GEORGE KENNEDY
Name: George Kennedy
Born: 18 February 1925 New York, New York
George Harris Kennedy, Jr. (born February 18, 1925) is an Academy-Award
winning American actor who has appeared in over 200 film and television
productions. He is perhaps most familiar as Dragline in Cool Hand Luke and Joe
Patroni in the Airport series of disaster movies from the 1970s.
Kennedy was born in New York City, New York into a show business family. His
father, George Harris Kennedy, a musician and orchestra leader, died when
Kennedy was four years old. He was raised by his mother, Helen A. (née
Kieselbach), a ballet dancer. He made his stage debut at the age of two,
later becoming a radio performer. Kennedy put aside show business during World
War II and spent sixteen years in the United States Army, seeing combat and
working in the Armed Forces radio. he was involved with the opening of the first
Army Information Office, which provided provided technical assistance to
films and TV shows. After retiring from the military (reportedly because of a
back injury), Kennedy found his way back to the entertainment industry.
Kennedy became a technical advisor for the television series Sergeant Bilko,
where his acting career began with a few one-line parts. Kennedy began his
film career in 1961 in The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come. He then appeared in
several successful films, including 1963's'Charade opposite Cary Grant, Audrey
Hepburn, Walter Matthau, and James Coburn, 1964's Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte,
opposite Bette Davis, and 1965's In Harm's Way, opposite John Wayne. He also
made numerous television appearances, on The Andy Griffith Show, Perry Mason,
Bonanza, McHale's Navy, and Gunsmoke. He won an Academy Award for Best
Supporting Actor for Cool Hand Luke (1967). He followed with films such as The
Dirty Dozen,Bandolero! and The Boston Strangler. In 1970 he appeared in the
Academy-Award-winning film Airport, in which he played one of the film's lead
characters, Joe Patroni. He reprised this role four years later in Airport 1975
and again in two further sequels. In 1984, he starred opposite Bo Derek in the
Hollywood disaster Bolero. Kennedy also appeared in the television series The
Love Boat in 1984, playing the character Erik Larsen. He then appeared in
several less successful films including Savage Dawn, The Delta Force, and
Creepshow 2 before appearing in the comedy hit The Naked Gun: From the Files of
Police Squad! in 1988, playing Captain Ed Hocken. The film had two sequels in
which Kennedy co-starred.
On television, Kennedy played Carter McKay in the CBS prime time serial Dallas (1978-1991),
appearing from 1988-1991. In the late 1990s, he promoted Breathasure tablets in
television commercials with the quote "I never go anywhere without my
Breathasure." Around this time he reprised his role as Cater McKay in the
television films Dallas: JR Returns and Dallas: War of the Ewings. In 1998, he
voiced Brick Bazooka for the film Small Soldiers. He then made several
independent films before making a 2003 comeback to television in the soap opera
The Young and the Restless, playing the character Albert Miller. In 2005, he
made a cameo appearance in the small film Don't Come Knocking, where he played
the director of an ill-fated Western.
Kennedy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to
motion pictures, located at 6352 Hollywood Blvd.
Name: George Kennedy
Born: 18 February 1925 New York, New York
George Harris Kennedy, Jr. (born February 18, 1925) is an Academy-Award
winning American actor who has appeared in over 200 film and television
productions. He is perhaps most familiar as Dragline in Cool Hand Luke and Joe
Patroni in the Airport series of disaster movies from the 1970s.
Kennedy was born in New York City, New York into a show business family. His
father, George Harris Kennedy, a musician and orchestra leader, died when
Kennedy was four years old. He was raised by his mother, Helen A. (née
Kieselbach), a ballet dancer. He made his stage debut at the age of two,
later becoming a radio performer. Kennedy put aside show business during World
War II and spent sixteen years in the United States Army, seeing combat and
working in the Armed Forces radio. he was involved with the opening of the first
Army Information Office, which provided provided technical assistance to
films and TV shows. After retiring from the military (reportedly because of a
back injury), Kennedy found his way back to the entertainment industry.
Kennedy became a technical advisor for the television series Sergeant Bilko,
where his acting career began with a few one-line parts. Kennedy began his
film career in 1961 in The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come. He then appeared in
several successful films, including 1963's'Charade opposite Cary Grant, Audrey
Hepburn, Walter Matthau, and James Coburn, 1964's Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte,
opposite Bette Davis, and 1965's In Harm's Way, opposite John Wayne. He also
made numerous television appearances, on The Andy Griffith Show, Perry Mason,
Bonanza, McHale's Navy, and Gunsmoke. He won an Academy Award for Best
Supporting Actor for Cool Hand Luke (1967). He followed with films such as The
Dirty Dozen,Bandolero! and The Boston Strangler. In 1970 he appeared in the
Academy-Award-winning film Airport, in which he played one of the film's lead
characters, Joe Patroni. He reprised this role four years later in Airport 1975
and again in two further sequels. In 1984, he starred opposite Bo Derek in the
Hollywood disaster Bolero. Kennedy also appeared in the television series The
Love Boat in 1984, playing the character Erik Larsen. He then appeared in
several less successful films including Savage Dawn, The Delta Force, and
Creepshow 2 before appearing in the comedy hit The Naked Gun: From the Files of
Police Squad! in 1988, playing Captain Ed Hocken. The film had two sequels in
which Kennedy co-starred.
On television, Kennedy played Carter McKay in the CBS prime time serial Dallas (1978-1991),
appearing from 1988-1991. In the late 1990s, he promoted Breathasure tablets in
television commercials with the quote "I never go anywhere without my
Breathasure." Around this time he reprised his role as Cater McKay in the
television films Dallas: JR Returns and Dallas: War of the Ewings. In 1998, he
voiced Brick Bazooka for the film Small Soldiers. He then made several
independent films before making a 2003 comeback to television in the soap opera
The Young and the Restless, playing the character Albert Miller. In 2005, he
made a cameo appearance in the small film Don't Come Knocking, where he played
the director of an ill-fated Western.
Kennedy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to
motion pictures, located at 6352 Hollywood Blvd.