John David Carson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John David Carson
Carson in The Savage is Loose (1974)
Born	John Franklin Carson (1952-03-06)March 6, 1952 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	October 27, 2009(2009-10-27) (aged 57) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1966-1990

John David Carson was an American actor. He was born as John Franklin Carson on March 6, 1952, in Los Angeles, California. He passed away on October 27, 2009.

Exploring John David Carson's Acting Career

John David Carson started acting when he was young. He first appeared in TV commercials. Later, he used his voice for cartoon characters at Hanna-Barbera. His very first job was voicing "Dino Boy/Todd" in the TV show "Space Ghost." He did this for 18 episodes from 1966 to 1968. At that time, he was known as Johnny Carson.

He went to Los Angeles Valley College. In 1969, he played a main role in their play "The Taming Of The Shrew." When he began his acting career in Hollywood, he had a disagreement with the famous TV host Johnny Carson. They shared the same name. Because of this, he decided to use the name John David Carson.

Notable Film and TV Roles

Carson's first big movie was "Pretty Maids All in a Row" in 1971. He played a character named "Ponce de Leon Harper." Another important role was in the 1976 movie "Stay Hungry." In this film, he acted alongside stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jeff Bridges, and Sally Field.

John David Carson also appeared in many TV shows. These included "Hawaii Five-O" and "Charlie's Angels." He played "Jay Spence" in "Falcon Crest." This was a popular evening TV drama.

He played "Larry Burns" on "Murder She Wrote." Larry was a TV repairman who was wrongly accused of a crime. On "Charlie's Angels", he played an Irish jockey named "Kevin Ryan." He also acted in several B-movies. These were films like "Empire of the Ants" (1977). This movie was based on a story by H. G. Wells about giant, man-eating ants.

Other films included "Creature from Black Lake" (1976), "Charge of the Model T's" (1977), and "The Fifth Floor" (1978). He also acted with George C. Scott in "The Day of the Dolphin" (1973). He worked with Scott again in "The Savage is Loose" (1974), playing his character's son. Carson continued to act in smaller roles until 1990. His last movie was the hit film "Pretty Woman" with Julia Roberts. After this role, he chose to stop acting.

John David Carson's Early Life

John Franklin Carson had both Irish and Cherokee family roots. His father was Eldridge "Kit" Carson (1909–1978), a Western actor. His mother was Rosemonde (née James) Carson, who was a fashion model. John was born on March 6, 1952, in Los Angeles. He was born at the Queen of Angels Hospital, which is now closed. He grew up in a home located at 634 North Fuller Avenue.

When Carson began his Hollywood career, he had already faced some challenges. His parents had separated. Also, he was in a serious motorcycle accident. This accident caused him to lose almost all his hearing in one ear. He shared this information in an interview with Interview magazine.

Family Life and Marriages

John David Carson was raised as a Christian Scientist. He was married three times during his life. His first marriage was to Vicki Morgan on January 10, 1976. They divorced the next year. He married Colette Trygg for his second marriage. This marriage also ended in divorce on May 7, 1993.

His third wife was Diana. They were married on February 5, 2007. They remained married until his death. John David Carson passed away from lymphoma on October 27, 2009. He was 57 years old. He had two step-daughters named Amber and Alana from his wife Diana's previous marriage. Even though he never legally changed his name from John Franklin Carson, he used John David Carson on his marriage applications.

Filmography