George Kennedy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Kennedy
Publicity photo of George Kennedy (1975)
Born	George Harris Kennedy Jr. (1925-02-18)February 18, 1925 New York City, U.S.
Died	February 28, 2016(2016-02-28) (aged 91) Middleton, Idaho, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1956–2014
Spouse(s)	Dorothy Gillooly ​ ​ (m. 1946; div. 1959)​ Norma Wurman ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1971)​ Norma Wurman ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1978)​ Joan McCarthy ​ ​ (m. 1978; died 2015)​
Children	6

George Harris Kennedy Jr. (born February 18, 1925 – died February 28, 2016) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 100 movies and TV shows. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Dragline" in the 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke, where he starred with Paul Newman. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his role as Joe Patroni in the 1970 film Airport.

George Kennedy was the only actor to appear in all four films of the Airport series. He played Joe Patroni three times. He also played Police Captain Ed Hocken in the funny Naked Gun series of movies. On TV, he was known for playing the oil tycoon Carter McKay in the original Dallas TV show.

Early Life and Military Service

George Kennedy was born on February 18, 1925, in New York City. He came from a family involved in show business. His father, George Harris Kennedy, was a musician and orchestra leader who passed away when George was four years old. His mother, Helen A. Kieselbach, was a ballet dancer who raised him.

Kennedy started acting on stage at just two years old. He was part of a traveling play called Bringing Up Father. By the time he was seven, he was a radio DJ in New York City. He finished high school in 1943 at Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York.

In 1943, Kennedy joined the United States Army during World War II. He served for 16 years and became a captain. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and earned two Bronze Stars. He left the army in the late 1950s because of a back injury.

Acting Career Highlights

Promotional photo of Kennedy for the TV series Sarge, 1971

George Kennedy's first important TV role was as a military policeman on The Phil Silvers Show. He also helped the show by making sure military details were correct. He called this show "a great training ground."

His movie career began in 1961 with The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come. He appeared in many Hollywood movies. These included a jail guard in Lonely Are the Brave (1962) and a criminal in Charade (1963) with Cary Grant. He also appeared in the thriller Strait-Jacket (1964) with Joan Crawford.

The year 1965 was very busy for Kennedy. He acted with Gregory Peck in Mirage. He was also in The Flight of the Phoenix with James Stewart. He worked with John Wayne in the war film In Harm's Way and the western The Sons of Katie Elder.

In 1967, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as "Dragline" in Cool Hand Luke. In the movie, Dragline is a chain-gang prisoner who first dislikes, then looks up to, the new prisoner Luke, played by Paul Newman.

After Cool Hand Luke, Kennedy appeared in films like The Dirty Dozen and The Boston Strangler. In 1970, he starred in the disaster movie Airport. He played Joe Patroni, an airline expert. He played this role again in Airport 1975, Airport '77, and The Concorde ... Airport '79. He was the only actor to be in every film of the series.

The Airport movies even inspired the comedy Airplane!. The filmmakers wanted Kennedy to play a character in Airplane!, but he couldn't because he was still busy with the Airport films.

Kennedy also acted with Clint Eastwood in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot and The Eiger Sanction. He was in the disaster film Earthquake and the mystery Death on the Nile.

Kennedy as Bumper Morgan in The Blue Knight, 1976

He also starred in two TV series. These were Sarge (1971–1972) and The Blue Knight (1975–1976).

In the 1980s, Kennedy appeared in films like The Delta Force and Creepshow 2. He then played Captain Ed Hocken in the comedy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! in 1988. He co-starred with Leslie Nielsen and appeared in two sequels to this popular comedy.

On television, Kennedy played Carter McKay in the TV show Dallas from 1988 to 1991. He also appeared in commercials for "Breathasure" tablets. Later, he returned as McKay in the TV movies Dallas: J.R. Returns and Dallas: War of the Ewings.

In 1998, he lent his voice to the character Brick Bazooka in the film Small Soldiers. He also appeared in the soap opera The Young and the Restless in 2003. His final movie role was in The Gambler (2014), where he played Ed, a grandfather.

Personal Life

Family and Interests

George Kennedy was married four times to three different women. He had a son, Kevin, with his first wife, Dorothy Gillooly. With his second wife, Norma Wurman, he had two children, Christopher and Karianna. He later married Joan McCarthy, and they adopted three children, including Shaunna. They also adopted their granddaughter, Taylor.

Kennedy was good friends with actor James Stewart. He also loved flying and owned his own planes. He had a special interest in Japan and its culture throughout his life.

Later Years and Passing

George Kennedy lived in Eagle, Idaho. He passed away on February 28, 2016, at the age of 91. He died from a heart ailment at an assisted living facility in Middleton, Idaho. He had a history of heart problems.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Honors

The hand prints of Kennedy in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.

For his amazing work in movies, George Kennedy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can find it at 6352 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Books Written by George Kennedy

George Kennedy also wrote three books. In 1983, he wrote a mystery novel called Murder On Location, which was about a film set. His second novel, Murder on High, came out in 1984. In 2011, he wrote his autobiography, Trust Me, which tells his life story.

See also

In Spanish: George Kennedy para niños