Barry Corbin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Barry Corbin
Corbin in 1993
Born	Leonard Barrie Corbin (1940-10-16) October 16, 1940 (age 84) Lamesa, Texas, U.S.
Education	Texas Tech University
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1964–present
Spouse(s)	Marie Elyse Soape ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1974)​ Susan Berger ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1992)​ Jo Corbin ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	4
Parent(s)	Kilmer B. Corbin (father)

Barry Corbin (born October 16, 1940) is a well-known American actor. You might recognize him from his role as Maurice Minnifield in the TV show Northern Exposure. This role even earned him two nominations for the Emmy Awards.

He has also appeared in many popular movies and TV shows. Some of his famous films include Urban Cowboy (1980), WarGames (1983), and No Country for Old Men (2007). On television, he was in Dallas, Lonesome Dove, One Tree Hill, and The Ranch. More recently, he has appeared in Yellowstone and Tulsa King.

Early Life and Education

Barry Corbin was born in Lamesa, Texas. This town is in West Texas, south of Lubbock. His mother, Alma LaMerle Scott, was a teacher. His father, Kilmer Blaine Corbin, Sr., was a school principal and a judge. His father also served in the Texas State Senate.

Barry was named after the famous author J. M. Barrie. When he was in eighth grade, he played football for a short time. However, he soon found his passion in the arts. He started taking acting and ballet classes.

After graduating from Monterey High School, Barry studied theatre arts at Texas Tech University. When he was 21, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served for two years. After his service, he returned to Texas Tech to continue his studies.

Acting Career Highlights

Barry Corbin started his acting career in the 1960s. He performed in plays by Shakespeare. Over time, he became known for playing characters like sheriffs, military leaders, or other figures in charge. Sometimes, he even played villains.

Movie fans might remember him as General Beringer in WarGames. He also played John Travolta's uncle, Bob Davis, in Urban Cowboy. He was Clint Eastwood's co-star in Any Which Way You Can. In the Western miniseries Lonesome Dove, he played Roscoe Brown, a deputy.

From 1979 to 1984, Corbin appeared in the TV show Dallas as Sheriff Fenton Washburn. In 1983, he was in the TV miniseries The Thorn Birds. He played Pete, a stockman who taught the children how to shear sheep.

His most famous role was from 1990 to 1995. He played Maurice Minnifield, a former astronaut and business leader, on Northern Exposure. This role earned him an Emmy Award nomination.

In 1994, Barry Corbin narrated a TV documentary called MoonShot. It told the story of the 1960s space race. From 2007 to 2012, he had a recurring role as Clay Johnson on The Closer. He played the father of the main character, Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson.

Corbin also lent his voice to video games. He played General Carville in the Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 series.

From 2003 to 2009, he played Whitey Durham, a basketball coach, on the drama series One Tree Hill. He also had a role in the 2007 film No Country for Old Men.

Barry Corbin lost most of his hair in the 1990s due to a condition called alopecia areata. Since then, he has often played roles with a shaved head, wearing a cowboy hat, or sometimes a wig.

He is also known as the voice of radio station KPLX in Fort Worth, Texas. He has voiced trailers for CMT and other country radio stations. In 2014, he became a spokesperson for the Texas Veterans Land Board. He also appeared in the Netflix series The Ranch. In 2020, he had a guest role in Better Call Saul.

Personal Interests and Awards

Outside of acting, Barry Corbin enjoys cutting-horse competitions. He has won many of these events. He spends a lot of his free time riding horses and taking care of cattle on his ranch near Fort Worth.

He has also volunteered his time for charity for many years. This includes helping with rodeos and being a spokesperson for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. In 2006, he took part in the Lubbock centennial celebration.

In September 2011, Barry Corbin received a lifetime achievement award. This was given to him by the Estes Park Film Festival in Colorado. The Texas Film Hall of Fame also welcomed him as a member on March 8, 2012. In 2014, he was inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

See also

In Spanish: Barry Corbin para niños