If you grew up in the late 70s or throughout the 80s, Greg Evigan was basically inescapable. He was that guy. The one with the perfect hair, the easy grin, and a seemingly endless supply of denim jackets. Whether he was hauling freight with a chimpanzee or trying to figure out which yuppie was a kid's biological father, he anchored some of the most bizarrely charming television of the era.
But here’s the thing. Greg Evigan wasn't just a "flash in the pan" hunk.
Honestly, looking back at Greg Evigan movies and tv shows, you start to realize he’s had one of the most resilient careers in Hollywood. He’s a "lifer." Most people remember him for the high-concept sitcoms, but his path actually started on the Broadway stage and has recently detoured into high-end orchestral music.
It’s a weird, wild trajectory.
From Broadway Rebel to the King of the Open Road
Before he was Billie Joe "B.J." McKay, Greg Evigan was a theater kid from New Jersey. He didn't just stumble into acting; he fought for it. Straight out of high school, he beat out hundreds of others for a spot in the original Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Shortly after, he was playing Danny Zuko in Grease.
That’s a heavy-hitter start.
Most people don't associate Greg with rock operas, but that musical foundation is what eventually led him to Los Angeles. It was music producer Don Kirshner—the man behind The Monkees—who plucked him from Chicago and told him he belonged on screen.
The Monkey in the Cab
Then came 1979. B.J. and the Bear.
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If you describe the premise to someone today, it sounds like a fever dream: a freelance trucker travels the country with his best friend, a chimpanzee named Bear, getting into scrapes and avoiding corrupt sheriffs. It shouldn't have worked. It was ridiculous. Yet, it turned Greg Evigan into a household name.
The show was part of that brief, glorious "trucking craze" in pop culture. It was escapism, pure and simple. Greg even sang the theme song, proving he hadn't left his musical roots behind. He spent three years in that truck, and while the show was light on plot, it was heavy on charisma.
The Sitcom That Defined an Era: My Two Dads
If B.J. and the Bear made him a star, My Two Dads (1987–1990) made him a fixture of the American living room.
The setup was surprisingly progressive for the late 80s, even if played for laughs. Two former friends, who both dated the same woman, are left joint custody of her daughter, Nicole (played by Staci Keanan), after she passes away. One was a straight-laced financial advisor (Paul Reiser), and the other was a wild, artistic "cool guy" (Evigan).
Why It Worked
- The Chemistry: Reiser and Evigan were a perfect odd-couple pairing.
- The Theme Song: Again, Greg co-wrote and sang "You Can Count on Me."
- The Heart: Amidst the canned laughter, there was a genuine story about non-traditional families that resonated.
You've probably seen the reruns. It was "safe" TV, sure, but it had a sincerity that a lot of modern reboots lack. Greg played Joey Harris with a certain vulnerability that kept him from being a total caricature of a struggling artist.
Exploring the Deep and the Dark: Greg Evigan Movies
While TV was his bread and butter, Greg's filmography is a fascinating mix of cult sci-fi and "of-the-moment" thrillers.
In 1989, right at the height of his sitcom fame, he starred in DeepStar Six. This was Hollywood's "underwater year" (alongside The Abyss and Leviathan). Greg played McBride, a technician trapped in an underwater base with a prehistoric monster. It’s a gritty, claustrophobic film that showed he could handle more than just punchlines and chimpanzees.
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He also didn't shy away from the darker side of the industry. He starred in Stripped to Kill (1987), a neo-noir thriller where he played an LAPD detective. It wasn't exactly high art, but it kept him in the conversation as a versatile leading man.
The TekWar Years
In the 90s, Greg teamed up with William Shatner for TekWar. Based on Shatner’s books, Greg played Jake Cardigan, a cop framed for a crime who is thawed out of "cryo-prison" to find his family. It started as a series of TV movies before becoming a full-fledged show.
It was neon, it was futuristic, and it featured Greg Evigan in a leather jacket kicking cyborg butt. What more could you want?
The Guest Star Extraordinaire
One of the coolest things about Greg Evigan is that he never stopped working. If you blink, you’ll miss him in a dozens of iconic shows. He’s like a human "Where’s Waldo" of television.
He did the soap opera rounds with Melrose Place, playing the complicated Dr. Dan Hathaway. He showed up in 7th Heaven, Pacific Palisades, and Desperate Housewives. He even popped up in the procedural giants like CSI, CSI: Miami, and Cold Case.
More recently, he had a multi-episode arc on General Hospital as Jim Harvey. Seeing him shift into these character roles later in his career is honestly impressive. He didn't just cling to his 80s persona; he adapted.
What Most People Get Wrong About Him
People often pigeonhole Greg as just another "80s TV star." But if you look at his output over the last few years, he’s actually leaned heavily into his first love: music.
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In late 2025, Greg released a massive project that surprised a lot of the industry. He recorded an orchestral album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. We’re talking about "The Big Room"—Studio One.
The album, featuring original piano compositions he wrote himself, was mixed by his son, Jason Evigan. For those who don't know, Jason is a powerhouse in the music world, having worked with everyone from Dua Lipa to Maroon 5. Seeing the father-son duo collaborate on a classical project in 2026 is a far cry from a trucking show with a chimp.
The Evigan Legacy Today
So, where does that leave us?
Greg Evigan has managed to survive four decades in a business that usually eats its young. He’s done the Broadway stage, the blockbuster TV show, the cult sci-fi movie, and now, the classical music charts.
Here is the "Actionable Insight" for fans and collectors:
If you’re looking to revisit his work, don't just stick to the hits. Tracking down TekWar or his guest spot on The Outer Limits shows a much more nuanced actor than the "Joey Harris" persona suggests.
Also, keep an eye on his music. His website has been teasing re-releases of his older albums like Slow Down and The 80s Sound City Sessions. For a guy who basically soundtracked a generation's childhood with his theme songs, it’s a full-circle moment.
Greg Evigan isn't just a nostalgia act. He’s a working artist who found a way to keep the engine running long after the credits rolled on the shows that made him famous.
Next Steps for the Greg Evigan Fan:
- Listen: Check out his new orchestral album recorded at Abbey Road; it's a genuine departure from his TV work.
- Watch: Revisit DeepStar Six if you want to see his best "serious" leading man performance.
- Follow: His children (Briana, Vanessa, and Jason) are all massive talents in their own right, continuing the family's strange and successful Hollywood journey.