Lloyd Bridges facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lloyd Bridges
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Lloyd Bridges in 1966
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| Born |
Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr.
January 15, 1913 San Leandro, California, U.S.
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| Died | March 10, 1998 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Education | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1935–1998 |
| Spouse(s) |
Dorothy Simpson
(m. 1938) |
| Children | 4, including Beau and Jeff |
| Relatives | Jordan Bridges (grandson) |
Lloyd Vernet Bridges Jr. (born January 15, 1913 – died March 10, 1998) was a famous American actor. He starred in many movies and TV shows, appearing in over 150 films. He was the father of four children, including well-known actors Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges.
Lloyd Bridges started his career working for Columbia Pictures. He appeared in serious films like Sahara (1943) and High Noon (1952). Later, he became very popular on TV in the show Sea Hunt (1958–1961). Towards the end of his career, he showed off his funny side in comedy movies such as Airplane! (1980) and Hot Shots! (1991). He was nominated for an Emmy Award twice and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.
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Early Life and Education
Lloyd Bridges was born in San Leandro, California. His parents, Harriet Evelyn and Lloyd Vernet Bridges, were from Kansas. His father worked in the hotel business and even owned a movie theater.
Lloyd finished high school at Petaluma High School in 1930. He then went on to study political science at the UCLA. While at UCLA, he was part of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
Acting Career Highlights
Lloyd Bridges began his acting journey with small, uncredited roles in movies like Freshman Love (1936).
Early Theatre Work
In 1937, Bridges made his first appearance on Broadway, which is a famous theater district in New York City. He was part of the cast in a play by Shakespeare called Othello. He also acted in another play, Suzanna and the Elders, in 1940.
Working for Columbia Pictures
In 1940, Lloyd Bridges joined Columbia Pictures. He worked there for $75 a week, taking on small roles in many films. Some of these early movies included The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance (1941) and Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), where he played a pilot.
During World War II, Bridges left Hollywood to join the United States Coast Guard. After the war, he returned to acting. He later became an honorary commodore in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and even made public service announcements for them. His character in Sea Hunt, Mike Nelson, was also shown as a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Both of his sons, Beau and Jeff, also served in the Coast Guard.
Becoming a Leading Actor
After the war, Bridges started getting bigger roles. His first main role was in the movie series Secret Agent X-9 (1945). He also had supporting roles in films like A Walk in the Sun (1945).
By 1948, he was playing lead roles in movies such as Secret Service Investigator and 16 Fathoms Deep. He also appeared in Home of the Brave (1949), a film that dealt with important social issues. He starred in the science fiction movie Rocketship X-M (1950).
A Challenging Time
In the 1950s, Lloyd Bridges faced a difficult period in his career. He was unfairly accused of having certain political beliefs, which made it hard for him to find work in Hollywood for a short time. This was a challenging experience, but he eventually overcame it and continued his successful acting career, especially in television.
He made his TV debut in 1951. He also had a supporting role in the classic Western film High Noon (1952).
Success in Television
Bridges became very well-known for his role as Mike Nelson in the TV series Sea Hunt. This show was about underwater adventures and ran from 1958 to 1961. He even co-wrote a book about skin-diving called Mask and Flippers.
After Sea Hunt, Bridges starred in his own show, The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962–1963). His sons, Beau and Jeff, also appeared on the show.
Producer Gene Roddenberry, who created Star Trek, reportedly offered Lloyd Bridges the role of Captain Kirk for Star Trek. However, the role eventually went to William Shatner. Bridges did star in another Western TV series by Rod Serling called The Loner (1965–1966).
Throughout the 1970s, Bridges appeared in many TV movies and mini-series. He had important roles in popular shows like Roots and How the West Was Won.
Comedy Roles
In 1980, Lloyd Bridges had a huge hit with the comedy movie Airplane!. This film was a funny spoof of disaster movies and showed off his great comedic talent. He played Steve McCroskey, a serious-looking but hilarious character. He returned for the sequel, Airplane II: The Sequel (1982).
He continued to appear in many TV shows and movies, including East of Eden (1981). In the 1990s, he starred in more comedies like Hot Shots! (1991) and Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), where he played Admiral Thomas 'Tug' Benson.
One of his last memorable roles was as Izzy Mandelbaum on the popular TV show Seinfeld. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for this role in 1998, forty years after his first nomination!
Personal Life and Family
Lloyd Bridges met his wife, Dorothy Bridges (whose maiden name was Simpson), at college. They got married in 1938 in New York City. They had four children together. Their sons, Beau Bridges (born in 1941) and Jeff Bridges (born in 1949), both became successful actors, just like their father. They also had a daughter named Lucinda Louise (born in 1953). Sadly, another son, Garrett Myles, passed away as a baby in 1948. Lloyd's grandson, Jordan Bridges, who is Beau's son, also became an actor. Lloyd and Dorothy renewed their wedding vows on their 50th anniversary.
Death and Tributes
Lloyd Bridges passed away peacefully on March 10, 1998, at the age of 85.
After his death, an episode of Seinfeld was dedicated to his memory. His last film, Jane Austen's Mafia!, which was released the same year he died, also included a special dedication to him.
In 2011, Lloyd Bridges was honored with the Lone Sailor Award. This award recognizes former Coast Guard members who have achieved great success in their civilian careers. His sons, Beau and Jeff, also received this award at the same time.
Images for kids
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Lloyd Bridges in 1966
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Commodore Lloyd Bridges, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary public service poster
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In Rocketship X-M (1950)
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Guest stars for the 1961 premiere episode of The Dick Powell Show. Lloyd Bridges is standing third from left.
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Bridges in The Loner
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Bridges at the 61st Academy Awards in 1989
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Bridges and his son Beau at the 44th Emmy Awards, August 30, 1992
See also
In Spanish: Lloyd Bridges para niños
