Bradford Dillman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bradford Dillman
Dillman as a guest star in The F.B.I. in 1966.
Born	(1930-04-14)April 14, 1930 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	January 16, 2018(2018-01-16) (aged 87) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, author
Years active	1953–1995
Spouse(s)	Frieda Harding McIntosh ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1962)​ Suzy Parker ​ ​ (m. 1963; her death 2003)​
Children	5
Signature

Bradford Dillman (born April 14, 1930 – died January 16, 2018) was an American actor and writer. He was known for his many roles in movies and television shows. He also wrote books later in his life.

Early Life and Military Service

Bradford Dillman was born in San Francisco, California, on April 14, 1930. His father, Dean Dillman, worked in finance. His mother was Josephine Moore.

Bradford went to several schools, including Town School for Boys and St. Ignatius High School. He also attended the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. There, he became very interested in school plays.

He later went to Yale University. While studying there, he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1948. He was part of the Yale Dramatic Association, which put on plays. He graduated from Yale in 1951 with a degree in English Literature.

After college, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He trained at Parris Island. In September 1951, he became a second lieutenant. He was supposed to go to the Korean War, but his plans changed. Instead, he spent his time in the Marines teaching communication from 1951 to 1953. He left the Marine Corps in 1953 as a first lieutenant.

Acting Career

After leaving the Marines, Bradford Dillman decided to become an actor. He studied acting at the Actors Studio. He also worked at the Sharon, Connecticut Playhouse for several seasons. His first acting job was in a play called The Scarecrow in 1953.

Broadway Plays

Bradford Dillman first acted on Broadway in November 1956. Broadway is a famous theater district in New York City. He was in the play Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neill. He played the character Edmund Tyrone. For this role, he won a Theatre World Award. The play ran for a long time, until March 1958.

In 1955, he appeared in a TV show called The Big Picture. In 1957, he was in a TV production of the play There Shall Be No Night.

Movies with 20th Century Fox

Dillman was then cast in the movie A Certain Smile (1958). After that, he was in In Love and War (1958). This was a war movie with many young actors from 20th Century Fox. He won a Golden Globe Award for his role in this film. Both movies were successful.

He also starred in Compulsion (1959). In this movie, he acted alongside Dean Stockwell and Orson Welles. Dillman, Stockwell, and Welles won an award for Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival.

He made A Circle of Deception (1960) in London. Then, he worked with Orson Welles again on Crack in the Mirror (1960) in Paris. This movie was not as successful. Back in Hollywood, Fox cast him in Sanctuary (1961). He also played the main role in Francis of Assisi (1961).

Television Roles

After leaving 20th Century Fox, Bradford Dillman focused mostly on television. He appeared in many popular TV shows.

He was a guest star in a 1963 episode of The Virginian. He also appeared in two episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Hour. He was in seven episodes of Dr. Kildare (1964–66). He also starred in 26 episodes of Court Martial (1965–66).

Dillman guest-starred in many other TV series. These included The F.B.I., Ironside, Columbo, Mission Impossible, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cannon, and Barnaby Jones. He also appeared in Wonder Woman. A two-part episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. he was in became a movie called The Helicopter Spies (1968).

He also acted in some movies during this time. These included A Rage to Live (1965) and The Bridge at Remagen (1969). In 1971, he played Richard Pickman in a TV version of H. P. Lovecraft's story Pickman's Model. This was part of a Night Gallery episode. He also starred in an episode of Columbo in 1972.

Later Career and Writing

Bradford Dillman continued to act in TV movies. Some of these were Fear No Evil (1969) and Moon of the Wolf (1972).

He also appeared in many films. These included Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), The Way We Were (1973), Gold (1974), and The Enforcer (1976). He was also in The Swarm (1978) and Piranha (1978). Later, he was in Sudden Impact (1983) and Lords of the Deep (1989).

He appeared in 10 episodes of Falcon Crest (1982–83). His last known acting role was in an episode of Murder, She Wrote in 1995. This was his eighth time as a guest on that show.

Besides acting, Dillman also wrote books. His book about football, Inside The New York Giants, came out in 1995. He also wrote his autobiography, Are You Anybody?: An Actor's Life, which was published in 1997.

Personal Life

Bradford Dillman was married twice. From 1956 to 1962, he was married to Frieda Harding. They had two children, Jeffrey and Pamela.

He met actress and model Suzy Parker while making the movie A Circle of Deception (1960). They married on April 20, 1963. They had three children: Dinah, Charles, and Christopher. Their marriage lasted until Suzy Parker's death on May 3, 2003.

Dillman was a cousin of an interesting writer and wealthy relative named Aimee Crocker.

Bradford Dillman lived in Montecito, California, for many years. He helped raise money for medical research. He passed away in Santa Barbara, California, on January 16, 2018, at the age of 87. He died from problems caused by pneumonia.

Bradford Dillman was his real name. He once said that his name sounded like a "distinguished, phony, theatrical name," so he decided to keep it.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Bradford Dillman para niños