Hugh O'Brian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hugh O'Brian
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O'Brian in 1965
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| Born |
Hugh Charles Krampe
April 19, 1925 Rochester, New York, U.S.
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| Died | September 5, 2016 (aged 91) |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1948–2000 |
| Spouse(s) |
Virginia Barber
(m. 2006) |
| Children | Hugh Donald Etkes |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1943–1949 |
| Rank |  Sergeant |
Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was a famous American actor. He was best known for playing the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp in the TV show The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp from 1955 to 1961. He also starred in the action TV series Search in the early 1970s. Besides acting, Hugh O'Brian was a kind person who started a special program to help young people become leaders.
He created the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation, which is a non-profit group. This group helps high school students learn how to be good leaders. Since O'Brian started it in 1958, more than 500,000 students have been part of the program. He got the idea after visiting a famous doctor and thinker named Albert Schweitzer.
Contents
Hugh O'Brian's Early Life and Military Service
Growing Up and Joining the Marines
Hugh O'Brian was born Hugh Charles Krampe in Rochester, New York. His father, Hugh John Krampe, was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. His mother was Edith Lillian (née Marks) Krampe. Hugh O'Brian once said his father was "one of the toughest men I ever knew." This made him interested in the military.
Around 1930, when he was about five, O'Brian moved with his parents to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. His father worked for a company called Armstrong Cork. The family lived in Lancaster for about four years before moving to Chicago. Years later, in 1963, Hugh O'Brian was given the key to the city of Lancaster.
In the Chicago area, Krampe and his family lived in Winnetka, Illinois. He went to New Trier High School. Later, he transferred to Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri. There, he was good at many sports like football, basketball, wrestling, and track.
After studying for one semester at the University of Cincinnati, Krampe left college. He joined the Marine Corps during World War II. He was only 17 years old. He became the youngest Marine drill instructor on record.
How Hugh O'Brian Became an Actor
After World War II, Krampe planned to become a lawyer. He was accepted to Yale University for 1947. Before that, he was in Hollywood and dating an actress. He went to her play rehearsals. One day, the main actor didn't show up. The director, Ida Lupino, asked Krampe to read the lines. He got the role! The play was a big success, and he soon got an offer from an agent.
Krampe changed his name because the play program misspelled his last name as "Krape." He said, "I decided right then I didn't want to go through life being known as Huge Krape." So, he decided to use his mother's family name, O'Brien. But it was misspelled again as "O'Brian," and he just kept it that way.
Ida Lupino then signed him for a film she was directing called Never Fear. After this, O'Brian got a contract with Universal Pictures.
Hugh O'Brian's Acting Career in TV and Movies
Playing the Famous Wyatt Earp
Hugh O'Brian was chosen to play the famous lawman Wyatt Earp in the ABC Western TV series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. The show started in 1955. To get ready for the role, O'Brian bought a book about Wyatt Earp. He also worked with the book's author, who helped with the show.
This series was one of the first "adult Western" shows. It focused on developing characters more than just telling simple stories. It quickly became one of the most popular shows on TV. For six years, Wyatt Earp was always among the top 10 shows in the United States. Years later, he played Wyatt Earp again in other TV shows and movies.
Other TV and Film Roles
O'Brian appeared on many other TV shows in the 1950s and 1960s. These included The Nat King Cole Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show. He was also a guest on game shows like Password and What's My Line?.
In 1971, he filmed a TV pilot called Probe. He played a high-tech agent who found valuable items. This pilot led to a TV series for O'Brian called Search, which ran for one season.
Hugh O'Brian also acted in many movies. Some of them were Rocketship X-M (1950), There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), and Ten Little Indians (1965). He had a special role in John Wayne's last movie, The Shootist (1976). In this film, he played the last character John Wayne's character ever killed on screen. He also had a small role as the father of Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the comedy movie Twins (1988).
Hugh O'Brian's Personal Life and Legacy
Marriage and Family
On June 25, 2006, when he was 81, O'Brian married Virginia Barber. They had been together for 18 years. This was his first and only marriage. Virginia Barber was a teacher. After they got married, they spent their honeymoon studying philosophy at Oxford University. O'Brian believed that "an active mind is as important as an active body." Hugh O'Brian had one son, Hugh Donald Krampe.
Hugh O'Brian passed away at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on September 5, 2016. He was 91 years old.
Helping Young Leaders with HOBY
O'Brian spent a lot of his life dedicated to the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation (HOBY). This is a non-profit program that helps high school students develop leadership skills. HOBY helps 10,000 high school sophomores every year. They have over 70 leadership programs in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since it started in 1958, more than 500,000 young people have taken part in HOBY programs.
One high school sophomore from every high school in the United States can attend a HOBY seminar. These students are called "ambassadors." From these seminars, some students get the chance to go to the World Leadership Congress. In 2008, over 500 ambassadors from all over the world attended.
The idea for HOBY came to O'Brian in 1958. He had a nine-day visit with the famous humanitarian Albert Schweitzer in Africa. Dr. Schweitzer believed that "the most important thing in education is to teach young people to think for themselves." This idea inspired Hugh O'Brian to create HOBY.
Awards and Recognition
For his work in television, Hugh O'Brian has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located at 6613½ Hollywood Blvd. In 1992, he was added to the Western Performers Hall of Fame. This is at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | The Man from the Alamo | Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer — Male | Won |
| 1956 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Primetime Emmy for Best Continuing Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Series | Nominated |
| 1960 | Himself | Hollywood Walk of Fame Star — Television | Honored |
| 1973 | Golden Plate Award – Television | Honored | |
| 1991 | Golden Boot Award | Honored | |
| 1992 | Hall of Great Western Performers | Inducted |
Images for kids
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O'Brian as Wyatt Earp in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
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With Louise Fletcher (1959)
See also
In Spanish: Hugh O'Brian para niños
