Wilford Brimley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wilford Brimley
Brimley in October 2012
Born	Anthony Wilford Brimley (1934-09-27)September 27, 1934 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Died	August 1, 2020(2020-08-01) (aged 85) St. George, Utah, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1967–2017
Spouse(s)	Lynne Bagley ​ ​ (m. 1956; died 2000)​ Beverly Berry ​ ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	4
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1953–1956
Rank	Sergeant
Battles/wars	Korean War

Anthony Wilford Brimley (born September 27, 1934 – died August 1, 2020) was an American actor. He was known for playing kind, sometimes grumpy, older characters.

Before becoming an actor, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He also worked many different jobs in the 1950s. In the late 1960s, he started working in Western movies as an extra (a background actor) and a stuntman.

By the 1970s and 1980s, Brimley became a well-known character actor. He appeared in popular films like The China Syndrome (1979), The Thing (1982), Tender Mercies (1983), The Natural (1984), and Cocoon (1985). He was often cast as characters who seemed much older than he actually was.

Wilford Brimley was also famous for appearing in television commercials. He was the face of Quaker Oats for a long time. He also helped promote diabetes education and appeared in commercials for Liberty Medical, a company that delivers medical supplies.

Early Life and First Jobs

Anthony Wilford Brimley was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 27, 1934. His father, Wilford Brimley, was a real estate broker. His family had roots in England, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Wales.

When he was 14, Brimley left high school. He then worked as a cowboy in states like Arizona, Idaho, and Nevada.

Military Service and Other Work

Brimley joined the Marines during the Korean War. He served for three years in the Aleutian Islands. After his military service, he had many interesting jobs. He worked as a bodyguard for the famous businessman Howard Hughes. He was also a ranch hand, a wrangler (someone who handles horses), and a blacksmith.

Later, he started shoeing horses for movies and television shows. His friend, actor Robert Duvall, encouraged him to try acting. In the 1960s, Brimley began acting as a riding extra and stunt man in westerns. He never had formal acting lessons. His first time acting for a live audience was with a theater group in Los Angeles.

Acting Career

Television and Movies

Wilford Brimley meeting U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1988

Wilford Brimley's big break in television came in the 1970s. He was cast in the popular TV series The Waltons. He played Horace Brimley, a blacksmith on Walton's Mountain, in several episodes between 1974 and 1977.

His first movie role with a credit was in The China Syndrome (1979). He played Ted Spindler, a friend of the main character played by Jack Lemmon. That same year, he appeared in "The Electric Horseman" with Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. He played a farmer who helped their characters escape.

In Absence of Malice (1981), Brimley had a small but important role as a tough Assistant Attorney General. He also played Dr. Blair, a biologist, in the scary movie The Thing (1982). In this film, his character was part of a group at a research station in Antarctica who faced a dangerous alien.

Memorable Roles

Brimley's friend Robert Duvall helped him get the role of Harry in Tender Mercies (1983). Duvall wanted someone on set he could relate to. The director thought Brimley was too old, but Duvall convinced him. Brimley was known for speaking his mind, even to directors!

He then played Pop Fisher, the tired manager of a struggling baseball team, in The Natural (1984). Brimley also appeared in the 1984 film Country as Otis, the head of a farm family. This movie showed the challenges faced by farms in the 1980s.

Brimley got his first main role in Ron Howard's Cocoon (1985). He played Ben Luckett, the leader of a group of older people. They discover a magical swimming pool that makes them feel young again. Brimley was only 49 when he was cast, much younger than the other actors playing older residents. To look the part, he dyed his hair gray and had wrinkles drawn on his face. He also starred in the sequel, Cocoon: The Return, in 1988.

Brimley became known for playing grumpy or serious older men. He starred in the NBC drama Our House in the 1980s. One different role was William Devasher, a tough security chief for a Mafia-linked law firm, in the Tom Cruise movie The Firm (1993).

After playing Kevin Kline's father in In & Out (1997), Brimley focused more on independent films. He made a return to mainstream movies in the TNT film Crossfire Trail (2001) with Tom Selleck. He also played a strict United States Postmaster General in a 1997 episode of Seinfeld. His last supporting role was in Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009).

Commercials and Voice Work

Brimley was very well-known for his commercials. He appeared in a series of ads for Quaker Oats. His line "It's the right thing to do" became very famous. These commercials started in 1987.

He also appeared in many TV ads for Liberty Medical, a company that delivers medical supplies, especially for people with diabetes. He also made commercials for the American Diabetes Association. He was also the voice for a Bryan Foods TV ad campaign.

Musical Talents

Wilford Brimley was described as "a fine singer with a warm, rich voice." In 1993, he sang with the Cal State Northridge Jazz Band to help raise money for a scholarship fund. In 2004, he released a jazz album called This Time, The Dream's On Me.

He was also a skilled harmonica player. In 2011, he played a lively version of "Oh! Susanna" on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, surprising and delighting the audience.

Personal Life and Health Advocacy

Brimley was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was married to Lynne Bagley from 1956 until her death in 2000. They had four sons. He later married Beverly Berry in 2007. They lived in Greybull, Wyoming, and Santa Clara, Utah. In 2009, they started a non-profit group called Hands Across the Saddle (HATS).

Brimley was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1979. After that, he worked to help others learn about the disease. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) gave him an award in 2008 for his work. He visited hospitals and communities to advise patients on how to manage their diabetes. His talks about diabetes became very popular online, partly because of his unique way of saying "diabetes" as "diabeetus."

Brimley also supported certain individual rights. He spoke against banning cockfighting in New Mexico, saying it was about individual freedom. He also enjoyed playing poker and played in the World Series of Poker Main Event.

In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Brimley supported John McCain. McCain even joked that he might pick Brimley as his vice president.

Death

Wilford Brimley passed away at a hospital in St. George, Utah, on August 1, 2020. He was 85 years old and had been dealing with a kidney condition for two months.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Wilford Brimley para niños