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George Kennedy

George Kennedy

Sandy-haired, tall and burly George Harris Kennedy, Jr. was born in New York City, to Helen A. (Kieselbach), a ballet dancer, and George Harris Kennedy, an orchestra leader and musician. He had German, Irish, and English ancestry. A World War II veteran, Kennedy at one stage in his career cornered the market at playing tough, no-nonsense characters who were either quite crooked or possessed hearts of gold. Kennedy notched up an impressive 200+ appearances in both TV and film, and was well respected within the Hollywood community. He started out in TV westerns in the late 1950s and early 1960s: Have Gun - Will Travel (1957), Rawhide (1959), Maverick (1957), Colt .45 (1957), among others; before scoring minor roles in films including Lonely Are the Brave (1962), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) and The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). The late 1960s was a very busy period for Kennedy, and he was strongly in favor with casting agents, appearing in Hurry Sundown (1967), The Dirty Dozen (1967) and scoring an Oscar win as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Cool Hand Luke (1967). The disaster film boom of the 1970s was kind to Kennedy, too, and his talents were in demand for Airport(1970) and the three subsequent sequels, as a grizzled cop in Earthquake (1974), plus the buddy/road film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) as vicious bank robber Red Leary. The 1980s saw Kennedy appear in a mishmash of roles, playing various characters; however, Kennedy and Leslie Nielsen surprised everyone with their comedic talents in the hugely successful The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), and the two screen veterans hammed it up again in, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), plus Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994). Kennedy remained busy in Hollywood and lent his distinctive voice to the animated Cats Don't Dance (1997) and the children's action film Small Soldiers (1998). A Hollywood stalwart for nearly 50 years, he is one of the most enjoyable actors to watch on screen. His last role was in the film The Gambler (2014), as Mark Wahlberg's character's grandfather. George Kennedy died on February 28, 2016 in Middleton, Idaho.

Personal information

Birthday

1925-02-18

Birth Place

New York City, New York, USA

Movies and TV shows :

2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift

2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift

2010

6.6

Movie
poster

77 Sunset Strip

1958

6.7

TV
A Cry in the Wilderness

A Cry in the Wilderness

1974

6.0

Movie
A Great American Tragedy

A Great American Tragedy

1972

6.7

Movie
A Natural Born World-Shaker: The Making of 'Cool Hand Luke'

A Natural Born World-Shaker: The Making of 'Cool Hand Luke'

2008

0.0

Movie
Airport

Airport

1970

6.4

Movie
Airport '77

Airport '77

1977

5.6

Movie
Airport 1975

Airport 1975

1974

5.7

Movie
Another Happy Day

Another Happy Day

2011

5.6

Movie
Armed and Deadly: The Making of 'The Dirty Dozen'

Armed and Deadly: The Making of 'The Dirty Dozen'

2006

6.0

Movie
poster

Backstairs at the White House

1979

5.9

TV
Bandolero!

Bandolero!

1968

6.5

Movie
poster

Bat Masterson

1958

6.3

TV
poster

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

1963

5.5

TV
Bolero

Bolero

1984

3.3

Movie
poster

Bonanza

1959

7.5

TV
Born to Race

Born to Race

1988

4.9

Movie
Brain Dead

Brain Dead

1990

5.7

Movie
Brass Target

Brass Target

1978

5.6

Movie
Cahill: United States Marshal

Cahill: United States Marshal

1973

6.1

Movie
Cats Don't Dance

Cats Don't Dance

1997

7.2

Movie
Charade

Charade

1963

7.7

Movie
Chattanooga Choo Choo

Chattanooga Choo Choo

1984

5.0

Movie
poster

Cheyenne

1955

5.8

TV
Cool Hand Luke

Cool Hand Luke

1967

7.7

Movie
Counterforce

Counterforce

1988

4.7

Movie
Creepshow 2

Creepshow 2

1987

6.3

Movie
poster

Dallas

1978

6.8

TV
Dallas - War of The Ewings

Dallas - War of The Ewings

1998

5.3

Movie
Dallas: J.R. Returns

Dallas: J.R. Returns

1996

5.4

Movie
poster

Daniel Boone

1964

6.9

TV
Death on the Nile

Death on the Nile

1978

7.2

Movie
Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette

Death on the Nile: Making of Featurette

1978

6.3

Movie
Death Ship

Death Ship

1980

5.2

Movie
Deliver Us from Evil

Deliver Us from Evil

1973

7.3

Movie
Demonwarp

Demonwarp

1988

4.2

Movie
Dennis the Menace Strikes Again!

Dennis the Menace Strikes Again!

1998

5.4

Movie
Dirty Dingus Magee

Dirty Dingus Magee

1970

4.7

Movie
Distant Justice

Distant Justice

1992

5.0

Movie
Don't Come Knocking

Don't Come Knocking

2005

6.2

Movie
poster

Dr. Kildare

1961

5.4

TV
Driving Me Crazy

Driving Me Crazy

1991

3.7

Movie
Earthquake

Earthquake

1974

6.1

Movie
Esmeralda Bay

Esmeralda Bay

1989

4.4

Movie
Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story

Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story

1992

0.0

Movie
Fools' Parade

Fools' Parade

1971

6.8

Movie
Gaily, Gaily

Gaily, Gaily

1969

4.0

Movie
poster

Going My Way

1962

5.0

TV
poster

Grindl

1963

5.5

TV
Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon

Gunfight at Black Horses Canyon

1961

5.6

Movie
Guns of the Magnificent Seven

Guns of the Magnificent Seven

1969

5.2

Movie
poster

Gunsmoke

1955

6.5

TV
Half Nelson

Half Nelson

1985

0.0

Movie
Hangfire

Hangfire

1991

4.2

Movie
poster

Have Gun, Will Travel

1957

7.4

TV
Hired to Kill

Hired to Kill

1990

4.8

Movie
Hollyweird

Hollyweird

1998

4.5

Movie
Hotwire

Hotwire

1980

5.0

Movie
Hurry Sundown

Hurry Sundown

1967

6.4

Movie
Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

1964

7.2

Movie
In Harm's Way

In Harm's Way

1965

6.5

Movie
Intensive Care

Intensive Care

1991

2.0

Movie
International Airport

International Airport

1985

5.0

Movie
poster

Ironside

1967

6.9

TV
Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins

1964

6.2

Movie
Just Before Dawn

Just Before Dawn

1981

6.0

Movie
poster

Kraft Mystery Theatre

1961

6.0

TV
poster

Laredo

1965

6.3

TV
poster

Lawman

1958

5.4

TV
Liberty

Liberty

1986

0.0

Movie
Lonely are the Brave

Lonely are the Brave

1962

7.3

Movie
Lost Horizon

Lost Horizon

1973

5.4

Movie
poster

Maverick

1957

6.8

TV
Mayumi: Virgin Terrorist

Mayumi: Virgin Terrorist

1990

5.0

Movie
McHale's Navy

McHale's Navy

1964

4.6

Movie
Mean Dog Blues

Mean Dog Blues

1978

4.9

Movie
Men in White

Men in White

1998

3.6

Movie
Ministry of Vengeance

Ministry of Vengeance

1989

3.0

Movie
Mirage

Mirage

1965

7.0

Movie
Modern Romance

Modern Romance

1981

6.8

Movie
Monster Makers

Monster Makers

2003

3.0

Movie
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult

Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult

1994

6.5

Movie
Nightmare at Noon

Nightmare at Noon

1988

4.7

Movie
poster

Outlaws

1960

6.2

TV
poster

Perry Mason

1957

7.7

TV
poster

Peter Gunn

1958

6.5

TV
Private Road: No Trespassing

Private Road: No Trespassing

1988

4.5

Movie
Proof of the Man

Proof of the Man

1977

7.4

Movie
Radioactive Dreams

Radioactive Dreams

1986

5.2

Movie
Rare Breed

Rare Breed

1984

0.0

Movie
poster

Rawhide

1959

7.1

TV
Rigged

Rigged

1985

9.7

Movie
poster

Riverboat

1959

6.2

TV
poster

Route 66

1960

6.4

TV
Sands of Oblivion

Sands of Oblivion

2007

4.6

Movie
poster

Santo Bugito

1995

0.0

TV
poster

Sarge

1971

5.0

TV
Sarge: The Badge or the Cross

Sarge: The Badge or the Cross

1971

0.0

Movie
poster

Saturday Night Live

1975

6.9

TV
Savage Dawn

Savage Dawn

1986

4.4

Movie
Search and Destroy

Search and Destroy

1979

6.8

Movie
See How They Run

See How They Run

1964

7.0

Movie
Shenandoah

Shenandoah

1965

6.8

Movie
Small Soldiers

Small Soldiers

1998

6.5

Movie
Sonic Boom

Sonic Boom

1974

4.5

Movie
Steel

Steel

1979

5.2

Movie
Strait-Jacket

Strait-Jacket

1964

6.6

Movie
poster

Sugarfoot

1957

4.8

TV
poster

Surfside 6

1960

5.0

TV
poster

Tarzan

1966

6.7

TV
poster

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

1962

7.8

TV
poster

The Andy Griffith Show

1960

7.6

TV
The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire

The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire

1981

5.5

Movie
poster

The Asphalt Jungle

1961

5.0

TV
The Ballad of Josie

The Ballad of Josie

1968

5.7

Movie
poster

The Big Valley

1965

6.0

TV
The Blue Knight

The Blue Knight

1975

0.0

Movie
poster

The Blue Knight

1975

2.0

TV
The Boneyard Collection

The Boneyard Collection

2008

5.4

Movie
The Boston Strangler

The Boston Strangler

1968

6.7

Movie
The Bull of the West

The Bull of the West

1972

5.3

Movie
poster

The Commish

1991

7.2

TV
The Concorde... Airport '79

The Concorde... Airport '79

1979

4.7

Movie
The Cops Are Robbers

The Cops Are Robbers

1990

4.0

Movie
poster

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts

1973

5.3

TV
The Delta Force

The Delta Force

1986

5.9

Movie
The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen

1967

7.6

Movie
The Double McGuffin

The Double McGuffin

1979

5.3

Movie
The Eiger Sanction

The Eiger Sanction

1975

6.1

Movie
The Flight of the Phoenix

The Flight of the Phoenix

1965

7.2

Movie
The Gambler

The Gambler

2014

6.0

Movie
The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues

The Gambler, Part III: The Legend Continues

1987

5.9

Movie
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

The Good Guys and the Bad Guys

1969

5.4

Movie
poster

The Great Adventure

1963

0.0

TV
The Gunfighters

The Gunfighters

1987

4.0

Movie
The Human Factor

The Human Factor

1975

5.7

Movie
The Jesse Owens Story

The Jesse Owens Story

1984

7.9

Movie
The Jupiter Menace

The Jupiter Menace

1982

5.5

Movie
poster

The Legend of Jesse James

1965

4.8

TV
The Legend of Lylah Clare

The Legend of Lylah Clare

1968

6.1

Movie
The Lion Roars Again

The Lion Roars Again

1975

0.0

Movie
The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come

The Little Shepherd Of Kingdom Come

1961

4.0

Movie
The Man from the Diners' Club

The Man from the Diners' Club

1963

5.0

Movie
The Man Who Came Back

The Man Who Came Back

2008

5.0

Movie
poster

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

5.1

TV
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear

1991

6.8

Movie
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

1988

7.3

Movie
poster

The Oscars

1953

7.0

TV
poster

The Phil Silvers Show

1955

6.8

TV
The Pink Jungle

The Pink Jungle

1968

6.1

Movie
poster

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest

1996

7.2

TV
poster

The Rogues

1964

7.5

TV
The Sons of Katie Elder

The Sons of Katie Elder

1965

7.0

Movie
poster

The Tall Man

1960

6.3

TV
The Terror Within

The Terror Within

1989

4.3

Movie
poster

The Virginian

1962

6.4

TV
Three Bad Men

Three Bad Men

2005

1.0

Movie
poster

Thriller

1960

6.4

TV
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

1974

6.7

Movie
Tick... Tick... Tick...

Tick... Tick... Tick...

1970

6.5

Movie
Top Line

Top Line

1988

3.9

Movie
Truce

Truce

2005

3.7

Movie
Uninvited

Uninvited

1988

4.9

Movie
View from the Top

View from the Top

2003

5.5

Movie
Virus

Virus

1980

6.3

Movie
Wacko

Wacko

1982

5.0

Movie
What Price Victory

What Price Victory

1988

0.0

Movie
poster

Wings

1990

6.9

TV
WWE SummerSlam 1994

WWE SummerSlam 1994

1994

8.0

Movie
Zig Zag

Zig Zag

1970

7.5

Movie