John Hillerman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Hillerman
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Hillerman in The Betty White Show, 1977
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John Benedict Hillerman
December 20, 1932 Denison, Texas, U.S.
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| Died | November 9, 2017 (aged 84) |
| Alma mater | University of Texas at Austin |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1957–1999 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1953–1957 |
| Rank |  Staff Sergeant |
| Unit | Strategic Air Command |
John Benedict Hillerman (born December 20, 1932 – died November 9, 2017) was an American actor. He was most famous for playing Jonathan Quayle Higgins III in the TV show Magnum, P.I.. This show was on TV from 1980 to 1988. For his role as Higgins, John Hillerman won a Golden Globe Award in 1981 and an Emmy Award in 1987. He stopped acting in 1999.
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Early Life and Becoming an Actor
John Hillerman was born in Denison, Texas. His father, Christopher Benedict Hillerman, owned a gas station. His mother was Lenora Joan. John was the middle child and had two sisters. His family came from countries like Germany, Holland, and Austria.
When he was ten, John became very interested in opera. He would travel to Dallas to watch big opera shows. He went to St. Xavier's Academy and then studied journalism at the University of Texas at Austin for three years.
Military Service and First Steps in Acting
John Hillerman served in the United States Air Force from 1953 to 1957. He worked on planes like the B-36 for the Strategic Air Command. He reached the rank of Staff Sergeant.
During his time in the Air Force, he joined a theater group in Fort Worth. He said he was "bored with barracks life" and joined to meet people. This is where he found his love for acting.
After leaving the Air Force in 1957, he moved to New York City. He studied acting at the American Theatre Wing. For the next twelve years, he acted in many plays. He was in over 100 stage shows, but it was hard to make a living as a stage actor. So, in 1969, he moved to Hollywood to try acting in movies and TV.
Acting Career Highlights
Movies John Hillerman Starred In
John Hillerman's first movie role was in They Call Me Mister Tibbs! in 1970. He played a reporter. A director named Peter Bogdanovich, who he had worked with before, cast him in several movies. These included The Last Picture Show, What's Up, Doc?, and Paper Moon.
Throughout the 1970s, John Hillerman worked a lot in movies and on TV. He had important roles in films like Chinatown and Blazing Saddles in 1974. After he got the role in Magnum, P.I., he only made a few more movies. His last movie was A Very Brady Sequel.
Television Roles and Magnum, P.I.
In 1975, John Hillerman co-starred in Ellery Queen. He played Simon Brimmer, a radio detective. From 1976 to 1980, he was Mr. Conners on the show One Day at a Time. He also played Betty White's husband on The Betty White Show (1977–1978). He even appeared in an episode of Wonder Woman as a Nazi spy. In 1978, he was in an episode of Little House on the Prairie.
His most famous role was as Jonathan Higgins in Magnum, P.I. (1980–1988). Higgins was a former British Army Sergeant Major. To play Higgins, John Hillerman learned to speak with a fancy English accent. This accent is called Received Pronunciation, or the King's/Queen's English. He listened to recordings of famous actor Laurence Olivier to learn it.
John Hillerman said Higgins was his favorite role. He felt Higgins was the only sensible character on the show. He once said Higgins thought "everyone else is stark raving mad."
In 1990, John Hillerman returned to TV in the show The Hogan Family. He played Lloyd Hogan. That same year, he played Dr. Watson in a TV movie about Sherlock Holmes called Hands of a Murderer.
In 1993, he was in a show called Berlin Break. He played Mac MacKenzie, a former spy who owned a bar in West Berlin. His character teamed up with two other jobless spies to solve mysteries.
Later Years and Passing Away
After acting for many years, John Hillerman retired in 1999. He moved back to his home state of Texas.
On November 9, 2017, John Hillerman passed away at his home in Houston. He was 84 years old and died from cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart and blood vessels.
Awards John Hillerman Won
John Hillerman received many awards and nominations for his acting.
- He won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1987 for his role in Magnum, P.I..
- He also won a Golden Globe Award in 1982 for his work on Magnum, P.I..
- He was nominated for the Emmy Award three other times (1984, 1985, 1986).
- He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award four other times (1983, 1985, 1987, 1988).
See also
In Spanish: John Hillerman para niños
