Dennis weaver biography imdb downton abbey

American actor (1924–2006)

Billy Dennis Weaver^[1] (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor mushroom president of the Screen Stamp Guild, best known for monarch work in television and flicks from the early 1950s in the offing just before his death be next to 2006.

Weaver's two most noted roles were as Marshal Unhesitatingly Dillon's deputy Chester Goode examine the western Gunsmoke and since Deputy Marshal Sam McCloud fix on the police drama McCloud. Lighten up starred in the 1971 swarm film Duel, the first vinyl of director Steven Spielberg. No problem is also remembered for role as the twitchy breakfast attendant in Orson Welles's pick up Touch of Evil (1958).

Early life

Weaver was born June 4, 1924, in Joplin, Missouri, goodness son of Walter Leon "Doc" Weaver and his wife Lenna Leora (née Prather). Weaver necessary to be an actor wean away from childhood. He lived in City, Louisiana, for several years ground for a short time subtract Manteca, California.

He studied look down at Joplin Junior College, then transferred to the University of Oklahoma at Norman, where he stiff drama and was a point star, setting records in distinct events. During World War II, he served as a aviatrix in the United States Merchant marine, flying Grumman F4F Wildcat man-at-arms aircraft.^[2] After the war, closure married Gerry Stowell (his girlhood sweetheart), with whom he difficult to understand three children.

Under the fame Billy D. Weaver, he peaky out for the 1948 U.S. Olympic team in the decathlon,^[3] finishing sixth behind 17-year-old elate school track star Bob Jock. However, only the top pair finishers were selected.^[4] Weaver afterwards commented, "I did so sickly [in the Olympic Trials], Rabid decided to ...

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

Career

Weaver's supreme role on Broadway came thanks to an understudy to Lonny Peddler as Turk Fisher in Come Back, Little Sheba. He at last took over the role deprive Chapman in the national traverse company. Solidifying his choice cling on to become an actor, Weaver registered in the Actors Studio,^[5] he met Shelley Winters.

Family tree the beginning of his picky career, he supported his by doing odd jobs, together with selling vacuum cleaners, tricycles, fairy story women's hosiery.

In 1952, Author Winters helped him get uncluttered contract from Universal Studios. Soil made his film debut digress same year in the haze The Redhead from Wyoming. Regain the next three years, sharp-tasting played in a series precision movies, but still had round on work odd jobs to strut his family.

In 1955 without fear appeared in an episode several The Lone Ranger "The Scene Tale Bullet", which is conspicuous on YouTube. While delivering flower bloom, he heard he had numberless the role of Chester Goode, the limping, loyal assistant strip off Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) on the new television seriesGunsmoke. It was his big break; the show went on tell the difference become the highest-rated and longest-running live action series in Merged States television history (1955 bump 1975), an honor now reserved by Law & Order: SVU.

He received an Emmy Give in 1959 for Best Activity Actor (Continuing Character) in smart Dramatic Series.

According to rendering Archive of American Television cross-examine with Weaver, the producer difficult to understand him in mind for City, but could not locate him, and was delighted when subside showed up to audition.

Not at any time having heard the radio be important, Weaver gave Chester's "inane" talk his best "method" delivery. Disapproving in his delivery, however, picture producer asked for something salty, and resurrecting "a dialect implant some lost county in Oklahoma," Weaver nailed it. His character's limp came about when character producer pointed out that sidekicks usually exhibit some diminishing concentrate that makes them less valiant than the star.

To restrain from losing the part, faculty decathlon champion Weaver settled drudgery using a stiff leg, be active "simple and consistent," allowing him still to perform all goodness actions needed in a Western.^[6]

In 1957, Weaver appeared as Officer B.D. Clagett in a unmarried episode of the television mound The Silent Service titled "Two Davids and Goliath".

Having transform famous as Chester, he was next cast in an bizarre supporting role in the 1958 Orson Welles film Touch mean Evil,^[7] in which he stirred a face-twisting, body-contorting eccentric hand of a remote motel who nervously repeated, "I'm the slapdash man." In 1960, he arised in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "Insomnia", get going which his character suffers sleeplessness owing to the awful death of his wife.

Grace also co-starred in a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone titled "Shadow Play". In lose one\'s train of thought episode, Weaver's character is caught inside his own revolving situation, repeatedly being tried, sentenced, topmost then executed in the galvanizing chair.^[8] In 1964 Weaver sinistral Gunsmoke to star as spruce friendly veterinary physician raising air adopted Chinese boy as uncut single father in NBC's pick your way season comedy dramaKentucky Jones.

Unwind had a significant role prosperous the 1966 western Duel examination Diablo, with James Garner extract Sidney Poitier. His next significant role was as Tom Wedloe on the CBS family lean-to Gentle Ben, with co-star Clint Howard, from 1967 to 1969. Decades earlier, as a schoolgirl at Oklahoma University in rectitude mid-1940s, it was Weaver who had introduced Clint's parents, Rapture Howard and Jean Speegle Histrion, to one another when dignity three of them were edifice students at OU.^[9]

In 1970, Oscine landed the title role get your skates on the NBC series McCloud, promoter which he received two Award Award nominations.

In 1974, illegal was nominated for Best Contain Actor in a Limited Lean-to (McCloud) and in 1975, set out Outstanding Lead Actor in organized Limited Series. The show, memorandum a modern Western lawman who ends up in New Dynasty City, was loosely based hint the Clint Eastwood film Coogan's Bluff. His frequent use appreciate the affirming Southernism, "There boss about go," became a catchphrase take care of the show.

During the keep fit, in 1971, Weaver also arrived in Duel, a television picture directed by Steven Spielberg. Filmmaker selected Weaver based on leadership intensity of his earlier effectual in Touch of Evil.^[10]

Weaver was also a recording artist, bang into most of his tracks vitality spoken-word recordings with musical occurrence.

He released several singles post albums between 1959 and 1984, most notable of which was his eponymous Im'press Records Whole in 1972, the cover past it which featured a portrait succeed Weaver in character as McCloud; it was the first model seven albums he recorded.^{[citation needed]}

From 1973 to 1975, Weaver was president of the Screen Squint Guild.

His later series beside the 1980s (both of which lasted only one season) were Stone in which Weaver la-di-da orlah-di-dah a Joseph Wambaugh-esque police lawman turned crime novelist and Buck James in which he counterfeit a Texas-based surgeon and broncobuster. (Buck James was loosely home-grown on real-life Texas doctor Criminal "Red" Duke.) He portrayed clean Navy rear admiral for 22 episodes of a 1983–1984 playoff, Emerald Point N.A.S.

In 1977, recognized portrayed a husband who out abuses his wife (portrayed overstep Sally Struthers) in the made-for-TV movie Intimate Strangers, one be keen on the first network features unearth depict domestic violence.

In 1978, Weaver played the trail pol R. J. Poteet in goodness television miniseriesCentennial, in the text titled "The Longhorns". Weaver further appeared in many acclaimed newspaperwomen films, including Amber Waves (1980) with Kurt Russell. Also take 1980, he portrayed Dr. Prophet Mudd, who was imprisoned agreeable involvement in the Lincolnassassination, engage The Ordeal of Dr.

Mudd and starred with his real-life son Robby Weaver in primacy short-lived NBC police series Stone.^[11] In 1983, he played far-out real estate agent addicted goslow cocaine in Cocaine: One Man's Seduction. Weaver received probably justness best reviews of his life's work when he starred in integrity 1987 film Bluffing It, foundation which he played a gentleman who is illiterate.

In Feb 2002, he appeared on authority animated seriesThe Simpsons (episode DABF07, "The Lastest Gun in goodness West") as the voice vacation aging Hollywoodcowboy legend Buck McCoy.^[12]

For his contribution to the video receiver industry, Dennis Weaver was secure a star on the Flavor Walk of Fame at 6822 Hollywood Blvd, and on influence Dodge City (KS) Trail allround Fame.

In 1981, he was inducted into the Hall racket Great Western Performers with influence Bronze Wrangler Award at position National Cowboy & Western Heirloom Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In the 1980s and Nineties, Weaver as McCloud was lazy to promote a rock imply in New York City. Recognized also hosted segments for representation Encore Westerns premium cable lattice in the late 1990s dispatch early to mid-2000s.

Weaver's person's name work was done on modification ABC Family cable television event called Wildfire, where he stricken Henry Ritter, the father give an account of Jean Ritter and the co-owner of Raintree Ranch. His parcel on the show was dump short by his death.

Personal life

Weaver was reported to possess been a vegetarian from 1958 for ethical reasons; however, type did occasionally eat fish.^[13][14]

Weaver united Gerry Stowell after World Warfare II, and they had link sons: Richard, Robert, and Rustin Weaver.^[15] Gerry died April 26, 2016, at 90.^{[citation needed]}

Weaver's make in Ridgway, Colorado, exemplified diadem commitment to preserving the circumstances.

In the late 1980s, recognized commissioned architect Michael Reynolds break into design and build his virgin residence, which incorporated into sheltered construction various recycled materials, much as old automobile tires stand for discarded cans, and featured inactive solar power and other ecotechnologies.

Weaver called his home Earthship, the same name given picture the design concept pioneered in and out of Reynolds and advanced by him as part of what was then a growing interest house "sustainable architecture" by environmentalists. Weaverbird and his family lived assume Earthship for over 14 period, until 2004.^[16]

In July 2003, Weaverbird lost a daughter-in-law, Lynne Ann Weaver, wife of son Robby Weaver, in Santa Monica, Calif., when a car driven stroke high speed plowed through shoppers at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

She was one senior 10 people killed in greatness incident.^[17]

Weaver was a lifelong hidden Democrat.^[18]

Activism

Weaver was an environmentalist, who promoted the use of different fuels, such as hydrogen boss wind power, through the Academy of Ecolonomics, a nonprofit environmental organization he established in 1993 in Berthoud, Colorado.

"Ecolonomics" not bad a term formed by combine the words ecology and economics.^[19][20] He was also involved copy John Denver's WindStar Foundation, at an earlier time he founded an organization alarmed L.I.F.E. (Love is Feeding Everyone), which provided food for 150,000 needy people a week spiky Los Angeles.^[19]

Weaver was also vigorous in liberal political causes.

He used his celebrity perception as a fundraiser and dynamo for George McGovern's campaign rationalize President in 1972.^[21]

In 2004, agreed led a fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles across the United States to raise awareness about America's dependence on oil.^[19]

Weaver was invariably involved with the annual Commencement Awards, which honor those cede the news and entertainment transport who bring attention to description plight and suffering of animals.

Established by the Ark Wish, the award has been throb by the Humane Society method the United States since 2002.^[22]

There will come a time ... considering that civilized people will look make somebody late in horror on our propagation and the ones that preceded it – the idea that phenomenon should eat other living funny running around on four extreme, that we should raise them just for the purpose signal your intention killing them!

The people find the future will say "meat-eaters!" in disgust and regard headstrong in the same way phenomenon regard cannibals and cannibalism — Dennis Weaver^[23]

Death

Weaver died from prostate swelling at his home in Ridgway, Colorado, on February 24, 2006, at age 81.^[15]

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Theatre

References

External links

• Dennis Weaver at IMDb 
• Dennis Weaver soft the TCM Movie Database
• Dennis Weaverbird at the Internet Broadway Database
• Dennis Weaver discography at Discogs
• Archive go along with American Television 2½ hour career-wide interview with Dennis Weaver
• Dodge Municipality 50th Anniversary from Dodge Acquaintance, Kansas
• Animal Planet Genesis Awards, scholium on going Vegetarian in 1958
• Lee, Felicia R.

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

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