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1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jws.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:300:''[[Franchise/TheFlash The Fastest Man Alive]]'']]
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4John Wesley Shipp (born January 22, 1955 in Norfolk, Virginia) is an American actor known for his various television roles.
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6Primarily, he is heavily associated to the iconic Creator/DCComics hero ComicBook/TheFlash, appearing in many of its television adaptations. So far, he has played [[Characters/TheFlashBarryAllen Barry Allen]] himself in [[Series/TheFlash1990 the short-lived CBS show]] (notable for being the first time the character appeared as the lead in live-action[[note]]The Flash first appeared in live-action in the ''Legend of the Superheroes'' TV specials back during TheSeventies[[/note]]), voiced Barry's ArchEnemy [[Characters/TheFlashEobardThawne Eobard Thawne/Professor Zoom]] in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', and played both Barry's father, Henry, and the first Flash in the comics, Jay Garrick, in the [[Series/TheFlash2014 2014 reboot of the series]] on Creator/TheCW.
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8Outside of ''The Flash'' franchise, he is well-known for his work as Mitch Leery, the father of the titular ''Series/DawsonsCreek'', and for his several roles in daytime {{Soap Opera}}s including Kelly Nelson on ''Series/GuidingLight'', and Douglas Cummings on ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns'' (which earned him his first Daytime Emmy Award).
9----
10!!He appeared in:
11
12* ''Series/GuidingLight'' (1980-84) as Kelly Nelson
13* ''Series/FantasyIsland'' (1983) as Todd Skylar
14* ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns'' (1985) as Douglas Cummings
15* ''Series/SantaBarbara'' (1986) as Martin Ellis
16* ''Series/OneLifeToLive'' (1989, 2010, 2012) as Blanchard Lovelace, Eddie Ford
17* ''Series/{{The Flash|1990}}'' (1990-91) as [[Characters/TheFlashBarryAllen Barry Allen / The Flash]], Pollux
18* ''Film/TheNeverendingStoryIITheNextChapter'' (1990) as Barney
19* ''Series/AllMyChildren'' (1992) as Carter Jones
20** ''Series/{{Loving}}'' (1992)
21* ''Series/NYPDBlue'' (1994) as Officer Roy Larson
22* ''Series/{{Sisters}}'' (1994-95) as Lucky Williams
23* ''Series/{{JAG}}'' (1995, 2004) as Gunnery Sergeant Granger, Colonel Marcus Sutter
24* ''Series/DawsonsCreek'' (1998-2001) as Mitch Leery
25* ''Series/{{The Outer Limits|1995}}'' (2001) as Coach Peter Shotwell
26* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'' (2006) as Patrick Quinn
27* ''Series/TheCloser'' (2007) as Chris Conroy
28* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'' (2010) as [[Characters/TheFlashEobardThawne Eobard Thawne / Professor Zoom]] (voice)
29* ''Series/DropDeadDiva'' (2011) as Doug Bailey
30* ''Series/TeenWolf'' (2012-13) as Mr. Lahey
31* Series/{{Arrowverse}} as various characters
32** ''Series/{{The Flash|2014}}'' (2014-19) as Henry Allen, Jay Garrick / The Flash
33** ''Series/{{Elseworlds|2018}}'' (2018) as Barry Allen (Earth-90) / The Flash
34** ''Series/{{Crisis on Infinite Earths|2019}}'' (2019) as Barry Allen (Earth-90) / The Flash
35** ''Series/{{Stargirl|2020}}'' (2021) as Jay Garrick / The Flash
36* ''Series/{{Blindspot}}'' (2017) as Dr. Katz
37----
38!!Tropes in his works:
39
40* ActingForTwo:
41** Plays the titular hero of ''Series/{{The Flash|1990}}'' and his supposed [[EvilKnockoff evil clone]], Pollux.
42** He plays Henry Allen and Henry's AlternateSelf from Earth-3, Jay Garrick, in ''Series/{{The Flash|2014}}''. In the ''Series/{{Elseworlds|2018}}'' crossover, he reprised his role as Barry Allen.
43* CreatorBreakdown: While he is fond of his time on ''The Flash'', he openly resents the costume, citing that it was both very difficult to wear and to move in while on it.
44* HeroicBuild: His natural physique helps in his [[Series/TheFlash1990 super]][[Series/TheFlash2014 hero]], sportsman, [[Series/NYPDBlue cop]] or/and [[Series/{{JAG}} military]] roles. [[{{Hunk}} It's also a reason]] why he commonly plays MrFanservice characters in his early days.
45* MrFanservice: His earlier roles tend to [[ShirtlessScene showcase]] how much of a {{Hunk}} he is.
46* PlayingAgainstType: As the shamelessly [[AbusiveParents abusive]] Mr. Leahy in ''Series/TeenWolf'', who spends his running time garnering zero sympathies from the audience and is unceremoniously killed in the second episode he appears in.
47* RemakeCameo: He played The Flash in his first [[Series/TheFlash1990 leading role]] in [[LiveActionAdaptation live-action]]. In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', he voices Eobard Thawne, the Flash's archenemy from the comics. In [[Series/TheFlash2014 the reboot series]], he plays Jay Garrick, the first Flash in the comics, in addition to playing the titular hero's father (who is Garrick's AlternateSelf).
48* StarMakingRole: Originally (and for the critics), ''Series/AsTheWorldTurns''. Modern audiences tend to know him for either ''The Flash'' or ''Series/DawsonsCreek'', though.
49* TallDarkAndHandsome: He stands 6'1, and is often cast as a MrFanservice in his youth.
50* YouLookFamiliar:
51** Has a guest role on ''Series/OneLifeToLive'' before returning and playing a RecurringCharacter twenty one years later.
52** He guested twice on ''Series/{{JAG}}'' as two different characters.
53** Given that the 1990s ''Flash'' series is retroactively integrated into the Series/{{Arrowverse}}, then he plays the titular hero of the former series and his supposed EvilKnockoff Pollux, then both Henry Allen and Jay Garrick in the 2014 ''Flash'' series.

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