Gary Clarke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Clarke
Clarke as Steve Hill on The Virginian
Born	Clarke Frederick L'Amoreaux (1933-08-16) August 16, 1933 (age 91) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Known for	Michael Shayne and The Virginian
Spouse(s)	Marilyn (1954-bef. 1964) Pat Woodell (1964-bef. 1978) Jerrene (1991-present)
Children	5

Gary Clarke (born Clarke Frederick L'Amoreaux on August 16, 1933) is an American actor. He is well-known for playing Steve Hill in the NBC Western TV series The Virginian. He starred alongside James Drury and Doug McClure in this popular show.

Early Life and Acting Dreams

Gary Clarke was born in Los Angeles, California. His family had French and Mexican roots. He grew up in East Los Angeles, a neighborhood with many people of Mexican heritage.

Starting His Acting Journey

While in high school, Gary started thinking about becoming an actor. After he graduated, he got a part in a play at a community theater in San Gabriel, California. This led to more acting roles in plays in Glendale. During this time, Gary also worked as a machinist and delivered newspapers.

Film and Television Roles

Gary Clarke began his movie career in 1958 with the film Dragstrip Riot. He remembered that his agent helped him get an audition for the movie. Gary said he read for the part for five days straight and got the main role.

Early Movies and TV Shows

After Dragstrip Riot, Gary appeared in other films like How to Make a Monster and Missile to the Moon (both from 1958). He also acted in Date Bait (1960) and Passion Street, U.S.A. (1964). He worked for Universal Pictures as a contract actor, meaning he had a special agreement to work for them.

In 1960 and 1961, Gary played Dick Hamilton in the NBC TV series Michael Shayne. This show was about a detective character. Later, he appeared in the Western series Laramie.

Starring in The Virginian

Gary Clarke became very famous for his role as Steve Hill in the long-running TV Western series The Virginian. He was on the show from 1962 to 1964. His last regular role in a TV series was in the 1967 ABC Western Hondo, where he played Captain Richards.

Writing for Television

Gary Clarke also worked as a writer. He said that he and his friend Steve Ihnat wrote the movie Strike Me Deadly (1963). Later, using his birth name, Clarke Frederick L'Amoreaux, he wrote several scripts for the NBC spy comedy show Get Smart. He created the character Hymie the Robot for the show. Most of his six scripts for Get Smart were about Hymie.

Later Career and Projects

In the 1980s and 1990s, Gary wrote and produced TV public-service announcements, which are short messages that teach people about important topics. One of these was "Youth at Risk." He also narrated short films that taught people things, like "Promoting Healthy Behavior." He appeared in TV series such as Dynasty and The Young Riders. In The Young Riders, he had a role that appeared in four episodes.

In the 2010s, Gary acted in movies like The Paperboy (2012) and Parkland (2013).

In 2014, Gary Clarke directed a TV pilot called Billy and the Bandit. It was about a young boy whose daydreams took him to the American Old West, like in the novel The Virginian. The show was filmed near Austin, Texas. It even featured James Drury and Roberta Shore, who were also from Gary's old series The Virginian.

Singing Career

While he was on the TV show Michael Shayne, Gary Clarke released a song called "Tomorrow May Never Come." He also sang a cover of the theme song for The Virginian when he was on that show.

Personal Life

In July 2003, Gary Clarke, along with his The Virginian co-stars James Drury, Roberta Shore, and Randy Boone, attended the Western Film Fair in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Gary Clarke married his first wife, Marilyn, when he was a teenager. They had three sons: Jeff, Dennis, and David. His second wife was actress Pat Woodell, who was on the show Petticoat Junction. They later divorced. In 1991, he married his third wife, Jerrene. They have two daughters, Ava and Natalie.

As of 2011, Gary Clarke lives in Austin, Texas.

The Virginian Episodes

Gary Clarke appeared in 45 episodes of The Virginian between 1962 and 1964. Here are some of them:

• The Executioners (September 19, 1962)
• Woman from White Wing (September 26, 1962)
• Throw a Long Rope (October 3, 1962)
• The Big Deal (October 10, 1962)
• The Brazen Bell (October 17, 1962)
• Big Day, Great Day (October 24, 1962)
• Riff-Raff (November 7, 1962)
• Impasse (November 14, 1962)
• It Tolls for Thee (November 21, 1962)
• The Devil's Children (December 5, 1962)
• 50 Days to Moose Jaw (December 12, 1962)
• The Accomplice (December 19, 1962)
• The Man from the Sea (December 26, 1962)
• Duel at Shiloh (January 2, 1963)
• The Exiles (January 9, 1963)
• Say Goodbye to All That (January 23, 1963)
• The Man Who Wouldn't Die (January 30, 1963)
• The Small Parade (February 20, 1963)
• The Money Cage (March 6, 1963)
• A Distant Fury (March 20, 1963)
• Run Away Home (April 24, 1963)
• Ride a Dark Trail (September 18, 1963)
• A Killer in Town (October 9, 1963)
• The Evil That Men Do (October 16, 1963)
• It Takes a Big Man (October 23, 1963)
• Brother Thaddeus (October 30, 1963)
• A Portrait of Marie Valonne (November 6, 1963)
• Run Quiet (November 13, 1963)
• Stopover in a Western Town (November 27, 1963)
• The Fatal Journey (December 4, 1963)
• A Time Remembered (December 11, 1963)
• The Invaders (January 1, 1964)
• Roar from the Mountain (January 8, 1964)
• The Thirty Days of Gavin Heath (January 22, 1964)
• The Drifter (January 29, 1964)
• First to Thine Own Self (February 12, 1964)
• Smile of a Dragon (February 26, 1964)
• Another's Footsteps (March 11, 1964)
• Rope of Lies (March 25, 1964)
• A Bride for Lars (April 15, 1964)
• Dark Destiny (April 29, 1964)
• A Man Called Kane (May 6, 1964)
• Felicity's Spring (October 14, 1964)
• Big Image... Little Man (October 28, 1964)
• The Girl from Yesterday (November 11, 1964)

Other Selected Filmography

• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958) (Season 3 Episode 17: "The Motive") as Bellboy
• "The Young Riders" (1991), Season 3, Episode 4, "Between Rock Creek and a Hard Place" as Union Colonel