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Alf Humphreys

Canadian film and television actor Alf Humphreys built a wide-ranging career from supporting parts, guest appearances and the kind of character work that gives a movie’s world extra texture. Born in Haileybury, Ontario, on August 9, 1953, he first acted on stage with a troupe in North Bay before establishing himself on screen. Humphreys appeared in two horror films directed by William Fruet, Funeral Home and Bedroom Eyes, and played Howard Landers in the 1981 slasher My Bloody Valentine. His breakthrough came the following year in First Blood, where he appeared as Deputy Lester opposite Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo. It was a supporting role, but one tied to a film that became a defining part of 1980s action cinema. His film work continued across different genres and scales. Humphreys took supporting parts in Act of Vengeance, Ernest Rides Again, Air Bud: Spikes Back and Luna: Spirit of the Whale. In 2003, he played William Drake in X2, placing him within another major screen franchise. Television was an equally steady part of his career. From the 1980s through the 2000s, Humphreys made numerous guest appearances, including Dr. Pomerantz on The X Files. His credits also included both the 1985 and 2002 revivals of The Twilight Zone, along with Smallville, The Outer Limits and Da Vinci’s Inquest. A later generation of viewers may know him as Robert Jefferson in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Humphreys returned to the role in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days and the short film Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Class Clown. That recurring part neatly reflects the shape of his career: dependable character acting across horror, action, science fiction, television drama and family comedy. Humphreys died in 2018.