broken Vows (1987) (TV)
- Heart (1987) .... Jeannie
- Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)
- Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? (1983) .... Louise
- "Guiding Light, The" (1952) .... Vera (1970s)
Note: the titles that start with a quote (") are TV series
Pamela Gidley plays Chance's assignment editor and ex-girlfriend, Audrey Westin.
Information from the Internet Movie Database in 1995 and today
- "Strange Luck" (1995) .... Audrey Westin
- Crew, The (1994) .... Jennifer
- Freefall (1994) .... Katy Mazur
- S.F.W. (1994) .... Janet Streeter
- Paper Hearts (1993) .... Samantha
... aka Cheatin' Hearts (1993)
- "Angel Street" (1992) .... Det. Dorothy Paretsky
- Love Is Like That (1992) .... Eloise
- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) .... Teresa Banks
- Liebestraum (1991) .... Jane Kessler
- Blue Bayou (1990) (TV)
- Disturbed (1990) .... Sandy Ramirez
- Highway to Hell (1990) .... Clara
- Last of the Finest, The (1990)
... aka Blue Heat (1990)
- Blue Iguana, The (1988) .... Dakota
- Glory Days (1988) (TV)
- Permanent Record (1988) .... Kim
- Cherry 2000 (1987) .... Cherry 2000
- Dudes (1987) .... Elyse
- Thrashin' (1986) .... Chrissy
Note: the titles that start with a quote (") are TV series
Cynthia Martells plays criminal psychiatrist Dr. Richter, who helped Chance discover that he may have a living brother.
Information from the Internet Movie Database in 1995 and today
- Dunston Checks In (1996) .... Ms. Pink
- "Strange Luck" (1995)TV Series .... Richter
- Modern Affair, A (1995) .... Ellen
- Zooman (1995) (TV)
- Child's Cry for Help, A (1994) (TV) .... Thelma
- Janek: The Silent Betrayal (1994) (TV) .... Cory
- Mr. 247 (1994)
- Where Are My Children? (1994) (TV) .... Terry Hill
- Blind Spot (1993) (TV) .... Holly
- Regarding Henry (1991) .... ICU Nurse
Note: the titles that start with a quote (") are TV series
Production Information
Created by Executive Producer Karl Schaefer ("Eerie, Indiana"), the dramatic
adventures of Chance Harper are unpredictable, incredible and relentless. John
J. Sakmar and Kerry Lenhart and Michael Cassutt are co-executive producers and John Peter Kousakis is supervising producer of Strange Luck for MT2 Services, Inc., in association with Unreality, Inc., distributed by New World Entertainment, Ltd.
Fact Sheet
CONCEPT: A photojournalist who, as a child, was the sole survivor of an airplane crash, finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. Saving other lives while risking his own, he has incredibly good, incredibly bad, incredibly strange luck.
ORIGINAL PREMIERE: Friday, September 15,1995
CAST
D.B. Sweeney: Chance Harper
Frances Fisher: Angie
Cynthia Martells: Dr. Richter
Pamela Gidley: Audrey Westin
PRODUCED BY: MT2 Services, Inc., in association with Unreality, Inc., distributed by New World Entertainment, Ltd.
CREATED BY/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Karl Schaefer
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: John J. Sakmar, Kerry Lenhart and Michael Cassutt
SUPERVISING PRODUCER.: John Peter Kousakis
PRODUCERS: Kenneth Miller, Jason Priestley and Dinah Kirgo
PRESS CONTACT: Joe Earley
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