Gary Merrill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Merrill
Merrill in the trailer for A Blueprint for Murder (1953)
Born	Gary Fred Merrill (1915-08-02)August 2, 1915 Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	March 5, 1990(1990-03-05) (aged 74) Falmouth, Maine, U.S.
Occupation	Actor film director
Years active	1943–1980
Spouse(s)	Barbara Leeds ​ ​ (m. 1941; div. 1950)​ Bette Davis ​ ​ (m. 1950; div. 1960)​
Children	3

Gary Fred Merrill (born August 2, 1915 – died March 5, 1990) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 50 movies and many television shows. He is especially known for his role in the movie All About Eve. He also married his co-star from that film, Bette Davis.

Early Life and Education

Gary Merrill was born in Hartford, Connecticut. He went to Bowdoin College and Trinity College. In 1944, while serving in the United States Army Air Forces, he began acting. His first play was called Winged Victory.

Acting Career Highlights

Before movies, Merrill used his deep voice to play Batman on the Superman radio show. His film career started well with roles in movies like Twelve O'Clock High (1949) and All About Eve (1950). In All About Eve, he played Bill Sampson.

Television Roles and Guest Appearances

Gary Merrill had a very busy career in television. From 1954 to 1956, he played Jason Tyler in the crime show Justice. In 1958, he appeared with June Lockhart in an episode of Cimarron City.

He also had roles in Then Came Bronson and Young Doctor Kildare. Merrill was a guest star in several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In 1963, he appeared in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

In 1964, he starred as Lou Sheldon in the drama The Reporter. Later, in 1967, he acted alongside Elvis Presley in the movie Clambake. After 1980, Merrill mostly stopped acting. He wrote a book about his life called Bette, Rita and the Rest of My Life in 1989.

Personal Life and Activism

Merrill posing in a promotional image for All About Eve (1950): He is pictured with Bette Davis, whom he was married to from 1950 to 1960.

Gary Merrill married Barbara Leeds in 1941. They divorced in 1950. On the same day, he married Bette Davis, his co-star from All About Eve. He adopted her daughter, Barbara. They also adopted two more children, Margot and Michael. Merrill and Davis divorced in 1960.

He was often involved in politics. In 1958, he helped campaign for Edmund Muskie to become governor of Maine. In 1965, he joined the Selma to Montgomery marches. These marches helped people register to vote. He also ran for office in Maine because he was against the Vietnam War and cared about the environment.

Gary Merrill passed away from lung cancer on March 5, 1990, in Falmouth, Maine. He is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery. He had a son, Michael, and a daughter, Margot, along with two grandchildren.

Selected Filmography

• Winged Victory (1944)
• Twelve O'Clock High (1949) - Col. Keith Davenport
• All About Eve (1950) - Bill Sampson
• The Frogmen (1951) - Lt. Cmdr. Pete Vincent
• Decision Before Dawn (1951) - Col. Devlin
• A Blueprint for Murder (1953) - Fred Sargent
• The Human Jungle (1954) - Police Capt. John Danforth
• The Wonderful Country (1959) - Maj. Stark Colton
• Mysterious Island (1961) - Gideon Spilitt
• Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) - Pentagon Chief of Staff
• Clambake (1967) - Sam
• The Incident (1967) - Douglas McCann
• Huckleberry Finn (1974) - Pap

Selected Television Appearances

Gary Merrill appeared in many TV shows from 1953 to 1980. He was often a guest star. Some of the shows he appeared in include:

• Wagon Train
• Studio One
• Rawhide
• Laramie
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (several episodes)
• The Twilight Zone (episode "Still Valley")
• General Electric Theater
• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
• The Time Tunnel
• Marcus Welby, M.D.
• Kung Fu
• Cannon

Radio Appearances

Gary Merrill also acted in radio shows:

See also

In Spanish: Gary Merrill para niños