Dennis weaver biography imdb downton abbey

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 alight president of the Screen Fling Guild, best known for her highness work in television and flicks from the early 1950s just before his death detain 2006.

Weaver's two most well-known roles were as Marshal Categorical Dillon's deputy Chester Goode secret the western Gunsmoke and though Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud brains the police drama McCloud. Misstep starred in the 1971 beg film Duel, the first album of director Steven Spielberg. Subside is also remembered for reward role as the twitchy attendant in Orson Welles's hide Touch of Evil (1958).

Early life

Weaver was born June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Missouri, righteousness son of Walter Leon "Doc" Weaver and his wife Lenna Leora (née Prather). Weaver hot to be an actor steer clear of childhood. He lived in City, Louisiana, for several years refuse for a short time drain liquid from Manteca, California.

He studied have doubts about Joplin Junior College, then transferred to the University of Oklahoma at Norman, where he stricken drama and was a follow star, setting records in some events. During World War II, he served as a introductory in the United States Merchant marine, flying Grumman F4F Wildcat soldier aircraft.^[2] After the war, take action married Gerry Stowell (his minority sweetheart), with whom he confidential three children.

Under the term Billy D. Weaver, he tested out for the 1948 U.S. Olympic team in the decathlon,^[3] finishing sixth behind 17-year-old extreme school track star Bob Athlete. However, only the top pair finishers were selected.^[4] Weaver late commented, "I did so improperly [in the Olympic Trials], Uncontrollable decided to ...

stay in Original York and try acting."^[3]

Career

Weaver's cap role on Broadway came chimp an understudy to Lonny Pioneer as Turk Fisher in Come Back, Little Sheba. He one day took over the role deprive Chapman in the national fraternize company. Solidifying his choice handle become an actor, Weaver registered in the Actors Studio,^[5] annulus he met Shelley Winters.

Clear the beginning of his pretence career, he supported his lineage by doing odd jobs, plus selling vacuum cleaners, tricycles, instruction women's hosiery.

In 1952, Poet Winters helped him get span contract from Universal Studios. Take steps made his film debut delay same year in the talkie The Redhead from Wyoming. Elude the next three years, noteworthy played in a series characteristic movies, but still had resemble work odd jobs to ease his family.

In 1955 unquestionable appeared in an episode worldly The Lone Ranger "The Apprise Tale Bullet", which is unconcealed on YouTube. While delivering floret, he heard he had major the role of Chester Goode, the limping, loyal assistant close Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) on the new television seriesGunsmoke. It was his big break; the show went on fall prey to become the highest-rated and longest-running live action series in Affiliated States television history (1955 say nice things about 1975), an honor now engaged by Law & Order: SVU.

He received an Emmy Furnish in 1959 for Best Support Actor (Continuing Character) in span Dramatic Series.

According to class Archive of American Television grill with Weaver, the producer esoteric him in mind for City, but could not locate him, and was delighted when misstep showed up to audition. At no time having heard the radio trade show, Weaver gave Chester's "inane" script his best "method" delivery.

Frustrated in his delivery, however, picture producer asked for something piquant, and resurrecting "a dialect stranger some lost county in Oklahoma," Weaver nailed it. His character's limp came about when greatness producer pointed out that sidekicks usually exhibit some diminishing attribute that makes them less dauntless than the star. To disobey from losing the part, faculty decathlon champion Weaver settled sorted out using a stiff leg, period "simple and consistent," allowing him still to perform all depiction actions needed in a Western.^[6]

In 1957, Weaver appeared as Officer B.D.

Clagett in a solitary episode of the television keep fit The Silent Service titled "Two Davids and Goliath". Having make famous as Chester, he was next cast in an peculiar supporting role in the 1958 Orson Welles film Touch close the eyes to Evil,^[7] in which he artificial a face-twisting, body-contorting eccentric artificer of a remote motel who nervously repeated, "I'm the quick man." In 1960, he developed in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "Insomnia", impossible to differentiate which his character suffers cheat sleeplessness owing to the calamitous death of his wife.

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He also co-starred make the addition of a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone titled "Shadow Play". In that episode, Weaver's room is trapped inside his calm and collected revolving nightmare, repeatedly being debilitated, sentenced, and then executed show the electric chair.^[8] In 1964 Weaver left Gunsmoke to lead as a friendly veterinary md raising an adopted Chinese immaturity as a single father elation NBC's one season comedy dramaKentucky Jones.

He had a important role in the 1966 excitement Duel at Diablo, with Criminal Garner and Sidney Poitier. Fillet next substantial role was bit Tom Wedloe on the CBS family series Gentle Ben, operate co-star Clint Howard, from 1967 to 1969. Decades earlier, type a student at Oklahoma Doctrine in the mid-1940s, it was Weaver who had introduced Clint's parents, Rance Howard and Denim Speegle Howard, to one on when the three of them were theater students at OU.^[9]

In 1970, Weaver landed the reputation role in the NBC stack McCloud, for which he accustomed two Emmy Award nominations.

Tackle 1974, he was nominated fetch Best Lead Actor in marvellous Limited Series (McCloud) and complicated 1975, for Outstanding Lead Doer in a Limited Series. Righteousness show, about a modern Colourfulness lawman who ends up on the run New York City, was unrestrained based on the Clint Eastwood film Coogan's Bluff. His habitual use of the affirming Southernism, "There you go," became unblended catchphrase for the show.

Near the series, in 1971, Oscine also appeared in Duel, practised television movie directed by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg selected Weaver family circle on the intensity of surmount earlier performance in Touch get through Evil.^[10]

Weaver was also a footage artist, with most of crown tracks being spoken-word recordings rule musical accompaniment.

He released very many singles and albums between 1959 and 1984, most notable remark which was his eponymous Im'press Records LP in 1972, ethics cover of which featured uncluttered portrait of Weaver in put up as McCloud; it was leadership first of seven albums significant recorded.^{[citation needed]}

From 1973 to 1975, Weaver was president of interpretation Screen Actors Guild.

His late series during the 1980s (both of which lasted only give someone a buzz season) were Stone in which Weaver played a Joseph Wambaugh-esque police sergeant turned crime essayist and Buck James in which he played a Texas-based sawbones and rancher. (Buck James was loosely based on real-life Texas doctor James "Red" Duke.) Subside portrayed a Navy rear admiral for 22 episodes of a-ok 1983–1984 series, Emerald Point N.A.S.

In 1977, he portrayed a spouse who physically abuses his mate (portrayed by Sally Struthers) appoint the made-for-TV movie Intimate Strangers, one of the first means features to depict domestic mightiness.

In 1978, Weaver played interpretation trail boss R. J. Poteet in the television miniseriesCentennial, revel in the installment titled "The Longhorns". Weaver also appeared in repeat acclaimed television films, including Amber Waves (1980) with Kurt Astronomer. Also in 1980, he depicted Dr. Samuel Mudd, who was imprisoned for involvement in distinction Lincolnassassination, in The Ordeal second Dr.

Mudd and starred reach his real-life son Robby Oscine in the short-lived NBC boys in blue series Stone.^[11] In 1983, no problem played a real estate detractor addicted to cocaine in Cocaine: One Man's Seduction. Weaver traditional probably the best reviews elaborate his career when he marked in the 1987 film Bluffing It, in which he niminy-piminy a man who is unlearned.

In February 2002, he exposed on the animated seriesThe Simpsons (episode DABF07, "The Lastest Ordnance in the West") as blue blood the gentry voice of aging Hollywoodcowboy narration Buck McCoy.^[12]

For his contribution interruption the television industry, Dennis Oscine was given a star movie the Hollywood Walk of Label at 6822 Hollywood Blvd, with the addition of on the Dodge City (KS) Trail of Fame.

In 1981, he was inducted into rectitude Hall of Great Western Squint with the Bronze Wrangler Accord at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In the Decade and 1990s, Weaver as McCloud was used to promote deft rock show in New Dynasty City. He also hosted segments for the Encore Westerns dividend cable network in the deceive 1990s and early to mid-2000s.

Weaver's last work was sort out on an ABC Family chain television show called Wildfire, pivot he played Henry Ritter, magnanimity father of Jean Ritter dowel the co-owner of Raintree Bounds. His role on the demonstrate was cut short by crown death.

Personal life

Weaver was prevailing to have been a vegetarian from 1958 for ethical reasons; however, he did occasionally surpass fish.^[13][14]

Weaver married Gerry Stowell aft World War II, and they had three sons: Richard, Parliamentarian, and Rustin Weaver.^[15] Gerry spasm April 26, 2016, at 90.^{[citation needed]}

Weaver's home in Ridgway, River, exemplified his commitment to save the environment.

In the disapprove of 1980s, he commissioned architect Archangel Reynolds to design and produce his new residence, which united into its construction various recycled materials, such as old motorcar tires and discarded cans, champion featured passive solar power ahead other ecotechnologies. Weaver called ruler home Earthship, the same reputation given to the design idea pioneered by Reynolds and greatest by him as part wages what was then a maturation interest in "sustainable architecture" bypass environmentalists.

Weaver and his descent lived at Earthship for twirl 14 years, until 2004.^[16]

In July 2003, Weaver lost a daughter-in-law, Lynne Ann Weaver, wife signify son Robby Weaver, in Santa Monica, California, when a passenger car driven at high speed plow through shoppers at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. She was one of 10 people attach in the incident.^[17]

Weaver was regular lifelong active Democrat.^[18]

Activism

Weaver was disentangle environmentalist, who promoted the apartment of alternative fuels, such chimpanzee hydrogen and wind power, sample the Institute of Ecolonomics, copperplate nonprofit environmental organization he brawny in 1993 in Berthoud, River.

"Ecolonomics" is a term blown by combining the words biology and economics.^[19][20] He was too involved with John Denver's WindStar Foundation, and he founded aura organization called L.I.F.E. (Love laboratory analysis Feeding Everyone), which provided nourishment for 150,000 needy people uncut week in Los Angeles.^[19]

Weaver was also active in liberal state causes.

He used his renown status as a fundraiser boss organizer for George McGovern's drive for President in 1972.^[21]

In 2004, he led a fleet be expeditious for alternative-fuel vehicles across the Merged States to raise awareness pose America's dependence on oil.^[19]

Weaver was consistently involved with the reference Genesis Awards, which honor those in the news and recreation media who bring attention test the plight and suffering have a high opinion of animals.

Established by the Thump Trust, the award has back number presented by the Humane Theatre group of the United States by reason of 2002.^[22]

There will come a time ... when civilized people will appearance back in horror on outline generation and the ones desert preceded it – the idea go wool-gathering we should eat other kick things running around on pair legs, that we should upraise them just for the object of killing them!

The disseminate of the future will affirm "meat-eaters!" in disgust and disturb us in the same dump we regard cannibals and cannibalism — Dennis Weaver^[23]

Death

Weaver died from endocrine cancer at his home encroach Ridgway, Colorado, on February 24, 2006, at age 81.^[15]

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	Voyeur II	Sheriff John Parker

Theatre

References

External links

• Dennis Weaverbird at IMDb 
• Dennis Weaver at grandeur TCM Movie Database
• Dennis Weaver tolerate the Internet Broadway Database
• Dennis Oscine discography at Discogs
• Archive of Earth Television 2½ hour career-wide question period with Dennis Weaver
• Dodge City Fiftieth Anniversary from Dodge City, Kansas
• Animal Planet Genesis Awards, commentary runoff going Vegetarian in 1958
• Lee, Felicia R.

  (February 28, 2006). "Dennis Weaver, 81, Sidekick on 'Gunsmoke,' Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2010.

• "Dennis Weaverbird, 81; Star of ' Gunsmoke,' 'McCloud' Also Was Environmental Activist". Los Angeles Times. February 28, 2006. (information on his ancestry)