Warren Oates facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Warren Oates
Oates in 1963
Born	Warren Mercer Oates (1928-07-05)July 5, 1928 Depoy, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	April 3, 1982(1982-04-03) (aged 53) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1953–1982
Spouse(s)	Teddy Louise Farmer ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1966)​ Vickery Turner ​ ​ (m. 1969; div. 1974)​ Judy A. Jones ​ ​ (m. 1977)​
Children	4

Warren Mercer Oates (born July 5, 1928 – died April 3, 1982) was an American actor. He was famous for his roles in movies directed by Sam Peckinpah. These included The Wild Bunch (1969) and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974).

He also gave a great performance as Officer Sam Wood in In the Heat of the Night (1967). In the early 1970s, Oates starred in many films that became very popular with certain fans. Some of these were The Hired Hand (1971), Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), and Race with the Devil (1975).

Warren Oates played the real-life criminal John Dillinger in the movie Dillinger (1973). He was also U.S. Army Sergeant Hulka in the funny military movie Stripes (1981). Another important role was in the New Zealand film Sleeping Dogs (1977). In that movie, he played the leader of the American forces.

Early Life and Beginnings

Warren Oates was born and grew up in Depoy, Kentucky, a small town in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. He was the younger of two sons. His parents were Sarah Alice and Bayless Earle Oates, who owned a local store.

Warren went to Louisville Male High School until 1945. He later earned a high-school diploma by taking a special test. After high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps for two years (1946-1948). He worked as an aircraft mechanic and became a corporal.

Oates became interested in acting while studying at the University of Louisville. In 1953, he acted in several plays there. A few years later, in 1957, he got a chance to act in a live TV show called Studio One in New York City.

Acting Career Highlights

Warren Oates moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s. He started getting small roles in weekly TV Westerns. He appeared in many popular shows like Wagon Train, Rawhide, Wanted Dead or Alive, and Gunsmoke.

In one episode of Rescue 8 in 1958, Oates played a gang member named Pete. Pete helped firefighters find a lost girl in sewer tunnels.

He also appeared in other TV shows, including The Twilight Zone and Lost in Space. Oates once joked about his early career: "There were 40 [Western] series, and I went from one to the other. I started out playing the third bad guy on a horse and worked my way up to the number-one bad guy."

Working with Sam Peckinpah

Oates first met director Sam Peckinpah while working on the TV series The Rifleman. Peckinpah helped create and sometimes directed this show. Oates also had a role in Peckinpah's short series The Westerner in 1960.

Their teamwork continued in Peckinpah's early movies, Ride the High Country (1962) and Major Dundee (1965). This led to two of Oates' most famous movie roles.

In the 1969 Western classic The Wild Bunch, Oates played Lyle Gorch. He was an outlaw who chose to die fighting with his friends. His wife at the time, Teddy, said Oates loved filming on location and admired Peckinpah.

In Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), Oates played the main character, Bennie. Bennie was a musician and bartender hoping to make a lot of money. It's said that the character of Bennie was based on Peckinpah himself. For the movie, Oates even wore the director's sunglasses!

Critically Acclaimed Roles

While his Peckinpah films are well-known, many critics say his best role was GTO in Monte Hellman's 1971 movie Two-Lane Blacktop. Even though the movie didn't make much money, it's now studied in film schools. Many believe Oates' acting in it was amazing. Film critic Leonard Maltin even said Oates should have won an Oscar for it.

Oates had a close friendship with director Monte Hellman. They worked together on three other films: The Shooting (1966), Cockfighter (1974), and China 9, Liberty 37 (1978).

Oates with Michelle Phillips in Dillinger (1973)

Warren Oates also worked with many other important directors. These included Norman Jewison for In the Heat of the Night (1967) and Steven Spielberg for 1941 (1979).

He played Muff Potter in the musical movie Tom Sawyer (1973). Oates also starred three times with his friend Peter Fonda in movies like The Hired Hand (1971) and Race with the Devil (1975).

In 1977, Oates acted in the New Zealand film Sleeping Dogs. It was a political thriller where New Zealand becomes a police state. Oates played Colonel Willoughby, the commander of American forces working with the government.

A year before he passed away, Oates starred with Bill Murray in the 1981 comedy Stripes. Oates played the serious drill sergeant, Sgt. Hulka, while Murray was the funny character. The movie was a big hit, earning $85 million. In 1982, he acted with Jack Nicholson in The Border.

His last two movies, Blue Thunder and Tough Enough, were released after his death in 1983. Both films are dedicated to him.

Later Life and Passing

Warren Oates was sick with the flu in the weeks before he died. On April 3, 1982, he passed away at age 53. He had a heart attack while taking a nap at his home in Los Angeles. He had felt chest pains and shortness of breath earlier that day.

After his funeral, his body was cremated. His ashes were scattered at his ranch in Montana, as he had wished.

Legacy and Influence

Warren Oates has a special group of fans who admire his work. This is because of his roles in Peckinpah's movies, Monte Hellman's independent films, and his movies with Peter Fonda.

Director Richard Linklater once said about Oates: "Because there was once a god who walked the Earth named Warren Oates."

A documentary film called Warren Oates: Across the Border was made in 1993 to honor his acting career. In 2009, a book about his life, Warren Oates: A Wild Life, was written by Susan Compo.

Filmography

Films

Television Films

Television Series Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Warren Oates para niños