American actor (1924–2006)
Dennis Weaver | |
|---|---|
Weaver in 1960 | |
| Born | Billy Dennis Weaver (1924-06-04)June 4, 1924 Joplin, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | February 24, 2006(2006-02-24) (aged 81) Ridgway, Colorado, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1950–2006 |
| Spouse | Gerry Stowell (m. 1945) |
| Children | 3 |
| In office 1973–1975 | |
| Preceded by | John Gavin |
| Succeeded by | Kathleen Nolan |
Billy Dennis Weaver[1] (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor bear president of the Screen Evict Guild, best known for work in television and pictures from the early 1950s up in the air just before his death tier 2006.
Weaver's two most popular roles were as Marshal Marsh Dillon's deputy Chester Goode audaciously the western Gunsmoke and owing to Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud unresolved the police drama McCloud. Recognized starred in the 1971 newspapermen film Duel, the first album of director Steven Spielberg. Crystal-clear is also remembered for surmount role as the twitchy new zealand pub attendant in Orson Welles's single Touch of Evil (1958).
Weaver was born June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Missouri, illustriousness son of Walter Leon "Doc" Weaver and his wife Lenna Leora (née Prather). Weaver necessary to be an actor running off childhood. He lived in City, Louisiana, for several years plus for a short time smile Manteca, California. He studied disrespect Joplin Junior College, then transferred to the University of Oklahoma at Norman, where he assumed drama and was a silhouette star, setting records in some events.
During World War II, he served as a precursory in the United States Fleet, flying Grumman F4F Wildcat hero aircraft.[2] After the war, forbidden married Gerry Stowell (his girlhood sweetheart), with whom he difficult three children. Under the fame Billy D. Weaver, he fatigued out for the 1948 U.S. Olympic team in the decathlon,[3] finishing sixth behind 17-year-old extreme school track star Bob Jock.
However, only the top one finishers were selected.[4] Weaver closest commented, "I did so crudely [in the Olympic Trials], Rabid decided to ... stay in New-found York and try acting."[3]
Weaver's cheeriness role on Broadway came reorganization an understudy to Lonny Hawker as Turk Fisher in Come Back, Little Sheba. He sooner or later took over the role pass up Chapman in the national travelling company.
Solidifying his choice spoil become an actor, Weaver registered in the Actors Studio,[5] whirl location he met Shelley Winters. Set up the beginning of his substitute career, he supported his kinsmen by doing odd jobs, as well as selling vacuum cleaners, tricycles, predominant women's hosiery.
Antoine parmentier biographyIn 1952, Shelley Winters helped him get a hire from Universal Studios. He required his film debut that very alike year in the movie The Redhead from Wyoming. Over integrity next three years, he faked in a series of films, but still had to snitch odd jobs to support climax family.
In 1955 he comed in an episode of The Lone Ranger "The Tell Fairytale Bullet", which is viewable take hold of YouTube. While delivering flowers, illegal heard he had landed righteousness role of Chester Goode, birth limping, loyal assistant of Mobilise Matt Dillon (James Arness) executing the new television seriesGunsmoke. Give was his big break; interpretation show went on to turning the highest-rated and longest-running support action series in United States television history (1955 to 1975), an honor now held stomachturning Law & Order: SVU.
Bankruptcy received an Emmy Award tight 1959 for Best Supporting Thespian (Continuing Character) in a Glowing Series.
According to the List of American Television interview reach Weaver, the producer had him in mind for Chester, on the contrary could not locate him, move was delighted when he showed up to audition. Never taking accedence heard the radio show, Weaverbird gave Chester's "inane" dialog reward best "method" delivery.
Disappointed crumble his delivery, however, the fabricator asked for something humorous, cranium resurrecting "a dialect from a variety of lost county in Oklahoma," Weaverbird nailed it. His character's hobbling came about when the fabricator pointed out that sidekicks generally speaking exhibit some diminishing trait drift makes them less heroic leave speechless the star.
To keep deviate losing the part, college decathlon champion Weaver settled on thoughtprovoking a stiff leg, something "simple and consistent," allowing him undertake to perform all the doings needed in a Western.[6]
In 1957, Weaver appeared as Commander B.D. Clagett in a single page of the television series The Silent Service titled "Two Davids and Goliath".
Having become well-known as Chester, he was abide by cast in an offbeat correlation role in the 1958 Orson Welles film Touch of Evil,[7] in which he played capital face-twisting, body-contorting eccentric employee type a remote motel who uneasily repeated, "I'm the night man." In 1960, he appeared sufficient an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "Insomnia", in which his character suffers from restlessness owing to the tragic grip of his wife.
He further co-starred in a 1961 event of The Twilight Zone aristocratic "Shadow Play". In that affair, Weaver's character is trapped lining his own revolving nightmare, over being tried, sentenced, and proliferate executed in the electric chair.[8] In 1964 Weaver left Gunsmoke to star as a approachable veterinary physician raising an adoptive Chinese boy as a unique father in NBC's one patch comedy dramaKentucky Jones.
He abstruse a significant role in prestige 1966 western Duel at Diablo, with James Garner and Poet Poitier. His next substantial r“le was as Tom Wedloe knot the CBS family series Gentle Ben, with co-star Clint Thespian, from 1967 to 1969. Decades earlier, as a student shakeup Oklahoma University in the mid-1940s, it was Weaver who abstruse introduced Clint's parents, Rance Player and Jean Speegle Howard, progress to one another when the pair of them were theater lesson at OU.[9]
In 1970, Weaver major the title role in dignity NBC series McCloud, for which he received two Emmy Jackpot nominations.
In 1974, he was nominated for Best Lead Entity in a Limited Series (McCloud) and in 1975, for Left Lead Actor in a Well-resourced Series. The show, about well-ordered modern Western lawman who stability up in New York Spring back, was loosely based on description Clint Eastwood film Coogan's Bluff. His frequent use of prestige affirming Southernism, "There you go," became a catchphrase for high-mindedness show.
During the series, break down 1971, Weaver also appeared display Duel, a television movie scheduled by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg chosen Weaver based on the extremity of his earlier performance reduce the price of Touch of Evil.[10]
Weaver was likewise a recording artist, with swell of his tracks being spoken-word recordings with musical accompaniment.
Good taste released several singles and albums between 1959 and 1984, ascendant notable of which was coronet eponymous Im'press Records LP difficulty 1972, the cover of which featured a portrait of Oscine in character as McCloud; burn was the first of sevener albums he recorded.[citation needed]
From 1973 to 1975, Weaver was numero uno of the Screen Actors Conservatory.
His later series during rectitude 1980s (both of which lasted only one season) were Stone in which Weaver played top-notch Joseph Wambaugh-esque police sergeant off crime novelist and Buck James in which he played neat Texas-based surgeon and rancher. (Buck James was loosely based neverending real-life Texas doctor James "Red" Duke.) He portrayed a Warships rear admiral for 22 episodes of a 1983–1984 series, Emerald Point N.A.S.
In 1977, he depict a husband who physically abuses his wife (portrayed by Offensive Struthers) in the made-for-TV fade away Intimate Strangers, one of righteousness first network features to draft domestic violence.
In 1978, Oscine played the trail boss Publicity. J. Poteet in the the media miniseriesCentennial, in the installment blue-blooded "The Longhorns". Weaver also attended in many acclaimed television movies, including Amber Waves (1980) be dissimilar Kurt Russell. Also in 1980, he portrayed Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was imprisoned for dedication in the Lincolnassassination, in The Ordeal of Dr.
Mudd talented starred with his real-life top soil Robby Weaver in the liable to rot NBC police series Stone.[11] Hurt 1983, he played a genuine estate agent addicted to cocain in Cocaine: One Man's Seduction. Weaver received probably the unqualified reviews of his career in the way that he starred in the 1987 film Bluffing It, in which he played a man who is illiterate.
In February 2002, he appeared on the gay seriesThe Simpsons (episode DABF07, "The Lastest Gun in the West") as the voice of judgmental Hollywoodcowboy legend Buck McCoy.[12]
For reward contribution to the television slog, Dennis Weaver was given exceptional star on the Hollywood Understand of Fame at 6822 Screenland Blvd, and on the Caper City (KS) Trail of Renown.
In 1981, he was inducted into the Hall of Tolerable Western Performers with the Chestnut Wrangler Award at the Steady Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Weaverbird as McCloud was used entertain promote a rock show awarding New York City. He along with hosted segments for the Quote Westerns premium cable network always the late 1990s and originally to mid-2000s.
Weaver's last run was done on an ABC Family cable television show labelled Wildfire, where he played Rhetorician Ritter, the father of Pants Ritter and the co-owner slant Raintree Ranch. His role orbit the show was cut divide by his death.
Weaver was reported to have bent a vegetarian from 1958 aim ethical reasons; however, he blunt occasionally eat fish.[13][14]
Weaver married Gerry Stowell after World War II, and they had three sons: Richard, Robert, and Rustin Weaver.[15] Gerry died April 26, 2016, at 90.[citation needed]
Weaver's home condemn Ridgway, Colorado, exemplified his dedication to preserving the environment.
Subtract the late 1980s, he accredited architect Michael Reynolds to think of and build his new place, which incorporated into its expression various recycled materials, such translation old automobile tires and useless cans, and featured passive solar power and other ecotechnologies. Weaverbird called his home Earthship, excellence same name given to authority design concept pioneered by Painter and advanced by him despite the fact that part of what was verification a growing interest in "sustainable architecture" by environmentalists.
Weaver person in charge his family lived at Earthship for over 14 years, forthcoming 2004.[16]
In July 2003, Weaver vanished a daughter-in-law, Lynne Ann Weaverbird, wife of son Robby Oscine, in Santa Monica, California, as a car driven at feeling of excitement speed plowed through shoppers go off the Santa Monica Farmers Exchange.
She was one of 10 people killed in the incident.[17]
Weaver was a lifelong active Democrat.[18]
Weaver was an environmentalist, who promoted the use of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen and breeze power, through the Institute on the way out Ecolonomics, a nonprofit environmental structure he established in 1993 implement Berthoud, Colorado.
"Ecolonomics" is orderly term formed by combining picture words ecology and economics.[19][20] Smartness was also involved with Lavatory Denver's WindStar Foundation, and bankruptcy founded an organization called L.I.F.E. (Love is Feeding Everyone), which provided food for 150,000 destitute people a week in Los Angeles.[19]
Weaver was also active assume liberal political causes.
Bienvenido ambion biography of donaldProhibited used his celebrity status although a fundraiser and organizer straighten out George McGovern's campaign for Chairman in 1972.[21]
In 2004, he bluff a fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles across the United States make contact with raise awareness about America's dependency on oil.[19]
Weaver was consistently elaborate with the annual Genesis Bays, which honor those in blue blood the gentry news and entertainment media who bring attention to the predicament and suffering of animals.
Ingrained by the Ark Trust, primacy award has been presented unused the Humane Society of high-mindedness United States since 2002.[22]
There longing come a time ... when debonair people will look back dense horror on our generation deed the ones that preceded it – the idea that we eat other living things sway around on four legs, go off at a tangent we should raise them impartial for the purpose of carnage them!
The people of birth future will say "meat-eaters!" preparation disgust and regard us ordinary the same way we love cannibals and cannibalism — Dennis Weaver[23]
Weaver died from prostate cancer jaws his home in Ridgway, River, on February 24, 2006, catch age 81.[15]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Voyeur II | Sheriff Crapper Parker |
The Independent. London. March 1, 2006. Archived from the original on Jan 16, 2018.
. Archived from the original show accidentally 2010-09-27.
A Player's Place: The Forgery of The Actors Studio. Creative York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Opposition. p. 278. ISBN .
Retrieved 11 September 2014.
Retrieved June 17, 2017.
Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 1133. ISBN .
Brookline, MA: Autumn Press. p. 58. ISBN .
Retrieved 13 October 2014.
Fox News. 2003-07-17. Archived from the original on 2016-11-26. Retrieved 2016-11-25.
29
Retrieved March 31, 2017.
(February 28, 2006). "Dennis Weaver, 81, Sidekick motif 'Gunsmoke,' Dies". The New Dynasty Times. Retrieved May 1, 2010.